David and I love date night, and we love Walt Disney World – so when you put the two together, it’s pretty much our favorite thing ever. We’ve made it a priority to have weekly date nights in our marriage (DATE YO SPOUSE, PEEPS), and that doesn’t stop when we go on vacation. Even if we’re on trips with family or friends, we make it a priority to slip away for time for us. And what better place to have magical date night memories than the most magical place on earth? I mean, Mickey and Minnie have made it work for decades and decades. They have yet to officially tie the knot, but they seem super happy none the less. Today, we’re listing our favorite Disney dates, so that you can enjoy them on your next romantic trip to WDW too!
1. Polynesian Perfection
A date night classic for us, is heading to The Polynesian Village Resort for dinner at The Kona Cafe, one of our favorite hidden gems of Walt Disney World. After dinner we grab dole-whip and walk along the beach at sunset, enjoying the beautiful resort. We then head over to Trader Sam’s for drinks, and a few rounds of chanting Uh Oa! Uh Oa! Uh Oa! Oa! Oa! We finish the night with firework watching on the beach, where they pipe in the music for Wishes. We love this date night for many reasons – but mainly, because we don’t have to have park tickets to enjoy it. We also love it because it’s a one stop shop for dinner, drinks, dessert, and entertainment. (Not to mention the romantic ambiance at the Polynesian Village Resort.)
2. World Showcase Strolls
We love to make a dinner reservation in World Showcase, watch Illuminations, and then stroll through the countries after the crowds have left. You see, there’s a mass exodus of the park after fireworks every night, leaving World Showcase relatively empty. The stores and restaurants are closed, but the ambiance is still there, and it’s an incredibly romantic place to take a night stroll with the person you love. We always love getting dinner in France, or Mexico, and then taking our time making our way out of the park.
3. Disney Springs Day Date
We love Disney Springs at night (hello 2 am nightcap at The Boathouse!), but we think it really shines during the day now, when you can see the beautiful, multi-dimensional color of the water of the new springs. On our last trip we had a day-date, which was more like a walking-eating-shopping tour of the new complex. This works out well because of the abundance of places that don’t need reservations, like Morimoto Street Eats, Sprinkles Cupcakes, the bars at The Boathouse and Jock Lindsey’s, and the ever popular Earl of Sandwich (HOLIDAY SANDWICHES FOR DAYS).
4. The Kiss Goodnight
If you ever see on our social media’s that we’re currently at Walt Disney World, you can most likely find us at The Magic Kingdom, an hour after the park has closed, weighed down with camera gear, watching The Kiss Goodnight on Cinderella’s Castle. Quite possibly our favorite Walt Disney World date is to stay in the Magic Kingdom as late as we can, eating corn dog nuggets from Casey’s Corner on the hub grass, taking pictures of an empty park, and to be the last people out at night, catching empty glimpses of the park as we go. It’s deeply magical to us.
5. The Boardwalk Bash
We LOVE Disney’s Boardwalk. We love the feeling of yesteryear it evokes, and how it always makes me feel like I’m in the dancing scene in ‘A League Of Their Own’. Dinner, dessert, and a stroll down here is a great date night combination, especially with the new ice cream place that just opened up. If you aren’t feeling any of the Boardwalk’s dining options, walk over to the nearby Beach and Yacht Club, for some of our favorite restaurants – The Captain’s Grille, or the The Yachtsman Steakhouse.
6. The Top Of The World
Have you eaten at The California Grill at The Contemporary Resort? If the answer is no, you need to stop what you’re doing and make a reservation. If the high prices scare you off, consider sitting at the bar, and ordering sushi and flatbreads (they’re big enough to make a meal out of!). The best part of The California Grill, besides the incredible food, is the panoramic windows, overlooking Bay Lake, The Grand Floridian, and The Magic Kingdom. No matter what time you eat there, if you save your receipt, they’ll let you come back to watch fireworks from their observation deck when Wishes start!
Dating is fun – so is Disney World. Putting the two together just seems natural to us. We’ve had some of our favorite, most memorable dates in the parks, and we can’t wait to keep making more great Disney dating memories!