Newbie, just starting to dream about my Disneymoon!

[sunny16]

Hi all,

Oh my goodness, am I ever thrilled that I saw a reference to disboards! I haven't really been finding great information up until now and it seems that you all will have so much to teach me!

Let me introduce myself, my name is Sarah and I am soon to be engaged. I feel like I'm cheating a little trying to get a head start on planning, but my bf and I are on a budget so we are trying to get as much information as possible early so we will be able to recognize good deals as they come and jump on them! Right now, we are thinking a wedding here at home and then (probably what we are most excited about!) honeymooning in Disney World! I've been twice with my family, but haven't been since middle school, and he has never been... between this and both of us readily admitting we are still very much kids at heart, this is truly the perfect decision!

Here's where I would love your first piece of advice! Both of our jobs are in education (thus being on the budget!), so we are pretty restricted to the school year as far as when we can take time from work to travel. Our original idea was to marry early in the summer (of '14) and honeymoon immediately after... so around the first week of June or so. I've been spending some time reading articles about traveling to Disney and have been seeing a LOT of negativity regarding the summer - prices are higher, they say you'll spend your vacation standing in lines, etc. I would love to hear thoughts or advice from frequent Disney travelers or couples who have had their Disney weddings/honeymoons in the summer to see how they feel the experience was? Are these complaints that accurate, or do you have tips on how to make the most of a summer honeymoon? If we want to really delay the honeymoon, the only other chance we really have some time off is around the holidays... which of course, I know is busy as well!

I've also noticed a few articles say prices dip a little in July, so I'm also considering going then, too.

Any thoughts or insight you could provide would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, I so look forward to getting to know you as we plan!

~Sarah~

 

[MrsDuck]

Hi all,

Oh my goodness, am I ever thrilled that I saw a reference to disboards! I haven't really been finding great information up until now and it seems that you all will have so much to teach me!

Let me introduce myself, my name is Sarah and I am soon to be engaged. I feel like I'm cheating a little trying to get a head start on planning, but my bf and I are on a budget so we are trying to get as much information as possible early so we will be able to recognize good deals as they come and jump on them! Right now, we are thinking a wedding here at home and then (probably what we are most excited about!) honeymooning in Disney World! I've been twice with my family, but haven't been since middle school, and he has never been... between this and both of us readily admitting we are still very much kids at heart, this is truly the perfect decision!

Here's where I would love your first piece of advice! Both of our jobs are in education (thus being on the budget!), so we are pretty restricted to the school year as far as when we can take time from work to travel. Our original idea was to marry early in the summer (of '14) and honeymoon immediately after... so around the first week of June or so. I've been spending some time reading articles about traveling to Disney and have been seeing a LOT of negativity regarding the summer - prices are higher, they say you'll spend your vacation standing in lines, etc. I would love to hear thoughts or advice from frequent Disney travelers or couples who have had their Disney weddings/honeymoons in the summer to see how they feel the experience was? Are these complaints that accurate, or do you have tips on how to make the most of a summer honeymoon? If we want to really delay the honeymoon, the only other chance we really have some time off is around the holidays... which of course, I know is busy as well!

I've also noticed a few articles say prices dip a little in July, so I'm also considering going then, too.

Any thoughts or insight you could provide would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, I so look forward to getting to know you as we plan!

~Sarah~

Hi Sarah! to the DIS!

I'm a teacher as well and I'll tell you this flat off: if you're able, take time off. Going during school breaks is typically a bad idea.

We are FL residents and have both been going to Disney since we were babies - June is HOT. It's rainy, it's crowded, and it's pricey. July is even steamier and you're also traveling smack dab in the middle of hurricane season...

December/Spring break are not great times either because of price and crowds.

Stinks for teachers huh?

Best months to travel to Disney? Early January, early February, late August and the entire month of September. Early-mid October is good as well.

September is our favorite month. It's the cheapest season and has the lightest crowds. It's still hot but it's nothing like the summer months.

That said, it's all in your attitude - if you plan a June honeymoon, the key is to be prepared. KNOW that it will feel like you're in a sauna, KNOW that you're going to be spending a good chunk of your time standing in lines. Make good use of rope drop and plan well. If you're happy to be there regardless of the other factors, you can absolutely have a wonderful trip!

Please let us know if we can help at all!

 

[holula]

Congratulations! I am actually at WDW right now. It's the first time I've been in May/June. Previously I have been in March, October and Christmas. It's busier than October (we like out of season!) but similar to March (spring break) and WAY less crowded than Christmas. If you stay on property then you also get the Extra Magic Hours so you can ride say, Toy Story Midway Mania without having to get a fast pass for 8 hours in the future or a 130 minute wait. The weather has been mid 80-low 90s with a little rain which is not unexpected over hurricane season.

The first week of June also has benefits over July/August as that is when the Europeans have vacation time too so the parks become more crowded (and hotter).

A good tip to save money if you want a nicer (moderate or deluxe hotel) is to rent points from a DVC member. You will get an awesome room for a fraction of the cost of buying it through Disney.

 

[bigr3ddog]

Also take note of when your district takes vacation versus when Florida schools take theirs. In Florida, schools don't get out until mid June, so if your district ends the year in early June or late may, you could find a low crowd period in early June. Likewise, Florida goes back to school in mid-August, so the last two weeks of August are considered fall season and crowds drop off dramatically. As mentioned before, August is very hot so I'd recommend indoor venues as much as possible, and it's also hurricane season.

 

[sunny16]

Thanks everyone! We talked a little bit more today and while my schedule's a little bit more flexible, he has very very little time to take off during the school year, so breaks are a must. I think we're pretty set on the very beginning of June right now, for a combination of these reasons - not quite as blistering, and banking on different regions still being in school at that time!

holua, thanks for the suggestion on DVC points. I've looked over at that thread briefly and it seems like a great idea, I just need to learn more about how renting them works.

I can't wait to get started "officially" planning... as stressed out thinking about the wedding here makes me, this is what I work on when I need a break!

 

[princessluna14]

I'm planning on a honeymoon in Disney next summer too (July to be exact) and am in a similar situation as you. My fiancé will hopefully land a full-time teaching job for this upcoming school year, so he probably would not be able to take time off if we decided to postpone the honeymoon. Although I would love to postpone it til the weekend of the Princess half and kill two birds with one stone!

I'm prepared for it to be super hot and crowded as well, but the last two times we went to WDW were in February and the weather was unpredictable and often rather chilly. I would much prefer heat to cold, but that's just me. We are going to go and have a great time, heat and crowds be damned! However, we will definitely get travel insurance in case of any awful weather!

 

[sunny16]

I'm planning on a honeymoon in Disney next summer too (July to be exact) and am in a similar situation as you. My fiancé will hopefully land a full-time teaching job for this upcoming school year, so he probably would not be able to take time off if we decided to postpone the honeymoon. Although I would love to postpone it til the weekend of the Princess half and kill two birds with one stone!

I'm prepared for it to be super hot and crowded as well, but the last two times we went to WDW were in February and the weather was unpredictable and often rather chilly. I would much prefer heat to cold, but that's just me. We are going to go and have a great time, heat and crowds be damned! However, we will definitely get travel insurance in case of any awful weather!

I'm the same - would rather be hot than cold! I'm watching the weather in Orlando this week to see what it's like, and doesn't seem too bad right now (besides the rain!), but if it is hotter, we've grown up in areas with hot and humid summers (Kentucky and Missouri, though I know Florida is even more so!), so I think we'll be good about keeping ourselves hydrated and taking breaks in the shade. Plus, as was mentioned before, I'm going to pay close attention to the extra magic hours and make sure we take advantage of those - particularly if they're at night!

The Princess half sounds like so much fun! I've been wanting to train myself to do more running, but haven't really found something to really motivate me - though an extra trip to Disney sure seems like a goal I would enjoy working toward!

 

[meggimouse]

Hi Sarah!
Welcome! My fiancé and I are going to disney world for our honeymoon too (getting married closer to home). Your concerns are accurate but I feel like they are really driven by what people say on these boards and I don't want you to be upset that your chosen time is a poor one!

Disney World is always busy - of course busier during some times of the year than others - and it's important to realize that no matter what time of the year you're going, there's gonna be crowds and people. On that thought - I have been during every season in Disney. I really haven't noticed a difference - Disney is still fun and magical and you're going to have a great time.

I have gone in June/July/August and I wasn't even affected by the crowds - Disney is amazing at distracting you from the long lines in the rides. There are games to play, things to look at, and you can always buy the "Hidden Mickeys" book and look around for all the hidden mickeys in the rides. You can always do the "go in late" approach as most of the families go in the morning and head back to the hotels in the afternoon because it's so hot.

I don't even find Florida to be that hot and humid during the Summer - there are always to beat the heat - water rides, indoor rides, shade, restaurants, water parks, etc.

Don't be discouraged because OTHER people don't like being at Disney during these times. I find that a lot of the people on the boards expect to walk into an empty park, be first in line always, never wait for a table, never be around large groups of people, eat near another family, etc etc. If you walk into Disney with that attitude ... you are surely to be discouraged. However, it seems like you have a great positive attitude and your excitement you're going to have an amazing time no matter the time of year.

Good luck and have fun planning your wedding!