Wedding Blog
Everytime we start to discuss our honeymoon… you’d think we were making the biggest decision of our lives. Mr. Flamingo and I can’t seem to agree on our choices. On my side, ever since I’ve been small I’ve wanted to go to Europe - especially Italy. I am half Italian so it only make sense that I would want to visit my father’s homeland. Thinking ahead, I’ve figured that maybe my honeymoon will be my only chance to visit Europe before I settle down and start a family.
I would also like to visit Paris because Mr. Flamingo lived in France for a year, and I would love to see where he stayed and at the same time experience it. Now you might be saying it’s going to cost us a fortune, but I would like to backpack in Europe, sleep in hostels, meet new people and all of that. Knowing that I want to visit two very expensive cities, I was thinking of maybe splurging on one night in Paris for that extra romantic touch.
Image source: Italy- Patrizia Giacomini,
Paris - gettyimages.com Disney- Disney Honeymoons.
Mr. Flamingo doesn’t feel like going to Europe because obviously he’s done it. His dream honeymoon would be Disney. He finds it to be romantic and since he’s a child at heart, would love to experience it (he’s never gone before)… he even told me to bring my wedding dress so that we can take pictures next to the castle. I agree it would be magical, but I’ve been to Disney. Also, Disney is something I see ourselves doing with our future kids, Europe not so much.
I even suggested going to Disney Paris, but that doesn’t interest him. He wants to stay there for the whole week or two. I’m afraid that I will get fed-up if we do this. Mr. Flamingo wants to go to Europe and experience it with me, but would like to do so when we are older and when we can afford to spend the money. I completely understand his point of view.
We keep going back and forth and I don’t know what to do. HELP!!! What do you think we should do? And for those who have gone to Disney… how was it? I would love to hear the pros and cons.
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Share this post: Paris & Italy or Disney???
Check the prices! You can spend waaaay more on a week or two at Disney than you might if you do a Euro trip like the kind you’re describing. Paris and Italy are excellent places to do on a budget, in my opinion, because with a little research you can really eat well for not too much. And good food will keep you happy. That trip on a budget won’t kill your romantic buzz, but the Disney trip so totally could.
Oh sounds tough. Although I gotta say Disney will be cheaper! However, I also think that Disney should be reserved for when you have family/kids. I’m on your side my dear. I’d rather go to Italy and/or Paris if I had it my way. Is there a 3rd option that may be cheaper?
I guess for us it was easy to decide. We wanted to rest and relax but also see a few sights so a Carribean cruise was perfect for us. Also, we love to travel, so our honeymoon didn’t have to be super far or expensive.
Miss Flamingo, your fiance would be crazy to pass up a trip to Europe in favor of Disneyland. I just don’t see how there’s any argument there on his part!!
Mr. R and I really want to go to Florence in Italy. The original plan was to go and live there for several months. But with the weak dollar I am not sure that Europe is worth the cost. Even in hostels you are going to be paying much more than you would have even six months ago.
Also I am not sure what type of travelers that you guys are, but you should think about season also. Mr R and I really like to travel off-season when there are few other travelers. I don’t like to wait in line behind three hundred other American tourists, but we don’t mind less than perfect weather or missing some tourist attractions.
Is there anyplace that you both want to see that neither of you have been? Mr R and I are going to S. America partly cause neither of us has ever been there.
Or try and go to a part of Europe that is less explored and have an adventure. Croatia is absolutely gorgeous and has a coast that easily rivals Italy’s, but is less traveled and therefore cheaper.
If you are both that adamant, maybe you should find a neutral compromise that’s neither Europe nor Disney?
Disneyland (Calif.) or Disney World (Florida)? Because whoever said that Disney could be more expensive that Europe is completely correct. I’ve been to Disney World probably 15-20 times (including last May) and the expenses quietly rack up. What about spending a week at Disney (there are four parks, Downtown Disney, which has a Cirque Du Soleil show, and tons of other stuff to do) and then a week in the Florida Keys or Miami or something? Two weeks to me seems like too long a time at Disney, but a week would not get boring. There is so much to do (and we barely even went to the Magic Kingdom - the park with the castle).
Personally I’d like Europe, but we’re going on an American mini-moon after the wedding in August and saving money for a 2009 honeymoon to Iceland! Yes … Iceland! We wanted to go somewhere where no one would ever think to go. It’s awesome - google it!
Thanks everyone for your input. Well, we still have some time to think about it. We even considered Mexico but we’ve been down south together (cuba) so I wanted to do something different.
I didnt take into consideration the Euro being more expensive now with the US dollar. I think we might just end up going to Disney either way (im sure I will be really happy about my decision)… but if you have other suggestions not too expensive… feel free.
I would try and stay away from disney. Disney is fun when you go as a child or go w. children b/c they get so excited at seeing Goofy walk around, the HUGE castle (which really isn’t that nice, European ones will be much more impressive), and little children love the rides. The rides at disney are really geared towards little ones, not toward adults. You’re instinct is right–Europe now, Disney with kidos later.
I live in England and it’s wonderful over here. You guys will have a very memorable time.
Well, seeing that half of our honeymoon was Disneyworld in Florida… we definitely had a great time there! We went to Yosemite for some nature and romantic hikes etc. first, and then followed that up with Disneyworld. Two completely different places, but we had a BLAST at both.. and I think both of us were thoroughly satisfied with our choice. Maybe you can do some sort of dual-honeymoon as well? =)
Yeah I have to say as much as Disney does not appeal to me at all for a honeymoon I’d be pretty bummed if my fiance wanted to go to places I’d already been and especially to some place I use to live in…there’s not much fun in that. Maybe you can do Europe but to countries he’s never been/lived in or just pick a third option like asia, australia, africa, latin america.
I was always a little jealous of friends who went to Europe when I was younger and I could never really afford the trip but I have to say, I’m happy I waited to see Europe when I could afford to and could stay in a few nice places and have a few nice meals. Remember also your money doesn’t go nearly as far with the Euro exchange rate…pretty much almost doubles the cost of things as prices are higher there anyway.
I think Disney Paris would have been the perfect compromise!
Personally, I wouldn’t pass up the chance to go to Europe now, while you are still child-free and can explore freely. I’d save Disney for a time when you could see it through the eyes of your children.
My advice is to scrap both ideas and find a place that both of you have never been and really want to go.
I agree with you that Disney would be more fun once you have kids but I also agree with not going to Europe until later in life. Even backpacking and staying in hostels is going to be expensive because of the weak dollar.
I have been to Europe, but My husband and I have been to Disney World 3 times, and Disneyland once. After Disney World, Disneyland doesn’t measure up, so if that is the thought I would vote Europe. If it is between Disney World and Europe it is a harder choice. First, Disney is a different place traveling with and without children (we have done both). Disney without children does involve park rides, but also gourmet dinners, luxury spas, late night clubbing, and any other host of activities that might tickle your fancy. With extras, it is also not cheap, so I would really do your homework if you are trying to make a monetary decision. Definitely stay on Disney property. This is where I think the biggest contrast would be to your European vacation. Disney hotels make everything easy for you. Your biggest choice will be which bus to get on each morning (to get to the park of choice).
Now that I have expounded on Disney, your European vacation sounds fun, and sounds like a drastically different experience than Disney would be. Backpacking, catching trains, finding hostels and sharing bathrooms would be an adventure. You will see far more intellectually interesting things. It will involve more pre-planning or thinking on your feet than Disney would as you want to change locations frequently.
If it were my choice, I would weigh how I think I feel immediately after the wedding and am heading out. How lazy or adventurous would I want to be? How guilty would I feel if I choose to miss a sight in either location to spend a little extra time relaxing with my new hubby?
Trust me, whatever your choice you will want to go back, so I wouldn’t consider either location scratched off the list completely.
Miss Robin, Miss Flamingo is Canadian. Our dollar is strong right now, making the US Disney trip more appealing from a financial viewpoint, but still not ideal as a honeymoon locale. Surely Mr. Flamingo has some other ideas?
I would definitely vote for Europe - either Paris or Italy or both. My fiance and I went to Italy for vacation, and I totally wanted to stay in hostels, but he vetoed it. However, we managed to stay at nice but fairly inexpensive B&Bs and hotels in all the cities we visited. If you do your research well, you should be able to find something nicer than hostels, because after all, it is your honeymoon. =)
As someone that loves Disney: please do not go there for your honeymoon. You can definitely go to Europe for way cheaper, and if you have a week or two, you will certainly spend less in Europe than at Disney. It is easy to find inexpensive B&Bs in Italy- Paris is bit harder, but still possible. Disney is great- but you will be able to enjoy it just as much, if not more when you have children. Taking children to Europe is much more difficult- plus, a lot of the wonderful things about Europe do not translate very well into travelling with children- such as 3 hour dinners, walking around aimlessly, historical tours, wine, etc.
i’d pick europe as well. and as many commenters have said before me, you can definitely go to europe for cheap! esp considering that you’re willing to backpack for the most part. and maybe you can consider going to eastern europe, which is a lot cheaper than the western parts (spain, italy, france, etc). there’s budapest, croatia, prague -all are very beautiful and honeymoon-worthy!
Europe! We’re going to Italy for our honeymoon and I couldn’t be happier. For awhile, we thought about going somewhere a bit closer to home but your honeymoon is a perfect opportunity to take a longer trip if you can afford it. And if you plan to start a family in the near future, international trips will be much more difficult. I’m with you — Disney is for when you have kids.
It would be crazy to choose Disney over Europe!!! I grew up only two hours away from Disney so I went there many many times as a child. yes, it’s a lot of fun but it’s also just as expensive as a European vacation (sad but true) and, honestly, would you want to put up with all those kids on your HM? It can get a little crazy there… lol.
My fiance and I spent three months backpacking through Europe in 2005, and we consider it our early honeymoon because no other vacation we ever take will be able to top that trip. It was absolutely incredible! We stayed at hostels (always booked private rooms with our own bathroom though), B&B’s (which I’d highly recommend), and cheap hotels. I wouldn’t trade that experience for the world. As long as you don’t go shopping and you don’t eat at expensive restaurants, you can still travel there on a reasonable budget. Our total cost for 3 months came to about $20k which I think is really good considering that many people are spending that same amount just on 2 weeks in French Polynesia for example. We didn’t completely deprive ourselves either… We did a few “excursions” that were on the more expensive end of the scale (such as our trip to Jungfraujoch in Switzerland and the Norway in a Nutshell tour). We also spent 8 days in London and that alone cost a fortune… lol. So as you can see, we could have done it even cheaper if we wanted to.
I agree with everyone else that you don’t have to choose Italy and Paris. The Baltic States (Lithuania, Latvia, & Estonia) are beautiful and still some of the cheapest countries to visit. Same goes for Croatia and Slovenia (the Julian Alps and Lake Bled are gorgeous!). Make sure you look at all of your options. Rick Steves’ guidebooks are a great source of information and he offers some excellent tips and recommendations. http://www.eurotrip.com is also a good site for backpackers.
I totally understand wanting to go to Europe for your Honeymoon. But as others suggested, the weak dollar is a major problem if you are on a budget. I understand that you are Canadian and as mention by Ricchi, that is even better reason (since the Canadian dollar is strong) to go to Disney. You might want to look at getting a package for Disney along with their Cruise. Everyone I know that has been on a Disney Cruise loves it. And they have spas and activities gears towards couples.
By the way, Prague is actually not as cheap as it used to be. We discovered that the hard way. It’s become so insanely popular with tourists in the last few years that prices have gone up (for at least two years in a row, it was the most popular tourist destination in Europe). However, Cesky Krumlov is a gorgeous little town… I’ve talked to people who have been there, and it’s supposed to be amazing as well as cheap.
we did disney world during our honeymoon since neither of us had ever been. we had so much fun. we are pretty kiddy at heart so we did just magic kingdom one day and epcot the next. cons: super hot, kind of expensive, long lines. pros: it was really really fun. if you go to the town hall first thing they give you a button that shows that you’re just married, and everyone around you constantly says “congratulations”! i think they train their staff to notice the buttons. sometimes you even get to skip the line for rides. plus the fireworks every night were something we absolutely loved. downtown orlando was not that nice but we just loved going to disney and getting the whole ears and veil (and ears and top hat)… 
Go to Europe! Who knows when you’ll have this excuse to take a fab trip! Disney ain’t going anywhere!
In regard to what Luxe said, yes, the exchange rate is bad, but we still spent less money (per week) on our trip to Europe than most people spend going on Disney vacations. If you do the research, I think you’d be quite surprised. Another option to save money in Europe is to rent an apartment. http://www.vrbo.com is a good site to use. One woman on the Nest travel board (lyradelmar) recently stayed at an apartment in Prague for a week for only $500! it even included their own kitchen, free high speed internet, washer/dryer, etc. It was an awesome deal!
If you have the money to go to Italy and Paris, DO IT!! What a romantic way to spend your honeymoon. You can go to Disney any ol’ time after you get back.
DH and I went to Italy for our honeymoon and had a wonderful time.
i agree that you guys should find a compromise since neither of you are sold on the other’s first choice and noone wants to get their choice vetoed. why not pick a place neither of you have been to, or somewhere you have been together? Disney, Paris, and Italy will always be top vacation spots (Im thinking europe for a 1 or 2 or 5 yr anniversary, disney w/ the future kiddies).
We really wanted to go to Europe as well, however yikes, the dollar is so weak right now that it just doesn’t make financial sense! We’re looking at cheaper places like Mexico, Thailand, and parts of eastern Europe. Good luck!
i am still not sure if you mean disneyland or disneyworld - but as someone who loooves disneyland (my fi and i have annual passports and he proposed to me there during the fireworks!) and went backpacking througout europe with fi last summer - i would say europe is better for a honeymoon. especially for the reasons already listed, primarily kids in future.
Disneyland for two whole weeks can get old fast. we usually just go at night when we want an escape and can get it in a few hours. on that note - you don’t have to spend all two weeks at disneyland if you are coming to cali rather than florida. anaheim is really central to other great places in so. cal. you can spend a day (or few!) driving the hour and a half or so down to san diego and visit the nice beaches, the romantic la jolla cove, historic downtown san diego, go to the sd zoo or animal park, sea world, etc. and you can spend a day (or more) driving the hour or less up to los angeles, watch a show, go to a cool cafes with indie artists, walk along hollywood boulevard, go to santa monica 3rd street promenade, visit the lacma museum or getty museum. the possibilities are endless!
good luck with your planning. and if you do plan to come to disneyland (and not world) feel free to hit me up for places/directions/etc. in sunny so cal! it’s funny because fi an i love canada - we went for week two years ago and are considering going there again for our honeymoon
My FI and I backpacked through almost all of europe for less than five grand. I went to Disneyland with my sister for one week and spend just under two grand! One thing that they don’t tell you about hostels in Europe is that often times, small hotels are called ‘hostels”! The “hostel” we stayed in in Paris was just that, a quaint hotel- we had a private room, an en suite bathroom, breakfast, a wrought iron balcony and a great view!
Also, look for house or cottage rentals, they’re often much cheaper than hotels!
Disneyland is great, but you may not get another chance to go to Europe for awhile. And p.s. it’s much better to go to either now that the Cnd dollar is so strong - but disney will still be fun when you have children!
As a follow up on currency rate…the Canadian dollar is doing well but not well enough that it makes a Euro vacation all that cheap.
1 Canadian Dollar= .71 Euros
1 U.S. Dollar = . 69 Euros
If you ever decide to go to Paris, here are some money saving tips.
1. Get a Museum Pass if you plan on going to more than 3 museums. (http://www.parismuseumpass.com/en/home.php) My friend and I got a 3 day pass and hit up as many places as we could. I think we got double our money’s worth if you added up the admission fees to all 8 of the museums we went to. Also, w/the Museum pass you can bypass all the crazy lines at the museums of people trying to buy tickets.
2. Get the weekly Orange card (”Carte Orange”). It is a card that allows you to use both the Metro and RER trains on an unlimited basis throughout the week. It is supposed to be for locals but there is nothing prohibiting a tourist from buying it. Just bring a small pic of yourself. My friend and I just took pic of ourselves against a white wall and printed on color printer and cut it down to size. Oh, and just buy it for zone 1 and 2. Versailles is outside of that zone but when you get to Versailles they just make you pay about 2 euro more for going outside your zone which is so much cheaper than buying an extra zone on the card.
3. If you have a Bank of America account you can get cash out of your account using the BNP Paribas ATMS in France without a transaction fee because they have some kind of contract with each other.
The honeymoon decision was the hardest part of our wedding planning!! Seriously we were close to saying screw it - let’s not go on a honeymoon we were having such a hard time making the decision!
As for Disney - eh - It’s better when you’re 11 (sidenote: I did Disneyland at 11 and Disney World when I was 15, I’ve been back - but only to Downtown Disney as an adult)
I don’t want to offend anyone who loves it, or went there for their honeymoon - but in ‘my’ opinion I doubt it compares to Europe. It’s really a personal preference. I will say - if you are going to spend the money to travel to Disney - I would definitely do it while the park is decorated for the holidays!! Now that’s magical!! (And who says you can’t take your dress whenever you do get around to visiting!) (I laugh as I say all this because we have a trip to Orlando planned in Jan. We’ll be running the Disney half marathon!)
We’ve been busy planning our last ‘big vacation’ before starting a family - which is almost as big a deal as the honeymoon I thought for sure it would be a 2-3 week trip around Europe!! Nope - the hubby wants to drive cross country and spend a month in Utah during snowboarding season! That will be fun too, but a little part of me wonders if I’ll ever make it to Europe!! JUST DO IT!
I would absolutely pick Europe… IF it were going to be a stay in hotels, eat at great restaurants, not pinch pennies type of honeymoon. Personally, staying in hostels and being frugal while on a honeymoon sounds totally unappealing. I love backpacking and traveling on the cheap but it just seems so unromantic for a honeymoon.
That said, I think Disney sounds like a fantastic time! I have been bugging my fiance for us to go at some point, because it really is totally different without children, and I don’t want the first time we go together to be with little ones in tow.
I also have to say that I understand Mr. Flamingo’s point about not wanting to go back somewhere that he has been. My fiance really wants to go somewhere tropical for our honeymoon, but we’re having a really tough time picking somewhere because I have been to Hawaii and Bermuda and all over the Caribbean and Central America, etc., and there is no appeal for me to go back and spend 14 days somewhere where I have already been for something as special as a honeymoon.
Bottom line: I think if you pinch pennies you will have a better overall experience in Disney than in Europe. Italy and Paris are wonderful, fantastic cities that you should absolutely experience at some point in your life, but you will get more out of it when you are not constantly worried about spending. I would be much more devastated to take a trip like that and NOT get to do everything I wanted than to have to delay it for 20 years or so but get the experience that I want.
We went to Disney last year in June before school let out. I think that’s something to consider…the lines for adult rides were already crazy and school wasn’t even out yet. I’m a little nervous about overseas travel, but I gotta say, I’d go for Europe.
I agree with those who say scrap both and find a neutral. Obviously you’re not thrilled about Disneyworld and even though you’ve been to Cuba together, you could try many other places. Costa Rica is absolutely wonderful I hear. I also love the idea above of going to Iceland, my brother studied there for a summer and afterward he and his now wife traveled around. There are so many natural spas (the blue lagoon the most famous) and they are incredibly friendly people (so I hear anyway). I’ve only been to Iceland via the Rekjavik airport, but even that experience was great! A trip unexpected and could also be incredibly Romantic.
Anyway, even if you don’t take that thought, I think you should try to find a place both of you will be excited to travel to.
Miss Flamingo,
Have you considered that wherever you go for your honeymoon (assuming you go in June after your 6/08 wedding) it will be high season?
Do you have to take two weeks at the same time? Perhaps take one week in Disneyworld right after your wedding and another week in Paris or Italy in late fall/early winter once the tourists have (mostly) gone home. Europe is much more bearable without lines - not that every country follows the queue anyway!
I was in Croatia on an 8-day sailing trip a few summer ago with some girlfriends. I wouldn’t recommend a group tour for a honeymoon but you can look into chartering a sail or power boat (www.moorings.com comes to mind) complete with chef and captain or bareboat depending on your own sailing/boating skillset (this can be done in the Caribbean and Mediterranean as well). We were there in late June/early July and it was very hot yet gorgeous. Reminded me very much of Greece and Italy. My trip to Italy was Thanksgiving 2006 and the lines were minimal everywhere but the Vatican (to be expected). I’ve enjoyed numerous other European trips in high and off-season and I’m never headed back during high season. It makes that much of a difference!
Rick Steves is all about affordable do-it-yourself travel. Half the fun (to us anyway) is researching and planning the trip. Fodors.com talk/forum is also a tremendous resource for Europe, as is http://www.slowtrav.com (mostly Italy countryside though). Backpackers love http://www.thorntree.com, a forum moderated by Lonely Planet.
I couldn’t imagine passing up Europe in favor of Disneyworld but that’s a personal decision you and Mr. Flamingo have to arrive at. Good luck!!
Just an FYI: you can have a very romantic honeymoon in Europe while “pinching pennies.” Maybe if you’re used to being spoiled and having a lot of luxury, it would be a disappointment…. lol. But in all seriousness, how can one go to Europe and not have fun regardless? Sure, we didn’t get to eat at 5-star restaurants or stay at 4-star hotels, but I can tell you that our trip was much more romantic than a trip to Disney World lol. We had a very romantic 3-course dinner in Rome, for example, for only 20 bucks per person! Free limoncello included. It’s amazing the deals you can find if you comparison shop, and you can still have a very romantic time. I know we did ;-).
Oh, and I totally agree with Christine. The planning and research are the best part.
do one of the Adventures with Disney in Europe!
If you go with an open mind, Disney can be SO fun! My boyfriend and I had a romantic week there for my birthday last year and had the best time. Europe would also be amazing though - that’s next on our list (but substantially pricier.)
What about neither for a honeymoon? Disney maybe as a minimoon sometime soon, Europe when you’re older, and something else for now? Alaska, Jamaica, Mexico, Banff? The list goes on and on.
I’ll try to add a different spin to the conversation that helped us frame our honeymoon decision: do you want to make your own schedule and explore or do you want to relax and just go with the flow?
If you’ve never been to Europe, then you might have a very romantic ideal of “backpacking.” It’s nice and super cheap and great when you’re 21 to sleep in a room with 12 other strangers for $10 E a night… but for your honeymoon? Now…bargains do abound in certain countries… but you’re going to have to plan a sightseeing trip and decide on meals everyday and generally have an intense trip. Now… not that it’s bad, it’s just a TOTALLY different type of trip. Rome and Paris are notoriously expensive cities - think of them as the NYC of Europe as far as travel and food costs go.
Now, as for the Disney-downers out there, realize that Ms. Flamingo AND Mr. Flamingo are considering the trip, and therefore would probably really enjoy it. (so convincing them that they won’t isn’t really helping make a decision)
Disney World “IS” one of the tophoneymoon destination in the country for a reason… and it’d be a great spot if you’re up for simply waking up every morning and having fun all day without any worries about finding something to do, finding your way or finding food. Just pick a park and enjoy. Budgeting might also be much easier, since you can buy full plans with meals included and such.
So think about HOW you’d like to spend your honeymoon… not just where. We opted for the later way… no thinking, just being. We put our English countryside romp plans on hold for our next big romantic trip.
Thank you Mrs.Lemon. Your message was nicely constructed. Its nice to have a different point of view. Both destinations have its pros and cons. We even tried considering another destination but no luck. Being 7 months away from the wedding we still have some time to think about it.
Again thank you everyone for your input! I will keep you posted on our honeymoon choices… 
Ok, I guess some of the misinformation here is making me a little mad… lol. You can book private rooms with your own bathroom in a hostel. That’s what we did. You don’t (I repeat do NOT) have to share dorm rooms with strangers when staying in hostels. I’m just saying to keep an open mind. If you want to go to Europe on a budget, you can do that… my fiance and I are proof. But if you just want to listen to other people who say that backpacking is all about partying with strangers in hostels, etc. then you’re going to possibly miss out on a wonderful experience. just my 2 cents.
I agree with those who say find somewhere neutral! But if that isn’t possible, Europe all the way!
i’ve never been to disney, or europe. but to me, disney is one of the most ridiculous places to go on a honeymoon. crowds of people, kids everywhere, theme theme theme….
and then Europe. Ahhh. Check out Prague, I’ve been wanting to go there for years, it’s a huge cultural hub, and it may be a place neither of you has been. Or Greece? Something a little different, perhaps?
To me, it’s not even a question betweem Disney and anything.
i agree with kappaucf20. backpacking does NOT mean you have to sleep in a dorm room with twelve other 21 year olds. i backpacked in italy, and stayed at lovely b&bs and hostels with a private bath. in fact the one we stayed at in florence was even cuter than some of the “3-4 star” hotels we’ve stayed in around europe. total cost for the room was like $55 USD per night!
perhaps you can do a cost comparison, and list out the pros and cons of each place you’re considering. that might help you make your decision.
i forgot to mention… we honeymooned in southern florida for a week (we wanted a quiet, relaxing, private honeymoon) and then drove up (it’s a 5 hour drive, just to warn you!) to stay in orlando for four days. i think it was a good mix between relaxation and excitement. by the time we were all wound down from the wedding craziness and getting a bit antsy, we were packing up to go to orlando. so it was perfect for us! in total we spent less than $3k on our whole honeymoon. budget was a big consideration for us, too. oh plus, we had three days to wind down at home before we left for florida.
then again, i am not very into traveling and even though i’ve spent time in europe (paris especially), i preferred to stay close to home for the honeymoon.
good luck!!
Hi Miss F! There’s been a lot of good info and some good suggestions on here, so I’ll just add a couple of random thoughts…
1. I don’t quite understand your fiance’s “been there, done that” approach toward Europe. Everywhere in Europe is SO different — even when it comes to different cities in the same country. If he doesn’t want to revisit the area where he lived (though I think it would be so neat for you to see his old stomping grounds!), I would think different areas still would be interesting and new. For example, if he lived in Paris, maybe you could combine Italy with a trip to Provence or the Cote d’Azure? Both are easy to reach from Italy, and you would still get at least a small taste of his former French life….
2. As for Europe and cost, you can get some excellent deals via sites like http://www.travelzoo.com, http://www.go-today.com, and http://www.gate1travel.com. Note that their deals usually get better as the travel date draws closer. (And not sure whether they have Canadian departuress, but maybe there are equivalent sites?) The lodging is more expensive than hostels, but the packages usually save you major $$$$ on airfare. As an example, Mr. T and I are going to Paris for a week over Thanksgiving, and our air/hotel/breakfast package worked out to $750 each even *after* all the crazy taxes. We’re planning lots of impromptu picnics from the food stalls, to make up for the weakling dollar. And if you do decide to travel between two different places (say, Paris and Rome), be sure to look into the deep-discount airlines like RyanAir. Sometimes they’re even cheaper than the train.
3. I’m in both the “Disney can be pricey” and the “Disney once you have kids” camps. But if you do choose the Disney option, don’t forget Epcot! You can at least visit France and Italy at Epcot, and dream about / plan for your someday trip to Europe!
i’m studying abroad in europe right now, and while it may have been cheap, it is not cheap now! airfare in the off season is $500, during summer/early fall it’s $800, and that’s for good deals. i traveled for a week in berlin and italy, (during which i was proposed to, but that’s another story ) and we did the whole student/hostel/backpacking/cheap cafes trip, and it was about $800 (US prices) per person, including airfare to and from england. we’re also looking at disney world for our honeymoon, primarily because we’re disney nuts, and it’ll be about the same cost as our travel week for a week in florida. so cost wise, it’s probably not going to be much cheaper either way. disney is expensive, europe is expensive. boo exchange rates, they are making my life miserable.
thought: have you heard of disney’s land and sea cruises? are you guys interested in cruising at all? you spend three or four nights at disney world, which is enough so you can see a lot but don’t get bored, and then three or four nights on the cruise ship, which stops at a couple places in the carribean. it works out to about $3500, i believe, for a nice room, for two people. travel during the off season and it’s even better! i’ve heard disney cruises are amazing, service wise. just something to consider. disney paris is supposedly amazing, too… we were supposed to make it there this semester, but ran out of travel money first.
another thought, as someone who has done the budget travel, i would recommend saving and coming back when you have money to spend. yes, the student travel thing is fun, but it is exhausting and stressful. disney has their own travel company now, adventures by disney, and they have europe trips… will that work for mr. flamingo??
(no, i don’t work for disney, but my fiance does, so i hear a lot of disney talk! )
I’d like to second (or third or fourth) the recommendation for Croatia as a more budget conscious choice over Italy. Istria and northern Dalmatia are virtually unexplored by American travellers, the food and accommodation is super cheap by European standards, and it has some of the appeal of Italy (especially in Zadar and the surrounding area). You can take daily ferries to the Dalmatian islands to explore literally UNTOUCHED beaches, or you can enjoy the excitement of Split and the history of Dubrovnik. If you want to see Europe that you haven’t seen before, and you’re planning a budget conscious honeymoon, Croatia would be my first choice! (I live in Europe and travel widely, so I’ve been most of the “big sites” in Western, Central and Eastern Europe, and Croatia tops my list as a still untapped resource!)
We went on a Disney cruise land and sea cruise for our honey moon and July. I was really hesitant about going to Disney on our honeymoon, but my husband really wanted to go. He had never been to Disney world. I was worried about having kids everywhere on our honeymoon. We had a great time. I agree with pp about making sure you get a “just married” button.
Wow… so many responses thank you everyone. Last night, I tried asking Mr.Flamingo if there would be anywhere else other than Disney which would interest him… and he said I dunno (maybe because I was asking at the wrong time - he was watching his favorite show) but either way we will try and check out other options. My heart still lies in Europe… but like many of yous said it can be expensive. Maybe we can save up our money and go once Mr.F finished his nursing school… sort of a celebration.
I know he mentionned Mexico - thats a place where we can relax and at the same time do some sight seeing. I love the ocean - snorkeling is my favorite new thing… but not sure yet. The possibilites are endless. I just have to do more research.
Keep everyone posted, I will be doing a PART 2 to the whole honeymoon thing. THANKS
i have been to disney paris and it is a real disappointment. it is nothing like disney world or disneyland.
my husband and i decided to go to disney world for our honeymoon for a couple of reasons.
1. Vacation time we had
Traveling can be pretty taxing and we didn’t want to spend that much time going through security and customs and flight time. And after all the wedding planning the last thing we wanted was a stressful honeymoon. So honestly I found Disney to be the best option for us because it was low stress travel - no customs, 1.5 hour flight, no recovery time upon arrival so we could maximize our time on vacation. (Which we really spent relaxing and talking together)
2. Cost
We had originally planned on going to Hawaii but quite frankly what we wanted to do would have costed us almost 8k. And yes, it’s our honeymoon, but we really felt it wasn’t the place we went to but the time we spent together. And after spending so much on the wedding, we really didn’t want to shell out any more money for a costly honeymoon.
We really enjoyed our Disney honeymoon, we went to park during the day, went back to our hotel and relaxed by the pool around mid afternoon, then went back to the park in the evening. It was leisurely and it was neat because neither of us had been there in several years so we rediscovered a lot of things together there. It was stress free and completely relaxing.
I second Prague as honeymoon destination. It’s beautiful and can be as cheap or expensive as you want it to be. You can easily find unexpensive accomodation just minutes off the center and local food is still pretty cheap. On the other hand, if you join flocks of tourists for all sorts of excursions you can easily spend as much as you would in Western Europe.
[...]this place is just too cool i wanna go there s flippin bad lol jk well bye[...]
I’m getting married in Disney World. It’s so FUN to plan a wedding where you know you can feel the magic. It would be awesome to grant your hubbies dream come true also. Since it seems like weddings are mainly for us brides, it would be nice to have his way - a great way to start off your new life together.
You can be a Disneymooner!! There are a bunch of couples who do it and they look like they have so much fun!
Here’s a site to go if you haven’t been already. http://www.disneyweddings.go.com/site/hon/start/index.jsp
Althought it may seem a bit on the kid side, WDW can be very romantic and a memorable experience. Disney w/ no kids is def different. It might take a bit to let down your Europe fantasy, but I think I would have fun anyhow.
I’m having my honeymoon in Europe. It’s always been our dream - so I’m saving up for it. Maybe by the time we go, the dollar would go upsies.
I’m a frequent posted @ http://www.disboards.com also, where everyone has fun planning disney trips.
Ultimately, it would be nice to compromise. Work things out =)
We are going to Paris & Italy so that’s my vote, but for you two, it sounds like a third choice may be the best compromise. Good luck!
In France, you can find this agency, for crazy romantic experiences : http://www.apoteosurprise.com
[...] honeymoon yet. We’ve had endless amounts of discussions on where we should go. It started with Paris, Italy and there was mention of Disney, we talked about going down south… but we abandoned all those [...]
Euro Disney is horrible compared to American Disney…it’s still a cool place but if your fiance is dreaming of Disney World or Disney Land, Euro Disney will be a sore, sore disappointment– especially as a honeymoon.
Maybe the two of you should come up with an alternative? What about a Disney cruise? Then you can visit new worlds (albeit not Europe, but still) and still have the Magic Kingdom experience.
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Mrs. Flamingo, Montreal, Canada
Age and Occupation: 25, Graphic Designer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Nursing Student
Engagement Date: December 2004
Wedding Date: June 21, 2008
Venue: Imperia Hotel (modern chic hotel)
About Me: I am a passionate designer who loves anything pretty. I heart all paper products (eco-friendly of course). My passion revolves around anything considered glamour; vintage and modern. In my free time, I love reading Martha mags, designing jewelry and making a pit-stop at Starbucks for a chai latte. I'm also a chocoholic at heart and my family drools over my homemade truffles.
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