8 Disney Date Ideas for Your Next Walt Disney World Vacation

in Disney, Theme Parks, Walt Disney World

Disney Date Ideas

Credit: Disney

The Walt Disney World Resort is one of the most romantic and certainly the most magical vacation spots! From character dining and memorable fireworks, attractions, and shows, there are opportunities to create a perfect date night around every corner. Whether you’re planning a romantic couples’ getaway or spending a night of the family trip without the kids, here are some of our picks for the best Disney date ideas.

Take a behind the scenes tour

Disney date ideas
Credit: Disney
The Walt Disney World Resort has a variety of backstage tours that can appeal to nearly every interest and budget. For fans of Living with the Land in Epcot, go Behind the Seeds and tour the Land pavilion’s greenhouses. For the ultimate Disney fan experience, consider the Keys to the Kingdom tour in the Magic Kingdom (which includes a brief look at the Utilidor on the first floor of the park), or for the animal loving couple check out one of Animal Kingdom‘s guided experiences like the Wild Africa Trek or Caring for Giants.

Explore Disney resorts

Disney date ideas
Credit: Brittany DiCologero / ITM
Looking for something to do on a day when you’d rather not use up a park ticket? Take off to explore some of Disney’s resorts. Take a trip around the monorail loop from the Magic Kingdom with stops at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, and Polynesian Village Resort. Spend some time simply taking in all of the details around the resorts, or stop in for dinner at a signature location like the splurge-worthy Victoria & Albert’s at the Grand Floridian or California Grill at the Contemporary Resort.
Another easy stroll around Disney resorts can be found in the Epcot Resort Area, with Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, Yacht & Beach Club Resorts, and the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resorts. Get dinner at the Yachtsman Steakhouse, split the Kitchen Sink ice cream sundae at Beaches and Cream, or spend a night out singing karaoke together at Kimonos at the Swan and Dolphin.

Head to Disney Springs

Disney date ideas
Credit: Brittany DiCologero / ITM
Disney Springs is the ultimate Disney date night spot with loads of restaurants, some of the best shopping around, live entertainment and more. Take in waterfront dining at The Boathouse, or take to the water with an Amphicar Tour of Disney Springs (the only public Amphicar Tours available anywhere, by the way). Mix bath salts at Basin, stop for ice cream at Ghirardelli, or get all your souvenir shopping underway at The World of Disney.
For a quick getaway without spending too much on park tickets, consider staying at a Disney Springs hotel. These resorts come with many of the same benefits as Disney-owned accommodations, with access to Extra Magic Hours and transportation to and from Disney parks. Plus, if you’re planning on a date night or two in Disney Springs, they’re all within easy walking distance of all the fun.

See the fireworks

Disney date ideas
Credit: Disney
From Happily Ever After in the Magic Kingdom or Fantasmic! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney parks have a nighttime spectacular for everyone. If you’re planning on making a date night out of Disney’s fireworks, we recommend planning ahead- you don’t want to skimp on a prime viewing location, especially for a special occasion like an anniversary or proposal.
Consider booking a dessert party or dining package in the case of Fantasmic!, and you’ll be treated to dinner or dessert and a perfect view of the fireworks. For some fireworks, particularly Happily Ever After in the Magic Kingdom, you can also see the fireworks from outside the park. If you happen to book that dinner reservation for California Grill, you’ll be able to see the fireworks from the restaurant’s balcony, and you can always catch the fireworks from the beaches at the Polynesian and Grand Floridian Resorts. Fireworks are the perfect way to start or end your Disney vacation so be sure to set aside at least one night of your trip to see the show!

Meet your favorite characters

DIsney date ideas
Credit: Disney
Not into rides? Celebrating an anniversary or engagement? Just want to stock up on some extra PhotoPass pictures? Meeting characters is a fun way to get some extra magic our of your next Disney trip. And what’s a Disney vacation without meeting Mickey Mouse himself? From Minnie Mouse to the Disney Princesses, and even villains like Gaston, there are characters around every corner and meeting them (even as adults without the kids) can be loads of fun.

Go pin trading

Disney date idea
Credit: Disney
Whether you are just getting into pin trading or if it’s one of the Disney activities that’s bonded you as a couple, it’s easily the most fun way to collect some new and unique Disney souvenirs. You can pin trade with every Cast Member who has pins, both inside and outside the parks. From Disney’s Animal Kingdom (where we love the pins displayed on trash cans usually in Discovery Island or Asia) to resorts like Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, pins can be found all over the property.

Head out for drinks

Disney date ideas
Credit: Disney
In addition to resort lounges and Disney Springs restaurants, Walt Disney World is home to some excellent themed bars like Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto at the Polynesian Resort and Abracadabar at the Boardwalk. You can also spend the day “drinking around the world” in Epcot by sampling drinks in each country around World Showcase Lagoon. Don’t miss the cocktail scene in the other theme parks though — Disney’s Animal Kingdom is home to some fan-favorite bars like the Dawa Bar, and the Hollywood Brown Derby and Tune in Lounges at Disney’s Hollywood Studios are also not to be missed.

Take a horse-drawn carriage ride

Disney date ideas
Credit: Disney
Disney’s Port Orleans Resorts and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground are both home to horse-drawn carriage rides. Each experience offers an intimate ride around the resort properties and can be the perfect end to a romantic day in Walt Disney World. At Port Orleans stop for beignets or round out the evening with live entertainment at Scat Cat’s Club, or at Fort Wilderness get your seats in advance for one of the country’s longest running dinner shows with the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue!
For more tips and tricks for planning your next couples’ trip to the Walt Disney World Resort, book your trip with an authorized Disney vacation planner like Academy Travel. Our go-to Disney travel agents at Academy Travel can help book your accommodations and help with dining reservations, backstage tours, and more. Click here for a free, no obligation quote, and plan your next romantic Disney vacation today.

What’s your favorite Disney date idea? Let us know in the comments!

in Disney, Theme Parks, Walt Disney World

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