Top 5 Disney Date Night Ideas Resort Edition


Top 5 Disney Date Night Ideas Resort Edition Disney World Resorts 1

Have you ever had a date night at Disney? Whether you are here on vacation with the kids or are a local to the Disney area, you can plan an amazing Disney date night with your spouse or partner. Here are my top 5 Disney date night ideas for the Disney Resorts.

The Disney Parks can get a bit hectic with crowds of guests coming in and out. After a long hot day in the parks standing in lines, a quiet relaxing evening is just the thing you need. There is so much to see and do while at Walt Disney World. Here are some great ideas that you may not have thought of. You don’t always need to stress over where to make dinner reservations. A beignet can be had on the fly at Disney’s Port Orleans. It’s all about fun and adventure!

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Photo Credit- Disney Parks Blog

What you need to know before we get started is that during certain busy times of the year some of the resorts, mainly the deluxe resorts , will require that you are a guest to enter. You will find this mainly at the deluxe resorts and not as much at the moderate and value ones. Yes, you can still gain access and visit these deluxe resorts but you must take Disney transportation to enter them and visit.

You may also book a dining reservation. However, you do not have to book a fancy restaurant! You can simply do a mobile order and order a single beverage and show your mobile order receipt to the security at the entrance. Likewise, you can take a Disney bus, boat, or monorail to enter with no questions act and no reservations of any sort needed.

Disney Resorts do not mind guests entering and visiting and they encourage guests to come and eat, shop, and explore. To prevent parking issues they do not like non-resort guests to park cars at the deluxe resorts so Disney transportation is recommended.

This is not usually an issue at the moderates. Wilderness Lodge is very visiting guest friendly and you can hop on a boat from there to Magic Kingdom and then from Magic Kingdom to the Polynesian, the Grand Floridian, or the Contemporary.

THE GRAND FLORIDIAN

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The first resort I am going to mention is the Grand Floridian. The Grand Floridian is Disney Worlds’ flagship hotel and is considered a deluxe. This hotel is themed after a Victorian-era beachside luxury resort. There are many small seating areas tucked away within the resort that has that quiet, private, romantic feel.

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The Enchanted Rose, a small bar with plush seating and a cozy feel, is themed after Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. The large chandelier is inspired by Belle’s gold evening gown. You will see nods to Lumiere and Cogsworth and so much more inside. Just around the corner is an outdoor balcony which is usually quite empty. This overlooks the pool area and the Seven Seas Lagoon. You can hear the boat foghorns softly in the distance as they come and go to and from Magic Kingdom and the Polynesian. Imagine having a drink inside The Enchanted Rose and maybe wandering out to the balcony afterward to enjoy the evening air and watch the monorails go by.

The Grand Floridian even offers private dining that can accommodate anywhere from 2 to 35 guests. This is perfect if you are celebrating an anniversary or special moment.

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Perhaps one of the best things though is not what’s inside the Grand Floridian what’s outside. If you exit out the rear of the Grand Floridian and go to your right you will find a sandy beach area with a winding path that takes you right past Disney’s Wedding Pavilion. You may even get lucky and see Cinderella’s coach driving by with her beautiful white horses on its way to pick up a beautiful bride. You can even peak in the window of Franck’s Studio-themed after Martin Shorts character Franck in the Father of the Bride movie starring Steve Martin. Inside you will see opulent wedding cake and table displays.

The Wedding Pavilion lays on the sandy shore just down around the bend. Sometimes it will be open and you will be allowed to take photos outdoors under the arch if you wish. You can even perfectly center the Cinderella’s Castle in the background.

THE POLYNESIAN

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Follow along the path and you will come upon Disney’s Polynesian Resort. just after you pass the area on the right where the luau is held you will come upon a large sandy beach area and one very special bench swing. From there you can see not only the Electrical Water Pageant passing by at night but also the Magic Kingdom Fireworks. You also have a view of the illuminated Grand Floridian and Wedding Pavilion to your left. The sounds of the water lapping at the shore and the tiki torches flickering softly make this one of the most romantic Disney date night spots.

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The Polynesian has a cozy little bar inside called Trader Sam’s. Trader Sam’s is a very popular location with very little seating. The fun-themed drinks and interactive surroundings make for a long wait time. You can put your name on a waitlist and enjoy the bar around the corner just outside where a lovely waterfall and occasionally live music will keep you occupied until you can enter. All the same, drinks are sold in both locations including an alcoholic Dole Whip beverage and the famous Nautilus.

If this doesn’t appeal to you continue into the resort and exit on the far side to find a little quick service called the Pineapple Lanai that you can order a Dole Whip from. Dole Whip in hand enjoy the beautiful evening air and take a little stroll on the beach.

WILDERNESS LODGE

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If you want a truly cozy and relaxing atmosphere Wilderness Lodge is just the place. This beautiful moderate resort is full of so many romantic spaces perfect for a Disney date night. This resort wins hands down for the best resort with the most to do. This beautiful log Cabin Resort is complete with towering totem poles and authentic Indian artifacts. There is a multitude of private hidden seating areas and quiet places to sit and enjoy each other’s company. They have two bars. Territory Lounge is indoors and has a very warm lodge feel complete with a wooden bear-carved bar area. The food offerings here are quite good as well.

Related- Territory Lodge Info

If you go out of the back of the main lobby just behind the indoor bridge you will see some rocking chairs overlooking a stream that runs under the building. This is a beautiful place to sit and relax. If you exit from the main area of the lodge and go down the ramp and head to your right you will pass a beautiful waterfall. This is a great photo spot. Continue down to the right and head toward the water. You will find a bar area Geyser Point Bar and Grill has great food and drinks and lots of great seating right on the water. The atmosphere is great and you may even be able to catch some of the Magic Kingdom fireworks if you time it right.

I am going to mention a couple more cozy spots because this place is full of them. When you enter the main building through the main door turn around and head to your right just past Whispering Canyon’s entrance. Look for the stairs on your left. Head up the stairs and turn right. You will find a cozy fire with two chairs a sofa and a full view of the lodge from overhead.

One last place that may be a bit harder to find is located in the DVC building. You can ask for a map at the front desk. To the far right of the lodge in an exterior building, is the DVC building. Inside you will find a game table area and two cozy fireplace locations with seating. Alongside the back wall in the back corner, you find the little trains Walt Disney used to ride around on as well as some other memorabilia.

PORT ORLEANS

Port Orleans is a very beautiful and somewhat overlooked Disney resort. This resort is moderate and has boat transportation to and from Disney Springs making it easy to leave your car at Disney Springs and get to and from.

FRENCH QUARTER

This resort has a couple of areas. The French Quarter area and the Riverside area. One thing this resort is great for is nice walks along the water. You can take the boat from Disney Springs and explore French Quarter’s charming fountains and Mardi Gras theming. A giant jester flanking the pool area makes for great photo ops. The alligators here look friendly and only want to entertain you. If you’re getting hungry and don’t mind getting a little messy you can stopover in Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory for some warm fresh beignets.

RIVERSIDE

When you’re done exploring here you can head down to the walkway that runs along the waterside and enjoy a quiet walk over to Port Orleans Riverside area. The street lamps illuminate your way as you pass southern-style-looking mansions (guest rooms) and bayou-themed areas. Carriage rides are available on occasion and are a very romantic way to explore this resort as well. Gazebos, gardens, and mossy old oak trees give an air of southern charm. One of the mansions you pass by has a beautiful color-changing fountain. Lots of benches and quaint seating areas give plenty of opportunity for a place to sit and enjoy a few quiet moments together.

ART OF ANIMATION / POP CENTURY

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ART OF ANIMATION

When you’re in love you can sometimes feel like a big kid again. Disney is the best place to embrace that! Maybe you wanna run around and take silly selfies with some of your favorite Disney characters or challenge your significant other to a game of Pac-man. Loser does dishes for a week! Maybe you’re tired of going to fancy dinners and want Mickey Waffles for dinner. Nothing wrong with that. You’re allowed to have fun every now and then. Art Of Animation and Pop Century are great places to go and just enjoy feeling young again. These two resorts actually connect to each other and offer a beautiful walking path around Hourglass Lake. Bonus that you can hop on the Skyliner station that sits in-between them if your feel like hitting a park.

Art of Animation features a few distinctly themed areas. The Cars area has all your favorite Cars characters in a realistic Radiator Springs-themed environment complete with the Cozy Cone itself. Over in the center of the resort, the Nemo movie comes to life with a larger-than-life Crush the sea turtle. Colorful fish poke out of the bushes and you can’t help but feel happy at all the silliness. Just keep swimming though! There is more to explore. There is a Lion King area with classic scenes from the movie brought to life. Rafiki is trying to find his Zen, while Simba and his pals Pumbaa and Timon happily prance around with no worries. A not-so Little Mermaid villain can be spotted over in the under-the-sea Little Mermaid area. An enormous Ursula can be seen towering over the pathetic humans walking below, while King Triton is ever at the ready with his trusty trident. The rest of the gang is there too.

Ask for a map in the main lobby so you don’t miss anything!

POP CENTURY

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photo credit disneyworld.disney.go.com

Now head on over to the bridge heading towards Pop Century. This value resort is based on the different eras from the 1950s through the 1990s. Each area has large themed displays outside. I love the giant vintage Mickey Mouse telephone. Did you have one of those when you were younger? Roger Rabbit, Lady and the Tramp, Baloo, Mowgli, and more can be found walking around this fun retro-themed resort. It’s a great conversation starter too!

Another fun thing to do is rent a boat. You can rent a boat at select Disney resorts. The deluxe resorts and Fort Wilderness Campground all offer this amenity. You can find more here .

If you are in need of childcare Disney recommends Kid’s Night Out . It’s a non-Disney owned company that Its available for kids from 6 months to 12 years old. Its recommended to book 24 hours in advance. All sitters are CPR / First Aid certified. Rates are based on a 4-hour minimum. They can come right to your resort room and keep the kids entertained so you can get that date night at Disney that you have been dreaming of.

Conclusion

There are so many great things to do at Disney World. Whether you want a romantic night walking the beach at the Polynesian or go hunting for hidden Mickey’s at Wilderness Lodge, there is an adventure to be found all around the Disney World Resort. What resort sounds like the most fun to you? We hope you can incorporate some of these ideas into your next Disney date night.

Heather

Heather Noyes, the visionary behind this website and a former Disney travel agent, has woven her lifelong passion for Disney into the fabric of her daily life. Nestled just 3 miles away through the enchanting trees lies Cinderella's Castle, a magical neighbor to Heather's everyday adventures. From her earliest days, Disney has captured her heart, and this enduring love has translated into the meticulous planning of numerous trips for her family, friends, and cherished clients, all destined for the enchanting realm of Walt Disney World.

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