Honeymoons??

[SWTXBelle]

First - do you know where you are staying? I would recommend staying on property - I think Boardwalk Villas are romantic without costing quite as much as Grand Floridian, Yacht & Beach Club - you can walk to Epcot, take a boat to Hollywood Studios. Polynesian would be great - take the monorail to the Magic Kingdom. I can personally recommend Saratoga Springs and Port Orleans, also. I have a great Disney travel agent, btw - let me know if you need her info.
EAT AT VICTORIA AND ALBERT'S at the Grand Floridian. Adults only, fabulous food - well worth the money for a fantastic meal. Cirtico's at the Grand Floridian is also great.
Go to the Adventurer's Club at Pleasure Island. I am not much on clubbing (although if you are, there's plenty at Pleasure Island) but I love, love the Adventurer's Club.
I think the luau is really neat and romantic.

What specifically are you looking for? Advice on rides, meals, romantic things?
Check out www.allears.net for menus and great trip reports.
I've got to run - feel free to ask or pm me with an specific concerns.

eta - my "don't miss list" -
Magic Kingdom - Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Splash, Space and Big Thunder Mt., Mickey's Philharmagic. Favorite restaurants - Tony's and the Liberty Tree Tavern - both for lunch.
Epcot - Test Track, Soarin',Off Kilter show (in Canada). Be sure to try the Beverly soda at Coke's Club Cool!!! Restaurants - it's hard to go wrong here - I always get good food!
Animal Kingdom - Expedition Everest, Finding Nemo:The Musical, Kilamanjaro(sp?) Safari, Dinosaur! Restaurant - the Yak and Yeti is fabulous!
Hollywood Studios - Rock N Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, Lights! Motor! Action!, Beauty and the Beast show, Fantasmic! Restaurants - Brown Derby (they have a great New York strip, but only at lunch), 50's Prime Time Cafe.

Water parks - I love Typhoon Lagoon - they have the Crushin' Gusher, which is a water roller coaster.

Downtown Disney - love the salt scrub at Basin, yummy sandwiches at Earl of Sandwich, Raglan Road Irish pub and restaurant (live music!), Comedy Warehouse, the aforementioned Adventurer's Club. If you can swing it, I understand the Cirque de Soleil show is great, but I haven't been able to do it yet.

Also, while I recommend you wear the buttons, understand that they don't entitle you to anything - it is up to the cast members to do whatever. That said, I've always had lots of pixie dust on my visits.

[LeslieAGD]

Originally Posted by ZTABullwinkle

For those GCers that went to Disney, what would you suggest to do there? That is where me and the mister are planning on going.

Hubby and I went for five days.
Day One: Magic Kingdom (make sure you see Mickey's Philharmagic)
Day Two: Epcot and Downtown Disney (eat at Bongo's Cuban Cafe, it's wonderful! ...also, don't forget IDs if you want to enter Pleasure Island)
Day Three: MGM (plan your day around the stage shows, they are worth it! also go on the Aerosmith ride and stay for the light show)
Day Four: Animal Kingdom and MGM (hit the safari as soon as the park opens; most animals are out in the morning when it's cool)
Day Five: Shopped, relaxed, and then headed home

We had passes to the water parks too and didn't use them because there was so much else to do. MGM was our favorite and we went back a second day to ride Aerosmith and Tower of Terror again, as well as see the shows we missed.

Book your trip with AAA if you have it. The deal we got was amazing! Make sure to go to guest services at the Magic Kingdom and get honeymoon buttons. They entitle you to free snacks, and jumping ahead in at least one line. Most of the employees saw our buttons and gave us the best seats on the rides, as well as discounts at some of the shops/stands.

If you like to get pictures with the characters, check out the shops in the Epcot countries. At the "England" Toy Shop, we saw Pooh, Tigger, and Eeyore all together and also Mary Poppins and Alice in Wonderland. There was almost no line because very few people knew they were there. Also, Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom are the best places for photo ops with the big characters (ie - Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Chip & Dale, etc). See your maps for Mickey's Toon Town and Mickey's Safari Spot.

[Scully]

Originally Posted by RhoSigma2003

Alright, so we've picked out our dresses, showed our bling, now the best part.... the honeymoon!

If you are married, where did you go?
If you are engaged, where are you planning on going?
If your are single, where do you want to go?
Would you wait to go on your honeymoon?

Also, suggestions and "where not to go" would be VERY helpful!

Aruba! I would go back in a heartbeat. I was married last October and we could not have asked for better weather or nicer people.

I suggest taking 2 or 3 days off after the wedding to cool down, get your heads together, count your money, pack and then enjoy your honeymoon!

Congrats!

[ZTAMich]

I think a Disney HM would be fun BUT there are times of year when it's awful - packed with tourists! Get a TA and do some research on your own to plan the best time to go. The large tour groups (ugh the Brazilians!!!) have really ruined some of our family days there!

http://www.mousesavers.com/
and
http://www.disboards.com/
are two great sites. I think DIS has a whole thread on WDW HMs!

[SWTXBelle]

I am sure as individuals Brazilians are wonderful - but I co-sign that they are TERRIBLE in groups. Shudder. Everytime I see a little yellow flag I twitch.

[aephi alum]

Originally Posted by LeslieAGD

Also, for the ladies, make all your reservations in your maiden name and don't try to change any of your documents (ie - license, s.s. card, passport) until you return.

I totally agree with this. A passport name change takes at least six weeks to process - maybe longer these days. If you're planning to change your name, use your maiden name for your honeymoon, and change your ID when you get back. (OTOH, if you're traveling within the US, you can change your driver's license easily enough - once you've worked your way through the wait at the DMV, they'll just print your new ID off and hand it to you.)

I booked our honeymoon travel using my maiden name. This included the hotel - we stayed at the Hyatt Regency Aruba, and I had the highest-possible status of their frequent guest program (damn business travel...), so we booked the room in my maiden name. DH was less than thrilled after a week of "Mr. and Mrs. MyMaidenName" but we did get upgraded to the club floor.

[Fleur de Lis]

It looks like I'm in the minority and didn't go international (or to Disney). I didn't want to have to remember my passport on my wedding day or possibly lose my luggage.

We went to Asheville, NC and stayed at the Grove Park Inn (a drive-able distance from Atlanta). It was amazing - the Inn has plenty to do if you want, like a world-class spa, fabulous restaurants, golf, games in the great room, etc. Then Asheville has the Biltmore Estate & winery, fun shopping, hiking, and more. We did a lot of those things and also just ordered movies and room service a lot. I cried when we left because I didn't want to leave!

We recently went on Royal Caribbean cruise to the Southern Caribbean, and it was incredibly relaxing once you were all checked in and your luggage arrived. But I don't think I'd want to share dining tables and tolerate teenage partiers on my honeymoon.

[preciousjeni]

Dang, how did (or will) some of y'all pay for these trips???? I got married in 2006 in a civil ceremony. Total cost: Around $200 for everything. My parents footed the bill for a post-wedding dinner at Chili's for 8 people or so and my aunt bought a "wedding cake." I wanted to elope...my man wanted a wedding. So we compromised.

We left the next day for our honeymoon which consisted of a two/two and a half hour drive (complete with foolishness along the way...we were having fun) to Catskill, NY where we stayed in a bed and breakfast for two nights. Our honeymoon cost more than our wedding, but less than $500 - and THAT price almost gave me a heart attack. I must stingy! I planned everything.

Wedding and honeymoon for $700ish? That's my kinda party!

[LeslieAGD]

Originally Posted by ZTAMich

I think a Disney HM would be fun BUT there are times of year when it's awful - packed with tourists! Get a TA and do some research on your own to plan the best time to go. The large tour groups (ugh the Brazilians!!!) have really ruined some of our family days there!

Hubby and I went in July and we did run into a lot of tour groups (mostly from Brazil). They weren't rude or particularly obnoxious, but we tried our best to avoid them so we didn't get stuck in long lines. Thankfully we didn't have issues because we used the fast passes A LOT (take advantage, the fast passes are your friends)! The only place that the lines were ridiculous were Soarin' and Test Track at Epcot.

[SWTXBelle]

Fleur de lis - I agree! The Grove Park Inn is soooo romantic - and I love, love, love Biltmore. It would be a great honeymoon!

And as for paying, honeymoon #1 was a gift from the in-laws, and honeymoon #2 was also very cheap - 3 days in a B & B, and just meals and gas as we drove around Virginia.

[Glitter650]

Originally Posted by aephi alum

I totally agree with this. A passport name change takes at least six weeks to process - maybe longer these days. If you're planning to change your name, use your maiden name for your honeymoon, and change your ID when you get back. (OTOH, if you're traveling within the US, you can change your driver's license easily enough - once you've worked your way through the wait at the DMV, they'll just print your new ID off and hand it to you.)

Really you just get a new license right then and there ?!!! Not in Cali... last time I get a new one took about 2-3 weeks to receive it by mail.

[Educatingblue]

Originally Posted by ZTABullwinkle

For those GCers that went to Disney, what would you suggest to do there? That is where me and the mister are planning on going.

We were married in November and the first day of our "land" portion was Thanksgiving so we just lounged at the resort and had a really nice dinner.

Day 2: MGM
Day 3: Sea World
Day 4: Magic Kingdom

PreciousJeni....As far as paying for everything, you put the honeymoon on the credit card and hope you have plenty of cash gifts!!! We actually opened all of our cards the first night of the honeymoon and we had almost $2,000! A lot of guests went to the Cruise website and gave us onboard credits for drinks. Other people called the resort and left us credits for meals etc.

[aephi alum]

Originally Posted by Glitter650

Really you just get a new license right then and there ?!!! Not in Cali... last time I get a new one took about 2-3 weeks to receive it by mail.

This was in Connecticut. I'd just moved to CT, so I wasn't just changing my name - I was doing an out-of-state conversion and registering my car. I had to wait a while, but they checked my marriage certificate, gave me an eye test, took my picture, took my MA license and registration, and handed me a new CT license, registration, and plates on the spot.

[Scully]

Originally Posted by aephi alum

This was in Connecticut. I'd just moved to CT, so I wasn't just changing my name - I was doing an out-of-state conversion and registering my car. I had to wait a while, but they checked my marriage certificate, gave me an eye test, took my picture, took my MA license and registration, and handed me a new CT license, registration, and plates on the spot.

I wished they moved that fast in New York! It just took me 3 months to get the new title to my car - with my name change.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Fleur de Lis

It looks like I'm in the minority and didn't go international (or to Disney). I didn't want to have to remember my passport on my wedding day or possibly lose my luggage.

I'm in the minority with you. (And I love the Grove Park, too.)

We went to New Orleans. (This was many years pre-Katrina obviously). It was perfect for a honeymoon -- great food, great music, relaxing atmosphere. We could just sit in a cafe doing nothing and still feel like we were doing something. As a bonus, when we want to "relive" that honeymoon experience, say on an anniversary, it's as easy as some good CDs and some good Creole food. (For many years, pralines were a standard part of our anniversaries -- I need to do that again this year.)

We were glad we didn't try to go anywhere more exotic -- we would have been too tired to really enjoy it. But we did go to Hawaii (Oahu and the Big Island) about 6 months after our wedding. Perfect timing for a trip like that.