Honeymoon tips?

dronein7g

star wars weekend GOD
Joined
Jan 8, 2008
Messages
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My faince and I will be returning to WDW as husband and wife this July for our honeymoon. Anybody have any advice to make our trip more memorable?
Thanks!
 
Signature dining is a great way to cool down after a hot day, and is one of the most romantic things to do at Disney. I would suggest checking out somewhere like California Grill or Narcoossee's.
 
First of all congratulations!

My husband and I have taken 3 anniversary trips to Disney World. We love the mixture between being able to relax at a beautiful resort and being able to enjoy the romantic/ fun dining and the high energy of the parks. In fact, we love it so much that last year we bought DVC points so we can take an anniversary trip every year more affordable (since a romantic Disney trip is about much more than the parks).

My first suggestion is to plan well and make reservations ahead of time without planning every spare minute. I learned after the first year how important it is to make good reservations ahead of time if you want to eat at the romantic/ higher class restaurants (which you can book 180 days ahead of time) and how important it is to NOT cram in as much park time as humanly possible.

When I start planning (180 days ahead of time...okay 179...I'm somewhat OCD), I write down each day we will be there, and next to it, I look at the calendar for each park and write down when each park is having extra magic hours. Then, I decide what park we are likely to be in around dinner time. My husband and I really only use the night extra magic hours at Magic Kingdom (and occasionally Epcot) and the morning hours at Animal Kingdom (and occasionally Hollywood) because hours at the other parks at the other times are WAY too crowded. Also, we never spend the whole day in a park that has extra magic hours that day because it is WAY too crowded. The parks are usually the least crowded on the day after they have had extra magic hours (particularly evening extra magic hours), so we usually plan to go to the least crowded park (though we sometimes do dinner at Magic Kingdom when they have evening hours.

After choosing the park we will be in around dinner time (or the place...don't overlook a nice slow day at the resort or a fun evening at Downtown Disney), we decide which restaurant sounds best there. We have some that we LOVE and go to every year, but we enjoy branching out and trying new places too. Remembering that it can take up to 1 1/2 hours to get to a dining reservation from the resort or from somewhere else, I find the time that is most convenient for us to eat. After determining which restaurant we will go to each day, I call and book the reservations.

Some of our ABSOLUTE favorites are Coral Reef (seafood and steak in a romantic atmosphere with a huge aquarium that makes up an entire wall of the restaurant...we always wait to sit right by the aquarium, and we make sure they know it's our anniversary), Le Cellier (VERY romantic, and the fillet mignon with risotto is excellent...it cost one credit for lunch and two for dinner, so we always eat there for lunch), Raglan Road (a fun, beautifully decorated Irish pub with live Irish music and Irish dancers that starts at 7:00...we usually spend the evening here and take advantage of the fact that we don't have to drive home ;) ...more fun than romantic, but it's a blast!), and Mama Melrose's with Reserved Seating for Fantasmic (quaint Italian Californian fusion that will save you from having to wait for 2 hours to see the BEST show at any of the parks...I have also heard the Hollywood Brown Derby is good, and they offer this too but for two dining credits). All of these options are romantic or fun and cost only one dining credit. I would not feel like our anniversary trip would be complete without any of these.

This year, we will try Tony's (since we have decided to pay for one meal out of pocket to use two dining credits on a Signature restaurant), Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney, and The Dining Room at Wolfgang Puck's (2 credits). In the past, we have tried The Wave (which we both agreed was just alright), Chefs de France (which has delicious food but which we found to be WAY too crowded), The Crystal Palace (which was fun, but we're not buffet people), Cindarella's Castle (which includes pictures and gratuity for 2 credits, but which--in my opinion--was equal to the princess dinner at Akershus in Epcot that also includes pictures and only costs one credit), and The California Grill (which to us seemed over-priced at two credits since we preferred the food and atmosphere of Coral Reef and LeCellier to it), and several other restaurants. In the future, we would like to try Bistro de Paris and wait for a table near the window with a view of Epcot's fireworks (this costs 2 credits, but we have heard it's worth it).

Aside from planning and restaurants, I strongly recommend taking time to relax at the resort, lounge at the pool, putz around Downtown Disney, and just...in general...chill. I do all of my planning (which realistically does not take that long) ahead of time so that we can do whatever we want and be spontaneous while there. "No planning at Disney" is a pretty good motto to live by (at least while on vacation :) ). Knowing which park is least crowded has made our trips MUCH more relaxing too.

One more fun place to go is Jelly Rolls (a dueling piano bar where they can play ANYTHING you request...have some singles to accompany your requests, and again, we take advantage of the fact that we don't have to drive). There is a $10 per person cover charge, but it is FUN! We always walk there when we leave Hollywood, and the walk is romantic since it's nice to get away from the crowds...we have only ever encountered 2 other couples on the walking path there.

As far as romantic resorts, we have enjoyed all of the ones we have been to. The quiet atmosphere, fun pool, and easy walk to the parks make Beach Club a fun and romantic experience. The Savannah View rooms at Animal Kingdom made it fun to sit on the balcony and relax with a glass of wine or a cup of coffee. The boat ride to Downtown Disney and the pedicure my husband surprised me with at the spa made Saratoga Springs convenient and relaxing. We liked the boat ride so much that we decided to try Old Key West this year (since it offers a boat ride too).

We have always paid for a studio room (which is fine), but twice we have been upgraded to a one bedroom since we asked upon check-in and told them it would make our anniversary special if they had any upgrades available. The one bedroom suites have a living area and a whirlpool tub! (I always go to Basin...a store in Downtown Disney...and buy one bath bomb for each day. This would be a nice surprise for your fiance since they deliver these to a desk at your hotel, and you wouldn't even have to carry them back with you.) I would recommend booking a one bedroom if you can afford it and if you will be spending a lot of time at the resort. They will likely upgrade you from a studio to a one bedroom, but you can't count on that. That being said, the difference in cost is pretty big, so I always tell myself (lie...lie...lie) that I will not be disappointed if they cannot upgrade us. It certainly never hurts to ask though (and make your wedding known).

Well, that's my book...I am not usually so long-winded (though I do teach English, so I will blame my college for my gratuitous phrasing). Have fun, and relax! I hope your honeymoon is romantic! :hug:
 
It helps if we know where you're staying! And what you like.

I went there on our honeymoon. We stayed the first 3 nights at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress. Hated it! Had the full week booked, but after 2 days, I was miserable!!!!! Moved over to the Grand Floridian and was in HEAVEN!!!!!! That was enough for me - we had little money but got a great walk-up rate. Loved it so much, ordered coffee every morning (back then there were no coffee makers in hotel rooms I guess) and it was so worth the money! The service was over the top. I think Disney has gone down a bit on service but haven't stayed at the GF in 12 years now. Still I love that place.

I think whatever you do, it will be magical!
 

Wear honeymoon pins in the parks!! We went for our honeymoon and any CM that noticed our pin at the very least congratulated us but more importantly, we got to ride Expedition Everest three times in a row without initially waiting in line (we were pulled by another CM as soon as he noticed our pins) and once we were on the ride they let us stay in our front row seat for three consecutive rides and as we got off we were given additional fastpasses. Everywhere we ate we got free desserts. We had dinner at Cinderella's Round table and we got gorgeous wine glasses, desserts, additional entrees and something else that I forgot...maybe it could also be because our server was from Italy also, so we bonded. At Festival of the Lion King we got to go to the front of the line and open the doors with our "magic" fingers, sat up front and DH got pulled to do the warthog haha, nothing says I love my new husband like seeing him pretend to be a warthog! :rotfl: One of my fav's was this sign the CM was SUPER excited to use (we rode did this twice in a row too!)...various people took pictures of us too on their personal cameras haha
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I could go on and on but I won't...just know that wearing honeymoon pins potentially means free desserts, no waiting for some rides, fastpasses, etc. At the very least you will get a lot of people that are genuinely happy for you!! Congratulations and have a wonderful time!!!!!:cool1:
 
SO much cool stuff! I loved seeing the just married sign on the tomorrow land speedway car! In my 20 plus trips I have never been on that ride! I think we will have to now!

We are staying at POP since we are poor lol but we actually love it there! The best part to me is seeing the best toy from when I was a kid in the glass case from the 80's in their lobby! HE MAN! But now I am just rambling haha. I have already made our dining reservations! I am so excited I cannot wait until July when we go it will be our first trip this year! Last year we only went once when I proposed as opposed to the 4-5 trips we usually take!

Well now I am just talking for the sake of it lol Thanks again everyone!
 
Congratulations!

My fiance and I are honeymooning at Disney World in July as well! July 22 though July 29th! When will you all be there? :lovestruc

Here are some of the things we are doing to make it extra special!

  • Around the World Epcot Segway Tour
  • Wild Africa Trek Tour
  • Staying at a Magic Kingdom View at the CR
  • Making ADRs
  • Wearing the Honeymoon Pins along with the Bride Ears and Bride/Groom T-shirts

We also plan to rent some sea raycers at the CR and have a relaxing day there as well. You might even try one of the couples' massages they offer at the different resorts. I have been planning this honeymoon since we booked it in June of 2011.
 
We arrive on the 15th and leave on Sunday the 22nd! I did not even think about the EPCOT tours! She would love that! Since I proposed in EPCOT that makes it even better! The Africa trek from what I understand is pretty expensive so I doubt we will be able to do that! As far as the resort we are staying at POP this is kinda a honeymoon on a budget sadly since we are having to pay for our own wedding too we decided on POP. Otherwise great advice!
 
Try the Carriage ride at Port Oleans. You need a ressie. I did this for my daughter and her husband while they were there on their honeymoon and thye loved it. Order the chocolate slipper dessert, you need a ressie for this too.
 
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My faince and I will be returning to WDW as husband and wife this July for our honeymoon.
 
DH and I went for our honeymoon. I really, really, REALLY wanted the bride and groom Mickey ears. We had sent our Save the Dates with us in Mickey ears, had the Mickey and Minnie cake topper and cutter and server, and we wanted to round it out by taking a picture with our ears holding up a sign that said thank you to use for the front of our wedding thank you cards. This did not happen! :headache:

The bride ears were readily available anywhere we went. The groom ears were sold out of every Disney park (around the world), every Disney store and anywhere else that might have had them. We were there in Nov. 2010 and Disney did not have them in until March 2011. Apparently the groom ears have become quite popular with teenagers. We spoke to one couple that preordered and paid for them and they still couldn't get the groom. The kicker was that my brother was there a few months before our wedding and almost picked them up, but he was worried they would be crushed travelling home and we told him not to worry about it because we could pick them up when we got there. Disney has promised this would never happen again, but my advice, if you really want them, get them ahead of time!

Also, right before we arrived, they changed the "Honeymoon" or "Just Married" buttons you can get. They said "....Happily ever after". Since they were so new none of the CMs knew what they meant. Most of them looked at the buttons and then just stared at us with blank looks on their faces. Some asked what they meant. The dumb ones asked and still didn't say congrats or anything. After a few days of this, DH finally went down to the lobby, borrowed a sharpie and wrote "Honeymoon" on them himself. After that the contrats flowed like water. But it was very disappointing at first. I had watched for years newlyweds getting all kinds of attention and one of the reasons people honeymoon at Disney is to receive that. They may have changed them back by now and if not hopefully the CMs have figured it out by now. This year we're going for our second anniversary so I hope they still have the regular anniversary buttons. They did last time we were there.

Anyway, congrats to you and your FI! And I promise you will enjoy your Disney honeymoon no matter what curve balls they throw at you! ;)
 
OH wow you just reminded me we need our cake topper! LOL Yeah they GAVE us the ears when I proposed last year! It was so cool before I was all the way down on one knee my Fiance was already crying like a baby! I would love to do something romantic for her in EPCOT since that is the park I proposed in! I want to do something really really special there but all the other tips you guys have given me have been great! As you can all tell I am super excited about this! Thanks again everyone!
 
My DH and I were married and spent a part of our honeymoon at Disney.


1. TAKE YOUR TIME!! Enjoy, don't rush. We took it slow and it was the best decision ever. No set timeframe... it really helped us just enjoy and "bathe" in the happiness of our honeymoon.


Enjoy!
 
My DW and I went to WDW for our honeymoon and our 10th anniversary. We're going back next month for our 25th (though she doesn't know it yet).

I agree with PPs: relax and don't plan every minute. Obviously, for sit-down dining you'll almost certainly need ADRs, and I recommend using a reliable source (I like easywdw) to find out which park is likely to be the least crowded each day. But don't sweat the small stuff. Once you've hit your "must do" attractions in each park, go with the flow; if something looks like fun, do it.

You say you don't have a ton of money. There's a lot to enjoy at WDW that doesn't require park admission; you can either schedule one or more "no park" days or use the free/cheap stuff as a change of pace, a little each day. Or both.

We really enjoyed resort-hopping: one evening we checked out the Epcot resorts (YC, BC, BWI, Swan & Dolphin) and the Boardwalk area. As always with Disney, there are lots of nice little touches to see; the miniature Carousel in the BWI lobby is a genuine antique from the 1920s. We rented a surrey bike (kind of like a golf cart with pedals) and tooled around the Boardwalk for an hour. Other resort areas to explore include the monorail loop (Contemp, Poly, Grand Floridian) and the Port Orleans complex (connected by boat to Downtown Disney). POR and Fort Wilderness have carriage rides: not super cheap, but less than you'd pay in New York's Central Park.

Congrats, and have fun!
 
We went to WDW on honeymoon too - seems like a long time ago now!

One thing we did that I really thought was wonderfully romantic was a Wishes Fireworks Cruise. It wasn't cheap approx $250 I think (sorry i cant be more specific, it was a while ago) but you get a cruise out around the lakes on a lovely boat/yacht - just you not other random guests who've booked. Soft drinks and snacks and a perfect view of the fireworks.

So you can cuddle up and watch alone without the mass of people/mass exodus afterwards. As you pick the boat up at the hotel of your choice (the Poly for us) you just wander out to your car - just perfect I think!
 
We went to WDW on honeymoon too - seems like a long time ago now!

One thing we did that I really thought was wonderfully romantic was a Wishes Fireworks Cruise. It wasn't cheap approx $250 I think (sorry i cant be more specific, it was a while ago) but you get a cruise out around the lakes on a lovely boat/yacht - just you not other random guests who've booked. Soft drinks and snacks and a perfect view of the fireworks.

So you can cuddle up and watch alone without the mass of people/mass exodus afterwards. As you pick the boat up at the hotel of your choice (the Poly for us) you just wander out to your car - just perfect I think!

Just have to add to this.... I proposed in EPCOT. I have thought about the tours and if I can keep up the selling of custom action figures on eBay that will be a must do!
 
We arrive on the 15th and leave on Sunday the 22nd! I did not even think about the EPCOT tours! She would love that! Since I proposed in EPCOT that makes it even better! The Africa trek from what I understand is pretty expensive so I doubt we will be able to do that! As far as the resort we are staying at POP this is kinda a honeymoon on a budget sadly since we are having to pay for our own wedding too we decided on POP. Otherwise great advice!

We will be there July 16-23 on our disneymoon!
We scheduled 5 ADRs. Not necessarily the most romantic places, just the ones that have good food and good reviews! We also made sure we have plenty of time to relax and enjoy the pools/resort!

The wild Africa trek has a special going on now. $50 off per person if you do it in the afternoon. $296 total for two adults. A bit expensive, but seems totally worth it! You also get a meal and a photographer follows you around the whole time!
 
We will be there July 16-23 on our disneymoon!
We scheduled 5 ADRs. Not necessarily the most romantic places, just the ones that have good food and good reviews! We also made sure we have plenty of time to relax and enjoy the pools/resort!

The wild Africa trek has a special going on now. $50 off per person if you do it in the afternoon. $296 total for two adults. A bit expensive, but seems totally worth it! You also get a meal and a photographer follows you around the whole time!

You will be there when we are thats awesome! Do you have a ADR for Ohana? If not GET ONE! It is awesome! It was the first place I took her to eat at WDW and that was where she saw wishes for the first time! We should have a honeymoon dis meet! Maybe catch one another for a ride on SM or for EE! It would be cool to meet another honeymooning couple! When is your wedding date?
 
You will be there when we are thats awesome! Do you have a ADR for Ohana? If not GET ONE! It is awesome! It was the first place I took her to eat at WDW and that was where she saw wishes for the first time! We should have a honeymoon dis meet! Maybe catch one another for a ride on SM or for EE! It would be cool to meet another honeymooning couple! When is your wedding date?

Another coincidence! We do have an Ohana ADR for our first night and we will hopefully be watching Wishes afterwards!
Our wedding is July 14 :cloud9:
 














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