Background: My fiance and I will be getting married on December 16th. We will be traveling from Columbus, OH to Orlando for our honeymoon on December 17th and leaving on December 21st. We are purchasing three-day park hopper tickets to Walt Disney World and planning to stay at a Disney resort.
Question: Does anyone have a list of suggestions and/or caveats for our trip? I am especially curious about the following subjects:
1. Weather during that time of year
2. Traffic and lines around the parks
3. Resort information (we are leaning towards Animal Kingdom Lodge)
4. Specific attractions and entertainment suggestions for young newlyweds.
2006-09-06 03:42:25 · 10 answers · asked by CDBuckeye 1 in Travel ➔ United States ➔ Orlando
Congrats!!! My fiance and I are getting married in November. We live in Orlando and go to Disney all the time, so here are my tips and answers to your questions!!
1. The weather is going to be ultra nice. We like December becasue it is really the only time of year that you can drink hot chocolate or coffee outside! It will be cool at night, during the day, you might be a little cool, but you can still wear short sleeves, probably want to wear jeans.. I always wear flops, but if you get cold feet, wear shoes.
2. The best thing about Disney in December.. there are NO LINES!! You will have little to no wait in lines that time of year! You should still consider fast pass for the popular rides, but even if you don't, the lines won't be too bad! It get really hectic the week of Christmas, but you are going before Xmas, so you should be fine! Believe me, we go all the time!
3. The Animal Kingdom Lodge is a MUST... but request the Savannah view so you can see the animals! This is also the best park to go to in Dec because the animals are much more active and you ust can't beat the weather!
4. I would definitely go to MGM to see the Osborne Family Christmas light display. They have fake snow and tons of beautiful christmas lights. They started putting the lights up in August, so that should tell you something about the size of the display. It is romantic too! Other things at MGM that you should see are the shows (Indiana Jones and Lights, Motors, Action), they are great!
Another thing you should do is but the Mickey and Minnie wedding ears!
Make reservations at the California Grill at the Contemporary for dinner around fireworks time and request a seat by the window so you can eat and watch fireworks. Another romantic place is the Coral Reef Restaurant at EPCOT, but make reservations now!
Go on SOARIN at EPCOT, have to ride Expedition Everest...
I could go on ad on, but that gives you a good start.
2006-09-06 05:48:56 · answer #1 · answered by plantmd 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Weather should be pretty good that time of year. Might be a bit cooler in the evenings, (but since you are coming from Ohio, you should be fine! )
the parks will probably be a bit crowded as you are close to the Christmas holiday.
Animal Kingdom Lodge is nice. (ask for a Savanah View room and you can see animals from your room!)
As far as entertainment goes- you will probably enjoy Pleasure Island. There are nightclubs and things that are not all "kid" oriented. Also, Take your time in the World Showcase at Epcot. I have heard many people say that they were disappointed there, but if you do some exploring, you will find some really interesting things. Plus, it is like taking a trip "around the world!" (I enjoy the wine tastings available in France, Germany, and Italy!) One thing NOT to miss at Epcot is Soarin'. It is an experience.
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding, and have a great honeymoon!
One more thing, make it known that you are newlyweds on your honeymoon. Get the Mickey & Minnie wedding ears! And tell the cast members there, they can help make your stay EXTRA Magical!
2006-09-06 13:56:23 · answer #2 · answered by tweetymay 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't think anyone actually read your question.
1. It will be shorts and t-shirt weather during the day. You will need a sweatshirt most evenings. Bring rain ponchos too.
2. Lines will be pretty short, maybe getting worse towards the end of your stay. You don't have to worry about traffic because you just use Disney Transportation. Traffic flows pretty smoothly through Disney anyway.
3. Animal Kingdom Lodge is really nice. If you want a moderate priced resort go with Port Orleans French Quarter.
4.Illuminations cruise- watch Epcot's Illuminations from a private boat in the lagoon. Called a specialty cruise by CRO. (central reservations)
2006-09-06 12:26:58 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The weather in Florida is always above 70 so you should dress accordingly.
I think that where you stay should be close to the park. I think that all of the resorts are pretty much the same. Save some money and don't go to the most expensive.
Since you are going in the winter, you will still experience some lines on the most popular attractions, but not as bad as summer.
The best way to experience Disney World is to just go and experience it. Don't make any plans, be spontaneous. Since you are spending a few days there, get the map and go have fun. Be prepared to be tired! Alot of walking, but I think it is a great place for a honeymoon!
Enjoy!
2006-09-06 11:04:22 · answer #4 · answered by Twisted Maggie 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
The weather should be ok and I don't think the lines will be too bad. My husband and I went and had a great time...no kids required. We actually stayed at the Ron Jons Resort. Its really a time share, but if they have units that are not rented or being used, you can get them at a discount, and, if you agree to go through the 2 hour tour thing, you will get free passes to the park. Most of the time they will give you breakfast or lunch depending on the time you tour. They will try to get you to buy a timeshare, but we just agreed before we went, that we will not be pushed into it. They were polite and thanked us for our time and gave us our gifts. It was only 2 hours, and those passes aren't cheap so we figured it was well worth it. We told them things like.....at this time it would be hard for us, but we would love to come back and check it out again. And.....right now, we just dont have the extra funds, but if you will send us some information, then we will discuss it in the future......
As far as the park..there is so much to see and do, and save the citywalk for night time. Its great !!
Congratulations and have a great time !!!!!
2006-09-06 10:56:23 · answer #5 · answered by lisa46151 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes,December is our dry season.The slowest times in Disney are just before Christmas.The weather could be cool (for our standards) with highs of 80's and lows of 65.
If you want to stay at a resort,I recommend staying at The Animal Kingdom Lodge.It is fantastic!!!! I would recommend getting a reservation for one of the 2 excellent restaurants there, ( I forgot the names but they are African cuisine)
One thing I would do is order you WWD vacation package.It will include a DVD and planning guides.
I also strongly recommend getting the "Disney my way" package.It is an all inclusive including your admission,parking,breakfast,snack,lunch,snack and dinner,including simple alchohol drink AND dessert.We "spent" 127 at the Hollywood Brown Derby.All we had to do was leave a tip.
My wife and I spent our vacation at Epcot and MGM studios.We also went to Cypress Gardens and The Bok tower and gardens (@45 Min's west and south) It was a BEAUTIFUL Honeymoon.We had ours in Feb. 2000. I would recommend Cypress Gardens too!! Look into the Bok Tower in Lake Wales, It is soooo peaceful and Serene.
If you want something a little more up beat,Go to Pleasure Island and/or Disney Boardwalk.Plan on "Bar hopping' at different themed bars,orDisney Bordwalk has a New Jersey like theme of shops,consesion stands,including Cirque de sole'.
2006-09-06 14:13:56 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
My family just returned from a vacation in Orlando. The parks are ok if you've never done Disney, but I think the most fun we had was a kayak tour out of Cocoa beach. It's about an hour away from Orlando on the Atlantic side. We kayaked for about 2 1/2 hours through mangroves. You get to see all kinds of birds and maybe even dolphins. The best part is the manatees. They come right up to your kayak and try to play with you. Talk about the sweetest most loving creatures I have ever encountered. Take a morning kayak tour then spend the rest of the day soaking up sun on Cocoa Beach. The water is amazing! It was a very nice day away from the crowds of the park. No matter what you decide on, have a wonderful honeymoon and congratulations!
2006-09-06 11:27:54 · answer #7 · answered by mysticeyezzz 4 · 0⤊ 3⤋
hate to disagree, but the weather is NOT always above 70 in florida. it could be 70, or it could be 50. still warmer than ohio, but bring sweatshirts and jeans as well as shorts and tshirts, weather can change from day to day. i was at disney at the exact same time last year for my honeymoon-it was great. why don't you splurge and go to the california grill atop the contemporary hotel for dinner one night, you can try to time it so you can see the fireworks from up there. be sure and tell everyone its your honeymoon, you might get free desert or champagne. yes, definitely go to mgm for the osborne family lights, it's magical.
lines can get a little long the closer you get to christmas, especially at the magic kingdom. go early in the morning or a little later in the afternoon and it's not so bad. congratulations!
2006-09-06 14:13:29 · answer #8 · answered by kitkat 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
the best thing for the weather and the traffic would be a gps, but if you want something cheaper(which you probably do they are about 500 dollars) you shouldwatch the news there, and a good hotel to go to is radison. they have one really close to the park. and for the attractions they might have a fireworks show there I think that they have a fireworks show at disneyland every night but im not sure its been a while since ive been there. you could look and see if they have any close by music concerts anywhere, or just go see a movie. I suggest searching for more info on the web like go to the disneyland website. good luck :D
2006-09-06 10:53:22 · answer #9 · answered by Daniel 3 · 0⤊ 4⤋
My suggestion: wait until you have kids to go to Disney.
2006-09-06 10:47:48 · answer #10 · answered by mikeyditka 2 · 0⤊ 10⤋