Weddingbee boards

Honeymoon recap

My hottie of a husband and I spent 5 wonderful nights in Key West, followed by 4 exhausting but fun nights in Walt Disney World.  And here is a little recap.

We flew Southwest from Philly to Ft. Lauderdale.  Southwest is simply the best.  We landed thirty min early, we weren’t charged for our checked bag, we received some snacks, and the flight attendants were friendly and helpful. 

We rented a car from Budget in Ft. Lauderdale to drive to Key West.  We waited in line for 55 minutes and were then given the same exact car as someone else.  Thirty minutes later, after much confusion, we left with the original car and no apology.  I will no longer use Budget.

While in Key West we stayed at The Mermaid and The Alligator.  This Bed & Breakfast was the nicest place either of us had ever stayed.  Everything was beautiful and top of the line.  Breakfast was delicious and hearty.  The service was friendly and you really felt like you were staying with old friends or family.  The concierge arranged dinner reservations, bike rentals, and even a fishing charter for us.  And the best part- they had two amazing dogs. 

If you go to Key West be sure to eat at the following places: Latitudes,   The Flaming Buoy Filet Company, DJ’s Clam Shack, and The Conch Shack.  They were seriously the best meals ever! Avoid eating at Dante’s (but seriously, go drink and enjoy the pool there).  And we recommend visiting The Butterfly Conservatory, The Hemingway Home, The Martello Gardens, and hiring Southbound Charters for a half day of fishing.  I managed to reel in a Mahi-Mahi and a Blackfin Tuna- and I am not a fisherman.  We later ate the Tuna for lunch and the Mahi-Mahi for dinner.

Next up we flew Airtran to Orlando.  The flight was priced just right and it was nice and short.  Sure beats driving.  Disney’s Magical Express picked us up and drove us to our final destination- The Animal Kingdom Lodge.  After staying at The Mermaid and the Alligator, The Animal Kingdom Lodge was actually a let down.  Sure the lobby is grand and it’s cool you can see animals like Giraffes and Zebras from your balcony, but for a deluxe resort I was picturing a larger room with upgraded linens and toiletries.  Not the case, it’s the same stuff as the Moderate and Value Resorts in Disney. 

So in all honesty, I would actually recommend staying at a Moderate or even a Value Resort over a Deluxe in Disney.  Save yourself the money and just visit the Animal Kingdom Lodge for breakfast at Boma and dinner at Jiko.  Both places are absolutely fantastic!!!  Best meals in Disney hands-down.   

This was our third trip to Disney as a couple and we traveled with my husband’s extended family.  We all had a blast at the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and the Food & Wine Festival.  In fact we are all making plans to visit again next year for a long weekend.  The 3D Dessert Party in Epcot for the Food & Wine Fest was the best money spent.  All you can eat dessert and all you can drink cordials for $50.  Best Disney deal EVER!  And if you visit around the holidays make sure you stop by Hollywood Studios to see The Osbourne Family Lights.  Absolutely mesmerizing. 

We flew home via US Airways…the flight was a ZOO!  I will only fly Southwest or Airtran from here on out…unless the flight is international. 

All in all an incredible honeymoon/vacation and we highly recommend to others. 

@pengoala: sure thing.  just got in last night and i'm back at work.  so hopefully i'll have time this week to upload some photos.

@Eva Peron:  The weather was gorgeous.  80 and sunny with lows in the 60s.  Absolutely perfect. 

@bakerella:  yep they do the fake snow/bubbles!

Here are some pics from Key West

Part of our room:

The pool area/breakfast area:

A place to relax:

Some food from our trip (I take lots of photos of food for some reason)...

First up dinner at Latitudes on Sunset Key:

Next up the Flaming Buoy (our fav restaurant, we went here twice and made friends with the manager):

And of course Key Lime Pie:

The pictures are gorgeous:) aaaand those food shots are making me hungry! 

And finally some activities...

We'll start with the Butterfly Conservatory:

Sunset at Mallory Square:

Our main mode of transportation around the island:

Fishing for blackfin tuna: