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Adults-Only Disney World Trip! (& Orlando)

Jon & I have been to Disney World separately, but it was on my bucket list to go together before having kids (so we could be kids ourselves). We planned a short 4 day trip to Orlando the first half of Thanksgiving week 2016. I'm so glad we did it, and I recommend it for all young couples. It's a totally different experience without kids. We didn't need to take it slow, stop for nap breaks, or avoid alcohol. We hit the parks hard and had a jam-packed fun trip. ☻

For starters, we flew JetBlue out of Newark airport – the first time either of us took JetBlue (link). I can’t say enough good things about this airline. They're the exact definition of fancy but frugal. We only paid roughly $80 per person for a 1 way ticket from NYC to Orlando. (I see many more trips to Florida in our future!!!!) For this price, I didn't expect much, but everything about it was awesome. The seats seem bigger and more leg room (good for my 6’3 hubs), we got legit drinks and snacks (like big-size name brand snack), and we had our own TV’s in the seatback, which is rare for a domestic flight. I would give them 5 stars 🌟 and rep them any day (hint hint 😉). Link here . We're taking them again this summer and hope to have the same experience!
Once in Florida, we stayed at the Holiday Inn Vacation Club. I know what you’re thinking. When I saw the name I rolled my eyes too. But WAIT! It was so cheap ($100/night) and amazing. It was almost like an Airbnb (meaning they don’t come and make your bed, etc) but has the conveniences of a resort: pools, lazy river, lake, golf club, restaurants, convenience store, shuttles, arcade, etc. I'm serious, check it out (link here)! It's great for adults, but also perfect for a family vacation. There's so much to do! With kids, I think it may be worth it to stay on site at Disney for convenience, but we opted to save on that cost this time since we weren't visiting only Disney World. As far as getting around, we used Uber. It was convenient, and we didn’t have to rent a car for the whole trip like other guests we met. It was about $20 from the resort to the Disney World area. Totally worth it in our opinion.
Holiday Inn Vacation Club view
So the first day, we got in around 5pm and explored the resort and got a nice dinner. The next day we went to Disney! This is the part of the trip that you can't really control. Tickets non negotiable (that I know of?!). We got a 1-day Park Hopper, and the flexibility is worth the price! We tore up Magic Kingdom & Epcot. Such a blast!!! Definitely download the app and utilize their Fast Pass booking system. It saves so much time and made the day much more organized and enjoyable, as you can see here:


Us acting 5 years old
The next day we were at it again, but this time: Universal Studios! The person who sold us our ticket accidentally gave us both parks, and we  didn’t realize until they scanned our ticket. Oops. US was fun and more adult friendly. They also have Harry Potter World. (I’m not even into that kind of thing, but Harry Potter World itself was really cool!) I like the big main rides and bars and the street shows. It was really neat.
*Had too much fun to take pics!

Tips for parks: Don't take a bag! You'll skip the lines to get into the parks and save yourself time, plus not have to worry about bags when you go on rides! I highly suggest a fanny packs. They make cute ones these days and they're very useful!!! For clothes, we went in November. It was chilly in the mornings and warm/sunny in the middle of the day, so my best advice is wear layers! For food, we ate breakfast at our resort and kind of snacked throughout the day rather than sitting down and eating a big expensive meal at the parks. This kept us free from getting stuffed & spending too much money. We had dinners outside of the parks. Also, I've just recently learned that Disney planners are free (!?), so I supposed they would be a really good resource for planning out which parks to do and which to skip, etc.

For our last full day in Orlando, we had a free day at the resort. Well, I did. Hubby had to work, but I had an amazing day reading and lounging by the pool. They had poolside games and competitions that were hilarious to watch, plus good drink specials which is always great. Hubby finally wrapped up work and joined me by the pool before grabbing dinner and resting before our early flight to my parent’s house the next day.
Poolside
Our adults-only Disney (Orlando) trip was super fun, short, and sweet. I'm definitely glad we did this pre-kids!!!! You can always take your kids later, but enjoy for yourself first! We also decided we wont take our kids until they don’t need a stroller, a nap, or to be carried. I did not envy those parents with tired, fussy kids and strollers stacked high with bags and food and toys. If that’s your jam, go for it. Or if you already have kids, go and have fun! This isn't mean to degrade anyone else experiences or priorities, this is just something that's always been on my bucket list and am happy we checked off!

Something I wish we had done: I wish we had worn those adorable matching couple Disney themed shirts. We had just moved to NYC a couple weeks before this trip, so I didn't have time to prepare them, but I think they're awfully cute!! 🐭❤

This was our basic nuts-and-bolts plan for tackling Orlando in a short time. What are your best tips for Disney World, either with or without kids? It’s a magical place at any age! mouse emoji?

Xoxo
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