Florida Bound

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It doesn’t really matter what time of year you get married—a wedding trip south is always in order. Whether you prefer the Atlantic, the Gulf Coast or the interior, there’s a destination in Florida with your name on it—a place with lots of sun, lovely warm breezes, and as much, or as little, to do as you want. Here you’ll read about five possibilities—a small but worthy sample of the delights that await once you decide to head south for your first married days together.

Disney World, Orlando
By Ray Bendici

“Hey, you just won the Super Bowl of romance and married the woman of your dreams. What are you going to do next?”

“I’m going to Disney World!”

Like many men, I was happy to give my bride-to-be vital input on the majority of the choices that needed to be made for our wedding: “This invitation?” “Uh-huh.” “This china pattern?” “Uh-huh.” “Chicken, fish or corndogs?” “Uh-huh.”

But when it came to planning our honeymoon, I was fully involved from the start because there was only one place I wanted to go: Disney World! For a number of reasons, my parents were never able to take me and my siblings while we were growing up, and then when I was old enough to go on my own, there were other things—rent, car payments, food—that precluded a visit. So by the time I said, “I do!” I was more than ready for my first trip. We spent 10 days in Orlando, each one more magical then the previous.

Of course, that was 14 years ago, and a recent return (this time with the kids) showed that Disney World has only gotten better in the intervening time, adding new attractions and entire theme parks (hello, Animal Kingdom!), as well as providing more places to stay and ways to enjoy the beginning of a new life together—actually, call it “Diz-ney” because your head may spin trying to figure where to go and what to do next.

Fortunately, Disney arranges resort accommodations by theme: luxurious (includes a stay at The Grand Floridian, Yacht Club Resort or Boardwalk Inn and Villas); exotic (The Polynesian, Caribbean Beach Hotel, Coronado Springs); adventurous (Animal Kingdom Lodge, Fort Wilderness); relaxing (Beach Club, Port Orleans); and distinctly Disney (The Contemporary). Two of the newest resorts on the property are Disney’s Pop Century—a value-level hotel highlighting pop culture of the past 50 years—and Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, a lakeside hotel that draws inspiration from turn-of-the-century upstate New York’s horse-racing legacy. No matter which you choose, you can expect the full Disney treatment, from quality accommodations and friendly service to theme park transportation and a slew of more “adult” activities, including spa treatments, couples’ massage, golfing, parasailing and fine dining. You could also swim and splash in a pool or just lounge around and soak up the sun.

When you decide to venture into the theme parks, you quickly realize there’s Disney, and then everyone else. It’s all the Disney fun and wonder you expect—rides and attractions, Mickey and his pals, entertainment, parades, shows—and much more. The parks are also more visitor-friendly, from offering healthier (and reasonably priced) snacks and dining options to Fast Pass, the greatest thing to happen to amusement parks since the invention of the roller coaster—basically, you go to the ride/attraction you want, get a ticket that tells you what time to come back, and when you return, skip the line and get right on the ride. And it’s free! Seriously, unless you enjoy standing around waiting on line in the hot Florida sun, it’s crazy not to take advantage of this.

When you’re Disneyed out, there are other theme parks nearby—SeaWorld, Universal’s Islands of Adventure and Studios—but being a tourist mecca, Orlando has an abundance of attractions and events going on throughout the year. Downtown Orlando is a hot night spot with a number of bars and night clubs, as are Orange Avenue, Church Street, Magnolia Street and International Drive. And with millions of people a year descending upon the city, there are so many restaurants (covering every cuisine and price range) that you could eat in a different place every night for a year and never dine in the same place twice!

Sun, fun and a million things to see and do—sounds like the makings of honeymoon magic.

For more information on a Disney World honeymoon, call (800) 370-6009 or visit disneyweddings.com.