FIRST TRIP!!

Amy Shelton

Active Member
Hi guys!

My boyfriend and I just found out that we will have saved enough money and will be able to go DECEMBER 2013!!!! I am so excited I just can't stand it. It is his FIRST trip!! What?! Anyways, I would like your advice on where we should stay(somewhere romantic), must do's, romantic things, restaurants and any other advice you're just dieing to give!

Can't wait to hear your responses!
 

luv

Well-Known Member
We need a price range. We need to know a little bit about your boyfriend other than he is Mr. Wonderful and all that jazz. What does he like? What do you like?

I'm going to toss out Wilderness Lodge for starters.
 
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real mad hatter

Well-Known Member
Spot on everyone.You need to sit down and discuss the mighty dollar.From there you can then pick your resort from value,moderate,or deluxe,then start reviewing the food side of things,DDP or no DDP,etc.This site is awesome for queries,any question gets answered in minutes.:)
 
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copcarguyp71

Well-Known Member
...Also how long are you planning on staying? Are you planning on being park maniacs and not staying at the resort much?

Take it all in here. There will be 20 different responses with 20 different opinions. Pick up the standard reading books from Amazon and educate yourself as much as possible on what there is to see and do so you can go in with an idea of what you want. If you want romantic then I would say go Moderate or Deluxe, the value resorts never struck me as anything special in that regard.

There are lots of helpful people here so get that information posted and many will be happy to help out.

P.S. - Whatever you do don't mention strollers, scooters, napkins, bathroom renovations, Fastpass Plus or handicap seating on busses :D ! JK...but if you are on here long enough you will know what I mean. WELCOME to the boards!
 
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GoochDSA

Well-Known Member
Romance is one of those things that can be found anywhere, depending on the person. As others have said, without knowing anything about either of you, budget, length of time you plan on staying, how much time you plan on spending in the parks or even when in December 2013 you plan on going (the first week in December and last week in December will be totally different experiences) we can't really be of too much help without making your head explode. There are a lot of people here with very different great ideas, but we can't really help without getting a little more out of you.
 
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Amy Shelton

Active Member
Original Poster
Silly me! Of course that information would be helpful! Duh!

The budget is less than $3000 dollars. My boyfriend and I will be going for our anniversary/college graduation (December 8th-14th). We are both HUGE kids at heart, my boyfriend has already said he wants to meet as many characters as possible,mostly the villians. We have looked into Port Orleans FQ and RS. Hmm...that's all the info I can think of right now. Hope this helps! :)
 
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taz0162

Well-Known Member
December does cost more as it is a peak season. Was your vacation fund bucket based on an off season price? Amount of $, time there, parks planning to visit (if not all of them) and we can run with suggestions to help with your endevor.
 
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Amy Shelton

Active Member
Original Poster
Well I went online and created my own little package, and I did it as staying at Port Orleans FQ for 6 nights/seven days in a king bed room with the Magic Your Way Plus Dining plan, as well as two day park hoppers and that came in about $2,500.

I KNOW we want to go to Magic Kingdom one day and then maybe go to DHS and Epcot another day?
 
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Mukta

Well-Known Member
Well I went online and created my own little package, and I did it as staying at Port Orleans FQ for 6 nights/seven days in a king bed room with the Magic Your Way Plus Dining plan, as well as two day park hoppers and that came in about $2,500.

I KNOW we want to go to Magic Kingdom one day and then maybe go to DHS and Epcot another day?
I would recommend more than 2 days. Xmas time is magical at the parks. The lighting of the castle in MK, Osborne lights in DHS, parade in AK, Epcot Storytellers and Candlelight Processional. There is so much to see and do.

First, I would recommend hiring a travel agent like Kingdom Konsultants. It won't cost you anything and they will make suggestions that will save you money.

Mousesavers.com is also a great resource for discounts and money saving opportunities. You are going during a time of year that historically has some discounts available to the public.
 
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BenSmith

Active Member
Your going in December? Your gonna need more than 2 days to see three parks. Go for 3 days(If you can) and see MK one day, DHS one day, and Epcot one day. Christmas crowds suck, and you want to see everything while being able to relax as well. Spend some time at the pool, and take advantage of EMH! There awesome! Good luck and have a good trip!
 
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JillC LI

Well-Known Member
Well I went online and created my own little package, and I did it as staying at Port Orleans FQ for 6 nights/seven days in a king bed room with the Magic Your Way Plus Dining plan, as well as two day park hoppers and that came in about $2,500.

I KNOW we want to go to Magic Kingdom one day and then maybe go to DHS and Epcot another day?

You'll get many people telling you that POFQ is amazing, but I also wanted to throw Caribbean Beach Resort out there for the caribbean atmosphere, the hammocks on the beaches, and the steel drum music. We love it there. I am one of those people in favor of the dining plan, and you've got a decent chance of a free dining promotion coming out for that time of year. Book some romantic places to eat. I agree with park hoppers so you have flexibility. I'm heading down next week (same time of year) for our family's first holiday season trip, and a few of the things that were on our do-not-miss list were Osborne Lights at DHS, MK Castle Lights, Holidays Around the World at EPCOT, holiday decorations at the resorts including the life size gingerbread house at the Grand Floridian and the gingerbread carousel at the Beach Club. Others will also recommend MVMCP and the Candlelight Procession at EPCOT. There's so much to do! Enjoy!
 
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minniemickeyfan

Well-Known Member
If you're looking for a resort that is romantic I would go for POFQ. It is a smaller resort so its easy to get around, there's carriage rides, and its on the waterway and only a boat ride to Downtown Disney. I think though you'll want more than a 2 day ticket. It's a great time of year and there's lots to see and do.
 
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Bocko57

Well-Known Member
Several good points mentioned above especially the 2 day to 3 or more day park hopper. December is very busy (worse than summer on some days). I would get at least a 3 day hopper and spend 1 day in each park (DHS, MK, and Epcot). For romance POFQ might be the best option for your price range, but I prefer Caribbean Beach Resort. It can be romantic resort, but the other great thing is the rooms are the largest for the moderated priced resorts.

Besides Kingdom Konsultants, if you are a AAA member they offer discounts too. And if you have a vehicle each park has special AAA parking. And parking is free if you stay on Disney property.
 
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GoochDSA

Well-Known Member
So you plan on going down for 7 days but plan on spending just 2 in the parks? What do you plan on doing the other 5 days? Don't plan on spending those days sitting by the pool, December is a hit or miss type of month. It can be 80 and beautiful or it can be 50 and chilly. Also, it being his first trip, you might want to give him a chance to see more than just MK and EC. Crowds shouldn't be that bad that time. It is really before the big Christmas rush, so don't worry about the crowds being crazy.

POFQ is really nice, but when it comes to mods we really prefer POR. We like the spread out layout much better. We stayed there once from a day or 2 after Christmas until a few days after NYE. The resort was booked solid, but you never felt it. Often times we felt like we were alone and the grounds are really nice to just walk around. The carriage ride there is something really nice to do and doesn't cost a lot. It was very enjoyable (you can grab a glass of wine or cocktail from the River Roost and take it with you).

Just another point, you might want to start to get him off his goal to see a lot of villains. Durring that time of year, he won't see many. For the most part, Disney keeps the villains in hiding except for MNSSHP. It's one of those things that allows Disney to charge what they do for a ticket to the party.

Also, should we be suggesting things to help you celebrate something else besides graduation and your anniversary? Perhaps a little question that may be asked at that time? ::cough cough:: Just sayin'...
 
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jharvey

Well-Known Member
Hi guys!

My boyfriend and I just found out that we will have saved enough money and will be able to go DECEMBER 2013!!!! I am so excited I just can't stand it. It is his FIRST trip!! What?! Anyways, I would like your advice on where we should stay(somewhere romantic), must do's, romantic things, restaurants and any other advice you're just dieing to give!

Can't wait to hear your responses!

eat dinner at the Polynesian Resort at least one evening. When done, stroll the grounds, then make your way to the beach. Pull up a beach chair and there you have it.

wanna piggy back what some of the others have said. A travel agent is a must. I hear great things about kingdom konsultants ( I use small world which is good but am leaning towards kk because of the word of mouth. You couldn't get the people on this page to agree that the sun is hot, but they love kk).

Make dinner reservations as far out as possible. With your budget, avoid 2 credit meals. You will find that, even with the dining plan, meals are the biggest budgetary black hole on your trip. Start scanning this site's dining page and game plan from there.

I would junk the park hopper. NOW HEAR ME OUT EVERYONE. I love park hopper, and I know it will be busy. But remember how excited you were on your first trip. Remember when you hit splash, then thought, let me hit space, then oh god I gotta hit BTMRR, then OMG I forgot about Pan. What is that? They have singing bears count me in...... They are going to go bug nuts. Avoid hopper and give each park a version of a rectal.
And crowd size be darned. Get there 45 minutes before rope drop and go crazy. Wanna more intimate feel of the park, get a pre-open breakfast reservation at Crystal Palace or Tusker House. And for god's sake, with you going in December, avoid the parks that have EMH (especially MK). Trust me, while you are trying to have a romantic vacation, someone will be busing their delinquents in training to the happiest place on earth and you will be in a hornet's nest if you pick poorly.

And lastly, enjoy.
 
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JillC LI

Well-Known Member
eat dinner at the Polynesian Resort at least one evening. When done, stroll the grounds, then make your way to the beach. Pull up a beach chair and there you have it.

Nice idea. And I would add to that, watch the Electrical Water Pageant from the Poly Beach after dinner!
 
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