Disneymooning 101 Part 2: Dining and Special Experiences
Disney World Wedding Pavilion
In Disneymooning 101 Part 1, we covered choosing your travel dates and resort. Now, we're moving on to talk about dining and special experiences that you can book for your trip before your arrival.
DINING
If you're staying on Disney property, then you are eligible for the Disney Dining Plan. And for a honeymoon, I highly recommend the Deluxe Dining Plan, which gives you 3 table service credits and 2 snack credits per day. Why do I recommend this? Because many of the nicest restaurants, dinner shows and dining at Cinderella's Castle call for 2 table credits per person per meal.
To make your honeymoon special and luxurious, book a 1-credit table service breakfast or early lunch to start off your day, then book a special 2-credit experience for each night of your stay! Here are some of my best recommendations:
California Grill: Set atop the Contemporary Resort, California Grill is my personal choice for a modern, romantic evening. Indulge in fine wine, the best sushi on WDW property, and an array of entrees and desserts inspired by California. Top it all off with a champagne toast with your new husband or wife while taking in Wishes fireworks, which can be viewed through the restaurant's sweeping panoramic windows or on an outdoor observation deck.
Jiko: Another wonderful choice, Jiko is located at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, with flavors inspired by the best of Africa. It's a warm and cozy atmosphere with one of the best entrees on WDW property - the signature oak-fired filet mignon with red wine sauce and macaroni and cheese. Yum!
Citricos: A hidden gem of culinary bliss, Citricos has a little bit of everything for the discerning palate. The tropical fruit crème brulee was a personal favorite. Located inside the sumptuous Grand Floridian Resort, why don't you make an evening out of visiting Citrico's and getting some PhotoPass photos taken inside the Grand Floridian's lobby?
Cinderella's Royal Table: Book Cinderella's Royal Table inside the Magic Kingdom's for a magical experience! The package includes a photo with Cinderella, and you can also get photos with princesses throughout your meal.
Victoria and Albert's: This is Disney World's finest restaurant, located in the Grand Floridian Resort. Unfortunately, Victoria and Albert's is not available through the Disney Dining Plan, but according to reviews, it's definitely worth the money should you opt to make a special night here.
Other signature Disney World restaurants include Artist Point, Narcoossee's, Flying Fish Cafe, Yachtsman Steakhouse, Bistro de Paris, Hollywood Brown Derby, Le Cellier Steakhouse, and more. Visit disneyfoodblog.com for details on each of these restaurants!
Most importantly, be sure to mention that you are celebrating your honeymoon when making your dining reservations. There's a good chance that you may get a special treat, such as personalized menus, celebration Mickey confetti, a free champagne toast, or a special dessert!
OTHER SPECIAL EXPERIENCES
In-Room Celebrations: An array of special floral arrangements and packages can be ordered ahead of time for delivery to your room prior to your arrival. There are packages that include celebratory champagne, personalized flutes, rose petals spread on your bed, spa baskets, chocolates, and even a package including Mickey and Minnie bride and groom ears! Click here for a full list of packages available from Disney Floral & Gifts.
Couples Massage: After a few days of park-hopping and sightseeing, why not spend a day relaxing at your resort's pool, followed by a romantic couple's massage? The Grand Floridian Spa offers the Romantic Couple's Massage and the Couples Instructional Massage, while the Saratoga Springs Spa offers the Couple's Relaxation package. Click here for more info and reservation info.
Disney's PhotoPass Professional Portrait Sessions: Schedule a special photo session with a Disney PhotoPass photographer to celebrate your first days of marriage! The sessions last 20-30 minutes and are available at several resorts. Call (407) 934-4004 to book or visit a PhotoPass kiosk in your resort to inquire.
These ideas are all just a start to making your honeymoon magical and romantic. There's so much more you can do to personalize your trip and make it truly unforgettable. Click here for even more ideas for your honeymoon!
Discuss your Disneymoon plans in our Romantic Getaways forum!
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JeffC wrote on Wed, 12/01/2010 - 03:20:
The California Grill experience is really nice. We went there for my birthday last year, and saw the Wishes fireworks from the outdoor observation deck. It was such a cool perspective - I think it would be super-romantic for the newlywed couple!
I think that's a great recommendation for the Deluxe plan to take advantage of multiple high-end dining places. We usually only take in 1 per trip under the regular dining plan and off-set it with a cut somewhere else. That would really make for a special dining experience for the whole trip.
Thanks!
Kristen H wrote on Fri, 12/03/2010 - 03:24:
JeffC -- Glad you enjoyed! A lot of this is first-hand experience from my honeymoon in 2009. -Kristen aka southernwebgirl
caitiesus wrote on Wed, 01/05/2011 - 17:04:
I got Jason one of the baskets on our honeymoon - it had champagne, food and the ears! Unfortunately, it wasn't in the room when we got there like it was supposed to be, but we got it a couple hours later.
We didn't do any of the signature dining, and it wasn't really something we missed because we went to some great restaurants that are sometimes overlooked. As a couple on a budget, just getting the regular dining plan really helped. The France restaurant that is just one dining credit was incredible. I also loved The Wave in the Contemporary. Both food and service were fantastic!
Also, if a couple is on a budget, we found a great way to use PhotoPass. We got pictures every time we saw someone. We looked at prices and realized they were really high...except for the calenders that were really reasonable! When we got home we made up a calendar full of our pictures and got them for us and for our parents. It made a great gift and now that 2010 is over, I plan on cutting our favorites out of the calender and framing them!
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