Things for couples to do in WDW.

[kimberlymautz]

Hello everyone! I'm new to this board, but I've loved looking around and I hope to find some fun things to do while in WDW in November. My boyfriend and I are going November 11-17 to visit some friends, one who now lives in Orlando and works for Disney, and another who is part of the college program. Unfortunately, we're leaving our 16m old behind, so I want to stay as busy as possible so I don't miss her too much! We were initially going to drive, but the more we think about it the more it seems like a better idea to fly. We live in PA, so it would easily be a 20hr drive.
The last time I was in Disney was Summer 2010 with my best friend and her family and the only park we got to go to was Epcot (her brother is a brat and refused to go anywhere else). While I love Epcot and would definitely go there again, I want to know what kinds of things you'd recommend for two 20 year olds that are going to Disney. My boyfriend has never been and the last time I went to any parks that weren't Epcot I was six.

So far this is what we plan on doing. Let me know if you have any specific suggestions or ideas!

Sunday: Fly from PHL to MCO; Get settled into hotel and relax.
Monday: Hollywood Studios (magic hours until 11)
Tuesday: Animal Kingdom and Downtown Disney
Wednesday: Downtown Disney and pool relaxation day.
Thursday: Magic Kingdom (open til 7) then Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party until midnight.
Friday: Epcot (Magic hours until midnight, so we can sleep in if we need to.)
Saturday: Fly from MCO to PHL and come home.


Also, has anyone else ever flown to Disney? I was thinking of purchasing the UPS one rate boxes to bring with us so that we can ship souvenirs and things that we can't bring on a plane home. Has anyone shipped anything to Disney before their trip? I read online that you can do it, and I was thinking of sending things like razors and soap and some clothes so we don't get hit for extra fees on the plan (it's expensive enough as it is). Any suggestions with that as well.

Sorry this was so long, but I'd appreciate any help or advice anyone has!

 

[real mad hatter]

Looks good.Have you made any adrs?

 

[DisneyDebNJ]

Looks good.Have you made any adrs?

Excellent suggestion Hatter, SO many wonderful restaurants to choose from and this website will give you excellent suggestions. Visit the Dining threads here on WDWMAGIC for reviews and suggestions. Have a magical vacation!

 

[kimberlymautz]

Not yet, though I'd love to! Our friend that lives there, Nick, got us discounts on our hotel so we're not eligible for the dining plan. I wanted to see what everyone else recommends. My boyfriend is VERY picky, unfortunately. We're also trying to stay on a budget. We'll probably have around $300 or so for food for the week, then a little extra for souvenirs. We probably won't eat a lot though, once we get to theme parks we're too busy going on rides and running around to remember to eat. Haha. I'm assuming we'll eat breakfast, bring some snacks, and probably stop for dinner.

 

[kimberlymautz]

Excellent suggestion Hatter, SO many wonderful restaurants to choose from and this website will give you excellent suggestions. Visit the Dining threads here on WDWMAGIC for reviews and suggestions. Have a magical vacation!

Thank you! I hope we do! He's really excited to be going (especially since I talk it up so much) so I hope the trip is up to his expectations.

 

[DisneyDebNJ]

Thank you! I hope we do! He's really excited to be going (especially since I talk it up so much) so I hope the trip is up to his expectations.

I am sure it will and especially with suggestions from our Disney loving family here on WDWMAGIC, you can throw in a few surprises too!!!

 

[righttrack]

You may want to consider hitting a park on Wednesday if you get enough "resort" in on Sunday. Still an R&R day is always good. Make some ADRs! Get some nice and varied meals in.

 

[Weather_Lady]

For a romantic evening, perhaps a nice meal at the Poly ('Ohana is always highly recommended, but it's probably way too late to get an ADR there -- to save $$, try counter service at Kona Cafe (sushi) or Captain Cook's (more American fare)), followed by watching the MK fireworks from the Polynesian beach.

Honestly though, you won't have to look far to find magical moments at Disney World, nor do you need to plan anything expensive. Just having a few nights together, uninterrupted by a toddler, will be pretty romantic! You may find that your best memories on this vacation are the ones you can't plan for.

 

[kimberlymautz]

We initially wanted to use Wednesday to go to Universal (I went the week after Harry Potter opened and thought it would be a nice day trip), but now that we're going to fly we won't have transportation there.
I'm hoping we stay busy enough on Wednesday, but if not we'll probably wander to other resorts and look around. We're hoping to stay at Art of Animation, but it'll depend whether Nick can get his discount for it or not (since it's brand new he may not be eligible yet). & If Nick has off from work we will most likely hit a park Wednesday night, but he requested off the majority of the week so he could come to the parks with us so we can get a cast member only rate. If he doesn't come in with us we'd still get a discount, but the one he can get us if we go with him are FAR better.

 

[ddbowdoin]

Not yet, though I'd love to! Our friend that lives there, Nick, got us discounts on our hotel so we're not eligible for the dining plan. I wanted to see what everyone else recommends. My boyfriend is VERY picky, unfortunately. We're also trying to stay on a budget. We'll probably have around $300 or so for food for the week, then a little extra for souvenirs. We probably won't eat a lot though, once we get to theme parks we're too busy going on rides and running around to remember to eat. Haha. I'm assuming we'll eat breakfast, bring some snacks, and probably stop for dinner.

if you can get an ADR to Ohana then by all means eat there... 35 a head is a decent bill, but you get a serious value if you like to eat!

 

[plaz10]

Anything that is just you two will be romantic and fun. I highly suggest going to the Poly - just walking along the beach...lounging in hammocks. Maybe watch Wishes! from there.

 

[steviej]

how about the spa?

 

[kimberlymautz]

Anything that is just you two will be romantic and fun. I highly suggest going to the Poly - just walking along the beach...lounging in hammocks. Maybe watch Wishes! from there.

I've heard the Poly is beautiful! (Plus, that's where Nick works!) So I'm sure we'll be wandering around there. My camera will be in hand and probably almost dead the entire trip! Hahaha.
I'd love to do the spa! I don't know how much my boyfriend would like it though, but I'll definitely have to look into it! I can't believe I didn't think of that already.

 

[kimberlymautz]

& I just checked for 'Ohana, no reservations available.

 

[Weather_Lady]

Also, has anyone else ever flown to Disney? I was thinking of purchasing the UPS one rate boxes to bring with us so that we can ship souvenirs and things that we can't bring on a plane home. Has anyone shipped anything to Disney before their trip? I read online that you can do it, and I was thinking of sending things like razors and soap and some clothes so we don't get hit for extra fees on the plan (it's expensive enough as it is). Any suggestions with that as well.

Sorry this was so long, but I'd appreciate any help or advice anyone has!

We fly from upstate New York. I'm not sure what kind of souvenirs you're planning on buying (or how much luggage you plan to bring), but a lot of frequent travelers recommend bringing a large, empty collapsible duffel or tote bag with you, which you can then use for souvenirs on the return trip. (Or, simply re-use whatever bag you used to bring snacks down).

As far as shipping things ahead, if money is tight I highly suggest avoiding those shipping fees, packing smart and light, and planning on re-wearing items (if you need to, you can do laundry while you're lounging by the pool on your non-park day, midway through the trip -- if you're staying at a Disney hotel, laundry facilities are typically right by the pool). Some airlines (e.g., Jet Blue) let you check a bag for free, but we find we don't need more than carry-ons anyway. We bring 2 carryons of clothes for all four of us (each containing 5 or 6 adult and 5 child outfits, shoes, etc.), plus a third carryon with snacks, toiletries (including our TSA 3-1-1 bags) and miscellaneous items, which then becomes the "souvenir bag" on the way home.

 

[ddbowdoin]

how about the spa?

no way, too much cash for that!

 

[ddbowdoin]

& I just checked for 'Ohana, no reservations available.

dang, I figured as much... that place is so hard to get into!

 

[kimberlymautz]

dang, I figured as much... that place is so hard to get into!

Someone said that sometimes it's possible to get a table once you get there, but the wait times are crazy. Maybe we'll get lucky though? Not sure about that. Looking into Rainforest Cafe though. I've been there once and thought it was really good, any suggestions on that?

& We're flying on Delta and I was told that no food or drinks can be brought past security. Anything purchased AFTER that is fine, but prices in the airport are ridiculous so I wouldn't want to buy things then. The flat rate boxes aren't very expensive, but again, I'll have to look into it more.

 

[Weather_Lady]

& We're flying on Delta and I was told that no food or drinks can be brought past security. Anything purchased AFTER that is fine, but prices in the airport are ridiculous so I wouldn't want to buy things then. The flat rate boxes aren't very expensive, but again, I'll have to look into it more.

I'd double-check that. The typical rule is that you can't bring liquids or gels past security (e.g., water bottles, yogurt cups, etc.). Solid foods (e.g., granola bars, cereal, crackers, candy) should be fine, at least under the TSA regulations. If you want regular-priced bottled water, you can buy it at a Disney-area grocery store, or invest in one of those reusable water bottles with a built-in filter, and refill it from the tap. (Also, you can get free ice water at any time, without purchase, at any Disney World counter service food location.) Also, if you want to save even more money on food ($300 for 6 days of dining sounds like a lot of money, and it is, but it won't go far at Disney World): bring Pop-tarts or granola bars with you for breakfast, or bring cereal and buy milk at your resort's general store.

 

[kimberlymautz]

I'd double-check that. The typical rule is that you can't bring liquids or gels past security (e.g., water bottles, yogurt cups, etc.). Solid foods (e.g., granola bars, cereal, crackers, candy) should be fine, at least under the TSA regulations. If you want regular-priced bottled water, you can buy it at a Disney-area grocery store, or invest in one of those reusable water bottles with a built-in filter, and refill it from the tap. (Also, you can get free ice water at any time, without purchase, at any Disney World counter service food location.)

I'll have to double check that. I did a trial run and we could easily fit our clothes together into one bag, so hopefully we'll have enough room to fit in our souvenirs. We're hoping to buy the majority of our families (parents and sibling's) Christmas presents while we're there. We've decided not to go all out this year (we always do and it's never returned, and they're rarely used or appreciated, so it's not worth the money), but we feel like if we buy things from Disney they'll be more appreciated. We're also trying to buy our stockings there, and of course some Mickey ears.
I am hoping everything will fit between our carry on bags and personal items. My personal item will without a doubt be my camera bag though. Boyfriend doesn't need a personal bag though, so maybe I'll bring a small bag that he'll be able to hold on the way home.