Minnie Moms: Disney Dream Date

All of the Minnie Moms are married and in most cases, we ladies are the Disney fanatics in the household. Our husbands patiently listen to us talk about the latest updates to the dining cancelation policy and hear about what's new in Fantasyland.  Of course the men enjoy their Walt Disney World vacations that we have so meticulously planned for them.  Wouldn't it be nice to plan a date night to give us both a chance to really relax?  You know, a rare dinner where we don't have to worry about what anyone else is eating, wearing, throwing, etc.

Amy:  I think Andy and I have only had one dinner alone at Walt Disney World.  I really don't know why we waited so long other than it just didn't work in the schedule and before we had children, date nights were common so one just didn't rank too high on the vacation priority list.  In April of 2010, we took Tink to WDW for the first time.  We had a terrific week but traveling with a toddler is work.  Thankfully we had willing babysitters (aka grandparents) who let us go out to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary.  (Holy cow time flies!)  Andy and I had a lovely dinner at Jiko.  We sat on one side of the booth and had fun being foodie nerds as we critiqued the experience.  After flatbread, ostrich, steak with mac and cheese, a lovely fish, and a complementary anniversary pistachio creme brulee, we headed over to the Studios with the intention of getting dessert.  Well, for once we didn't really read the schedules and it was toward the end of Extra Magic Hours and none of the food locations were open.  Oh well, we had a nice walk around the quiet parts of the part and headed back to Old Key West where the little one was sleeping like a baby.

But that's reality.  When I posed the question about a dream Disney date night to the Minnie Moms, I gave them the option to discuss a real date or to shoot for the moon.  Hmm, what would I do if time and money weren't a concern?  I had been kicking around a few ideas in my head and then asked my husband.  We came up with essentially the same plan.  Maybe we'll get around to doing portions of this someday.

For our fantasy dream date, we'd have dinner at the chef's table at Victoria and Albert's.  I experienced this with my father before my wedding but my husband would like a chance to go.  (Don't throw me in that briar patch!)   And in our fantasy world the timing works out for us to have our dessert on the Grand 1 Yacht just before the Magic Kingdom fireworks.  After returning to the Grand Floridian, we'd spend the night in the honeymoon suite we had for our wedding.  We'd meet our girls and the rest of the family the next morning for a character breakfast, just not too early.

Back to reality, sometime when the girls are older, I'd like to do something like this while at Walt Disney World.  Since we don't have family nearby, Andy and I rarely get date nights and a weekend away is almost out of the question.  However, we could go out to dinner and then stay one night at another resort.  As the mother of an infant and a preschooler, the thought of sleeping late is heavenly.  As nice as the Grand 1 is, at this point, I'd trade it for a solid night's sleep.

Janine:  I am very excited to write this month's article.

Dream date night, let's make it a super dream!

It would have to be set in December. Winter is my favourite time of the year and I absolutely adore Christmas. We have never been to the parks out of summer so seeing WDW decorated for the holidays would almost be enough for my dream date.

But since I'm allowed to go all out, then that is just the start.

So, to set the scene, it is my favourite day of the whole year, Christmas Eve. For me, December 24th is actually even more exciting than Christmas Day itself. I think it is all about the build up, the anticipation. 99% of the time we spend this day at our house. But in this scenario we are in the Happiest Place on Earth. And where better to spend the date but at my favourite park, the Magic Kingdom. Now for me, although this is date night, I'm going to include our daughter, Tink, in the scenario. I just can't imagine a perfect day, especially at Disney, without her.

So after the usual day of rides and attractions at the park (with next to no queue times of course), we will begin date 'night' with dinner, at Cinderella's Royal Table (to make it extra special, Tink will have been to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique during the day and is now dressed as Cinders herself). We will begin with Soup of the Day, followed by Vegetarian Cassoulet for moi, Roasted Beef Tenderloin for Dear Husband and both ending with the Chefs Dessert Trio, yum yum. Tink would probably have chicken nuggets ;). She would also have lots of special attention in her BBB get up, and DH would have secretly arranged a special anniversary (Dec 13)/birthday (Dec 28) cupcake to be hand delivered by my favourite Princess, Belle.

After this, we would head back to do some more rides, including my favourite, The Haunted Mansion.

We would pop into a few of the shops and DH would treat me to a Dooney & Bourke tote.

Then it would be time for Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Parade.

We would have been specifically chosen to ride in the float with Santa himself, and Tink would be sat in his lap. After the amazing parade we would continue to meet and greet all the characters and would have great interaction with all of them, especially Mickey and Minnie and the Princesses. We would have a ton of hot chocolate and cookies and enjoy Holiday Wishes from a special VIP viewing area.

I would have to have a cinnamon roll from the Main Street Bakery on the way out, and as we head towards the monorail, DH would surprise me by saying that we were booked into the Grand Floridian for the night, he had expertly hidden an over night bag in the bottom of Tink's buggy.

So we would head off to the GF and see the gingerbread house and amazing decorations, and fall asleep knowing that we would wake up on Christmas Day in fantastic surroundings. And of course we had been given an upgrade so we were in the most expensive suite in the whole resort, with a stocking full of presents from Mickey and Santa waiting for each of us in the morning.

Perfect!

Natalie:  Disney World offers so many wonderful, romantic accommodations for couples hoping to enjoy a dream date with their spouse. To find just the right date experience for my husband and I, I began by researching the various tours, spas and restaurants that would most suit us. Here is what I would plan:

Image from Disney.com

My husband and I would begin the day with Wilderness Back Trail Adventure. This adventure is a tour by way of segway through Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort. We have always wanted to take a segway tour and have heard that this particular tour is great fun. The tour costs $90 per person and lasts approximately 2 hours. Next, we would head over by boat to Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. Here we would arrive just in time for the spa treatment we had carefully selected and booked.

Feeling rejuvenated, yet hungry, we would then head to our reservation at Victoria and Albert's. This restaurant is also located in Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. The restaurant is one of Disney's premier dining experiences offering personalized menus, decadent food in an adult, elegant atmosphere. The cost of the dinner at Victoria and Albert's run $185 per person with wine pairing or $125 without (before taxes and gratuity).

Following our meal, we would travel by monorail to the Magic Kingdom for a viewing of the Wishes Nighttime Spectacular. Of course, if the park is open after the viewing of the fireworks, we will head to some of our favorite attractions for a few hours of extra fun!


Thanks to our regular contributor, Janine, and Natalie from Meet the Magic for joining me in imagining a Disney dream date.  Please visit the Minnie Moms page for past articles and more information about these fabulous ladies. 
~~Amy