What's the real "best kept Disney secret"?

[Tamar]

Okay, I'm looking for real secret, special things at Disney....might be related to DVC, but that's not a requirement. To keep it a secret, feel free to PM me.

My DH is right up there with those of you who consider yourselves hopeless Disney addicts. May 26 is his 50th birthday, so of course we are going to spend it at Disney.

We start our trip with 3 days in Sarasota, then arrive at Disney May 25. We are staying at the Swan Friday-Sat, then moving to BWV for Sun-Thurs. Friday night is his "family" dinner (his parents and neice and nephew are joining us) at Cali Grill, Sat night I have something really special booked just for the two of us (can't say in case he finds this post)....but what else can I do to surprise him? We've been to the World about 15 times over the past 6-7 years, so there's probably not much we haven't stumbled across.

thanks! Tamar

 

[jdvm]

Well, if you're staying in a one bedroom or larger, I'd suggest some candles, a bottle of champagne and the jacuzzi.
j

 

[spiceycat]

how about a tour
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/tours.htm

a cruise
Illiuinations or Wishes

here is a list of romantic things
http://www.wdwinfo.com/tips_for_touring/romance.htm

take a stroll along BW and get him to win you something.

offsite at disney
ballon rides

 

[Tamar]

Thanks, keep 'em coming!

 

[DisDaydreamer]

how about a tour
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/tours.htm

a cruise
Illiuinations or Wishes

here is a list of romantic things
http://www.wdwinfo.com/tips_for_touring/romance.htm

take a stroll along BW and get him to win you something.

offsite at disney
ballon rides

Good thinking Pat... personally, I would love a backstage tour or a segway tour.

 

[Anthony1971]

You can rent Yacht one form the GF where you want to go is up to you. You can have dinner drinks etc as well. They will do almost anything you can pay for

 

[starbox]

A Private Dining experience via. the Grand Floridian gets my vote. From about.com:

"Special Romance Dinners
Type: Fine Dining
Open: Dinner
In Brief: Custom arranged romantic dinners
Menus: Custom
Description:
Guests who prefer to dine in a more intimate setting need only to pick up the closest telephone. The Grand Floridian can arrange a private dinner for two, served against the elegant backdrop of the Grand Floridian beach, or with a personal butler aboard the Grand 1, the most luxurious watercraft at Walt Disney World Resort. Certain menu items can be specially prepared for the evening. Twenty-four hours notice is requested."

 

[3 Hobbits 2 Disney]

We love to buy some champagne and sit by the fountain in Paris...time does not matter. We consider it one of the best kept

 

[SwhJess]

I was looking for some Disney secrets to plan for our honeymoon last year, and our two favorites were:

1) GF Private Dining - we watched Wishes from the Alcove at GF while having Fillet Mignon, a nice bottle of wine, and chocoloate fondue for dessert.
2) Getting pastries and coffee from the Bakery in France...a sweet end to a long Epcot day.

This is a good thread - we like to try something new each time we go!

 

[newholidayx2]

Happy 50th birthday to your DH

- I'll be spending a week in Nov at WDW during my 50th - staying a week at the beach club villas
- the morning before i booked norway's princess brkfst
- that night i have a ticket to mvmcp
- the day of my 50th im having brkfst at yacht galley so i can have a mimosa
- then im off to the 3hr dolphin encounter
- planning on spending the afternoon/night listening to off kilter
- the morning after my birthday i have the 2hr segway tour booked

i have a 50th bday centerpiece for the room, a 50th sign for the door and a 50th banner to wear on my birthday - will most likely wear the birthday pin during the week

 

[Tamar]

I love all these suggestions....keep them coming!

 

[BostonDisneyKid]

I think one of the best kept secrets is "Breathless" at the Yacht Club Marina.

It is a 24-foot ChrisCraft reproduction of a 1930 runabout powered by MerCruiser 350 cubic inch engine, reaching speeds of 50 mph!

This boat, IMO, is the best on-site. Anyone can tell, even without being a boating enthusiast, that this boat just says "class". It is the fastest in Disneys fleet and is the most stylish (again, IMO). This boat is both elegant and powerful and is th ebest of both worlds when it comes to water craft. You can book use of the Breathless (and captain) by the 1/2 hour during the day and/or for Illuminations, specialty cruises, as well. It is a bit expensive, but what isnt at wdw? BUT - I had heard rumor it may become retired and replaced so this secret may not last much longer...

There are many other "best kept's" which others have already mentioned that I agree with (private dinning, tours, etc) but the one tour that stands out in my mind is the Segway Tour of Epcot. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is even the slightest bit curious about these crafts as they are truly amazing and having the exclusive run of Epcot World Showcase before it opens... thats just frosting on the cake!!!

 

[flechette]

I just want to add a vote for the Segway Tour - hubby still talks about this as the highlight of our last trip I do suggest you do it early on in your vacation before you get footsore from walking the parks tho!


Man the private dining at GF sounds fabulous! err how much does it hurt the pocketbook?

 

[Tamar]

I started researching "Breathless" and here's what AllEarsNet has to say (I'm bummed):

The Breathless, the ChrisCraft reproduction run-about that used to be docked at the Yacht Club marina and was used for IlllumiNations and other specialty cruises, is no longer sitting in its lift. It had been out of commission for several months, awaiting a refurbishment. We hear now that the boat will not be returning, nor will it be replaced. It appears as though this special type of boat experience will no longer be offered.

Next on the research list is the Segway tour....will report back soon.

 

[Tamar]

Well, good news on the Segway tour, very happy to see that we get a 15% discount. I'll have to see if we can get a reservation for that one....Memorial Day weekend might be a challenge (but I am doing the positive dance)

 

[Disney Doll]

Some things I like to do:
~Go to the beach at the Poly or the WL and watch the Electric Water Pageant.
~Walk around the resort at night
~Do a little evening hot tubbing
~Sit on the balcony in the morning and drink coffee
~Stroll along the Boardwalk
~Stroll through Epcot at night

 

[dianeschlicht]

The Segway tour is a lot of fun, but for the ultimate Disneyphile, do the backstage magic tour that goes in depth behind the scenes at 3 of the 4 parks and takes an entire day. We have done it three times, and it has been different everytime.

 

[SwhJess]

Man the private dining at GF sounds fabulous! err how much does it hurt the pocketbook?

It was fabulous! You can control the cost somewhat by your menu selection...the steak was more expensive than the chicken, for example. Also, we had a bottle of wine, so that added cost. When you call, you can choose from any of the "in-room" dining menus, or items that they serve at GF restaurants. For example, no dessert on the in-room dining menu sounded good to me, so I ordered the chocolate fondue off of the menu at GF Cafe (I think that's the right restaurant?).

Ultimately, they estimate that any 3 course meal you do will run between $180 - 250, including 18% gratuity for the personal butler/server that attends to you.

Definitely not something we could afford every trip...but to celebrate our Honeymoon and our first DVC stay, well worth it!

...also, we did the Segway tour as well (two times now!). And loved it! My husband always says it's his favorite. Sign-up for the earlier tours, and there won't be any other people in WS when you tour.