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Our honeymoon is going to be at Walt Disney world. We are going for a moderate room, and I think it has been narrowed down to either Coronado springs, Carribean beach, or Port Orleans Riverside. Anyone have suggestions between these resorts? Also I think it has been narrowed down to the dining package being included. We are AAA members, and advice on whether to go through AAA, or through Disney, or do seperate purchases instead of the vacation all together when buying would be great. **We are also driving there, yes 24 hour drive! So don't need to worry about flights.
I would def go through AAA. We went in October and saved a ton that way. They work right with Disney to make everything so easy. My sister stayed at Port Orleans and loved it. We did the deluxe dining and it's just so easy not to have to worry about where and what you can eat.
i actually don't know about the resorts there, but i like the sound of Caribbean beach!
@SoontobeMrsA:I was thinking of the deluxe dining, but I don't know if will just be too much food. Neither me or my FI eat many meals in a day. With both our schedules we usually only eat one or two regular meals and thats about it. I don't know if we would use three meals a day. I think I'm going to see what kind of deal we can get then decide which dining package, the regular dining or deluxe. Theres a AAA travel office near me, so I will probably try that!
hahaha! The Carribean beach does look nice! I want some nice pools, relaxation, and a hot tub LOL
I went with my daughter and it wasn't too much food for us. You get breakfast, lunch and dinner plus two snacks (say a soda and an ice cream) each day. You walk sooo much that you do end up being really hungry. Plus you get drinks with your meals, etc. I'd see what the price difference is and then decide.
Enjoy your honeymoon :) Sounds like fun!
Go through AAA. They will be able to book everything together really easily. When we booked last time, we got a free photo album. It's awesome.
Definitely get the meal plan. It's just easier than carrying a ton of cash around. It's all just on the card and you swipe and it keeps track. We did the full one where you get a snack, counter service and sit-down meal every day.
We only stay at the value resorts (Pop Century, which is awesome) so I can't help you with that, but I like the look of Port Orleans.
The Coronado Springs resort is absolutely fabulous. Best vacation of my life.
@SoontobeMrsA:I think that is the plan to see what kind of deal we can get, then go with the meal plan that we can afford. I originally thought the deluxe for that reason, not having to worry about paying for more food once we are there.
@In the media:Meal plan for sure! Just need to decide which one. While the value resorts would be good for our wallet, I just think because its our honeymoon I want to do something a little more. My FI has never been so I think if we were to go back we would def. go for the value resorts, just to be able to do some other things along the way.
@helenberrycrunch:Are the rooms decent? I know we can't afford to do a deluxe resort, we really wanted animal kingdom! But we don't mind that we know we will not be able to afford it.
@Future Couture: Yeah, definitely do a mid-level or higher resort for your honeymoon. (BF and I are thinking Disney cruise. I told him I get a balcony.)But if you go again, Pop Century is where to stay. :D
If you go for a cheaper meal plan, definitely get the park hopper pass. You'll want to go to more than one park on some days. Animal Kingdom will close early, but you may still want to see the Magic Kingdom fireworks.
OK, this is making me REALLY want to go to Disney. I have to wait until October. I've yet to go to the Halloween party! :D
We honeymooned at Disney World and stayed at Port Orleans...we absolutely LOVED it! It's gorgeous and I recommend the Magnolia Bend section which has large white "mansions" which are the resort buildings. We also had a riverside room, which I also recommend!
@In the media: yes the hopper pass is a definite that we are getting. I remember the first time we went, we did Animal Kingdom and.. I want to say Epcot in the same day. We also did two days in Universal because we drove then too and had our own car to get around. FI wants to hit the Jaw's ride so we might have to hit up Universal. It is one of his all time favorite movies.
@whfields: Everyone is making it hard to decide now! I was thinking this would be swayed one way towards somewhere. Probably go for the best deal since they each seem to be great in their own way.
We stayed in Caribbean Beach my very first trip to Disney, and we stayed in Port Orleans Riverside (then called Dixie Landings) the second time we went a few years later. They were both really nice.
I would probably suggest Coronado Springs because it is newer. We are disney vacation club members and stay at the home away from nice home resorts quite often, and even in the older ones there, you can definitely see the wear and tear on the rooms.
I can say for sure that I would never stay at the Caribbean Beach again. The resort is too big and spread out, with long walks between the rooms and any amenities or transportation. It's a drag to get back from a theme park late at night and have to trudge across a parking lot and past several buildings before you get back to your room. Besides, their pools aren't great and neither is their restaurant. Our favorite is the Port Orleans French Quarter. It's the smallest moderate resort and is very quiet and romantic. Of your choices, I'd go with Riverside. It's more conveniently located than the other two. It's close to Epcot and has boat access to the Downtown Disney district, which is really nice at night.
I say Port Orleans because we've stayed there before and we loved it! We had a fridge too, so our first day, we took a quick trip to Publix and got a few items to save a little money since Disney is so expensive when it comes to food! I'm sure any one of those resorts you decide on, you'll fun!!!
@Future Couture: I went to Universal in November. I needed to see Harry Potter World and it was aweeeessoooommmeee!!
Can I come on your honeymoon? :D j/k .. sort of!
@Sweet Melissa:Thanks for the mention about Carribean. We would be driving there, so we will have our car. Would we still be dealing with the same walks or is that just if your taking Disney transportation?
@krystallite: I like the fridge part. Mostly because we are driving and are going to do a Costco/BJs run before leaving and stock up on stuff we know we will need for the week! Waters, granola bars, snacks, etc.
@In the media:HAHAHAAH! OH MAN!!! i forgot about Harry Potter. He loves Harry Potter, me not so much. No mention of this to him will help, but I am sure once we get there, that will catch his eye! HAHAHA Oh well, we will be together and married. At least I should keep telling myself that ;)
@Future Couture: Having your own car will make the walks a little better, but it's still a very big and spread out resort, and the parking lots are not always conveniently placed.
@Sweet Melissa:That is a great detail to know! Thank you. That would definitely be a consideration on deciding where to go because I really would not want to do those long walks after spending a whole day at the parks! Time to get back to the room and relax, not walk more!
We're going to Disney World too! Not staying on property though which I'm a lil nervous about but we were gifted our honeymoon so I can't complain! I was spoiled growing up and have stayed at numerous Disney resorts, NEVER a bad time so you can't go wrong!!!
We stayed at the African one, but the New Orleans one was our second choice. And when we got there and realized how much time we were actually spending at Magic Kingdom, it would have made sense since there's multiple ways to get there (bus and ferry) which is really nice when people are trying to leave en masse.
@Future Couture: Another thing to consider is whether you'll actually want to use the car every day. We like to allow Disney's transportation service to act as our designated driver on nights out. There are some great restaurants, bars and lounges on property.
I always stayed at Carribean Beach when my mother and I went to Disney when I was growing up so I can only give you info from a child's eyes. The resort IS very spread out, which won't be a big deal if you have your car. It's just a pain if you're using their transportation because it takes you forever to get anywhere.
I have been looking at a lot of reviews, and the Coronado has had a lot of mixed reviews. A lot of people are saying it is a great place to stay if you are on a business conference, and they cater to business people. Anyone know if this is true?
Yeah, it's definitely a convention hotel. But the rooms are slightly larger than the other moderate resorts and because it's a convention hotel, they have some services that the others do not, like a gym and room service.
@Sweet Melissa: I used the room service all the time when we stayed there!
@Sweet Melissa: Got ya! Gym probably won't be used! *haha sorry, just thinking about my FI* but room service might be nice! I guess it would not make much of a big deal for us, since we probably wont be spending much time at the actually room and spending days out and about and at the pools.
I've not stayed at any of the 3 resorts you mentioned, but I agree with PP's that said go with Port Orleans. Sounds romantic!
I've stayed at the Beach Club and twice at the Boardwalk - the boardwalk area was lots of fun, and I'd recommend visiting it if you have a chance, especially if you go with the meal plan and are looking for some nightlife! Which brings me to my next point...
The Boardwalk, Beach Club and Yacht Club are all within walking distance from Epcot - there's a entry gate back in the nations part (In between England and France maybe...) and it's a 10 minute walk max back to the resorts. That's why my family chose to stay there when we went.
Last time we were there we got the meal plan and it was a TON of food. We ended up using most of our snacks to get fancy rice krispie treats and other packaged snacks from the Boardwalk bakery that we ended up just stuffing in our suitcases and bringing home. The food there is sometimes jaw-droppingly pricey, so it was nice to not have to worry about the money aspect.
I'm so jealous - you guys are going to have a blast! It's only been a little over 3 years since I was there last, and I already have the Disney itch to start planning another trip!
We're disneymooners too! We have gone there for the past 3 years and actually got engaged there, so it was an easy choice. We've stayed at 2 values (All-Star Music and Pop Century... I agree that Pop Century is the best of the values... get the tie-dye cheesecake w/ red velvet crust!) Then we stayed at Animal Kingdom lodege. It's UNBELIEVABLE! It's a deluxe, but it's often cheaper than the other delux resorts. We planned to stay at Port Orleans French Quarter but it ended up being cheaper for AKL with the deals at that time, so check it out before you rule it out. I stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter many many years ago and liked it, and have read great things about it since then. I've heard the theming is a little better for honeymoons, but I'm sure riverside is great too!
We get the deluxe dining plan every time. I'd definitely recommend it! People say it's too much food, but keep in mind you can use 2 of your table service credits for a signature resort, which enables you to do 2 big meals on some days, or if you do 3 full meals, you just don't have to eat it allllll, but you can always feel like you can try what you like without being limited (the regular dining plan often limits you to a condensed menu, but deluxe lets you order off the full menu!)
Don't forget to make your ADRs (advanced dining reservations). Your travel agent should help you with this. Oh, and if you want to see Fantasmic at Hollywood studios one night, see if you can book the fantasmic dining package. It works with the dining plan and it gets you priority seating for the show so you don't have to stand in long lines and hope for a seat.
Hope that helps! :-)
PS: I see you're getting married in June, so you'll be there during the summer. My 2 biggest summer tips are:
-Look into a waterbottle called the hydroflask. It's amazing! It kept our water ice cold (literally, the ice was still there after a day in the park) all day long! We filled it up each morning and it saved us from paying cash or using snack credits for bottled water.
-Bring LOTS of ziplock bags, in all sizes, and cheap plastic ponchos! In addition to wet rides like splash mountain, you'll need them when the frequent summer rain rolls in. You can put your cameras, phones, wallets, etc inside the baggies. You never know when you'll need them, and the ponchos in the park are super expensive, so you can get them at home at a fraction of the price. :-)
Let me know if you want any more tips on dining, parks, hotels, really whatever. and Have fun planning!!!
@Future Couture: I love talking WDW! I leave in 3 days for my annual visit...woohoo!!! Out of the three that you've mentioned, I'd choose Riverside. I've stayed there several times and it has a very charming ambiance. It's very pretty to stroll around at night along the buildings and the canal. I don't care much for Carribean Beach. The colors are bold and the buildings are really spread out. Be sure to look online and make a request before you go for certain buildings. You might want to look into finding a Vacation Club owner that you can buy points from and stay at a nicer hotel, such as Polynesian, Yacht & Beach, or Wildnerness Lodge. It's awesome to stay on Bay Lake (the lake that Magic Kingdom is on), take the boats over to MK, and watch the fireworks and the Electrical Water Pageant. Have fun planning!!
P.S. Let me know if you have any questions, I love to help!
@miss ranunculus:It has been about 3 years since I have been also so I can't wait. And it will be my FI's first time! With staying on the Boardwalk, does this have all the benefits of the other resorts? We are driving so we would want to have the free parking at the parks instead of always having to take WDW transportation.
@FutureMrsBondo:Thank you for all the great tips! We actually really wanted to go to Animal Kingdom Lodge, but the prices looked so high. I am probably going to look through AAA, so maybe we can get a great deal with them for that or the wilderness lodge. Those were our ideals, but the prices were scaring us a little since we are paying for our wedding ourselves. We will def. do the reservations, and look at menus to see what fits out taste. Steak is always the FI's option. Will look for the hydroflask, and going to bring some crystal lite lemonade packets with me for that too :) and I know the baggies came in SOOOO helpful last time we went. Any tips at this point are helpful! Just trying to gather as much info as I can now so we are ready to plan and book without feeling lost.
@Future Couture: I am also a WDW honeymooner! We are staying at the Contemporary thanks to a 40% off pin code I got in an e-mail. I personally don't like booking through AAA, I like being personally responsible for all of it, I always manage to find great deals myself and I'm a lifelong Disney fan who has been helping my dad plan trips since I was like seven! But you could definitely contact them and see what kind of price quote you get. So feel free to message me anytime =)
In June good deals can be a bit tougher to come by since it's a busy time for them, they don't usually need to run special deals to entice people to come visit. I'd recommend checking out Mousesavers and signing up for their newsletter. Start off here: http://www.mousesavers.com/disneyresorts.html It looks like there is an offer code that could possibly save you up to 35% on your resort in June, when you'll be there. Our room discount ended uo saving me more than free dining would of! We are going with the Deluxe Dining so that we can eat at the Signature restaurants, they are so nice and that is something I'd like to splurge on for the Honeymoon.
I voted for Port Orleans Riverside, but you could always stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge just for your first night, it's very amazing there!
Out of the options you listed I would choose Caribbean Beach. But if it were another hotel on property I would pick Beach Club. It was so perfect!
@Future Couture: good idea with the necessities like water and snacks (saved us a lot of $). annd yes, I know Coronado is used for conventions and things like that because my fiance goes down there once a year for a karate tournament that they hold. so around that time, the hotel will surely be full of karate people (kids and adults) there for that.
@Wonderstruck: Hey, wedding date and honeymoon destination twin!!! We're staying at the Beach Club for a week in early September! The contemporary will be great! We're HUGE fans of California Grill and Chef Mickey's!
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