The #1 request I get is for info on things to do at Disney World for adults. I'm in the middle of planning my own adults-only trip and I've got some ideas for you on when to go, where to stay and things to do during an adults-only Disney World trip.
I also have a tip on when to book your trip and how to apply discounts to your reservation.
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These are notes from this episode. There's much more info included in the audio so be sure to listen to the episode for a better explanation.
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6 steps for planning an adult trip
Following my 6 step planning process, here are my ideas for planning a trip for adults.
Step 1: When to go
I suggest late April/early May or September/October for a trip. The crowds are light, the temps are warm enough to enjoy the swimming pool and there are special events happening at Epcot during those times. For more info on when to go, see my chart.
Step 2: Where to stay
I have a few ideas for where to stay on-site for adults.
- The Boardwalk area - The Beach Club, Yacht Club, Boardwalk Inn, Swan and Dolphin are all located within the Boardwalk area and walking distance to Epcot
- Port Orleans Riverside and Port Orleans French Quarter are both beautiful resorts with boats that go to Downtown Disney
- Animal Kingdom Lodge is a gorgeous resort and a good option for people who like to get away from the hustle and bustle
Step 3: Make your daily plan
When making your daily plan and deciding how to divide up your time, I suggest spending more time at Epcot, Downtown Disney, on the Boardwalk, playing a round of mini golf and fitting in a tour (such as the Backstage Safari Tour, Segway tour at Ft. Wilderness or 1 of the holiday tours).
Step 4: Pick your dining options
Consider choosing 1 of the finer dining options such as Victoria and Albert's, California Grill, Artist Point, Jiko, Flying Fish or Yachtsman Steakhouse.
Step 5: Plan park touring
My general touring plans should work for most adults as they include all of the highlights of all of the parks, including the thrillers.
Step 6: Add extra magic
Consider adding some extra touches such as having Disney Florist deliver flowers to the room (or decorate the room) or book a fireworks cruise to view Wishes or Illuminations.
Quick tip of the day
You can book your Disney World trip way before discounts are announced. People using a Disney agent (if you submit a request through this site, it'll go straight to my recommended agent) or calling Disney can book up to 500 days in advance and then when discounts are announced, you can have the discount applied to your existing reservation.
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Will you be taking an adults-only trip to Disney World? Do you have questions or suggestions on planning your trip?
Please feel free to share them in the comments.
I am just returning from an adults only Disney Trip and it was great! One thing I will suggest is the Keys to the Kingdom Tour. We signed up for the 8:30 tour, which allowed us to enter the park before rope drop. It was great to have that extra time in the park, and it makes for a great picture in front of the castle. The tour itself was very interesting! I highly recommend it.
Another thing we really enjoyed was Epcot. We planned out our day and made sure we saw all of the shows in the different countries. We ate lunch in Morocco at Tangierine Cafe, and it was so good! The only thing we wish we would have done is not each lunch at the same restaurant. We wanted to try food from all the different countries, but we were so full from lunch. At one point we were extremely hot and wanted to get off of our feet, so we stopped in Italy for a little break. We went to the Wine Cellar and enjoyed a wine a beer flight while sitting in the air condition. It was a very nice spot to take a break! Of course we enjoyed a little drink from each country while in Epcot. We both loved the Grapefruit beer in Germany, very refreshing. Also, we highly recommend the frozen lemonade with Grey Goose in France. That night we ate at Le Cellier which was a good treat after a long day.
One restaurant we really enjoyed while in Disney was Kouzzina on the Boardwalk. Our waiter suggested two great entrees (the pork tenderloin and chicken) which were both amazing!! It was a delicious dinner and a great value for only 1 table service point.
Overall, we had a great Disney trip. We had our trip completely planned out (thanks to your Disney Prep Binder) which made our trip extremely stress free.
Shannon, Thanks so much for your podcasts. Being a busy mom, who is in the car for a greater part of the day, I am addicted to them. I have listened to many podcasts about disney, but I love how genuine and excited you sound when talking about Disney. I am hoping that you will be in WDW when we are there 10-1 through 10-8. If we see you the dole whips are on us!!!! Thanks again for all of your great information.
Our wedding anniversary is April 29 so that’s when we usually go to WDW. It’s always extremely crowded, which surprises me. We check the charts and go when low crowds are predicted and go to recommended parks and it’s always insanely crowded.
I think the concept of “crowded” is relative. It really depends on how many times you have been and which times of the year you have experienced. Many of the people who put these charts together have been several times throughout the year to make these judgments. Have you ever gone during the week between Christmas and New Years? Or during the weeks right before or after Easter? Now THAT’s crowded – we’re talking wall-to-wall people to the point that they may close one or more of the parks because they will reach their capacity. While Disney will always have lines and crowds, the off-peak times are nothing compared to the crowds during peak times. The only time I went where there were literally no lines was the first week in February (before the President’s weekend/winter break crowds).
We did our first family trip to Disney this past June. Our 8 year old daughter and especially our 5 year old son were so overwhelmed by so much of it that there was a huge list of things that one or the other or both simply wouldn’t even consider trying or doing. Which meant my husband and I kept saying “This would be so fun without the kids!” So now we are planning our trip without kids as a celebration of my 40th birthday! We are looking forward to the later stuff -like Fireworks – that we never could do this past summer. So we are taking advantage of the dessert buffet in Magic Kingdom, the seating thing where we eat at Mama Melrose and then have the VIP seating for Fantasmic, and staying at a Deluxe instead of Moderate resort. I’m most excited for our day at Epcot and being able to enjoy each country and actually ride on Soarin’!!
Can’t wait to be able to listen to this! Looking at planning an adult only trip next year. We have multiple friends who have never been. 🙂
My DH and I are making our first visit to WDW, and as we don’t have any children, it will be an adults only trip.
I’m the biggest Disney fan out of the two of us, and am very excited to meet the characters. We’ve booked 3 character meals, as it means I can meet them without my DH spending time queuing up for characters, which he’d rather not do. For us, that’s a great compromise (plus we’ve booked for Le Cellier to keep him super happy!)