Jealousy. Anger. Sadness. These are the feelings I go through when I remember I do not have a Walt Disney World trip booked. Okay, that’s a bit over the top, but when the last trip to the Sunshine State was my honeymoon of absolute dreams, it’s hard not to want to experience that again.
In fact, it has been just over one year since my husband Rory and I flew out to Florida for two weeks of sun, nostalgia, food, and more sun. It was an utterly wonderful trip, and considering I am an event manager by trade, our honeymoon was planned to perfection. A year on, I thought it was a little selfish of me to keep all of my planning cards close to my chest when I could share it with folks out there looking to plan their Walt Disney World honeymoon of dreams.
With that in mind, here are my top ten terrific tips for having the perfect honeymoon or holiday at the most magical place on earth.
(Oh, and if you want a proper look into how we spent our Walt Disney World honeymoon; check out the actual honeymoon series!)
Contents
- It’s doesn’t have to be Disney-fied
- Consider your hotel and how to aligns with your priorities
- Add it to your booking
- Research the time of year
- Do something really special
- It’s not just about Disney parks
- Make the most of the restaurants – they are amazing
- Lean into the magic
- Planning ahead is vital
- Don’t care about what other people think
1. It doesn’t have to be a ‘Disney-fied’ honeymoon – ours certainly wasn’t.
Enter plenty of narrowed eyes and confused faces – “but you are going to Disney World. For your honeymoon. And you bought Mickey ears. And it wasn’t Disney-fied?”. Correct. Having a honeymoon at Walt Disney World is what you make of it. We didn’t do character dining. We didn’t do all the shows. We didn’t meet any characters. We didn’t rope drop. We ate at wonderful restaurants, stayed in a romantic hotel, rode roller coasters, explored the bars, and spent every day with each other. It’s all about what you make it.
Having a honeymoon at Walt Disney World is what you make of it.
If you want a Mickey Mouse, glittery, character filled, adorable honeymoon, then there are more than enough themed Disney hotels, events, and things you can do to achieve that. In fact, go full out if you want! But the key to making your trip exactly how you want it to be is in the planning. The most important thing for us was to –
2. Consider the hotel you are staying at and how it aligns with your priorities
There are thirty-two hotels on Walt Disney World property and they each offer something different; from price point and theming, to room options and food offerings. With that many options, you are going to be able to find something to suit you.
What were our priorities? We wanted something special, somewhere that we wouldn’t stay on our normal budget. We didn’t want in your face Disney theming. We wanted a variety of food options, from quick service to posh sit down meals. As a newly-married couple, we didn’t want a child-heavy hotel. We wanted bars and pools and nature. Plus, we wanted good transport options included because we weren’t hiring a car.
So, we ended up with Coronado Springs Resort. It’s a beautiful Spanish and Salvador Dali themed hotel, with the most minimal Disney touch. In fact, it took us to the end of our honeymoon to realise some of the art in the lobby had hidden Mickeys in it!
Consider your priorities and what you want from a hotel to help make your honeymoon magical. Going out all big bucks? Grand Floridian Resort has your name on it. Spending money on experiences in the park? Try Art of Animation Resort. Want to ride the Skyliner every day? Look into the Caribbean Beach Resort. And don’t forget, there are reviews of every hotel on YouTube to help you choose.
3. Put your honeymoon on your booking.
Any chance to make a magical moment, Walt Disney World are going to do it. Why not add yourself to that mix?
If you are anxious like me, it might feel strange advertising the fact you are on your honeymoon. Talking to those at front desks, discussing the wedding, chatting about married life. But here’s the thing – this is a once in a lifetime experience, so make the most of it! Put it on your booking form. When you book restaurants, click the celebration option. When talking to cast members, mention that you are on your honeymoon.
You may be asking ‘what’s the point?’ Well, if there is one thing Disney excels in, it’s customer service and celebration. We got free desserts during meals and snacks throughout our trip. We even had magical moments and notes sent to our room. I know people who have even had free upgrades, not just in room upgrades, but hotel upgrades. Any chance to make a magical moment, Walt Disney World are going to do it. Why not add yourself to that mix?
4. Research the time of year.
I know it’s traditional to go on a honeymoon straight after your wedding, but that might not be the best idea if you want a Walt Disney World honeymoon.
For example, we got married at the end of July. If we went on our honeymoon straight after our wedding, we would have landed in the middle of hurricane season, with massive crowds and soaring prices thanks to school holidays. No thank you.
By waiting and going in November, we missed the school holidays and missed the crowds. The weather was perfect – twenty six degrees and sunny – which was ideal for walking around the parks and for lounging by the pool. Also, because we went at a “down time” (between Halloween and Thanksgiving), we managed to secure a good deal with additional food credit on the room. Different providers will have different deals at each time of year, so do shop around. We booked directly through Disney for both our 2019 trip and our honeymoon as they had the best deals for when we wanted to go.
5. Do something special. Something unique. Something you likely won’t do again.
Grab those special experiences and say “hey, it’s our honeymoon – why not!”. You’ll thank yourself later.
It’s no secret that my husband and I love Walt Disney World and will be going again. But we are only having one honeymoon so we chose to do some experiences that are special and unique. One of those experiences was building a lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge (Rory’s first pick up line to me nine years ago was “have you seen the new Star Wars trailer?” so go figure).
Look, it was expensive. We had to book it months in advance. It was niche. But the storytelling and world-building that went into that experience is one of the most wonderful memories we have together. Plus, the fact we have a personalised lightsaber sat on our wall is such an us reminder of our honeymoon. Another one of the magical experiences we had was to hire a boat and sail around Seven Seas Lagoon. The warm Florida air, the sun on our skin, nature all around us – blissful. Grab those special experiences and say “hey, it’s our honeymoon – why not!”. You’ll thank yourself later.
6. It’s not all about the Disney parks.
The parks are amazing. They are the reason you go to Walt Disney World. The nostalgia of Magic Kingdom, the wildness of Animal Kingdom, the awe of EPCOT, and the sparkle of Hollywood Studios – not forgetting the water parks too. But there’s so much more on offer that you should really make the most of.
There’s Disney Springs; the food, shopping and entertainment district of Walt Disney World. You could spend days exploring the food offerings, shops, and shows there. Then there’s the other parks like Universal Studios Resort – an absolute must visit for film fans or thrill seekers. Back on Disney property, there are free and joyful experiences to be had – for example, after an evening in the parks we sat on a transport boat and saw all the hotels lit up in the dark. Just gorgeous. Plus, there’s mini golf courses and real golf courses, and then there’s a whole world outside of the Disney bubble. Research what you want to do outside of sleeping and going to the parks, and you’ll be full of wonder to find out what you can do.
7. Make the most of the restaurants – especially the speciality restaurants.
If you think of quick theme park food, you think of burgers, hot dogs, and fries. I won’t lie, Disney are great at that kind of fare but it’s in the restaurants where culinary excellence truly shines. The best meal I have ever had in my life (even better than my wedding food, and that’s saying something) was at Tiffins, a Disney World restaurant. Every Disney park and plenty of their hotels have ‘signature’ restaurants where you can experience five star dining. Tiffins is in the heart of the Animal Kingdom park and specialises in Asian and African inspired cuisine. Yes, it was the most expensive meal we had but it was our definitive ‘honeymoon’ meal; three courses, bread service, aged whisky and wine, and a specialty ‘congratulations’ dessert. Our hotel was also a prime location for food and drinks; I still think about drinking a sangria tower overlooking the lake at night.
If you have a WDW honeymoon, don’t think your food options will be all stodge, carbs, and potato. I only had one hot dog and one burger on my entire trip! The rest of the time was house-made guacamole, tamales, fresh pasta, hand-stretched pizza, salads, and anything my foodie heart desired. Do your research and you are bound to find a restaurant to fit any occasion and fancy.
If you don’t open up to it, it can feel strange or overwhelming. But if you go in with an open mind and a readiness to have pure, unadulterated fun, it becomes one of the greatest places on earth.
8. Lean into the magic of it all.
There are literally hundreds of places on this beautiful planet where you can have a fantastic honeymoon by the pool, surrounded by good food, excellent nightlife, and once in a lifetime experiences. Hundreds. But I’ve found that the only place you can get all of that and be doused in nostalgia and the feeling of magic is at Disney World. If you don’t open up to it, it can feel strange or overwhelming. But if you go in with an open mind and a readiness to have pure, unadulterated fun, it becomes one of the greatest places on earth. There is literally nostalgia and joy at every corner, as well as all those things that make a great holiday destination. Lean into the magic of it all. Get the ‘just married’ badge, wear the clothes you want to wear, eat the ice-cream sandwiches, ride the roller coasters, cry at the fireworks. Experience that magic.
9. It might seem boring, but planning ahead is the key to a good honeymoon.
Whilst magic is around every corner on a Walt Disney World holiday, you won’t get too far if you don’t plan. Many of the restaurants and experiences need to be booked sixty days in advance or they will fill up quickly; for us, this included Tiffins and Savi’s Workshop. You don’t want to miss out on those dream experiences because you didn’t plan. So break out that spreadsheet and work out what you really want to do.
You should also plan day-to-day activities to ensure you can make the most of your trip. I know that to some people, this may sound tedious, but we planned where we would be each day and if there was anything big or important we needed to do. We also added down-time into each day and also a few ‘empty’ days so we could maintain freedom and spontaneity to do those things we discovered along the way.
10. Don’t care about what other people think.
At the end of the day, this is your once in a lifetime honeymoon. Do what makes you happy!
We had quite a few comments from family and friends when we told them where we were going for our honeymoon. “But you’ve been there before?” “Disney, for a honeymoon, really?” “Why aren’t you going somewhere real for your honeymoon?”
At the end of the day, this is your once in a lifetime honeymoon. Do what makes you happy! Go to Disney, ride the rides, buy the pins. Eat the snacks, wear those bright clothes, nap by the pool. Drink Around the World, watch the fireworks, and reminisce about your honeymoon of dreams for years to come.
Hopefully some of these ten tips have helped you out if you are thinking of planning a Walt Disney World honeymoon of dreams. If you have any questions, drop them in a comment below! I’m always down to talk about my Disney trip and recommendations. Also, if you have any top tips for Disney World holidays or honeymoons, help out some holiday goers and pop them in the comments below.
Thanks for reading,
Rosie x
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