Making a honeymoon extra-special on a budget

[princessbee]

There are so many great ideas about how to make a Disney trip extra special for kids on a budget and sometimes I'm a little jealous nobody's around to find ME a fairy godmother! Anyway, in that same vein, what can I do to make my Disneymoon extra special for my first-timer fiancee, without pulling out all the stops? As much as I would love to surprise her with a day at the spa at the Grand Floridian, followed by roses presented by Minnie Mouse as she escorts us to the chef's table at Victoria & Albert's, that just not viable (and it's not really our style, either!). What would y'all suggest as little things I can do to make her not only see the Disney magic but to also make it feel as romantic as a honeymoon is supposed to be?

 

[HM]

I have to say that just being there for the first time with her new husband will be so special in itself.
Do you have a budget for extras at all? What resort are you staying at?

Free and cheap things that I would think are special--
- a walk on the Boardwalk to watch the buskers perform one night and then getting a drink at the bar in the Boardwalk resort.
- Visiting the Wilderness Lodge or AKL to look around and maybe partake of a dessert or drink. At the WL there is a private area on a higher floor over the entrance doors that has a seating area in front of a fireplace. At AKL, they have an outside bonfire to sit around and you can use night-goggles to watch any wildlife

 

[worm761]

You say the above is not your style but what is your style? And what is your budget? Ideas used for kids can also be used for adults. Would she be into character signatures? Go look at the DISigns board. I bet someone could come up with a cover for you about your Disneymoon and have some custom sheets in there.

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

They have mini cakes (see the cake thread in the dining forum) that you could order ahead of time. You can customize it to what her favorite character is and they can write, "Happily Ever After" or the like on it. I think they cost about $40 or so. That'd be a nice surprise at a nice dinner.

A nighttime safari would be romantic- a little expensive but might be worth it since I believe it comes with dinner.

 

[princessbee]

I have to say that just being there for the first time with her new husband will be so special in itself.
Do you have a budget for extras at all? What resort are you staying at?

Free and cheap things that I would think are special--
- a walk on the Boardwalk to watch the buskers perform one night and then getting a drink at the bar in the Boardwalk resort.
- Visiting the Wilderness Lodge or AKL to look around and maybe partake of a dessert or drink. At the WL there is a private area on a higher floor over the entrance doors that has a seating area in front of a fireplace. At AKL, they have an outside bonfire to sit around and you can use night-goggles to watch any wildlife

Gosh, I hope she won't spending any time with her new husband... That would definitely put a damper on our plans! We are both women. We don't really have much of a budget for extras--we're going to do the Disney dining plan to make it a little more convenient to arrange some really lovely dinners, probably at Jiko or Sanaa and maybe California Grill if I put the deposit down in time! I had no idea about the WL viewing area, that sounds beautiful! Thank you very much, you're so helpful!

You say the above is not your style but what is your style? And what is your budget? Ideas used for kids can also be used for adults. Would she be into character signatures? Go look at the DISigns board. I bet someone could come up with a cover for you about your Disneymoon and have some custom sheets in there.

Well, for starters we're Quakers and we're having a very simple Quaker wedding with as few frills as possible. For the most part, we like to keep things very simple and casual. Big grand gestures are not really her thing. (When she said yes, we were camping and then we high-fived!) She absolutely loves Peter Pan, so maybe that would be a great idea! Thank you!

They have mini cakes (see the cake thread in the dining forum) that you could order ahead of time. You can customize it to what her favorite character is and they can write, "Happily Ever After" or the like on it. I think they cost about $40 or so. That'd be a nice surprise at a nice dinner.

A nighttime safari would be romantic- a little expensive but might be worth it since I believe it comes with dinner.

I don't think the nighttime safari comes with dinner, but if we do have dinner at Jiko it would be a great idea to look into! Thank you so much!

 

[worm761]

I don't really know much about Quakers but I am a pretty simple girl myself. I said yes to DH's non-proposal. "Why don't we look at engagement rings for you?" DH loved our character breakfasts but they had his two favorite characters (Goofy and Eeyore). Definitely get a FP for Peter Pan ride if she is into Peter Pan. One of my favorite rides personally! Also, what about Disneybounding? I would do one day as brides. MK as Peter Pan characters and also definitely make time for his meet & greet. Do get the Just Married buttons at your resort. Get Memory Maker. It will be worth it to have the memories years down the road.

Are you crafty? What sorts of things are you looking for? In park? In your resort room? I will have to think on it a bit.

 

[HM]

Gosh, I hope she won't spending any time with her new husband... That would definitely put a damper on our plans! We are both women.

You know, after I wrote the response, I looked at your screen name and thought that might be the case, but didn't go back and change to wife, just in case.

Glad I could help with the WL sitting area idea.

 

[Polishnavy]

No specific suggestions here but maybe find something that YOU haven't don't before so that the experience is new for both of you. It's easy to get caught up in 'showing off' your favorite parts of Disney instead of experiencing it together.

 

[usnuzuloose]

You could buy a small box of rose petals and put them on the bed and see if housekeeping would make a heart out of the towels. Go to one of the bakeries there and get a few desserts and have them sitting out to enjoy in the room. And if makes it more special if you could see the fireworks from your room that would make it more special.

 

[Handbag Lady]

Let everyone know it is your Honeymoon. Is it noted on your reservation? Obviously, Disney can't promise anything, but I tend to believe that they do more Pixie Dust when something is known vs. them not knowing at all. For our tenth anniversary, our Disney hotel had champagne in our room when we checked in. It was a nice touch and we were surprised. (As for being a Quaker, you can note "no alcohol" to be safe in case they wish to surprise you.)

Have you looked at the tours? We did a Segway tour at Epcot for a Wedding Anniversary once. It was different, not ostentatious, and we had a lot of fun together and it wasn't too pricey. We also snorkeled in The Living Seas. THAT was amazing.

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

Gosh, I hope she won't spending any time with her new husband... That would definitely put a damper on our plans! We are both women. We don't really have much of a budget for extras--we're going to do the Disney dining plan to make it a little more convenient to arrange some really lovely dinners, probably at Jiko or Sanaa and maybe California Grill if I put the deposit down in time! I had no idea about the WL viewing area, that sounds beautiful! Thank you very much, you're so helpful!



Well, for starters we're Quakers and we're having a very simple Quaker wedding with as few frills as possible. For the most part, we like to keep things very simple and casual. Big grand gestures are not really her thing. (When she said yes, we were camping and then we high-fived!) She absolutely loves Peter Pan, so maybe that would be a great idea! Thank you!



I don't think the nighttime safari comes with dinner, but if we do have dinner at Jiko it would be a great idea to look into! Thank you so much!

I just realized that while they DO have a safari with dinner, it is for AKL guests only.

 

[hpfan100]

My husbands and nod I honeymooned at disneyworld and had a great time. We splurged and stayed at the poly with the platinum plan but I still have some thoughts for you.

You could head up to the magic kingdom resorts poly and grand Floridian one evening. At the grand you can relax in the lobby and listen to the piano player and enjoy a nice dinner at any of the restaurants that are in your liking. We loved the cafe. Also, you can stroll the crowds which are lovely at night then enjoy the water pageant and fireworks from the grand. You can do the same at the poly but there is no piano in the lobby.

For daytime stuff, we enjoyed hanging at the contemporary. We rented a water mice boat and cruised around the lagoon together. Then we strolled the grounds and had a nice dinner at California grill. We couldn't get a reservation so we ate in the bar area. If you get a reservation at the right time you can see fireworks there.

You could cruise the all star resorts or pop/AOA area and pose for photos with all the characters.

If you can swing the cost look into a couples massage at one of the spa locations.

Hope you have a lovely time!

 

[lanejudy]

Your budget and mine may be completely different, and you don't mention what resort you are staying at, but we honeymooned at POR so here are a few ideas that shouldn't break the budget:

• definitely have your reservation noted -- it may or may not result in pixie-dust, but I can almost guarantee nothing will happen if it isn't noted; both your resort and any dining ADRs
• get "Just Married" or "I'm Celebrating" buttons to wear, you'll get lots of compliments and maybe some pixie dust
• go for a horse and carriage ride at POR or FW
• plan at least one nice sit-down dinner
• spend an evening walking the Boardwalk
• take some time to visit another resort or two or three and walk the grounds; a favorite for me to visit is WL (just don't do try to visit too many different resorts in one day)
• watch Wishes and the Electric Water Pageant from the Poly beach one evening

Best wishes and enjoy your Disneymoon!

 

[leebee]

One of the nicest evenings we had during our trip last October was totally unplanned. We had a late dinner at Big River Grille (late enough so that we could see part of Illuminations from the restaurant), then DD and I sat out on the Boardwalk at the tall tables that overlook the water (DH was tired so he went to the room to shower as we were staying at BWI). It was SO nice and relaxing... warm breeze, BC/YC and Boardwalk area all lit up, frozen margaritas from the take-out stand (they do non-alcoholic, too). Around 11-ish DH brought the remains of DD's birthday cake down and we enjoyed some cake with out frozen drinks. It was just so nice, peaceful, and relaxing. If you didn't want to have dinner at BRG (not sure they do the dining plan) you could still order a honeymoon cake from the Boardwalk Bakery, pick it up, and sit outside after dark, have drinks, and watch night falling over WDW.

Another thing we really like to do is have afternoon tea at the Grand Floridian. I am not sure if it's part of the dining plan or not, but we found that if we went in the late afternoon, they serve a sufficient amount of food so that it stands in for supper; we just have a decent-sized snack later in the evening if anyone gets hungry. Afternoon tea is lovely- peaceful and relaxing, the GF is GORGEOUS, the staff attentive and "proper," just like you'd expect tea to be!

If you are planning dinner at (or just going to) DTD, consider taking the boat. You could take a bus from a theme park to POFQ or OKW. Both resorts provide boat transportation to DTD. It's a nice way to travel, and might add a little extra something to the evening.

IF you go to California Grill for dinner, try to get an ADR that puts you there during the Wishes fireworks show at the MK. You can go outside on the deck and watch the show from there. If you've eaten at CG earlier in the evening, save your receipt. They will let you go back up to CG later that evening to watch the show. We like to arrive early enough to buy a glass of wine to enjoy with the fireworks!

There are many affordable- or free- things you can do at WDW to make an average trip a little more special!

 

[unrequited23]

This is not a Disney specific idea, but I sure appreciate it...Think of something small and part of her normal routine that would be missing while you are on the trip and make it happen. If she likes to have coffee/tea/a specific soft drink in the AM get up early and bring it to her in bed. Conversely, if she likes a midnight snack make sure the room is stocked. If you have a pet, make sure to visit the petting area in AK, because after awhile you miss your animal. If she told you any of her favorite childhood memories, see if you could touch on them in the Disney way. If you don't have any vacation traditions, start one together-christmas ornament, ice cream for dinner on your last day, cheesy mini golf, whatever. Just make sure you do it on every trip.

Honestly, just try not to stress. It will be magical because it is your honeymoon.

 

[andiraye]

This is a great, great question. It's actually one of my favorites, because although we live in a very posh neighborhood, I'm really not into fancy things for the sake of being fancy. I find it too pretentious. I prefer experiences where you can truly be in the moment and connect. To me, that's what romance and enjoyment are all about. So with that in mind, I've been giving some thought to what you can do to make your trip extra special...

I definitely agree with the PP's -- take advantage of the nighttime entertainment. There is nothing more romantic than enjoying the glowing lights and music all over WDW.

What about taking a food tour through Epcot one night for dinner? Use your snack and QS credits and share a few different dishes, rather than sitting down and each getting your own meals? I find sharing food to be very romantic!

Definitely note it on all your dining and resort reservations, and wear your "Just Married" button!

Also, how about scheduling a non-park day or two so you can just relax by the pool and not feel rushed? Depending on where you are staying, you can take a boat ride to DTD, explore your resort, listen to live music, etc.

Save lots of momentos from your trip -- boarding passes, restaurant receipts, all the little stickers and cards you collect in the parks. Take lots of pictures from the moment you leave your house to the moment you arrive home. And then create a photo album/scrap book and give it to your wife on your first anniversary.

Order a surprised to be delivered to your room through Amazon Prime. It doesn't have to be something huge -- it can be as simple as Minnie Mouse ears, cute WDW PJ's, or a beach towel for your pool -- but it will a fun surprise at real world, and not Disney World, prices.

Those are a few thoughts.

Have fun and congratulations!!!!

 

[crisi]

I would just like to point out that the Pirates of the Caribbean gift shop sells rubber manacles, that I suspect are sold much more often to honeymooning couples than to six year old boys.

 

[lauradis]

One of the things my hubby does is order me a glass with our names and year on it from Germany every trip. He has it shipped to the resort and after we leave the room he pretends to forget something and displays the present in a cute way. So when we get back to the room, I have a thoughtful surprise.

Also he gets or makes me coffee.

Rubs suntan lotion on me when I forget.

Really it is the small things he does or gives me that make me love him. Not the big shiny rocks he presents me with.

 

[a742246]

I think taking her to the MK magic fireworks show and in the middle of it say " I love you" is all you need.

 

[DCbride]

My best friend wanted to celebrate her 40th in WDW. We both have annual passes (live in NJ) and go a few times each year so we needed to find a few things to make the trip special.

We booked tea at the Grand Floridian. It was so fun because we are not frilly people. The basic tea was only $35 and came with a few courses and a while pot each. We went right from the MK in shorts. If you figure out when the piano player is on the lobby that would be great for after, see if he knows your song.

We also booked California Grill. The flatbread pizza appetizer is wonderful and very affordable. Have that and a drink and watch fireworks. (We each ordered the pizza, split the ravioli, and she had room for dessert, I was full)

And depending on your dates, we also did one of the Run Disney events. They fill fast, but are worth it.

I also like finding a tour. Of course they can be expensive but a friend celebrated 20th anniversary and booked some train tour for her DH and he was so excited to listen about the Disney trains for a few hours. So there is something for everyone.

DH and I tried to do desserts around EPCOT one time. Didn't make it, but it was fun trying.

Renting a bike at a resort different than your own is fun and adventurous.