Walt Disney World

Order shirts and ears from Etsy. Don't EXPECT any special attention from Cast Members ... that way when (if) a Magical moment happens it will be super special. Don't kill yourself trying to do it all, take time to absorb all the small details. DO expect a lot of cupcakes LOLOL Seems that's the standard Disney celebratory treat. Make your sit-down dining reservations 60 days out - Don't try to "wing it" or you'll be disappointed. Plan ahead with FH as to what is most important to each of you to experience at each park. This will avoid arguing or disappointments. Hydrate, even in October. The Halloween party is going on when you will be there, so check Magic Kingdom park hours as they will be closed to the general public to accommodate party ticket holders. Food and Wine Festival is also running in Epcot (World Showcase) It will be more crowded on weekends so pick mid-week to go and enjoy eating/drinking around the world. A great website for all things Diseny is https://allears.net/ Decide NOW if you are going to opt for the daily upcharge for Genie plus or Lightening Lane (read up on it if you don't know what that is) Most of all have FUN and enjoy!! We had a blast, but then again we are Annual Pass holders and go often so we don't NEED to hit every ride. We'll just miss you - we be there the first week of Ocrober.

I’m having my wedding at Disney World next month, and we’ll be staying for a week after to do a Disney moon before our real honeymoon in October. Pat gave you lots of great advice. In terms of actually enjoying the parks, I would make sure to check out the Disney blogs and YouTube channels if you’re not as familiar with the parks/haven’t been there since covid. They’ve made a ton of changes the past few years. Also, if you go to Disney’s website and look up the enchanting extras, there are all kinds of tours and behind the scenes stuff that are fun to splurge on for special occasions! And make sure you get a few solid romantic meals in if the budget allows. Victoria & Albert’s is the best (but super expensive and a hard-to-get reservation), but there’s also Monsieur Paul, California Grill (get a reservation during the fireworks), Narcoosee’s, and Citricos. You can also set up a private dining experience at the Grand Floridian, and they also have boat rentals at both Epcot and Magic Kingdom that let you take a boat out for private viewing of the fireworks. I would also recommend either adding memory maker or scheduling a capture your moment session so you can get lots of good pics with your new hubby!

I forgot to add ... download the Mydisneyexperience app on your phone!! You absolutely need that to do any quick service dining, changing any park plans or getting on a virtual que (Tron, Guardians of the Galaxy) or if you choose to pay for a Lightening Lane or genie Plus experience. Are you staying on property? You can open your door with the app, too. LOLOL

Not for the honeymoon, but I'm a WDW obsessive.

1. You MUST download the My Disney Experience App on your phones. Be sure to all have an account and be signed in. Be sure to link your park tickets to your account, and link your accounts together so you are able to be in one "party". (It's admittedly a confusing process to link accounts, so perhaps watch a good youtube video on it if you're stuck).

2. Spend some time before the trip playing around with the app to familiarize yourself with everything. This will save you time and frustration when you're on vacation if you know how to use it properly.

3. Consider buying Magic Bands. Yes, you can basically do everything with the phone app, including tapping into parks, lightning lanes, etc. BUT you spend a ton of time on your phone, so I like to minimize that by wearing a magic band, linked to my account. You can spend more for a fun design, but a cheap basic color works fine and cuts down on phone time. You can buy them in advance at a discount if staying on property.

4. You will likely need to use Genie+ in the app to get the most out of your trip. If not every day, at least some days. So add the price into your budget. Strongly recommend watching videos breaking down this service, and how-to's on how to book Lightning Lanes. AllEars, Disney Food Blog, and Mammoth Club all have great instructional videos.

Basically there are three components: Genie (free for everyone, shows you projected wait times during the day), Genie+ (paid per-day add on. This allows you to book "Lightning Lanes" aka fast passes for rides), and Individual Lightning Lane Selections (terrible name, they are what Molly from Mammoth Club refers to as "fancy rides". Basically the 1 or 2 newest rides in each park will NOT be park of the Genie+ service, instead you'll need to pay per-ride if you want to access the Lightning Lane for those attractions). Confused yet? That's because its a confusing thing with terrible naming conventions. This is why you just have to watch some videos on it and play with the app.

5. There are INCREDIBLE fine dining restaurants on property to enjoy. Try to book a dinner at California Grill (on top of the Contemporary resort) timed to the MK fireworks (you can watch from the restaurants balcony). Narcoosees at the Grand Floridian has great seafood, and their patio on the lagoon is a good picture spot. Jiko at the Animal Kingdom Lodge has great, unique offerings. Flying Fish is imo the best restaurant on property right now. It's at the Boardwalk Inn (also a lovely spot for an evening stroll) and has superb service and seafood...but despite the ocean theme it secretly has the best steak you'll eat all year: The New York Strip. Cooked over an open wood fire, its sooo flavorful. Order it and thank me later.

6. Trader Sam's Grog Grotto. The best "adult Disney" offering imo. It's a small tiki bar tucked in the back of the Polynesian resort. Super fun theme, with epic drinks that cause certain things to come to life in the bar. You'll have a blast. People get there EARLY to get on the wait list since they don't take reservations, so I recommend doing it on a weekday night if possible. Otherwise plan to wait a while to get in (there's an outdoor Trader Sams patio to have a drink or snack while you wait, but it doesnt have the fun theme of the indoor version).

7. Plan Ahead! Unfortunately you can no longer go to Disney without planning if you want to get the most out of your trip. But on the flip side, you don't want to over burden your schedule (plenty of folks fall into this trap, scheduling too many things per day and not taking travel times into account). I make a spreadsheet for the week and its incredibly helpful. Make a list of your must-do restaurants and activities and try to plot them into your schedule based on where you will be each day.

8. Resort perks. Are you staying on property? All Disney resort guests can enter the parks 30 minutes before 0ff-site guests, every single day. It's early for sure (and you'll have to get there at least 30 minutes before the early entry time to line up), but it can be a great way to knock out a popular ride or two before the wait times surge. Plus you're exploring the park before te sun and humidity are at their peak. If you are staying at a Disney deluxe resort, you get extra evening hours at specific parks on specific nights. Wait times will also be shorter during these times, so its worth considering planning your park days around them if youre at a deluxe resort.

9. Midday Break. Bake a midday break into your park days if possible. Its tough going all day at the park. Magic Kingdom can get very tiring, so I always take the monorail to the resorts. If Im staying at a monorail resort, great! I can take a nap or shower and refresh. But even if you're not, youll escape the crowded park into a calmer setting, can grab a nice lunch (Steakhouse 71 at Contemporary is a affordable sit-down, or Capt Cooks at Polynesian is a good quick service option), and refresh before heading back to the park. If you are staying far away from a park, travel times can take a major chunk out of the day, so it may not be worth going back to your hotel. But you can at least have an indoor lunch reservation in the park so you can escape the midday heat (and long lines) and have a nice air conditioned lunch.

Thank you so much! 🥰 I will look into all of the suggestions! We just set some of our reservations for dinners and some experiences. Cannot wait! We’re staying at the Contemporary, I have started my list of what to pack. 🤩

View Quoted Comment Oh the Contemporary will be so perfect! It’s great being in walking distance to Magic Kingdom. Definitely check out California Grill and Steakhouse 71!!

The Contemporary has a fantastic location! (and imo is the most beautiful building on property, I'm a sucker for quality mid century architecture).

I agree with the above that California Grill and Steakhouse 71 are both fantastic restaurant options on site! California Grill is a fabulous fine dining location and its truly magical to watch the fireworks from their balcony if you can score a reservation around fireworks time. Steakhouse 71 is a high quality option that wont break the bank, good casual eatery. If for any reason you cant score a table (though they usually are easy to come by) keep in mind that you can try to walk up and grab a table in their lounge (which is gorgeous) and they have a limited food menu there.

A couple Contemporary specific tips:

1. You have direct access to Magic Kingdom via monorail, boat, or walking. If you are trying to rope drop the park one morning and there is a long monorail line, or it is down/delayed for any reason, please keep in mind that you can walk to the front gate in roughly ten minutes. The walking route also features its own security entrance with a dramatically shorter line than the main security entrance, which can save a boat load of time. Plus, there is a cute coffee stand on the ground floor called Contemporary Grounds where you can pick up a quick grab and go coffee and breakfast items to have on your walk!

2. There is a ferry boat on the dock which will take you to MK. BUT there's also a secondary boat loop which links the Contemporary to The Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness. This opens up a bunch of other dining options for you.

Fort Wilderness has Artist Point for signature dining and character dining (w/ Snow white characters), Whispering Canyon for a rowdy interactive meal (mostly good for kids), and Geyser Point for a peaceful outdoor casual setting. I absolutely love sitting at Geyser Point (as long as the weather is good) because you can stare out at the lake and feel like you aren't even in Florida anymore, but out in the Pacific Northwest, and they have great food! I don't believe they take reservations, but you CAN put your name on a waitlist in the app, which is probably a good idea since the spot has become a bit popular. Also, the Hoop Dee Doo Revue at Fort Wilderness is a really fun, sort of corny, dinner show to consider. Unlike other dining options you buy tickets and pay in advance. The meal is all you can eat, servers come around with platter and (literal) buckets of salad, cole slaw, cornbread, fried chicken, bbq pork ribs, mac and cheese, and strawberry shortcake. ...come hungry! haha. Keep in mind that the boats to Ft Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge are generally smaller, open air boats (the ones to MK are usually enclosed larger ferries) and as such will not operate during thunder/lightning storms. But it can be fun to check out these other resorts if you have down time.

And obviously, the monorail opens up dining and exploration options at The Grand Floridian and Polynesian resorts! You're going to have a fabulous time at the Contemporary!

One more general tip: If you are the types who want to spend all day in a park, consider bringing a portable battery pack to charge your phones with. The aforementioned My Disney Experience App (which you basically are required to use to get the most out of your day now) can really drain your battery. Being able to charge your phone ensures you wont suddenly be stuck with a dead device at the end of the day, unable to use the app or take pictures.