And They Lived Happily Ever After - Tips for Planning Your Disneymoon (Disney Honeymoon)

 

If you are reading this, you are either hopelessly romantic, recently engaged, married, planning a honeymoon, or a dream honeymoon that you can finally go on and you chose Disney World - the place where dreams come true. As one of my favorite Disney songs says, "do as dreamers do" and no dream is bigger than a Disney honeymoon. But planning this Disneymoon can seem a little daunting. There is a lot of pressure to make the Disneymoon special, memorable, and something out of a fairy tale, and all of that pressure could make you go crazy or even spend more money that you want or need to. What this post hopes to do is give you some ideas for special touches to make your Disneymoon extra magical and special for any budget or any Disney couple.

They very first piece of advice I will give you all is probably something contradictory to what you have heard about either with wedding planning or honeymoon planning: do not use the excuse that "you only do this once so you better go big or go home." That is a slippery slope that you do not want to go down because you really don't want to go into debt because you got married and went to Disney World. Even more so, if you keep saying this, it will justify you spending more than you have, which no one wants. We all know that it is so easy to spend money at Disney World so the hard part is saying no. This is why I am throwing out a lot of tips and ideas but by no means do you have to do everything on this blog. Do what you can afford and what magic is in your reach to create. No matter what you choose or do, your Disneymoon will be magical.

Now on to the good stuff, here are some tips to make your Disneymoon special.

Something you should consider is, of course, is the hotel.

The hotel is going to be a key to a happy Disneymoon because you will want to enjoy a little down time to relax, put those feet up, and enjoy some of those great amenities Disney hotels have to offer. This will not be like any other Disney vacation that you have been on, you know, the ones where you wake up before sunrise to get to the parks early and run around all day. This is your Disneymoon! You are supposed to relax with one another and enjoy the pools, the resort, the parks, the boat rides in EPCOT or to the Hollywood Studios, the food etc. so make sure you choose a hotel with it all. When trying to choose a hotel for a Disneymoon, first discuss budget and of course what kinds of amenities are important for the both of you, such as being walking distance from EPCOT, having a beach resort, or even themes and monorail access. (If you are not staying on Disney property, don't worry, there are a lot of great surrounding hotels that have great views of the park and other amenities that are just as good.) My fiancé and I are planning a Disneymoon and when choosing our hotel one of the biggest criteria was finding a hotel we wouldn't normally stay at because we usually try to go as cheaply as possible; so we decided to splurge on the hotel and stay at a deluxe resort since we usually stay at a value or moderate resort. Since we are splurging on a deluxe hotel, in order to get the most bang for our buck, we plan on at least 2 hours every day to spend at the hotel. And yes, we have to literally put it into the schedule otherwise we will get caught up playing in the parks. Once you decide on what is important to you, then you can book your hotel and the magic can begin and remember to schedule some down time to play at the resort.

Once you know where you are staying why not get some magic started right away?! One of my biggest suggestions is getting in touch with Disney Floral & Gifts http://disneyworld.disneyfloralandgifts.com/home.do. Nothing says Happy Disneymoon like a bottle of champagne or flowers waiting for you at your hotel. You can customize anything and even create your own special present for you bride or groom. If you are willing to go over the top and surprise your spouse, I would suggest getting the Ears to the Bride and Groom Package.

You can get bride and groom mickey ears, champagne etc. and it is all personalized just for you. Of course this will cost you some money, but you can walk around the parks with your new ears and take a lot of pictures as a new married couple with these adorable mickey ears, not to mention take the champagne glasses home as a souvenir. I would also suggest looking around on the website or calling the number to talk to one of the magic makers directly so you can pick exactly what you want. You can do anything from chocolates, mickey ears, a tiara, or even a single rose for that Beauty and the Beast fan. Anything is possible at Disney so don't be afraid to ask.


If you don't want to spend all that money on a surprise package but still want the mickey wedding ears, you can purchase them online at http://www.disneystore.com/ or at the parks. Make sure you get them personalized with your married name, wedding date, "Mr./Mrs.," or your favorite Disney couple. Make it special, memorable, magical, and special to you both.

Did I mention how special a Disneymoon is?! Just kidding you all. I just really need to stress how amazing it is that you are planning on going to Walt Disney World for your honeymoon. Like many of us, you are going to want a lot of pictures, and not just of the castle or spaceship earth, but of you both as a married couple. You and I both know that the "selfies" aren't always the best pictures to take, especially at the Disney parks, and sometimes you can be a little shy to ask someone to take your picture, so what can you do? One word: Photopass.

Photopass photographers are more than accommodating for all your picture wants and needs and all your pictures are stored in one handy place. They are found at the most iconic places around the Disney parks and are always ready to make some picture magic for you. They will even use your camera to snap pictures if you ask in addition to their camera. This takes a lot of the pressure off of you to take your own pictures. Not only is this tip to use Photopass, but I will give you another related piece of advice. Take as many pictures as you can with Photopass, go online and customize them, and order a picture CD.

No matter how many pictures you take, the price of the CD is still the same. It is a little pricey at $169, but you can get all your pictures and the rights to your pictures in case you want to print them at home. Otherwise, you are going to pay a lot more for individual copies of the photos that you like. So take as many pictures as you can. For a list of the Photopass photographer locations and other information regarding Photopass, visit http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/photopass.htm.

So we have hotels, photography, and special goodies that can be a surprise in your hotel room, so let's talk about a romantic dinner for two. Disney World is more than cheeseburger and French fries, in fact there are some of the best restaurants in the world located right on Disney property. Based on what food the both of you love or maybe even because you want to revisit a restaurant that you shared a special memory together, you can share a romantic dinner together at any price range or location on your Disneymoon. Of course the choice is up to you, but I would like to make a couple suggestions that might help you make a decision.

Lets start with French meals: nothing says romance like the Eiffel Tower, accordion music, and tasty French desserts. Luckily there are 2 restaurants in EPCOT where the French romance can blossom: Chefs de France and Monsieur Paul. My suggestion would be to try and book your reservation during Illuminations Reflections of Earth so you can get a great view of the fireworks with a glass of champagne. If this is not possible, last vacation my fiancé and I made an early reservation for dinner at Chefs de France and were done about an hour and a half before Illuminations. We grabbed one of those tables by the lagoon, got champagne and pastries, and waited for Illuminations to start. It was very romantic and we got a great view, not to mention a seat. I would also suggest looking at the menus because Monsieur Paul has more adventurous eating and is more expensive and you definitely want to be able to afford romance.

If you are looking for a little less French romance and want more royal romance definitely try to get a reservation at Be Our Guest or Cinderella's Royal Table.

Nothing says romance like a Castle, a spectacular view of Fantasyland, and great food. If you finish dinner early enough to watch Wishes! you will have one of the best views of the fireworks in the heart of Fantasyland.

Maybe you and your spouse love a vintage old Hollywood feel with big steaks, cobb salad, and caricatures. You both should definitely get a Fantasmic! package and dine at the Brown Derby at the Hollywood Studios. This way you get some hearty food and a great fireworks show to end the evening.


If you are an under the sea kind of couple, you should plan on visiting the Coral Reef restaurant at EPCOT in Future World. You can get some great seafood and ambiance as you sit by the giant aquarium and look at the fish. Make sure you ask to get your picture in front of the tank and get the chocolate wave dessert. Nothing says romance like the perfect chocolate dessert.

 

Let's say you really want to put out all the stops, these next two suggestions are for you. If you have never been to 5 Diamond rated restaurant and you and your spouse are "foodies" this is your stop. Victoria and Albert's in the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa is about as exquisite as you can get. The restaurant is pricey (over $60 per person without wine pairings) but there are a lot of different options for your dining experience. Both you and your spouse will get dressed up in your finest and enjoy some of the world's best food in a setting like no other. If you want the premiere experience, you want to book the chef's table. There is a private table in the kitchen where you and your spouse are whisked away for a private and intimate dining experience where you will meet the chef, try new foods, and be treated like a celebrity. For more information about this premiere restaurant check out https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/grand-floridian-resort-and-spa/victoria-and-alberts/. You will also be able to review the different kinds of dining experiences that you and your spouse can enjoy.

This last dining suggestion of mine is probably one of my favorites: go to a restaurant off the monorail such as Citricos,'Ohana, Narcoosee's, etc. and try to make your reservation for a seating an hour before Wishes! because you can watch the fireworks from any of these hotel restaurants. I mean the view is worth everything but I can even take this one step further. Because getting a seating around the fireworks show can prove difficult, here is what I would do to turn up the romance. You know how everyone makes jokes about loving long walks on the beach? What about a long walk on the beach at the Polynesian Resort all culminating with watching fireworks beach side? Here is my suggestion, get an early reservation at 'Ohana, eat dinner, and then take your spouse for a walk on the beach. Then you and your spouse can watch Wishes! together privately on the beach with your toes in the sand, hand in hand.

Speaking of the beach, if you are taking a more relaxing route for your Disneymoon, don't forget to check out the movies on the Disney beaches. The beach hotels will have more information about movies on the beach and it is always a good way to unwind after a long Disney day.

Now that you have some romantic dinner ideas I have to make sure that you all know to tell the cast member that you are celebrating your honeymoon and that you are just married when you make your dining reservations. You will be surprised about what magic can happen. Promise me, yourself, and your spouse that you will let the cast member know that you are on your honeymoon when you make reservations and you won't be disappointed.

On the subject of eating, another great tip for your honeymoon is snacking around World Showcase. In World Showcase, each of the countries have desserts and drinks that are unique to that country, so what better way than to try different foods together. Enjoy the slower pace of your Disneymoon and spend an afternoon in EPCOT soaking up the exquisite details of the World Showcase, and drinking and eating “around the world.” Something that my fiancé and I are talking about doing is cupcake-ing around the Disney Parks.

There are so many great cupcakes and desserts found all around Disney property and being chocoholics, we can't pass up the idea of cupcake-ing around. While this is a little different, I think you get the point. Whether you are snacking around the world or cupcake-ing, you can take a slower pace and enjoy each other's company with some tasty treats of your choice.


I bet you are wondering why I haven't mentioned the free stuff yet. Well here it is: you must get the "Just Married" and "Happily Ever After" buttons located at your hotel, Guest Relations, or City Hall at the Magic Kingdom. Wear these accessories because you want to share with the world that you just got married! You’ll be amazed at how many random people will strike up a conversation with you because of the buttons and who knows, maybe some magic can make its way into your trip because you are an adorable couple. I would also suggest on a related note, to have "just married" or "bride/groom" shirts made for your trip. You will love how these look in pictures and if you do this, the buttons, and the wedding mickey ears you will be the cutest Disney couple, not to mention have some of the coolest pictures ever!

Next suggestion is to buy a custom souvenir. You have to! Trust me you are going to spend money at Disney World and you should get something with your wedding date on it or something that says "just married." Try to get something customizable so you will always remember how special this trip was. If you want to spend $30 or less, get a custom-painted Mickey-Mouse head Christmas ornament.

 You will cherish it forever and it can be a constant reminder of your Disneymoon. If you want to go a little more expensive, you could head over to the Art of Disney at EPCOT and purchase some wall art or a figurine for your new home as a married couple. Prices can vary and some of it can be very expensive, but if both of you are Disnerds, use some of that wedding gift money to get some Disney art. Personally, I am a HUGE Cinderella fan and I plan on getting a personalized glass slipper with our wedding date on it. You can always get a glass slipper with your first dance song title, wedding date, or anything else special to your marriage. Definitely try and get something special to the both of you. You will have so much fun picking something out together to take home, hang on the Christmas tree, mount on the wall, or put on a shelf.

On the topic of shopping, also try to enjoy the Boardwalk, especially at night. Whether it is dancing, eating, shopping, or sharing a kitchen sink at Beaches and Cream, the Boardwalk has something for everyone, and who knows, maybe you will find your special souvenir there.

Remember to just relax, be silly, take lots of pictures, and just have fun. Sit poolside, enjoy a movie on the beach, fly high on Dumbo the flying elephant, and don't be afraid to indulge and be our guest. For more tips and tricks for a good Disneymoon, you can visit http://disneyweddings.disney.go.com/honeymoons

No matter what you choose to do on your Disneymoon, I know that you will make memories that will last a lifetime. Nothing is more romantic than celebrating your love at the place where dreams come true.

If you have any questions or comments on this post or any other post or just want some specific information, leave a comment. Who knows, your question could be inspiration for a new post.