Honeymoon stay suggestions for newbies

[Trista&Mark]

We plan on staying at Disney Late July until August for our honeymoon

We are having a hard time deciding which resort to stay at. My fiance stayed at the grand floridian when she was younger and loved it. I kidna like the looks of the pool and the closness to epcot that beach and boardwalk resorts have but have heard some bad comments about the rooms.

So far we are leaning towards the Polynesian resort. It would be nice to go horseback riding at the wildness resort....but not sure if you can do that if you arent staying there.

At this point in time I want to narrow down a place to stay. Id like to narrow down to 2 deluxe resorts and 1 moderate so i can get pricing.
Deluxe choices: Polynesian, Grand flordian, Beach or boardwalk.
Moderate choices: Riverfront or the mardyi gras one

i wanted to ask...is it best to go to a travel agent or just book though disneys destinations web page? The problem i had with their page was the air flights were at very bad times and would kill 2days of the trip Also do you think a big named travel agency would get better deals or charge less then a small one?

This will probably be the only time we get to go to disney world so we want to enjoy our honeymoon together and see all the disney has. We will probably spend most of our time in epcot and mgm though. I think we would get park hopper passes and just eat wherever...im very picky with food

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[Disney Dee]

My fiance and I are going to stay at the Swan for our honeymoon, its a great resort for couples! But any of the ones you chose would be very nice also. We also book all our trips ourselves, or use Dreams Unlimited. Best of luck to you both!

 

[Eeyore1928]

I can tell you that as a travel agent ...the price you get online is the same one we get when we call or do it online. You just will be charged a fee by a travel agent to do it for you. That said.....
The POly is so pretty at night with the tiki torches lit, and the view of the castle from the beach. It is very romantic to lay in a hammock and watch the castle lights change...see fireworks...and just listen to the boats go by. The restaurants there are great as well.
The Grand is a standout for its location, beauty and its restaurants. As far as service not much different than any resort.
The Beach/Boardwalk also has the romantic night scenery. The ability to walk to Epcot is priceless if you like to enjoy it at night and eat dinners in the countries.
The rooms are nice at all of the resorts you mentioned. Yes...you can ride horses at Fort W without staying there...just hop on the bus.

As far as Moderates...our fav is Caribbean Beach. It has a nice layout and a beach feel to it. Although the PO riverside and French Quarter are fine. Nothing fancy...just make sure you get a King Bed...not 2 doubles.

As far as airfare. Book it on your own in order to get the flights you really want. Then take advantage of the free transfers Disney will have when you travel!

Any ?'s please ask.

 

[estnh]

My wife and I are incurable romantics, as well as being Disney fanatics, so I'll take a shot at answering your question. (Recently did our SECOND honeymoon at the Poly).

In our opinion, the two most romantic resorts, regardless of rating or cost, are the Poly and Port Orleans FQ (what you so aptly refered to as the Mardi Gras one). A close third is the Wilderness Lodge.

The Poly is a wonderful choice. While it is not as luxurious and the GF, it is many many times more romantic. The GF is absolutely beautiful, but we found it to be a little stuffy. The Beach Club and Yacht Club are again both wonderful, but we get put off with the convention types that are sometimes there.

Before you make reservations, I would advise visiting a website called Mousesavers.com. This site lists various discounts and options and we have found it to be invaluable over the years to get the best prices.

Good luck, and have a wonderful trip!

 

[Chicago526]

As first timers, I'd use Dreams Unlimitted. The sponser these boards, and get rave reviews by posters here! They'll even handle your Priority Seating arrangements!

Whatever you do, don't book your airfare through Disney. If you don't use DU, then call the airlines directly, or book on the airline's websites, or use Orbitz or Travelocity. Disney airfare is not a good deal!

As for the resorts, I've stayed at Poly, and it was fantastic! BF and I are staying at the GF for our honeymoon next year, but only because I've always wanted to stay there, not because we didn't love the Poly (we LOVED the Poly and would stay there again in a minute). I haven't stayed at any of the Epcot resorts, so I can't comment. I have stayed at POFQ, and it was very nice, too. But for a honeymoon, I'd pick a deluxe over a mod anytime the budget will allow it!

BTW, you can do the horseback riding at Ft. W even if you don't stay there. We did, and had fun!

 

[swilphil]

Welcome to the DIS board and congrats on the upcoming wedding!

I also would recommend www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com. They specialize in Disney trips and DO NOT charge you an extra fee for their services. They are paid by Disney. As far as airlines, I usually book through the airline directly after comparing prices online at Orbitz or travelocity, though some airlines (like Southwest) aren't included in their listings.

I think the Poly is a great resort for a honeymoon if you want to be close to MK, but it sounds like you will do Epcot and MGM more. Boardwalk would be my choice of the Epcot resorts, though Beach Club and Swan/Dolphin are also nice. I think the Grand Floridian is overpriced for what you get, but some people love it. Of the moderates, I would pick Port Orleans Riverside (Mansion only), but for your honeymoon I think you deserve a deluxe.that

 

[Dana49]

I suggest the Yacht Club. The resort is very quiet, the location is perfect, and Stormalong Bay is the best resort pool on property. Enjoy and welcome to the "Boards."

 

[DAWGPOUNDAJ]

Hey congratulatoins on your upcoming marriage! Also, I've been to Disney 12 times so if you need any help with anything please feel free to PM me. I listed all the resorts I've actually stayed in below as my signature on here, but I've visited the other ones, all except for the AKL where were staying for our honeymoon this May.

First: I think the Polynesian is a fantastic choice. You get the parade of lights (I believe it is called this? I never payed much attention to the name of it however it is at night, on the seven seas lagoon, fireworks are in the background, and you can sit right on the beach and watch it. Of course you would get this at the Grand Floridian as well.), the entire staff has been so incredibly friendly on each of our stays there, and we actually strongly considered that as our honeymoon resort, but my husband wanted me to try something different. The rooms there are beautiful though, but again, it is all matter of taste. Things like the Polynesian and Caribbean appeal to me strongly, and I personally HATED the Grand Floridian. The reason I hated that one was mainly the service there. I basically only expect to have the trash in the trash cans removed and little things like that, but the housekeeping was awful, and we even had quite a few items stolen from our locked room, and received no help from the GF staff. When we explained what the items were (they weren't expensive jewelry or anything like that since that was in a safe) the staff told us those were trivial things and it would not be a priority for them to look into it. I was pretty outraged about that. The rest of the trip just embedded the impression upon me that it was a stuffy resort, not a fun one, and not worth the price. The thing is, is that you already know your fiance liked that one, but I just figured I'd give you another perspective on it because it will matter if you like it as well. It's a very expensive resort and honestly, if I had to pick between the two of them I'd pick Polynesian every time. Perhaps you can both try looking at pictures of different resorts in your price range and see what you both respond to the most? It seems you've narrowed it down so try narrowing it down to maybe 2 now. Anyways best of luck on this and if you have any specific questions about the Poly or the other two you are looking at (I've stayed at both before the name changes) please feel free to PM me.

 

[jordanyosh]

I would suggest the Boardwalk Inn. It is one of the smaller deluxe resorts. If you are willing to spring for one of the Garden Suites, they are absolutely beautiful. They are 2 levels and have a garden in front of the suite with white picket fences. It is quiet and at night the inner courtyard area is nice.
You can check out www.allearsnet.com for pictures of all the resorts. This might help you decide.

You really can't beat the proximity to both Epcot and MGM. Good luck deciding.

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

I'd go for the Polynesian. It's a beautiful resort, and perfect for a honeymoon! Be sure to get a lagoon view room, and you'll be set!

 

[nygrl]

We plan on staying at Disney Late July until August for our honeymoon

We are having a hard time deciding which resort to stay at. My fiance stayed at the grand floridian when she was younger and loved it. I kidna like the looks of the pool and the closness to epcot that beach and boardwalk resorts have but have heard some bad comments about the rooms.

So far we are leaning towards the Polynesian resort. It would be nice to go horseback riding at the wildness resort....but not sure if you can do that if you arent staying there.

At this point in time I want to narrow down a place to stay. Id like to narrow down to 2 deluxe resorts and 1 moderate so i can get pricing.
Deluxe choices: Polynesian, Grand flordian, Beach or boardwalk.
Moderate choices: Riverfront or the mardyi gras one
.





i wanted to ask...is it best to go to a travel agent or just book though disneys destinations web page? The problem i had with their page was the air flights were at very bad times and would kill 2days of the trip Also do you think a big named travel agency would get better deals or charge less then a small one?

This will probably be the only time we get to go to disney world so we want to enjoy our honeymoon together and see all the disney has. We will probably spend most of our time in epcot and mgm though. I think we would get park hopper passes and just eat wherever...im very picky with food

Thanks for any suggestions.

just a note about booking airfare i see you are in ny we fly jet blue every time we go to disney they have great prices to orlando just go to jetblue .com and you can book it yourself on line or else call 1800 jetblue and they will help you . they have many different flight times and are a great and fun airline. good luck and have a great time

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

For your honeymoon I would recommend the GF, YC, or Poly. Those are the best three resorts at WDW and the most romantic!

 

[Davids-Coco]

We stayed at the Grand Floridian for our honeymoon and it could not have been better. Everyone was pleasant and we were not disapointed at all. Our room was always clean, not an easy thing since we can't have down pillows in the room (really alergic!). Everyone at the Grand treated us wonderfully. The concierge refered to us as the newlyweds... and they even began bringing me diet coke without asking by the second day. That was wonderful. They went above and beyond...

and that is what a honeymoon is all about.

 

[DisneyJen0504]

We went to WDW for 7 days following the first half of our honeymoon which we spent 8 days in the Caribbean. Due to the cost of going to two different places and 15 total days, we couldn't swing a deluxe. We went with Coronado Springs Resort which we loved! We found it to be romantic and fun!
That said, choosing between the resorts you listed, we would have chosen the Polynesian or Grand Floridian if we had our pick for our honeymoon!
Also, we always use Dreams Unlimited Travel for our trips. Especially for your first time, they take care of everything! The resort, park tickets, priority seatings for those special meals or tickets to special events. They were always there to give suggestions and help us out in planning.
Congrats and Best of luck!

 

[Trista&Mark]

Thank you for all your replies! I am overwhelmed with information. I looked at smiles website alot and looked at the pictures. I still favor the Polynesian because of the Hawian atmosphere...we will prolly never make to the real Hawai so atleast we can think we are there. My only concern at this resort is getting around the disney parks from here. They have the monorail...but it only goes to Magic Kingdom and other resorts? We will mainly be going to mgm and epcot like i think i mentioned...so will this be a big problem for us? I read that busses can be bothersome.
We just want to enjoy our time there with each other and see ALL disney has to offer

Boardwalk is super tempting with it being in walking distance to Epcot! But with the theme......and atlantic city close to home...been there done that comes to mind

Its such a tough decision....just want it all to go well. I think I will get a quote from a local travel agency...might get lucky and they might have some deals that I cant get online mabye? If we do the travel agency route I would perfer to see a actual person.

Can anyone tell me if transportation to any of the parks or places of interest like other resorts...etc are a big headache from certain resorts....expecially any of the ones we are looking at?

Thanks again for all the help.

 

[Eeyore1928]

One great thing about staying at the Poly is not only monorail to Magic K...but the monorail main station is a 5 minute walk and you can board the monorail to Epcot right there! Very nice. You can walk to MGM from Epcot also...or just hop on the bus. They are not bothersome just makes a few stops then you are off. They are nice to ride sometimes so you can see a different perspective of the "World". You will have great transportation at the Poly!

 

[scootch]

The polynesian would be so wonderful. It is definitely the most romantic place.... congrats and best wishes

 

[Chicago526]

Oh, don't worry, DU uses "real" people ! The only differance is that it's done on the phone or by e-mail. If you do decide to use a local agent, find one that specializes in Disney. There are many fine TA's out there (like me!) but not all have been to Disney or are experts on it. Get a quote from them, then ask for a quote from DU, just so you have an idea of what's out there.

As for transportation to MGM, Epcot, AK, and DTD from the Poly, here's how it works...

Poly to MK, monorail or boat

Poly to Epcot, monorail to Ticket and Transportation Center (TTC) then switch monorails to continue to Epcot. Or, you can walk from the Poly to the TTC (about 5 to 10 minutes, tops) and just board the monorail directly to Epcot.

Poly to MGM. Bus only

Poly to AK. Bus only

Poly to DTD. Bus only

Poly to Ft. Wilderness Campground and Wilderness Lodge, take the boat to MK and change to the boats going to FWC and WL.

The buses aren't that bad, you wait anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes, board the bus that you want, and they drop you off at the park. Returning to the resort, just follow the signs for your hotel, and board the appropiate bus. Some resorts share buses, so you may need to make a stop along the way.

 

[Trista&Mark]

Okay that helped...guess we will do the Poly
Chicago526 .....can I ask why you are going to GF for honeyoon instead of Poly? Im gonna talk to a local TA and ill get a quate from DU and go from there.
Thanks for all the help everyone...next ill have to get a list of which parks open early or late for the poly on which days....and which major rides/shows must be seen first to make less wait hehehe.

 

[Chicago526]

It's been a dream of mine to stay at the GF since the first time I saw it, back in '98. If, for whatever reason, I had been unable to book the GF, then I would have happily booked the Poly for our honeymoon and been perfectly content to do so. My fiance insists that after our honeymoon, he only ever wants to stay at the Poly, and I've got no problem with that!

Good luck with your planning!