My WDW Honeymoon! Help! :)

[mandiemoon]

Hi everyone! I recently got engaged to my long time boyfriend of 10 years (elementary school sweethearts) and because we can't afford to get married at WDW (way too huge of a family), we thought we'd at least have our honeymoon there.

My fiance and I are planning our honeymoon at WDW for Sept. 2008, and feel a little lost. We were wondering if anyone has any tips or advice on things to do, places to stay and places to eat. We don't have tons of money, but also don't want to cheap out..as it's a dream come true to be able to spend this important time of our lives there.

We were thinking of staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge for a few days, and then downgrading for the rest of our stay...but I don't know. (Is it a romantic atmosphere?) We are hoping to be at WDW for at least 10 days. We are looking for some romance, but also fun and adventure. If anyone knows of places that are calm and quiet, that'd be great too, so we can find some refuge throughout our stay when we want to unwind.

We were also thinking of staying at a deluxe resort for a few days, do the parks, and then maybe for the rest of our trip go to Disney Vero Beach to relax. I don't know much about it though.

Also, does anyone know if you hire a Disney Photographer and have pictures infront of the castle in wedding attrire? Since my dream of getting married there can't happen, I'd like to at least have a day as a princess and prince in front of our castle!

ALSO...*whew* we were reeeeaaaally wanting to do the Seas Aqua Tours and Dolphins in Depth. Has anyone done either tour? How do you sign up for it?

Any advice or info. would be great, as we are both kinda newbies to WDW, having only gone once. Thank you all in advance!

 

[snakeislandboy]

AKL is an excellent choice. My wife and I honeymooned there and it was amazing, and very romantic. Whenever we are stressed out or having a rough day we think about the AKL and thats our "happy place." Port Orleans is a good comprimise if you don't have the funds for the AKL.

I will say stay far away from the value resorts. We returned for an anniversary trip this year and decided to try the Pop Century resort. It was clean and the accommodations were good, but far from romantic. The walls are paper thin, you can hear everything in the next room :lookaroun. With so many coming and going all the time it seems like you never get a quiet moment. Good place to stay for a vacation, I would expect a bad place to honeymoon.

You will find your quiet escape in the parks. The good thing about Sept. is it's pretty slow. I think our favorite place to stroll and just enjoy being together has always been Epcot. There are alot of places to just sit back and relax.

I suggest doing some romantic dinners, thats always a great escape from the hustle and bustle. Do a search around the board and you will find there are many places to have a unique, romantic dining expirence.

If you like to have a little fun and don't mind looking a little silly, get the wedding ears and wear them. Magical things happen to folks who wear those ears (check out my avatar pic).

 

[mandiemoon]

We were thinking of maybe doing AKL for the first few nights, and then going to Port Orleans Riverside for the rest of our trip. I'm glad you suggested both! The bride and groom ears are adorable! Can they be purchased before arriving at WDW? They would be awesome to have for our wedding!

Thanks so much for your advice!

 

[J_Krafty24]

Sounds like you'll have a blast. We got married and honeymooned at Disney in Sept 2007 and had a great time.

We stay at POFQ and loved it. It was nice to be at a small resort and it felt like there were very few people around. The only time it felt crowded there was at the food court during peak meal times.

They do have pictures at the castle but to be in wedding attire you must do them in the morning long before the park opens. We were picked up at our hotel by the photographer at 6:00 am. The photo session costs about $800. It is expensive but so totally worth it. At that time of year you get to the castle when it is still dark and the sun rises throughout your session. You also get pictures taken on the carosel behind the castle (remember, the one with the gold bow on the tail is cinderella's horse) It was incredable to see the magic kingdom dark and nearly empty. You get a 4 x 6 of every picture taken plus a nice portfolio of 12 of the pictures (chosen by the photographer)displayed. You probably could even get flowers from the disney florist to have in the photos if you do this. You can also do daytime photo sessions with professional disney photographers in the parks when they are open but you cannot be in wedding attire for them. One thing to think about with either of these options though are re-prints of the photos. They are very expensive - around $13 for a 4x6 up to $30 for an 8x10 - buying a cd of all the prints is an option but still not cheep.

We also did the Dolphins in Depth tour. It was awesome. There is a number that goes directly to the tour reservations or I'm sure you could call the switchboard and be transferred. You have to pay when you make the reservation and they will give you all the information you need. That specific tour each person gets a t-shirt and a photo of you with a dolphin. There are more indepth reviews on here and on all-ears. There is a discount (20%?) for the tour if you pay with a Disney Visa card or if you don't have one there is a coupon code in the back of the Official Disney World guide (10%-15%?)

Anyway - Have a great time and happy planning!

 

[mandiemoon]

Oh I am getting soooo excited!! I feel like a kid in a candy store!

When we went to WDW (for our first and only trip), we stayed at POFQ. We really liked it, but thought this time we'd give the other side a try too!

I really think getting our photos done at the castle will be worth it too! I mean, how many times in your life can you be a real princess at such a magical place? When you had your pictures done, did you get up early and do your own makeup/hair? I can't imagine spending more money I guess..

Do you have any of your pictures on this site? Also, how many did you end up getting, without going into the re-print option?

Everything sounds so beautiful and exciting! I can't wait for this trip! Disney magic, castles, sea creatures and maybe even some Hallowe'en!
Thanks so much for your help!

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

A suggestion: begin your stay at the lower category resort. You'll be so busy seeing things and having fun with each other, you will not focus on your hotel. I recommend starting your stay at a lower category and finishing with the spectacular AKL. That way the downgrade is not a disappointment, and by the time you get to AKL, you'll be more inclined to spend more time in the hotel and enjoy it.

Book reservations at Jiko for dinner, it's phenomenal. Victoria & Albert's (very expensive, but worth it) is extremely romantic. Breakfast in Cinderella Castle with the princesses is also romantic. Be sure they note on each reservation that it's your honeymoon...you never know what surprises you'll find!

 

[mandiemoon]

Hmm...that is true...good point. Best to end on a high note! I wonder, is it a pain to switch resorts mid way? Or is it relatively easy to do?

 

[RedGear]

My husband and I spent part of honeymoon at disney and it was great! Don't spend the extra money on a nice hotel room unless you have it. We spent our money on great dinners, and our room got upgraded to a better room at the carribean beach resort (a water view). Make sure you get the pins that say you are on your honeymoon, because we got a ton of free stuff because of it, like water, getting to cut in line and free gifts. Also, do a backstage tour if you have never done it. This was really interseting and worth the money.

For expensive dinners I recommend either Jiko or Califorina Grill, both places are amazing. If you have anymore questions, just message me and I will be more than happy to help you out with any suggestions or questions.

 

[PigletIsMyCat]

You can't beat AKL for romance. The theming is superb, very immersive. DH and I stayed there on our honeymoon. Switching rooms during your stay shouldn't be a big hassle - when you check in, let front desk know what you are doing, and in most cases bell services will take your bags in the morning for check out, you go to the parks, and your bags will be in your new hotel room later that afternoon!

I too would advise to stay away from the values, especially for a honeymoon. We stayed at Pop for our first anniversary and were disappointed.

Also, remember that September has traditionally been Free Dining time. If you make reservations now and free dining is offered, you should be able to add it to your reservation with little problems. If it is offered, it is truly worth it. You will eat at places you'd never think to try before!

I'm sure you could order the Mickey and Minnie wedding ears from WDW Merchandise, if someone has the number.

Plus, if you get them beforehand, your new DH can't refuse to wear them in the parks... like mine did.... grrrr...... I'll never let that go!!

 

[J_Krafty24]

I really think getting our photos done at the castle will be worth it too! I mean, how many times in your life can you be a real princess at such a magical place? When you had your pictures done, did you get up early and do your own makeup/hair? I can't imagine spending more money I guess..

Do you have any of your pictures on this site? Also, how many did you end up getting, without going into the re-print option?

I did my own hair and make-up. Actually My parents helped me with my hair for my wedding (dad did a french braid headband type thing across the front - long story that starts before I was born with my mom telling my dad that if he wanted his little girl to have long hair he had to learn how to take care of it) and I did my own make-up. It worked out well because I'm not big on all that fru fru stuff and kept the make-up light and basic. Because it was so early I just pulled part of my hair back and cliped it with a small clear claw clip. After 3 hours of sleep it was about all I could manage.

We ended up with about 65 photos total though some of them are almost doubles - same pose and location but slightly different.

I'm hoping to get some photos up soon. We just got our CD with all of them on it. Don't worry - it only took us this long to get them because it was a few months before we had time and were in the right mood to sit down and decide what we wanted.

 

[emmersandjack]

Hmm...that is true...good point. Best to end on a high note! I wonder, is it a pain to switch resorts mid way? Or is it relatively easy to do?

I definitely concur with the suggestion to stay lower first than move to a deluxe. Not to sound like a snobby jerk, but you wouldn't want to be disappointed after staying at a deluxe. It's not too bad to switch (we do this on almost all of our trips), just make sure you leave room in your switch day to do it. If you have a rental car this usually makes it easier because of luggage, but because it's just the two of you it shouldn't be too hard.
For instance, if you stay at Port Orleans you can take the boat to Downtown Disney and catch a bus to your next resort.
Have fun and congratulations!:wave: We honeymooned at Disney World almost 6 1/2 years ago and have been able to go back every year since. It really is wonderful and memorable way to celebrate your honeymoon.

 

[mandiemoon]

Thank you everyone for your great advice! You have all been soooo helpful!

 

[Figment626]

If your staying at two Disney resorts, just tell the front desk during your first stay. They will, if you want, make sure all your luggage gets transfered to the 2nd resort so you can just worry about yourselves and any personal belongings that you may want to keep on you(say in your carry on or something). And the future Wife packs alot so I'm very thankful for this!

This is something we just found out about ourselves as we are planning our honeymoon right now. We are staying at Wilderness Lodge for 4 nights and then Poly for another 4 nights this summer. We have a car rental for the first 2 days so we can shop off-site and I was thinking about extending that rental so we could easily move our luggage over.... but our travel agent confirmed to us that this was possible.

 

[ClemsonTigger]

Hi everyone! I recently got engaged to my long time boyfriend of 10 years (elementary school sweethearts) and because we can't afford to get married at WDW (way too huge of a family), we thought we'd at least have our honeymoon there.

My fiance and I are planning our honeymoon at WDW for Sept. 2008, and feel a little lost. We were wondering if anyone has any tips or advice on things to do, places to stay and places to eat. We don't have tons of money, but also don't want to cheap out..as it's a dream come true to be able to spend this important time of our lives there.

We were thinking of staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge for a few days, and then downgrading for the rest of our stay...but I don't know. (Is it a romantic atmosphere?) We are hoping to be at WDW for at least 10 days. We are looking for some romance, but also fun and adventure. If anyone knows of places that are calm and quiet, that'd be great too, so we can find some refuge throughout our stay when we want to unwind.

We were also thinking of staying at a deluxe resort for a few days, do the parks, and then maybe for the rest of our trip go to Disney Vero Beach to relax. I don't know much about it though.

Also, does anyone know if you hire a Disney Photographer and have pictures infront of the castle in wedding attrire? Since my dream of getting married there can't happen, I'd like to at least have a day as a princess and prince in front of our castle!

ALSO...*whew* we were reeeeaaaally wanting to do the Seas Aqua Tours and Dolphins in Depth. Has anyone done either tour? How do you sign up for it?

Any advice or info. would be great, as we are both kinda newbies to WDW, having only gone once. Thank you all in advance!

Hmm...that is true...good point. Best to end on a high note! I wonder, is it a pain to switch resorts mid way? Or is it relatively easy to do?

First off, Congratulations! :sohappy:

When you do make your reservations for room and ALL Dining, please remember to tell them it is your honeymoon. I don't want to promise you what might happen, but there is magic to be had! Also, the first time you enter one of the parks, go to guest services and ask for a honeymoon pin (they're free) wear them for your entire visit.


There is no problem in switching resorts, let them know and bags will be moved for you.

As for tours, if you have never had a dolphin encounter, this is OK, just OK. You get much more interaction, and the chance to swim with dolphins at Seaworld or a number of other sites on the Florida coast or various Caribbean islands. Save that for a future vacation. Seas AquaTours however is great! Next to having your SCUBA certification and doing a real dive, this is a very special experience.

Instead of the Dolphin encounter, consider doing the Segway tour in Epcot. Keys to the Kingdom is also great, but save that for a future visit.

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/parks/tourDetail?id=SeasAquaTourTourPage
Tours # is Call (407) WDW-TOUR (407) 939-8687†
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/parks/tourDetail?id=AroundtheWorldEpcotTourPage
Now, for Dining...
If you can swing the price, do do Victoria and Alberts as your special Honeymoon dinner. It is an evening you won't forget. Bring a nice dress and he will need a jacket...but you will love it.
As others have said, California Grill is nice. Likewise Jiko at AKL and Yachtsman Steakhouse and Flying Fish at Beach Club and Boardwalk respectively. Nest to V&A's, the favorite for DW and me is Artist Point at Wilderness Lodge. Epcot has a lot of nice choices, the other parks are OK, with AK having the least.
Depending on when in September you are going, the Food and Wine festival may be taking place at Epcot.

You can check reviews and menus here at WDWMagic and also at this site, where menu's for all are provided:
http://www.allearsnet.com/din/dining.htm

As I think I have suggested to you on another thread, it may benefit you to talk with folks at KingdomKonsultants to help with your planning. I visit regularly and there is a lot for me to plan and keep straight. For someone that is not that familiar, they can help you avoid any unpleasant surprises.
The other thing is to buy some Disney tourbooks and study up in a more casual fashion on what all is available, then you can make better decisions and plan a bit better.

Consider also having a towncar pick you up and return you to the airport. Cost is not too bad (not as good as free), but you save hours on travel time. Quicksilver who advertizes here is great. (KingdomKonsultants can also book them).

 

[mandiemoon]

Wow! I can't believe how much everyone knows here! I am filling up with info. all the time! I just emailed a few agencies that have been recommended to help me plan my trip. We are now thinking, to save money, we might just go with one moderate resort. We really have to save, as we're paying for the whole wedding and honeymoon by ourselves. On the plus side, we don't have to move from one resort to the other...and hey, we can always dine at the other resorts! We're going to go to AK next year for our anniversary when we have a bit more money. I think we're going to rent a car, and go to Discovery Cove while we're in Orlando. I've been doing a little research (with the help of your advice and the Unoffical Guide to WDW) and think that might be a better dolphin experience. Who knows? It sounds great anyways! We also are going to save all our pennies so we can *hopefully* get our photos done at the castle in our wedding garb.

Thank you everyone again for all your help! We are both so excited, and hope that one day we'll be as educated as you all are!

 

[ClemsonTigger]

Good planning so far.
For most people, you aren't going to be in the room for much of the time anyway, so it doesn't matter that much.
If you can get a good AAA discount, you might be able to do the moderates for around $100 in Sept.

I think you make a good choice about looking into Discovery Cove. I love Disney, but there are some experiences that are better elsewhere.
If you would still consider AquaTour, you walk past the dolphin area anyway.

I'm not sure, but you may have to check through Disney Weddings about getting the pictures done. Again, a knowledgable travel agent could also help.
If you have any additional questions, feel free to PM me.

 

[cmor42180]

ill actually be down there for my honeymoon in september too, same thing been together 10 years but highs school not elementary school...but we are staying at the contemporary as it stands now, we are just looking to do a longer trip than usual and in a better hotel since your honeymoon only happens once

 

[Victoria]

First off, congratulations!!! :sohappy:

Something special you could do is really pamper yourselves and get the Platinum Magic Your way package. You will each get a spa treatment...I can't think of any better way to relax on a Disney vacation. Included in the Platinum plan is the Aqua Seas tour (as well as other great tours in Disney) Using a travel agent would really help too because they can help you find a great deal on a package.

Also included in the Platinum package is dinner at Victoria and Albert's, the most romantic restaurant on property, by far!

Without the package it is extremely expensive, but with the plan it would be come affordable and it would be a one of a kind experience you would never forget.

Staying at AK Lodge for a few days is great, but as far as some where else to stay for the rest of your honeymoon I would recommend Port Orleans French Quarter. It is so intimate, beautifully themed, and romantic. This resort usually doesn't have as many children as others so it is a great place to go for some grown-up time yet still be immersed in Disney magic. It is a moderate resort and will be significantly cheaper for the rest of your stay.

Have an absolutely MAGICAL honeymoon and congrats once again!

PS: Stop by Guest Relations at the first park you go to and get "Just Married" buttons to wear. Throughout your entire trip cast members will probably do special little things to make your trip even better!

 

[Monty]

I would suggest POFQ for a quiet, romantic setting as a resort. You can do lots of things to make your trip special:

• a Carriage Ride at POR
• wear Bride & Groom ears
• eat at Victoria & Albert's
• eat at Cinderella's Royal Table
• contact Gifts of a Lifetime [their Honeymoon page]
• have decorations and a welcome basket delivered to your room
• spend an evening on the beach at Poly watching Wishes from a hammock

You could easily keep the whole 10 days romantic and special in WDW.

Congratulations! :sohappy:

 

[J_Krafty24]

If you are still interested in it, the phone number for The Disney Event Group is 407-827-5099. They are who you will need to talk to about a castle portrait session. I would talk to them directly and not thru a travel agent.