Please help me choose a resort for our honeymoon!

[Zobear91]

Good evening!

I've made an account for this because I've been toing and froing over this for awhile.

Me and my fiance are getting married next year and are honeymooning at a few different places.

Orlando > Vegas > Cali > Miami (from the UK)

We got engaged at WDW in 2016. However we are really struggling with picking a resort. We have a 10 day stretch at WDW to begin the holiday. We like the look of the AKL (also free dining plan at the moment which is great!!), but it's £1100 extra for a savannah room. When we have other legs of the journey, £1100 seems like an awful lot to spend if we are going to be in the parks until late every night as planned. We could spend that extra grand on visiting more places in Cali or more money for shows in Vegas, or you know, cocktails!

I know there are balconies at the AKL for when you want to watch the animals so we thought we would probably be happy with this? Are the restaurants near the savannah? Are there also any chances that you might end up with some sort of view anyway?

We also like the look of Riverside and this was obviously much cheaper. The only resort I've stayed in before was when I was on a super strict budget (All Star Music) and tbh, I really liked it. We looked at the Art of Animation but its definitely more of a family resort.

So any tips for a honeymooning couple?

We are late 20s, big Disney fans, have no children and aren't after something amazingly impressive but definitely want something with a bit of ambience. Where's the best place to begin our honeymoon? Should we split hotels 5/5? It looks like a huge hassle to sort it out and I couldn't figure it out on the website.

I know the ultimate answer is 'it's up to you' but I need a bit of advice.

Thank you!

 

[Arielfan98]

No experience with these hotels, but have you considered French Quarter? I always felt the French Quarter ambiance was much better and less family oriented...but hey that's just coming from someone who's walked around there (never stayed). Or, you could look into renting DVC points.

 

[DISNEYSQUIRRELS]

Congratulations to both of you!
Wilderness Lodge is also a great option. It is a beautiful resort, relaxing, not too big, has dining options- we really enjoy it. Plus it had an adult vibe. To be respectful of your budget so that you can do all you want as you move across the US, splitting your stay between a deluxe & moderate/value seems like an awesome idea!

 

[leebee]

AKL would be my first choice! It's an amazing resort, and you can see animals from many different locations throughout the buildings and overlooks. They also have 3 terrific restaurants on site, and a marvelous pool bar! Quite a few of the "standard view" rooms at AKL have a pretty decent savanna view. Touringplans.com shows different views from different rooms, if you want to take a look. We stayed in a savanna view room last summer, and if I'd been paying full price, it probably wouldn't have been worth it. Seeing animals was kind of hit-or-miss; mostly first thing in the morning, or in the early evening around supper time. There were fewer animals than I'd anticipated, but staying AKL savanna view had always been a dream, and it was my birthday. However, we were renting DVC points for that room so it was only about $210 a night. You might want to check out the DVC boards here and think about renting through a vacation club owner instead of paying Disney directly. My daughter and I are going to stay at AKL for 6 nights this August (got a good deal from my travel agent) but are not doing a savanna view room. I am going to request a partial savanna view as my room request and hope for the best!

If you are considering a moderate, I'd do POFQ. The theming is great, it's really pretty, and it's a smaller, quieter resort.

 

[Amanda999]

Definitely look into POR and POFQ. (Note that All Stars don't have a hot tub - the moderates (POR and POFQ included) do, as do deluxe like AKL. The hot tub at POFQ is the best for a no kids couple I think: Its set a distance from the pool, so much quieter and fewer kids. The grounds at POFQ and POR are very pretty for strolling around. You can use the pools at both of those resorts if you stay at one.

 

[TooBoyz4us]

AKL is gorgeous! But also pricey.If you would like to consider saving a bit of money, why don't you look at the moderates? Primarily Port Orleans French Quarter or Port Orleans Riverside.
I have personal experience at Riverside, and the Alligator Bayou section is quiet, and has BEAUTIFUL walkways through out. There are plenty of romantic little spots with hammocks or seating, as well as smaller more private pools for a honeymooning couple. <wink, wink>

Good luck with whatever you decide!! And Congratulations

 

[Zobear91]

Thank you both for replying.

The french quarter does look pretty, but I'm not sure it's quite what we are looking for. Thank you.

Wilderness Lodge sounds nice too. How easy is it to split between the two resorts? When I was looking online, the dining plan was attached to the park tickets I bought in the first transaction and so I couldn't add a dining plan for the second reservation. Do I have to do this separately and call them?

Edit: Didn't mean to miss the last two posters. Maybe I'll give the Orleans ones a better look then! Although I do kind of have my heart set on AKL... Maybe I could split between the two if it seems easy enough. Are the Orleans resorts the massive ones?

 

[leebee]

PO/French Quarter is the smallest resort on property, I believe.

 

[Zobear91]

AKL would be my first choice! It's an amazing resort, and you can see animals from many different locations throughout the buildings and overlooks. They also have 3 terrific restaurants on site, and a marvelous pool bar! Quite a few of the "standard view" rooms at AKL have a pretty decent savanna view. Touringplans.com shows different views from different rooms, if you want to take a look. We stayed in a savanna view room last summer, and if I'd been paying full price, it probably wouldn't have been worth it. Seeing animals was kind of hit-or-miss; mostly first thing in the morning, or in the early evening around supper time. There were fewer animals than I'd anticipated, but staying AKL savanna view had always been a dream, and it was my birthday. However, we were renting DVC points for that room so it was only about $210 a night. You might want to check out the DVC boards here and think about renting through a vacation club owner instead of paying Disney directly. My daughter and I are going to stay at AKL for 6 nights this August (got a good deal from my travel agent) but are not doing a savanna view room. I am going to request a partial savanna view as my room request and hope for the best!

If you are considering a moderate, I'd do POFQ. The theming is great, it's really pretty, and it's a smaller, quieter resort.

This is really helpful also, thank you. I don't think over a thousand pounds would be worth it even if I sat on that balcony all day. I've heard good things about the restaurants too. I'm glad you had such a lovely time!

It's coming to about £4300 for 10 nights with free dining plan and tickets and considering I've priced it up so many times I don't think that's too bad. Maybe we will book a standard view and hope for the best! Do you think they will let us upgrade when we get there? (if it's not full of course)

 

[Tksolomom]

Good evening!

I've made an account for this because I've been toing and froing over this for awhile.

Me and my fiance are getting married next year and are honeymooning at a few different places.

Orlando > Vegas > Cali > Miami (from the UK)

We got engaged at WDW in 2016. However we are really struggling with picking a resort. We have a 10 day stretch at WDW to begin the holiday. We like the look of the AKL (also free dining plan at the moment which is great!!), but it's £1100 extra for a savannah room. When we have other legs of the journey, £1100 seems like an awful lot to spend if we are going to be in the parks until late every night as planned. We could spend that extra grand on visiting more places in Cali or more money for shows in Vegas, or you know, cocktails!

I know there are balconies at the AKL for when you want to watch the animals so we thought we would probably be happy with this? Are the restaurants near the savannah? Are there also any chances that you might end up with some sort of view anyway?

We also like the look of Riverside and this was obviously much cheaper. The only resort I've stayed in before was when I was on a super strict budget (All Star Music) and tbh, I really liked it. We looked at the Art of Animation but its definitely more of a family resort.

So any tips for a honeymooning couple?

We are late 20s, big Disney fans, have no children and aren't after something amazingly impressive but definitely want something with a bit of ambience. Where's the best place to begin our honeymoon? Should we split hotels 5/5? It looks like a huge hassle to sort it out and I couldn't figure it out on the website.

I know the ultimate answer is 'it's up to you' but I need a bit of advice.

Thank you!

If you have your heart set on AKL, that is where I would stay. The savanna rooms are nice, but there are lots of other places to see them. Unless you are planning on sitting on your balcony a lot, I wouldn't bother. You can see the animals at Sanaa at Kidani village. If you stay at a moderate, you will only get the Quick Service dining plan, and not the regular one, so it may not be a lot cheaper if you want to eat TS.

Congratulations. I hope you have a wonderful time.

 

[CynBeth]

I would pick a MK resort so you can see the electrical water pageant and MK fireworks. Plus take the monorail or boat. You can always visit AKL. We love breakfast or dinner at Boma. The one time we stayed at AKL because we were out early and got back late we never saw the animals from our room. One day we were back a little earlier and saw them in the viewing areas.

 

[DisneyFansInNYC]

I would do a split stay in order to stay at one of the deluxe resorts. We do split stays all the time and it is not bad at all. I really think the Poly is a great Honeymoon resort. The beach at night with the tiki lamps are just so relaxing. Congratulations and enjoy the honeymoon!

 

[cadawson]

This is really helpful also, thank you. I don't think over a thousand pounds would be worth it even if I sat on that balcony all day. I've heard good things about the restaurants too. I'm glad you had such a lovely time!

It's coming to about £4300 for 10 nights with free dining plan and tickets and considering I've priced it up so many times I don't think that's too bad. Maybe we will book a standard view and hope for the best! Do you think they will let us upgrade when we get there? (if it's not full of course)

I agree, you should stay AKL since that is what seems is drawing you. If you look at the AKL thread, many suggest requesting a standard view in Kudu trail wing. You can ask at checkin or call and ask for a partial Savannah view be added to your request. Also, with Free Dining, it’s hard to beat AKL. The moderates would only give you Quick Service dining. With a split stay, you book them as two reservations. So, each would have to have availability under the Free Dining promo. I’d probably do AKL and Poly (or AKL and BC) if I were to do a couple’s trip split stay. Congratulations and Best Wishes!