WDW First Timer Needs Help!

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Sihtyrk

New Member
To begin with, please forgive me, I'm sure some of these questions will seem stupid, but I've never been to WDW before.

I wanted to start planning a surprise trip for my girlfriend to WDW where I would like to propose to her. She loves everything Disney, we have been to Disneyland once and she absolutely loved it.

Trying to plan this all for the first time is a bit overwhelming, so any help is greatly appreciated.

First of all I've been thinking of staying at the AKL because I think she would really enjoy the view of the animals and all right from our hotel room, but are there any other resorts that have a "romantic feel" to them?

Also I'd like to go when the crowds are thin and prices are lower, but I'd also like to go when the weather is good for swimming. Any suggestions on time of year? My current plans are to go in either late 2008 or early 2009 (since I need time to get together the money to pay for all of this!)

Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
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M

MDL8981

New Member
Sihtyrk said:
To begin with, please forgive me, I'm sure some of these questions will seem stupid, but I've never been to WDW before.

I wanted to start planning a surprise trip for my girlfriend to WDW where I would like to propose to her. She loves everything Disney, we have been to Disneyland once and she absolutely loved it.

Trying to plan this all for the first time is a bit overwhelming, so any help is greatly appreciated.

First of all I've been thinking of staying at the AKL because I think she would really enjoy the view of the animals and all right from our hotel room, but are there any other resorts that have a "romantic feel" to them?

Also I'd like to go when the crowds are thin and prices are lower, but I'd also like to go when the weather is good for swimming. Any suggestions on time of year? My current plans are to go in either late 2008 or early 2009 (since I need time to get together the money to pay for all of this!)

Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.
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The best romantic spot would probably be Grand Floridian....however it is also the most expensive place to stay. Not sure what your budget is but if you can afford it, then GF is the place to stay. If not then AKL is a fine second choice. Wilderness Lodge would be another nice option.

As for times to go....try to avoid the summer months if possible as they are the most crowded. I just got back from Disney two days ago....and I have to say going in early May is a good time. The parks are busy but not overly crowded. Otherwise September-October would be a good time to go. Still warm weather (so good for swimming) but not crowded since all the kiddies are back in school.
 
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Rob562

Rob562

Well-Known Member
The simple rule-of-thumb for crowds is:
Kids not in school = large crowds at Disney World. :)

This also includes long holiday weekends such as presidents day, thanksgiving, easter, etc where the parents might take their kids out of school for a couple days and use the holiday so that the kids aren't missing as many days of classes.

-Rob
 
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CAPTAIN HOOK

CAPTAIN HOOK

Well-Known Member
Welcome aboard :wave:

Grand Floridian and Animal Kingdom Lodge (I'm satying at Both for my next Christmas Trip) sound wonderful from a romantic point of view. What could be better than waking up to see the animals grazing outside your room ?? Dont forget - a Savannah View Room will cost you extra. Or from The Grand Floridian - watching Wishes from your room - again, Lagoon Views are extra.
However, it doesn't have to be DeLuxe Resorts for romance - what about a proposal during a horse drawn carriage ride at Port Orleans ??
During Disneys slower seasons you will find the resort prices to be cheaper.
 
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tiggerzgirl83

tiggerzgirl83

Member
Well, I think this is a great idea. I think the Polynesian is pretty romantic. It has a hawiian theme to it, it fells like your in hawaii. I love it there. It can be a little pricey as well. It really depends on your budget and how much you plan to spend. Port Orleans Riverside is nice and reasonable in price. You can take romantic horse and carrage rides there. A lot of couples say good things about that place as far as it being couple friendly. I go every year the second week of Novemember. It is less crowded and not to hot. It is hot enough to go swimming during the day, at night it can get alittle chilly. I think its the best time of year to go. Whatever you decide, im sure you will have a ball! Good luck and have a magical time!:wave:
 
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Ella's Mommy

Ella's Mommy

Active Member
tiggerzgirl83 said:
Well, I think this is a great idea. I think the Polynesian is pretty romantic. It has a hawiian theme to it, it fells like your in hawaii. I love it there. It can be a little pricey as well. It really depends on your budget and how much you plan to spend. Port Orleans Riverside is nice and reasonable in price. You can take romantic horse and carrage rides there. A lot of couples say good things about that place as far as it being couple friendly. I go every year the second week of Novemember. It is less crowded and not to hot. It is hot enough to go swimming during the day, at night it can get alittle chilly. I think its the best time of year to go. Whatever you decide, im sure you will have a ball! Good luck and have a magical time!:wave:
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I totally agree with you. Poly is definately the most romantic in my book. If you can splurge and get the magic kingdom view that would be so awesome. If you cant then I really love WL its rustic and cozy. Good place for couples in my opinion. Since its your first trip to Disney dont try and see everything, its not going to happen. Just slow down and have a blast. Sept thru Oct is a great time to go. You might be able to get free dining if they offer it and you are going in Sept. The weather is still HOT so swimming is a must. We usually do the parks in the morning when they open stay till right before lunch then go back to the hotel for some R&R in the afternoon then go back to the parks in the evening. That will keep you sane and you will enjoy the experience that much more cause your not exhausted. Have fun and Congrats in advance:wave:
 
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garyhoov

garyhoov

Trophy Husband
I love going in early December for the crowds, but it might be a little cool for swimming then (depending on your tastes - we've gone, but it has been a little cool).

I'm not a crowd expert, but I'd guess late September would be pretty low crowds (since people probably won't want to vacation so close to the start of school) and it should still be very warm.
 
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coltow

coltow

Well-Known Member
Welcome! I too think Poly probably has the most romantic feel. You could always have dinner there and WDW will help you plan the proposal too. My vote for time of year would be September/October. Crowds are not too bad, weather is hot and the prices are usually pretty good.
 
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FatBoy976

FatBoy976

New Member
I took my (at the time) girlfriend to Victoria and Albert's for dinner and then proposed to her alone on the dark beach at the Grand Floridian. While I can't make any guarantees, I can say we have been happily married for 3 and a half years and look forward to taking our daughter to Disney World this fall for her first birthday.
 
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P

Philo

Well-Known Member
Sihtyrk said:
I wanted to start planning a surprise trip for my girlfriend to WDW where I would like to propose to her. She loves everything Disney, we have been to Disneyland once and she absolutely loved it.
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Then I'm sure she will loev DisneyWorld. One of the key things (for me at least) is that there is so much to do outside the parks which can really make the trip special.

Sihtyrk said:
First of all I've been thinking of staying at the AKL because I think she would really enjoy the view of the animals and all right from our hotel room, but are there any other resorts that have a "romantic feel" to them?
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An excellent choice. We split our honeymoon between AKL and Wilderness Lodge and to me both were very romantic. Other say the Poly is very romantic although I'm afriad it doesn't do it for me. The Grand Floridian is a very grand hotel (I guess the clue is in the name) but you will pay alot for it. I've stayed in the DisneyLand Hotel at Disney Land Paris (essentially the same as the GF) and it was amazing.

If you do stay at AKL then you should pay the extra and get a savannah view - it really does make a difference. Just remember that you probably won't have a giraffe come right up to your room or anything but the view is still great and the atmosphere within the hotel is amazing. It is, in my opinion, the best themed and well made of all the Disney World hotels.

On the negative side of staying in AKL (and these are quite small points), you are quite a way from the majority of the parks and your only transport options are to drive your own car or use the bus. I've never had any issues with the bus service but it's obviously not as good as the monorail.

All in all, you will love the AKL.


Sihtyrk said:
Also I'd like to go when the crowds are thin and prices are lower, but I'd also like to go when the weather is good for swimming. Any suggestions on time of year? My current plans are to go in either late 2008 or early 2009 (since I need time to get together the money to pay for all of this!)
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I'm hoping you mean late 2009 or early 2010 or you've already missed it! Thanks giving, christmas and new years is a big no. Very busy. I've been during early January and had a great time. No crowds although it was obviouly a little colder (still warm enough for me though!). I think your normally alright until mid March when it starts to get busy again through till around Mid-May - As other have said - Trip Planner has good advice on when to visit although if you have any specific dates in mind let us know and I'm sure someone will be able to give you a good idea of what to expect.

Sihtyrk said:
Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.
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The single biggest piece of advice I can give is to make your Dinner Reservations (ADR) as soon as possible. At the moment I think it is 90 days in advance although I believe it's switching to 180 soon. Most of the best restaurants sell out very, very quickly. Cinderellas Royal Table will probably sell out within a day or so! If dinner is important to your proposal plans - don't delay and get right on it!

My other piece of advice is to research. So many people go to WDW without really knowing (or discovering) whats on offer. My sister visited once and wasn't even aware of Downtown Disney! There is so much 'outside the parks' stuff to do! The best place to start is to get yourself the Trip Planning DVD (free from the Disneyworld website).

Hope all that helps!
 
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Rob562

Rob562

Well-Known Member
What's with all the thread bumps lately? There's been quite a rash of them the past week...

And it's not like the poster who resurrected this thread is a newbie with only a couple posts to their name... (And chances are all those tips given to the OP are for naught, as I'd hope that someone who was planning his proposal over two years ago has already gone through with it by now...)

-Rob
 
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