[Disclosure statement: As of the time of this writing, I have no direct affiliation with DCBX other than being a loyal yearly attendee of both the DC Bachata Congress and Ultimate Tropical New Year’s Eve and Lee and Kat being personal friends of mine. I have not been hired by them to promote DCBX in any way, and everything you read is my objective advice. As of the time of this writing, I am not directly affiliated with nor have been hired by any other companies or organizations whose services I mention in this article – everything you read from me regarding these companies is my objective advice. Any advice in this blog does not constitute legal or medical advice and is provided as is with no liability to #FrugalCongressLife or the author.]

Happy Holidays #FrugalCongressLife fam! The holiday season is in full swing here in the US where #FCL is based, and we hope everyone is having an excellent holiday.

We’re also getting ready for New Year’s Eve, and for many of us in the Latin dance world, the event we have been choosing to ring in the new year at for these past few years has been the DCBX Ultimate Tropical New Year’s Eve super-celebration!

The creation of DCBX organizers Lee “El Gringuito” Smith and Katherine “Kat La Gata” Aguilar-Smith in collaboration with different organizers around the US, DCBX Ultimate Tropical New Year’s Eve is a massive Latin-dance themed New Year’s Eve celebration offering a wide variety of workshops and parties in THREE different locations: Washington DC, Chicago, and Orlando. Live video feeds including DJ sets from each location are simulcast on an Internet television circuit at all locations.

DCBX Ultimate Tropical New Year’s Eve is an epic NYE celebration for the ages and the NYE party of choice for #FrugalCongressLife for the last two years running!

For the final proper entry of 2018, we offer a big blowout super survival guide to EVERY DCBX Ultimate Tropical New Year’s Eve party across all three locations!

For up-to-the-minute info on DCBX Ultimate Tropical New Year’s Eve including workshop schedules and other new additions, and to buy your pass for each event, visit http://www.tropicalnye.com or look for each city’s corresponding event on Facebook.

BUYING YOUR PASS IN ADVANCE IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. A VERY LIMITED NUMBER OF TICKETS WILL BE SOLD AT THE DOOR FOR EACH EVENT AND EACH EVENT IS LIKELY TO SELL OUT. IF YOU MUST BUY AT THE DOOR, GET THERE VERY EARLY.

Early bird passes for each event usually go on sale during the month of November – this is a good thing to keep in mind for next year and all subsequent years if you enjoyed the event this year. We will update the guide and notify our Facebook and Twitter followers when early bird passes go on sale.

If you were following us on Facebook (@frugalcongresslife on FB) or Twitter (@frglcngresslife) you knew about the early bird specials already. If you are not following us on Facebook or Twitter, why not?

There are some small discounts on passes of anywhere from $5 to $50 still available if you text the word NEWYEARS to 64600. Your phone carrier’s standard messaging and data rates apply to any texts you receive.

DC and Chicago are cities supported by both Citymapper and Via at the time of this writing. Orlando is unfortunately not supported by either Citymapper or Via at the time of this writing.

FIRST, A GENERAL HEADS UP FOR UBER/LYFT RIDERS:

As many of you are aware, fares for UBER and Lyft are notorious for surging into the stratosphere during prime hours on New Year’s Eve. Prices can surge as high as 9.9 times the normal fare at prime hours and horror stories such as that of one man who paid $1100 for a 21 minute UBER ride are a regular part of the pre-New Year’s Eve news cycle in the 2010s and beyond.

If using UBER or Lyft to go to and from Tropical New Year’s Eve, the best way to avoid these surges is to instead use public transportation when possible (Citymapper comes in very handy for navigating public transportation), travel to the venue in the morning or afternoon, avoid using UBER or Lyft between the hours of 8pm-11pm and 12am-3am, and travel from the venue after sunup (#TeamNoSleep). Alternately, if you must travel to or from the venue during the aforementioned prime hours, hailing a traditional taxicab may for once be the more economical, if not the fastest, option. Remember taxicabs? They’re still around. #Throwback

Via, who we just covered last week, is another new rideshare option for people celebrating the DC and Chicago New Year’s Eve parties. I just started using it in DC this year and have therefore not used it on New Year’s Eve yet but am making Via my New Year’s Eve transportation of choice for the first time in 2018!

Don’t be the next person to pay $1100 for an UBER ride this New Year’s Eve.

With that said, on to the guide.

WASHINGTON, DC:

In 2017, Washington, DC’s Tropical New Year’s Eve party picked up from its previous location at the Hilton Doubletree in Crystal City and moved to its permanent new home at the Renaissance Downtown DC, also the home of DCBX’s massive world-famous flagship bachata congress in August.

Therefore, rather than reiterate everything we have already covered in our DCBX guide, we will just link it here:

https://frugalcongresslife.blog/2018/07/18/frugalcongresslife-survival-guide-dcbx/

Almost all general information in the above guide including travel and food tips is relevant to DC’s Tropical New Year’s Eve event as well!

Washington DC’s Ultimate Tropical NYE celebration promises to be the biggest yet, having expanded from one day into an ENTIRE WEEKEND. This year’s event truly has the feel of a winter edition of DCBX with a touch of New Year’s Eve extravagance and a lot of other cool extras.

The large selection of dance workshops offered in the afternoon and early evening each day feature such local, national, and international instructors as Leo Cato & Ivonne Pronovich, Kim Rottier, Mauricio and Deny, Kat Arias, Irving & Martha, Terrisa Widener, Julissa Ju, Jerry Lai, Ashley Kent, Go Go Earl Rush, Adrian Lorenzo, Bianca Chapman, Willem Engel-Holland, and Jenna Marie.

The parties feature such heavyweight Latin DJs as DJ Soltrix, DJ Selo, DJ Chuky, DJ Steve Greene, DJ Tico, DJ Jodey, DJ Enemy, and DJ Philly Boy, as well as live concerts by Los Hermanos Galvan, Los Hermanos Moreno, saxchata juggernaut Antonio Bliss, and Lola Jane performing her sultry smash hit “Kiss Me” live with bachata guitarist and singer Melvin War.

The festivities begin with a workshop and a bachata/zouk party in the Grand Ballroom at the hotel on Friday, December 28th. Activities jump off again at the hotel on Saturday the 29th with a sensual bachata/zouk day party from 3pm-6pm, workshops from 7pm-8pm, and 3 ballrooms (salsa, bachata, and zouk) of dancing from 8pm-4am. This same schedule repeats on Sunday the 30th, with the addition of a party at long-running DC salsa/bachata venue Lucky Strike nearby as well as at the hotel, and then the big New Year’s Eve blowout jumps off at the hotel with the final Latin dance workshops of 2018 happening from 12pm-6pm, followed by a dinner break (dinner menu available at the hotel) from 6pm-8pm (VIP dinner for from 9pm-10pm) and a dizzying array of parties in 10 different ballrooms including salsa, bachata, zouk, reggaeton, EDM, and Persian music, the aforementioned live concerts, comedy shows, karaoke, a four hour open bar from 10pm-2am for VIPs (VIP pass required), a champagne toast at midnight, live internet feeds from the other two DCBX NYE parties, and seemingly everything but the kitchen sink from 9pm until 8AM ON NEW YEAR’S DAY.

For the especially hearty party-to-breakfast New Year’s Day survivors, brunch will be served in the hotel lobby restaurant after the party on the morning of January 1st, 2019.

At press time, a full weekend workshop and party pass goes for $124, a general admission pass goes for $79, a table seat only pass goes for $99, and a VIP Dinner table pass goes for $199 and includes the VIP dinner and open bar. The “Pa’Riba Baller Package”, available to one person/group only for a staggering $4,995, includes an exclusive terrace suite overlooking downtown DC, a seated three course dinner and table for 10, first row seats, exclusive VIP lines and entrance, gifts and party favors, an ultimate VIP roped off section, and general admission passes for 10 friends or employees. The “Ultimate Pa’Riba Baller Package”, also available to one person/group only for an even more staggering $9,995, is similar, but offers the dinner and table for 20 and a 3000 square foot presidential suite overlooking downtown DC for your lodging. I can’t imagine visitors to this blog will widely consider these last two options.

LODGING:

At press time, rooms at the hotel or still available to DCBX group rate of $155 per night. Rooms sell out every year and they sell out fast, so jump on it now! Book your room here or mention discount code DCB if you call the hotel.

Purchasers of the early bird pass also had the option of booking rooms for the 31st or the 30th and the 31st free of taxes and fees as an add-on – this is not likely to still be an option at press time, but is something to keep in mind if DCBX does it again next year, which is likely. As we have said before, it pays big time to buy your pass early!

CHICAGO:

Surprisingly, Chicago’s Ultimate Tropical NYE celebration, a collaboration between DCBX, Dance Center Chicago and Chicago Loves Bachata, takes place at a dance studio rather than a hotel. Dance Center Chicago, hereafter referred to as DCC, a gorgeous, expansive second floor dance studio located at 3868 N Lincoln Ave in the North Center neighborhood of Chicago, is the host of DCBX Ultimate Tropical New Year’s Eve in this city.

Artists teaching the workshops include Matthew Owen, Jorge & Maria, Kimberly Rivera, Nadia Alvarado, Reynaldo Sanchez, Douglas Ortiz & Terri Ann Atkinson, Jeremy Feliciano, and Angel Cruz. DJs at the parties include DJ Freddy Fresh, DJ JO-Z, DJ Kimani Rashad, DJ Eric, DJ Julian, DJ Earl, and DJ Mambo Lu. The parties will also feature a four hour open bar from 10pm-2am for VIPs (VIP pass required), a champagne toast at midnight and live feeds from DJ Soltrix’ set in DC and the DC Antonio Bliss concert as well as every other Ultimate Tropical NYE party.

The celebration jumps off on the 31st with the final Latin workshops of 2018 from 2pm-6pm and parties in four different ballrooms (salsa, bachata, kizomba/zouk, reggaeton) from 9pm to 8am on New Year’s Day with dance performances at 11pm.

At press time, full passes (workshops+GA) are available for $59, workshop-only passes for $34, general admission for $39, and VIP general admission for $49.

TRAVEL:

FLYING:

Fly in to O’Hare International Airport. Unlike the Chicago Salsa Bachata Festival’s hotel venue, DCC is a significant distance from O’Hare and will require some travel. Expect a 23 minute UBER/Lyft/Via ride or 50 minutes on the Chicago Blue Line and the 80 bus.

BLUE LINE/80 DIRECTIONS FROM O’HARE:

Take the Chicago Blue Line towards Forest Park to the Montrose stop. From there take the 80 bus toward Broadway to Irving Park and Damen/Lincoln and DCC is a three minute walk south on N Lincoln Avenue from there.

TRAIN:

DCC is about a 40 minute trip from Chicago Union Station on the brown line. Head east on W Adams Street toward S Wells Street, make a right on S Wells Street andget on the brown line toward Kimball at the Quincy stop. Take the brown line to Addison and DCC is a 7 minute walk northwest on N Lincoln Avenue up.

BUS:

Take Megabus to W Polk Street between S Clinton Street and S Canal Street. Walk west on W Polk Street toward S Clinton Street and make a right on S Clinton Street. Take the Blue line to O’Hare from the Clinton Stop to Clark/Lake and get on the brown line toward Kimball and follow the train directions from there.

Information on the Blue Line, Brown Line, and the 80 bus here: http:// www.transitchicago.com/

LODGING:

Lodging here is readily available, but expect to pay somewhat of a premium for staying in a major city on New Year’s Eve.

Your cheapest nearby options appear to be hostels. The Wrigley Hostel, located at 3514 N Sheffield Avenue, goes for $121 per night on NYE and has mostly good reviews. The Chicago Getaway Hostel, located 16 minutes away at 616 W Arlington Place, goes for $80 per night and has mostly good reviews as well.

The closest chain hotel is the Best Western Plus Hawthorne Terrace, located at 3434 N Broadway and going for $160 per night on New Year’s Eve.

The historic Inn At Lincoln Park, located 16 minutes away, goes for $149/night and also has good reviews.

Expect a commute of at least 10 minutes by UBER/Lyft/Via for all of these options.

FOOD:

For your grocery shopping needs, Trader Joe’s is located a block down at 3745 N Lincoln Avenue.

You have several meal out options directly nearby. Wasabi Cafe, C’est Bien Thai, Mrs. Murphy and Sons Irish Bistro, Xurro – Churro factory, and Spicy Mexican Grill are all located on the block of Lincoln Ave directly north of DCC, and it’s pretty self explanatory by their names what types of restaurants these are. Bricks Pizza and Barbecue is located a block south.

Portillo’s, Lou Malnati’s, and the Weiner’s Circle, three notable Chicago restaurant landmarks detailed in our CSBF guide, are all 18 minutes or less away from DCC by Uber/Lyft/Via.

ORLANDO:

Orlando’s Ultimate Tropical New Year’s Eve, a collaboration between DCBX, FADE, and O-Town Social, takes place at the Avanti Palms Resort and Conference Center (hereafter APRCC), located at 6515 International Drive, Orlando, FL 32819.

The final Latin workshops of 2018, featuring a mix of national, international, and local instructors including De’Jon Polanski & Clo Ferreira, one of Latin dance’s newest power couples, take place between 2pm and 6pm, and a party featuring multiple ballrooms, a four hour open bar from 10pm-2am for VIPs (VIP pass required), a champagne toast at midnight, and live internet broadcasts of DJ Soltrix’ set and the Antonio Bliss concert from DC, and as well as the other Ultimate Tropical NYE parties, takes place from 9pm-6am on New Year’s Day.

At press time, general admission passes are going for $34, general admission+workshops for $59, general admission+open bar for $89, and VIP passes for $99.

APRCC’s amenities include resort-wide WiFi, pet-friendly rooms with wood floors (so you can practice your dance moves in your room), a state of the art video arcade, a beach area with volleyball, a 24 hour fitness center, and a large pool complex with a poolside bar and grill, and even a grocery shopping service.

The hotel shuttle service goes to University Studios, Universal CityWalk, Sea World, and Aquatica, but unfortunately does not go to the airport.

TRAVEL:

TOLL ROADS:

One unfortunate characteristic for drivers of the Orlando area is an overabundance of toll roads. Expect tolls to figure into pretty much all of your UBER/Lyft rides as well as any driving you do if you are local or you rent a car.

FLYING:

Orlando International Airport (MCO), located at 1 Jeff Fuqua Blvd, Orlando, FL 32827, is the closest airport to APRCC. Expect an approximately 19 minute UBER/Lyft ride including tolls directly from the airport, or about an hour and a half on public transportation.

BUS DIRECTIONS FROM THE AIRPORT TO APRCC:

Exit the airport on the north side near Copa Airlines, walk under Jeff Fuqua Blvd and make a right and you will see the 42 Destination Parkway Superstop. Take the 42 to the International Dr and Carrier Dr stop. APRCC will be visible from this stop.

This is about an hour and a half trip at a cost of $2.

BUS:

Megabus drops off at 902 N Semoran Boulevard. The stop is about an 22 minute UBER/Lyft ride from the hotel, but it being Orlando, there are tolls on this route that will figure into your costs.

PUBLIC TRANSIT DIRECTIONS FROM MEGABUS TO APRCC:

– Walk 3 minutes southwest on FL-436 to E Colonial Dr and N Semoran Blvd.

– Take the 104 Lynx Central Station – Sunrail 17 minutes to Lynx Central Station

– Transfer to the 08 toward Regency Village Dr and Vineland Avenue

– Take the 08 69 stops to International Drive and Carrier Drive

– APRCC will be visible from this stop

This will be approximately a one hour and 38 minute trip at a cost of $4.

For information on the 42, the 104, and the 08: http://www.golynx.com/

LODGING:

A room block exists for this event at APRCC at the rock-bottom rate of $69 per night plus resort fees of $12 per night. Book your rooms here.

If the block sells out, rooms should still be available for $115 per night plus resort fees off the block.

There are other hotels nearby but you already know, I don’t talk about that. You’re on your own there.

FOOD:

Dining options at the resort include the unfussy, cafeteria-like Market Place Cafe and Grill, the idyllic and gorgeous Pool Side Bar & Grill, and the sleek, futuristic Lobby Lounge & Bar.

There is also a Starbucks in the hotel for that all-important coffee fix.

For those who want to do their own grocery shopping, you have a few different options located within a 3 minute drive of APRCC. The International Drive Supermarket and Disney Gifts store is two minutes away at 6500 Carrier Drive. JNM Super Market is right down the road at 7521 International Drive. J Food Mart, a Japanese grocery store, is two minutes away at 7452 Universal Boulevard. E Z Food Mart is across the street from APRCC for your last minute shopping needs.

Some of the staggering selection of meal out options located within walking distance or a five minute drive include Buffalo Wild Wings* (7004 International Dr), Cafe Mineiro Brazilian Steakhouse* (6432 International Drive), Sushiology* (6400 International Dr), Fit Bistro (7733 Turkey Lake Rd), Chili’s (7021 International Dr), CiCi’s (7437 International Dr – BUFFET ALERT), Oreganatta (6320 International Dr – ALSO A BUFFET), Japan Food Aki Restaurant (7460 Universal Blvd), Ararat Euro Food and Bistro (7540 Universal Blvd), Halal Food Express (6227 International Dr), Aashirwad Indian Food and Bar (7000 S Kirkman Rd), Del Taco (6855 Grand National Dr), and, notably, IHOP (7661 International Dr), which may be open 24/7 on New Year’s Eve. Starred options are in walking distance.

CONCLUSION:

DCBX Ultimate Tropical New Year’s Eve is going to be the #1 Latin dance party in DC, Chicago, and Orlando for ringing in 2019 and beyond! Skip the overpriced and overrated nightclub parties and come dance your way into the new year with your dance friends at DCBX Ultimate Tropical New Year’s Eve! I hope everyone going to all three NYE parties found this super-survival guide helpful and if you are going to the DC edition of the Ultimate Tropical NYE party, I will see you there!