Planning a slightly challenging Sept. trip

[jgrec87]

Hi everyone,

I'm Jess. Long time lurker on the boards here, but I finally made an account because I am planning a trip to the World this September!!! Nice to meet you all!

The last trip I went on was Feb 2012 with my best friend. We stayed in CBR for 7 days, 6 nights. Four days at WDW and 3 days at Universal (we had to do Potter).

This time around I am going with my boyfriend Steve who has never been before. I want a full-out Disney vacation and he wants to go to the Florida Keys, so we are trying to compromise and do 4 days at WDW and 3-4 days in the Keys. On that note, if anyone has any experience driving from Orlando to the Keys I could use all the help I can get!!

So the challenge is ON for a quick, but fun WDW trip. My initial thought was 4 days, 4 parks…PERFECT. I don’t have to buy hoppers. But now I’m worried especially since it is short, there will be low crowds, and Steve has never been, that we will want to pack in as much as possible.

Lastly, I am trying to figure out where to stay. The last 2 trips I stayed at CBR. CBR is simply okay IMO. It has a little sentimental value to me, but not enough to stop me from trying some place new. I would like to stick to the Moderates, though.

If anyone has any tips or suggestions for us, don’t be shy!!

(P.S. this vacation will be celebrating 6 years together…wouldn't hate it if I got asked a certain question in front of Cinderella’s castle if you know what I mean?? )

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

I would stay at CSR or POFQ. CSR is great for couples, it is big but nothing like CBR and has a great location IMO. Many families head to POR because it sleeps 5. POFQ is good for couples but the down side it that sometimes POFQ shares a bus with POR but offers a water taxi to DTD which is nice.
But CSR gets my vote!

I would look at the Calendar, if you can utilize Extra Magic Hours & Fastpass+ I wouldn't worry about Park Hoppers, but if you can't I would grab the hoppers. I know Sept hours look like they've been reduced a lot this year so...

Oh and don't forget to get some Anniversary buttons!

 

[Weather_Lady]

For resorts, I'd recommend Port Orleans French Quarter -- it's small and intimate, beautiful and romantic.

I think 4-parks-in-4-days is actually just fine during a low crowd season, especially if you can handle rope drop arrivals and use a good touring plan. 2 of those parks can be done in less than a day, giving you some "down time" to relax or introduce your BF to some great resort dining venues or even take the Sassagoula River ferry to Downtown Disney.

My biggest recommendation would be to spend your time in the Florida Keys first, and let Disney be the "big finish" at the end of your vacation. If you do WDW first, the rest may feel like a let-down.

 

[Master Yoda]

If the boyfriend is not really into Disney all that much I would recommend Coronado Springs. IMHO it is the most adult friendly moderate resort in Disney. The restaurants are a little more eclectic, they have a night club and the decor seems a little more elegant. You will also find that the adult to kid ratio is a little better as it is a convention resort.

The drive to Key West is pretty simple, but it is on the long side coming in at around 6-7 hours. I typically take the Turnpike to 95. The trip down 27 is a tad shorter, but with lower speed limits making it a tad longer of a drive.

 

[jgrec87]

I would stay at CSR or POFQ. CSR is great for couples, it is big but nothing like CBR and has a great location IMO. Many families head to POR because it sleeps 5. POFQ is good for couples but the down side it that sometimes POFQ shares a bus with POR but offers a water taxi to DTD which is nice.
But CSR gets my vote!

I would look at the Calendar, if you can utilize Extra Magic Hours & Fastpass+ I wouldn't worry about Park Hoppers, but if you can't I would grab the hoppers. I know Sept hours look like they've been reduced a lot this year so...

Oh and don't forget to get some Anniversary buttons!

Thanks! CSR is actually the front runner for me right now. It looks great! Good to know it's good for couples.

For resorts, I'd recommend Port Orleans French Quarter -- it's small and intimate, beautiful and romantic.

I think 4-parks-in-4-days is actually just fine during a low crowd season, especially if you can handle rope drop arrivals and use a good touring plan. 2 of those parks can be done in less than a day, giving you some "down time" to relax or introduce your BF to some great resort dining venues or even take the Sassagoula River ferry to Downtown Disney.

My biggest recommendation would be to spend your time in the Florida Keys first, and let Disney be the "big finish" at the end of your vacation. If you do WDW first, the rest may feel like a let-down.

Thanks for your suggestions! TBH, I never even thought of doing the Keys first! I thought Disney would be kind of exhausting and it might be nice to just veg on the beach at the Keys after all of it. I'll think about that...

 

[SteveW]

I agree with Weather_Lady, do the Keys 1st. On my 1st trip to WDW, we did WDW for a week, then drove to the New Orleans area to tour plantation homes for few days before heading home. It was a big let down after Disney. We cut it short and headed home after a day.

 

[ladydi]

You could always upgrade to hoppers once you get there.
Also we went to the keys in early October. It's really really really hot at that time! Some of the restaurants/b&bs shut down for the month of September. We had a great time but without the crowds it was not what I expected. Pm me if you want some more info on the keys.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

When I was growing up, my dad would always plan half of our trip at WDW and half either in the Keys or someplace like Sanibel Island on the gulf coast. He actually always had us do the tropical part second because he felt like it was nice to get some solid relaxation after the busier pace of being in the parks. So...3-4 days of Disney park mania and 3-4 days of beaches, boating, and relaxation. Islamorada was usually the fave if we headed to the keys. As much as I hated leaving Disney, I do always come back from WDW these days saying I need a vacation from my vacation to relax...and that's exactly what doing the Keys second would do for you.

As for WDW, if you stick with a mod, I was also going to suggest CSR, but you might consider WL or AKL if it's not too far out of the budget and/or you could get some decent discounts. While you know that you won't be able to do it all in 4 days at the parks, it should be enough to give him a really nice experience at WDW.

 

[morningstar]

Sounds like your boyfriend is not that in to Disney World. Or maybe he just doesn't know he is. Either way it's fine. It sounds like he's in to laid back relaxation. So suppress your inner Disney commando. Do not do rope drop if your boyfriend has any reservations about getting up early on vacation. I understand the urge to make sure that he sees everything, but instead make the goal be for him to have a good time so that he will want to come back again.

I'd also suggest doing the keys last. It might be a let down for you, but balance that with the fact that it might be a positive change for him. To break the tie, consider that it will be nice to relax after all the excitement, walking, and crowds.

My guess is he will not be popping the question on this trip. If he were he would not be negotiating to split the trip half where he wants to go and half where you want to go. He would be planning the perfect Disney World only trip for you. I think you can hope for it on another occasion, though, and I wish you luck.