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By
Megan Harris
Your wedding could not have been more perfect. The
flowers arrived on time, the officiant was early, the
photographer captured every sweet moment on film. The
bridesmaids loved the dresses you picked out and
everyone looked fantastic. It was the most magical day
of your life. But what if the magic didn’t have to end
with the last dance of the night? What if your wedding
day was just the beginning of an entire week of pure
honeymoon magic? It can be when you go to the
most magical place on earth.
Walt
Disney World is more than just theme parks, although it
certainly is that. There are also dozens of spas, pools,
resorts, and golf courses to satisfy almost anyone’s
taste.
Weather
Located
in Central Florida, Disney World Resorts can boast
beautiful weather all winter. Although Orlando can
sometimes be affected by hurricane season, it is usually
pretty safe to plan a trip any time of year.
Temperatures can easily reach the nineties in the summer
months, and can range from low to mid eighties in
October and November. In December through February
temperatures range from the low seventies during the day
to mid fifties in the evening.
Resorts
For
the full Disney World honeymoon experience, it’s best
to stay in one of Disney’s own resorts (if your budget
allows). There are twenty resorts located throughout
Disney World, close to various theme parks and
attractions. The benefits of staying at one of these
resorts include:
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"Extra
Magic Hours." With this benefit, guests can
access one of the theme parks an hour early or up
to three hours after regular park closing each
day.
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Free
transportation throughout Walt Disney World. Be
transported free of charge from your resort to any
park, water park, or downtown Disney.
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Package
Delivery – You can have your purchases delivered
from Disney stores within the park to your room
free of charge.
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You
can also use your resort ID to charge purchases,
meals, etc. to your room.
Choose
from among the Value Resorts which include the Pop
Century Resort, the All-Start Sports, All-Star Movies,
and All-Star Music resorts. Although the value resorts
tend to be more family oriented, they still allow you to
experience the benefits of staying within the Disney
parks.
Next
up are the Moderate Resorts which are set up to give you
the feel of vacationing in some of the most popular
destinations. Port Orleans (French Quarter or Riverside)
provide the charm and ambiance of beautiful New Orleans,
Coronado Springs lets you experience the American
Southwest, or you can dance to the Calypso sounds of the
Caribbean Beach Resort.
Deluxe
Resorts are beautiful to behold and they wrap you in
pure Disney luxury. Choose from Wilderness Lodge, The
Polynesian Resort, The Grand Floridian Resort and Spa,
and several others. In addition to the other benefits of
staying at a Disney resort, these deluxe resorts also
offer valet parking, room service, whirlpools,
babysitting, and a fitness center/spa.
Disney
offers a variety of packages which can include your
resort stay and a base admission ticket to one of the
four parks for each day of your ticket. You can add to
the package to include dining and additional theme park
tickets. Whether or not you go with a package, you might
want to consider purchasing a Park Hopper pass which
allows you the flexibility of hopping to as many
different parks in one day as you choose. With the basic
ticket, you’re limited to one park per day.

Recommended
Activities for Couples
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Disney’s
Animal Kingdom Kilimanjaro Safaris. Take a
ride through the African wilderness where
you’ll see hippos, giraffes, elephants,
rhinos, lions, and more. We recommend you do
the safari early in the morning on a day
when Animal Kingdom opens early for the
Extra Magic Hours. The animals are more
active in the morning and the wait is
sometimes not as long (depending on what
time of year you go).
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Visit
the French Pavilion in Epcot where you can
shop in designer boutiques, taste delicious
French pastries and dine at the Bistro De
Paris or Les Chefs de France restaurants.
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Be
sure the catch the SpectroMagic parade in
the Magic Kingdom
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Relax
as you float hand-in-hand down Castaway
Creek in Typhoon Lagoon Water Park.
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Night
Life
It
may be a family friendly resort, but Disney’s nights
light up with magic, fun, and romance in Downtown
Disney. On Pleasure Island, you can choose your dance
style from R&B, to Jazz to Rock. Also, check out the
Adventurer’s Club where the audience participates in
the comedy or Comedy Warehouse which offers improve
comedy.
If
you’re looking to see a show, you can attend the
famous Cirque du Soleil perform "La Nouba" in
Downtown Disney, or head-on over to Fort Wilderness
Resort and Camp Ground for the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical
Revue, which includes all-you-can eat ribs, chicken, and
sides.
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Dining
There are countless restaurants
throughout Walt Disney World that range from
inexpensive to gourmet. For a fairytale
dining experience, go to Cinderella’s Royal
Table, located
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inside
Cinderella’s Castle in the Magic Kingdom. The
Disney website, DisneyWorld.com offers an
extensive list of other romantic eateries
including the Hollywood Brown Derby (MGM Studios),
Portobello Yacht Club (Downtown Disney), Ohana
(Polynesian Resort) and many others.
Wolfgang Puck’s in Downtown Disney is a fun and
relatively inexpensive restaurant. Also, for great
pizza go to Crockett’s Tavern in Fort Wilderness
Resort and Campground. For a quick lunch in the
Magic Kingdom, try Cosmic Ray’s in Tomorrowland
or one of the outdoor cafes on Main Street USA.
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Tips
from Experienced Disney Travelers
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Honeymooners
get tons of special treatment so find a way to let
everyone know you’re on your honeymoon. We recommend
purchasing the Mickey groom and Minnie bride hats.
Honeymooners have reported receiving free desserts, free
pictures, and being bumped to the front of the line at
select rides and attractions simply because they were
wearing these hats.
If
you’ve already seen the parades, use that time to go
on some rides while other guests are busy watching.
For
some added fun, look for the "Hidden Mickeys."
They’re everywhere in Disney World. We found several
just on the Splash Mountain ride alone. You can even buy
a book that tells all about the Hidden Mickeys: Hidden
Mickeys, 2nd Edition : A Field Guide to Walt
Disney World’s Best Kept Secrets by Steven
Barrett
(see below to order).
When
to Go:
The best time to go is during the value seasons
when the rates are at their lowest and the parks are the
least crowded. Value season dates vary from one resort
to the next. Go to Disneyworld.com and follow the link
that says "Compare Season Rates" to get the
dates and prices for each of the seasons. Holiday and
Peak seasons are the most expensive and typically the
most crowded.
Links:
www.Disneyworld.com |