How To Make the Most Out of Your Disney Honeymoon
My Disneymoon
Have you ever thought about going to Walt Disney World for your Honeymoon, but wondered if it would be relaxing enough? Well I can tell you from personal experience the answer is, YES! Of course it all depends on the couple and what all you want to do while you are there. BUT, I can tell you that I have been to Walt Disney World more times than I could count and this trip was by far the greatest most magical trip my Husband and I have ever been on.
If you are still contemplating a Disney Honeymoon, let me be the first to tell you...DO IT!
{ First off, I have to give all of the well deserved credit to my incredible Husband who planned our entire honeymoon. He was thoughtful enough to want our entire Honeymoon to be a complete surprise to me. With the help of Disney's Fairytale Honeymoons, this vacation to Walt Disney World was one we will never forget. Of course this particular trip would be special regardless, with it being our Honeymoon, but I can assure you Disney knows how to do Honeymoons! }
THE RESORT:
First, lets talk about where to stay. My Husband and I had the pleasure of staying at Disney's Polynesian Resort and Village! Neither of us had ever stayed at this resort before our Honeymoon, but it had always been one of our favorite resorts to visit. Everyone has their own personal favorite, but the Polynesian was the perfect choice for us because it feels like you are somewhere tropical while still having the magic of Disney! It is the perfect relaxing atmosphere for Honeymooners! It truly is paradise! The soft Hawaiian music, tropical aroma of the lobby, and incredible lush scenery of flowers and waterfalls will bring you peace and serenity. Upon arrival you will be greeted by a Cast Member and given your choice of colorful leis. But because we were Honeymooners, we were also given a beautiful lei made out of real red flowers that had just been made that morning. I can still smell the aroma of those beautiful flowers!
We had a pool view room overlooking the East Pool in the Samoa building. We loved this building because it was centrally located and close to everything! We were so glad that we were overlooking the East Pool as well because it is more like a quiet pool. There were not any kids in this pool during our entire stay. (DISCLAIMER: Children are allowed in this pool. It is not an adults only pool. It is just less crowded because all of the kids want to be at the lava pool.) This resort also has a "Lava Pool." This is their activities pool and has a slide and play area for kids. Although we never stayed at the Lava Pool, because we wanted to relax at the other pool, we did have to try out the slide a few times. It was so fun! It really made us feel like kids again!
This resort will now always be our favorite resort and hold a special place in our hearts.
THE FOOD:
I don't know about you, but my Husband and I love to eat! And our Honeymoon was no exception. If you have been working out for months to get in shape for your wedding, then Disney is the perfect place for you to overindulge on everything you had been missing out on. You worked hard, you earned it. Eat your heart out!
With our stay, my Husband booked us each the Deluxe Dining Plan. And boy did we eat! We truly ate like Kings. We have always loved the food options at Walt Disney World, but the Deluxe Dining Plan allows you to indulge in everything you might not have been able to try before. We were able to eat at all of our favorite dining spots and then some! The Deluxe Dining Plan includes 3 meals and 2 snacks per day. You can use all 3 meals for table service dining or quick-service dining. Each dining meal includes an appetizer, drink (alcoholic or nonalcoholic), entree, and a dessert. I can promise you, you will be so stuffed you won't want to move. I don't think we had ever eaten so much food in our entire lives in one week. There were evenings where we had to take the dessert to go because we literally could not eat another bite.
The Deluxe Dining plan includes Character Dining as well! Make the most of your Dining Plan! We always ordered the most expensive items on the menu to get our money's worth. And let me tell you, it is WORTH IT! We kept all of our receipts, added them up after our Honeymoon, and realized the Dining Plan saved us HUNDREDS!
I am convinced that Disney doesn't have anything that isn't amazing. Everything we tried was delicious. We had the best steak we have ever had, the best lobster we have ever had, the best desserts, the best seared scallops, everything!
Any sushi lovers? Anywhere they serve sushi on Disney property, ORDER IT! It will be the freshest sushi you have ever had. No imitation stuff. I ordered it at Kona Grill (Polynesian Resort) and California Grill (Contemporary). You will not be disappointed!
Restaurants we recommend from our Honeymoon:
(There are many other restaurants on Disney property that I would recommend as well)
California Grill (Contemporary)
Narcoossee's (Grand Floridian) *Best lobster ever*
Citricos (Grand Floridian) *Best seared scallops ever*
Ohana (Polynesian)
Chef Mickey's (Contemporary) *Character Dining*
Cinderella's Royal Table (Magic Kingdom) *Character Dining*
Be Our Guest (Magic Kingdom)
Crystal Palace (Magic Kingdom) *Character Dining*
How To Book Dining?
You can book Disney Dining through My Disney Experience, calling Disney Dining, through your travel planner, OR my Husband found a new app called MouseDining. You can start booking your dining reservations up to 180 days out from your trip. You may think that seems like forever, but some places book up within hours or even minutes. Especially Ohana, CRT, and Be Our Guest for Dinner. My Husband set an alarm every morning at 7am ET to book our dining reservations 180 days out each day of our stay. He used My Disney Experience. But, if he was unhappy with the reservation times he got, he used the MouseDining app to do an ongoing search for the restaurant he wanted and what time. This way he still had a dining reservation, but if the time he wanted became available he could pick up the new time and cancel his previous reservation. This will also work if you were unable to secure a reservation and want it to search for one that you can snag. Do not give up hope, because it does happen! People cancel reservations all the time.
Special Dining Requests!
Would you like to have a special dessert to celebrate your Honeymoon or request a seat by the window to view the fireworks during dinner? This is something you can do by calling Disney Dining or by telling your Disney Fairytale Honeymoon Planner to put the requests in your dining reservations. My Husband told his DFH Planner to put that we were celebrating our Honeymoon on every single dining reservation that we had. He also requested that we had a window seat at every restaurant that it was offered. You will definitely want a window seat to enhance your dining experience at places like Narcoossee's, CRT, California Grill, Citricos, and Ohana. This is not something that Disney can guarantee, but they always try to accommodate since they see the request in there and see that you are celebrating a special occasion. We got a perfect table by the window, almost every dining experience! Disney Dining also offers specialty cakes for purchase if you are interested. I personally do not think you will need it with the Deluxe Dining Plan. I remember my Husband saying he was so glad he didn't order a cake on top of the dessert that already comes with our dinner. Because we wouldn't have been able to eat it all. BUT! He did order a white chocolate glass slipper that was brought to our table the first night of our Honeymoon. It was a complete surprise to me. I was so excited! It comes on a gorgeously decorated plate. It was so pretty I didn't want to eat it. He said that was the best $15 he had ever spent and that he would definitely order it again! (See photos below)
FIREWORKS
{ If you are dining at Citricos, Narcoossee's, or California Grill for dinner, try to book your dining reservation time around Magic Kingdom's fireworks. We loved being able to watch the fireworks from our table. It was worth planning a later dinner than we were used to. }
THE SPECIAL TREATMENT:
DON'T FORGET YOUR BUTTONS! We wore these EVERYWHERE we went. From the moment you arrive, to the moment you leave Disney property, wear your Disney buttons. You can pick up two free Disney buttons at any Disney Guest Services building, at many stores on Disney property, many random Cast Members will have them, but you should be given them upon your check-in at your Disney resort. Disney actually no longer makes the "Just Married" buttons you see pictured above anymore. Now they are purple and say "Happily Ever After." But we noticed from previous trips that the new buttons are for newlyweds, engaged couples, and couples celebrating their Anniversary. I did not like that they were unclear as to what you were celebrating. So, to stand out my Husband (who thinks of everything) ordered two of the discontinued "Just Married" buttons that Disney used to give out for free from Ebay. And boy were they worth it!
{ Not only did we get congratulations everywhere we went, but we also got special Mickey-shaped confetti at dinner, more free desserts and special treatment! Not to mention, the character greetings were extra special. Mickey and Minnie loved our buttons. }
THE DESSERT PARTY:
Have you ever done one of Disney's Dessert Parties? If not, your Honeymoon is definitely the perfect time to try it! As part of Disney's Fairytale Honeymoons, they offer a special package that includes (2) limited-edition honeymoon-themed Magicbands, (2) limited-edition honeymoon-themed luggage tags, and (2) admissions to the Happily Ever After Fireworks Dessert Party with Plaza Garden Viewing at Magic Kingdom Park, and a celebratory treat. The luggage tags and Magicbands are special for a Bride and Groom and all have the same pattern. (Photo below of Magicband)
As another added surprise, my Husband of course booked this special additional package. This package is NOT INCLUDED. It is for an additional cost, but he said it was very reasonable and worth the money. We HIGHLY RECOMMEND BOOKING THIS PACKAGE for as long as they are offering it! The Dessert Party at Magic Kingdom alone was worth it! The Dessert Party had amazing tasty Disney-themed treats, specialty drinks, your own private dining area, and a secured viewing area on the hub-grass away from the crowds. With it being a Honeymoon, it was SO NICE to be able to enjoy a romantic private dessert experience in the park and not have to wait hours to get a good spot for fireworks. Not having to deal with the crowds on our Honeymoon was THE BEST PART! It made for a very relaxing and romantic experience. By far the best and easiest way to watch Disney's fireworks from inside the park. This was the best firework experience we had ever had and I cannot wait to do it again.
Wondering what the celebratory treat is that comes with the package? It was a special gift given to us upon check-in at the Dessert Party! We had no idea we were getting it. It was a nice bit of added Disney magic! The gift was a box of assorted chocolates from The Ganachery at Disney Springs. If you have never tried chocolate from The Ganachery, it is some of THE BEST CHOCOLATE! We were so excited to get this extra treat. AND! On top of the box of chocolates was a beautiful silver Mickey key keychain. I now have that keychain on my car keys and it reminds me of our Honeymoon and how special it was.
{ EPCOT offers a dessert party for their firework display as well, but it is not offered as part of the Honeymoon package. Hollywood Studios also offers a dessert party for FANTASMIC! }
Our Disney Honeymoon was nothing short of amazing. It was truly filled with Disney magic from start to finish. It is all thanks to my incredible Husband who thought of everything, all of his meticulous planning, and the help of Disney's Fairytale Honeymoons that it was such a success. Our Honeymoon was by far the most relaxing trip we have ever experienced at Walt Disney World and I cannot wait to go back and have another trip like this one!
{ If you have anymore questions about how to plan your Disney Honeymoon, please reach out to me on my contact page and I would be happy to help plan your Fairytale Honeymoon! }