Honeymoon Help!

[Disney_Belle]

November 9th - 18th we will be honeymooning in wdw. We were going to spring for a deluxe resort, and then we decided we aren't going to spend that much time in the hotel so we went to a moderate with a preferred room. But now I am stuck, which one should we go to???? We are leaning toward Caribbean Beach but not sure because we haven't stayed in any of them. What are the pros/cons of the resorts???

 

[fizzle75]

If you can afford it I highly recommend you spring for a deluxe. We honeymooned at AKL in 2005 and absolutely loved it. The deluxe resorts are so amazing that I recommend you make time to wander around your resort and take in the beautiful sights and sounds. I also highly recommend Wilderness lodge if you change your mind and decide to stay at a deluxe. We stayed at Caribbean Beach for our first anniversary and thought it was a fantastic resort as well, my only complaints(and they are big ones in my opinion)were the extremely large and confusing layout of the resort and the sub-standard bus service. This didn't really hamper our enjoyment of the resort but it was incredibly frustrating at times. We have never stayed at Port Orleans but based on all I've seen and heard it is hands down the best moderate resort, especially Riverside. No matter where you stay it will be magical but for a honeymoon trip the deluxe resorts tend to set a much more romantic atmposphere IMHO. Good luck, have a great trip and CONGRATULATIONS!!!:wave:

 

[happymom52003]

Congratulations! Since it is your honeymoon and you want it to be special , I highly suggest a deluxe if it is in your budget. We love the Wilderness Lodge and I think it would be very romantic for a honeymoon. Even if you do not think you will spend alot of time in your room, do not underestimate the enjoyment you would get out of staying at a Deluxe hotel. Have fun!

 

[coltow]

Big surprise, I too say go for deluxe. We splurged for our honeymoon and stayed at Wlderness Lodge and wouldn't take back one second of our stay there. It was perfect.

 

[nicnic]

If you feel you would rather save some money and opt for a mod resort, I would go fo POFQ, it's smaller than the rest, has 1 bus depot and 1 pick-up, yes it picks up at PORS (not MK, this has own bus) but POFQ is 1st pick-up and 1st drop-off. The resort is very peacful, quiet and you can walk around it in 5-10mins. Also, the highlight for us was to boat to DTD, very worth it and the hourse & carriage rides. The walk along the river to PORS is very nice too, you can hire bikes if you dont want to walk. You also dont need a prefered room here as the resort is not that big, we were in building 7 3rd floor corner room and i know some people complain it is too far out, 3 mins to bus stop and food court!?!? it's nothing, we also found the rooms nearer to the food court and pool to be noisy, your better off staying out of it with a water view room, it's so quiet in the morning along the river as the sun comes up, bliss. well thats my thoughts anyway.

 

[mprewitt]

We honeymooned at GF and loved it. If you can afford a deluxe, think about GF, Poly, WL, or AKL.

For moderates, take a look at POFQ or POR.

 

[nankeldisney821]

:wave: Hi to a fellow resident of MA...

If you really have the money, I would stay at a deluxe but I was on my honeymoon in October and my husband & I were going to stay at the AKL but decided to stay at the Pop Century instead. He decided it actually because we felt that if we were together, that was all that mattered, we could make it romantic no matter where we were. He only wanted the deluxe so we would have a balcony to sit on at night but didn't want to spend that much for that and honestly, it was absolutely fine with me.

I have been going to Disney since I was a kid and he has only been a few times so I know the differences and I really wanted to stay at the Polynesian because I used to stay there as a kid but then we thought of the AKL for something different but realized how much money we would save. We had more money to do other things that we wanted. We ate at better restaurants instead of a lot more of the counter service places. We also went to Cirque du Soleil and LOVED it! I highly recommend that. I also went to the spa at Saratoga Springs because we had extra money.

You really aren't in the room that much so I would go for a moderate or even a value if you wouldn't mind. They can actually be really fun...if you like to have fun too, which I am sure you do. If you decide on a Moderate I would go with POR. I have stayed there many times and it is a great place! I think that would be very romantic too and not too expensive. Like I already said, as long as you are together and on your honeymoon...it will be romantic and fun no matter where you are. At least that was our opinion! Enjoy your trip no matter what you do and Congratulations!! :sohappy:

 

[slappy magoo]

No offense to nankeldisney821, but I'd like to think, if this is your honeymoon, MAYBE you'll spend more time in the room than you normally would on a WDW vacation. :kiss: So count me in as amongst the people who say, if you can afford the difference, try a Deluxe resort.

One thing you can consider trying is renting DVC points from a member. A week in a studio in the Wilderness Lodge, or Beach Club would only be about 1000-1100 dollars. Boardwalk Villas would be the same or even less (if you choose a standard view, which while not as scenic, IS much quieter as you don't overlook the hubbub of the Boardwalk itself). Those prices, give or take, is what you'd pay to stay at a MODERATE resort during that time. Meanwhile, a week at a ONE-BEDROOM Villa at Old Key West (a little out of the way, but very romantic, better sense of seclusion, and a boat ride away from DTD) would probably be less than 1800 dollars, and that'll give you a king-sized bed AND a whirlpool tub (mee-yow). A 1BR Villa, Standard view, at the Boardwalk would only be a little more than that. Plus you'll have a full kitchen, on the off chance you decide to have some breakfasts in the room to save some dough.

Compare that to about 1500 dollars for a Standard room at the Wilderness Lodge (least expensive of the standard Deluxe rooms, along with AKL). Personally, I'd say you should look into that. You'll save serious coin, but still have some excellent options for your honeymoon, which, BTW, I hope is incredibe.

 

[ThinkTink721]

November 9th - 18th we will be honeymooning in wdw. We were going to spring for a deluxe resort, and then we decided we aren't going to spend that much time in the hotel so we went to a moderate with a preferred room. But now I am stuck, which one should we go to???? We are leaning toward Caribbean Beach but not sure because we haven't stayed in any of them. What are the pros/cons of the resorts???

I have never stayed at the CB resort, but I hear that it is nice.
We stayed at POR last summer & it was nice.
I hear that POFQ is also a nice resort (probably more romantic than POR).

My sister-in-law & her husband went to WDW for their honeymoon.
They stayed at the GF.
They called WDW beforehand & ordered the Minnie & Mickey bride & groom plush dolls.
They were waiting on their bed when they arrived at their resort.
:wave:

 

[nankeldisney821]

I didn't mean that we were NEVER in the room I am just saying there is no need to sit in the room all day and night. We had plenty of time in our CHEAPER room. Plus, we also added 2 extra nights to our trip because we decided to go to a value resort. I highly doubt that on their honeymoon, they are going to want to cook a breakfast and eat in the room. If anything, they would have something delivered to them. Well, I should say, they could go to the food court and bring it back to the room or even go to a nicer restaurant instead of having to buy groceries and then cook. Who really wants to do that on their honeymoon?

I am not saying to stay at value resort becasue you won't ever be in your room but you have more of an opportunity to do more things and you will still have the same time in your room. That is all I meant and plus what was GREAT for us doesn't mean it will be great for others. Everyone is different and I think too many people take too much to heart of what others are always saying on these boards. It is supposed to be an opinion of others and someone always has something negative to say all the time. I was just giving my opinion and just because I didn't spend a fortune (or if they don't want to) and I wasn't in my room all day that my honeymoon was not worth it. I couldn't have a had a better honeymoon even if I stayed in a deluxe. It can only be as perfect as you make it for yourselves.

 

[Biff215]

Another vote for a deluxe here. We stayed at WL a few years ago for our honeymoon and absolutely loved it. There's just something quiet and romantic about the place that made it perfect. My wife still talks about the rainy night that we sat in the lobby and wrote out postcards to our families and friends. It doesn't seem like a big thing, but that's just part of the charm of WL.

Plus it is priced a bit lower than the other deluxes, and you can probably apply a discount code if one comes out in the fall. We also requested a king bed, which we did get. If you can get WL at a decent rate you can afford, I would go for it. You'd probably be surprised just how comparable the price can be to a moderate anyway.

Enjoy! :wave:

 

[nankeldisney821]

I have never stayed at the CB resort, but I hear that it is nice.
We stayed at POR last summer & it was nice.
I hear that POFQ is also a nice resort (probably more romantic than POR).

My sister-in-law & her husband went to WDW for their honeymoon.
They stayed at the GF.
They called WDW beforehand & ordered the Minnie & Mickey bride & groom plush dolls.
They were waiting on their bed when they arrived at their resort.
:wave:

I did that too...I had a basket delivered to my husband with snacks and beer that he loves and he was thrilled with it.

My daughter and my dad also sent a basket to our room one of the days we got back to the room after being in the park all day. It made it even nicer than before!

 

[PigletIsMyCat]

Spring for a deluxe. DH and I stayed at a savannah veiw room at AKL for our honeymoon. We loved the theming and the animals off our balcony! It was very romantic - and the theming is detailed while not being too 'Disney' over the top (as I think Pop and the All Stars are).

You only get one honeymoon. I would stay at a deluxe and let them know you're on your honeymoon - you may find surprises in your room. If you absolutely cannot spend that much on a room, I'd recommend POFQ as a good second choice. AKL and WL are the 'cheap' deluxe resorts, so you might only be looking at a $50 per night difference between POFQ and AKL/WL. This trip to WDW will probably your most memorable - don't skimp if you can afford it.

Renting DVC points is a great way to save money on some of the best properties Disney offers. My family stayed at Saratoga Springs in a two bedroom, and even though we didn't cook ONCE it was nice to have the big fridge and the coffee maker and the microwave. While Old Key West is a little out of the way, as is SSR, it makes up for it by being quieter. And while both have great theming, neither is too loud - both would be wonderful, romantic honeymoon spots. SSR does not have a full service restaurant, and OKW's theming is a little nicer (IMHO), so OKW would be my choice for that. Even if you don't rent DVC points, you can still stay in either of these resorts.

 

[wild01ride]

that'll give you a king-sized bed AND a whirlpool tub (mee-yow)

Uh-----uh!! :lol:

In my opinion, as with any other WDW trip, you should choose your resort based on what you're looking to get out of it. If you're looking for utmost convenience of being right outside Epcot's back door and a hop, skip, and a jump away from MGM, opt for one of the Boardwalk-area resorts. Boardwalk Villas is my favorite place to stay, partially due to the resort itself, but also in large-part due to the convenience of this location. There's the easy-to-access Boardwalk Bakery, you can leisurely stroll to and from MGM and Epcot, and primarily since Epcot is where I end up about 75% of the evenings and it is nice not having the bus stop and bus ride looming over you while you're enjoying every last minute of the evening at World Showcase! You can stroll along as long as you'd like and just stroll back whenever you want, or choose to go to Jellyrolls (which I highly recommend as a Honeymoon stop for you and yours!), Atlantic Dance, the Bakery for a late-night dessert, etc.

Or, if the Magic Kingdom area and the monorail is for you, you can obviously choose one of them.

If you're going to go with a Moderate, I would highly recommend Port Orleans Riverside. It can be extremely peaceful and romantic in the Bayou area. Probably the only thing that prevents this from being my absolute favorite resort is the bus ride to/from Epcot. Otherwise, you can take the boat ride to/from Downtown Disney at night which can be the perfect relaxing way to end the night!

Regardless, you will be on your Honeymoon, which is about the two of you...AND you'll be in WDW. So no matter where you end up, you'll have a great time.
Congratulations and enjoy!

 

[DisneyChik17]

First off, Congrats on the engagement! I hope your wedding is wonderful!

If you are going for a Deluxe, I love the Epcot area resorts. They are all very nice. You really can't go wrong.

As far as Moderates, I would stay at Port Orleans. I have only stayed at Riverside, which is beautiful. I have heard though, that French Quarter is more romantic. Also, PO offers carriage rides, which may be a nice way to end a night.

 

[Biff215]

I didn't mean that we were NEVER in the room I am just saying there is no need to sit in the room all day and night. We had plenty of time in our CHEAPER room. Plus, we also added 2 extra nights to our trip because we decided to go to a value resort. I highly doubt that on their honeymoon, they are going to want to cook a breakfast and eat in the room. If anything, they would have something delivered to them. Well, I should say, they could go to the food court and bring it back to the room or even go to a nicer restaurant instead of having to buy groceries and then cook. Who really wants to do that on their honeymoon?

I am not saying to stay at value resort becasue you won't ever be in your room but you have more of an opportunity to do more things and you will still have the same time in your room. That is all I meant and plus what was GREAT for us doesn't mean it will be great for others. Everyone is different and I think too many people take too much to heart of what others are always saying on these boards. It is supposed to be an opinion of others and someone always has something negative to say all the time. I was just giving my opinion and just because I didn't spend a fortune (or if they don't want to) and I wasn't in my room all day that my honeymoon was not worth it. I couldn't have a had a better honeymoon even if I stayed in a deluxe. It can only be as perfect as you make it for yourselves.

I totally understand where you are coming from, but I certainly don't think that Slappy meant to be "negative" at all towards you (especially given the way they started the post). I think it just proves further that it is different for every person.

There is always going to be the argument between spending more on the resort or spending it elsewhere on vacation. My wife and I have spoiled ourselves at deluxe resorts, and now there is no turning back. To us, the resort is a big part of the vacation, even though we may only be sleeping there.

But I still understand others who say they'd rather stay at a value or offsite to spend the money on other things to do. It's simply a matter of opinion.

 

[kerry hyde]

We also went to WDW for our honeymoon just over 12months ago. We stayed at POR but upgraded to the water view room. We told the receptionist it was out honeymoon and they put is in Oak Manor which is one of the old manor houses. It was really romantic as there was a garden just outside our room and a great view of the river. We had a great time and I would highly recommend it. Enjoy!!!

 

[jjgoo]

I'm going to join in the bandwagon and say go for the Deluxe resort. My wife and I stayed at the Beach club for our honeymoon last Oct/Nov for (almost) two weeks.

It's not just the room, all the Deluxe hotels have some extras that just make it nicer for a honeymoon. For us at the Beach Club we loved having the whole resort area with BW, YC, Swan and Dolphin; being able to walk into Epcot; being able to take the boat to MGM. I think that is a big plus with most of the Delux resorts, being very close to at least one of the parks.

Plus, after a year of wedding planning we really did take it slow and relaxed in the room quite a bit. So it was a lot nicer to be a Deluxe resort.

Good luck in your decision!

Congratulations and have fun!:sohappy:

 

[mep517]

My husband and I stayed in CBR for our honeymoon and loved it. We've also stayed at POFQ and I agree that it is a very romantic moderate.

An option might be to stay in a moderate and have big expensive dinners a couple nights. That's what we did and it was very romantic.

Have fun and CONGRATULATIONS!!

 

[slappy magoo]

I didn't mean that we were NEVER in the room I am just saying there is no need to sit in the room all day and night. We had plenty of time in our CHEAPER room. Plus, we also added 2 extra nights to our trip because we decided to go to a value resort. I highly doubt that on their honeymoon, they are going to want to cook a breakfast and eat in the room. If anything, they would have something delivered to them. Well, I should say, they could go to the food court and bring it back to the room or even go to a nicer restaurant instead of having to buy groceries and then cook. Who really wants to do that on their honeymoon?

I am not saying to stay at value resort becasue you won't ever be in your room but you have more of an opportunity to do more things and you will still have the same time in your room. That is all I meant and plus what was GREAT for us doesn't mean it will be great for others. Everyone is different and I think too many people take too much to heart of what others are always saying on these boards. It is supposed to be an opinion of others and someone always has something negative to say all the time. I was just giving my opinion and just because I didn't spend a fortune (or if they don't want to) and I wasn't in my room all day that my honeymoon was not worth it. I couldn't have a had a better honeymoon even if I stayed in a deluxe. It can only be as perfect as you make it for yourselves.

You're taking offense where none was given. Hence, I began my post with "No offense to nankeldisney821...: You said you probably won't spend much time in the room cause it's WDW. I...jokingly...implied that your honeymoon would be the one time you would spend a lot of time in your room.


And while I, too, would rather eat every meal out than cook or have my wife cook for me whilst on vacation, I was thinking more along the lines of having some simple, throw-in-the-microwave food available if the happy coule either wanted to save a few bucks so they could enjoy a bigger room with more amenities, OR didn't want to leave the room one night, because...you know...honeymoon stuff.


In the interest of promoting harmony, even though I didn't think I created any DISharmony, I share with you and everyone else on the forum the lyics to the theme to Diff'rent Strokes. Enjoy.

It Takes Diff'rent Strokes by Alan Thicke, Gloria Loring and Al Burton - Diff'rent Strokes Lyrics



Now, the world don't move to the beat of just one drum,
What might be right for you, may not be right for some.
A man is born, he's a man of means.
Then along come two, they got nothing but their jeans.

But they got, Diff'rent Strokes.
It takes, Diff'rent Strokes.
It takes, Diff'rent Strokes to move the world.

Everybody's got a special kind of story
Everybody finds a way to shine,
It don't matter that you got not alot
So what,
They'll have theirs, and you'll have yours, and I'll have mine.
And together we'll be fine....

Because it takes, Diff'rent Strokes to move the world.
Yes it does.
It takes, Diff'rent Strokes to move the world.