Ok, tell me about your anniversaries in Disney

[anewvance]

My husband and I will be celebrating our 5th anniversary and first trip away alone in 5 years next month at the Wilderness Lodge. Right now he thinks we are staying at All Stars, didn't know I got such a good deal at Wilderness Lodge and he will be happily surprised!!!! I'm trying to make this really special for him because he's under so much stress at work and the kids have been a handful lately. So what did YOU do on your kidless trip to Disney? I don't have a huge budget, but wondering if you had one thing you could do, what would it be???

Also, has anyone gotten any special treatment for anniversary? Can you share your stories (i love hearing about them!)

Oh and would it be stupid if I made up pins or something sharing our anniversary? I was thinking something like those Mastercard commercials like:

Hotel room at WL: $390
Park tickets: $380
Disney, No kids on 5th anniversary: PRICELESS

Would that be goofy???

 

[bunnymkc]

We usually go every year on our anniversary which is in Sept with our best friends...This year I made ressies in Garden Grill which is in the Land and did the re-hitching thing that they do for free..we had so much fun and the food was good too!! I booked a late lunch and then we stayed at Epcot till they closed.. Last year our friends took us to the Yachtsman steakhouse and the food was good too but I have to say the re-hitching at the GARDEN GRILL was the best with all the characters and the wait staff was just great..make PS seating and tell them you want the re-hitching and make sure you confirm it when you check in at the restaurant...have fun Marianne

 

[CamColt]

On our kidless trip to WDW we really enjoyed Jellyrolls. I would definitely go back there if given the chance to go w/out kids again(dont see that happening for a long time). Also, enjoyed sitting on the beach at the Poly sipping frozen drinks, dinner at the Kona, and walking the path from the Poly, down to the wedding pavillion(it was desserted and this was at about 6:00pm).

As for the pins, I do think its a really cute idea, however personally, I dont like extra attention from strangers, and Id feel sort of silly advertising my anniversary, birthday, etc... But if you are comfortable with it, then I see nothing wrong with it. Go for it.

 

[josierac]

We stayed at the YC concierge this summer for our 10th wedding anniversary.

We got a bunch of goodies in our room
champagne
a chocolate picture frame of the Yacht Club
an anniversary pin
autographed pictures of the characters
tuxedo strawberries

They really made our stay wonderful.

 

[clkelley]

We did a couple of special meals on our tenth anniversary trip.

We at at California Grill on our anniversary during Fantasy in the Sky. We had a window seat and a great view of the Magic Kingdom. When the fireworks started, they dimmed the lights and piped in the music. It was fantasic. When it came time for desert, they gave us a flat chocolate mint with "Happy Anniversary" written on it in icing and one of our deserts was complimentary!

On another night, we ate at Rose & Crown in the United Kingdom and got an excellent lakeside view of Illuminations.

During a lunch at 50's Prime Time, our "cousin" server had a ball with us and our entire section wishing us a happy anniversary.

The biggest thing of all that we did was just relax!! We never left the room before noon, and only did a few choice attractions. We spent a lot of time taking relaxing boat rides to the various resorts and just relaxing by our pool. (All-Star Sports).

We strolled the Boardwalk area at dusk, and strolled around the lake at Coronado Springs.

We also spent an evening at Pleasure Island and closed down the Adventurers Club, (but we usually do that on our other trips at least once).

Hope this helps!!

 

[Robinette]

I love your idea about the "priceless", I would do it on t-shirts. Too funny.
Anyway, I've posted this before but Ireally enjoyed our dinner at California Grill in the CR. The view is amazing, try going on a night that the MK has fireworks. Request a table by the window so you can watch the castle change colors during dessert.
You can rent water mice at the WL and zip around Bay Lake.
We also were able to enjoy Epcot more since our kids always get bored walking around there. People couldn't understand why we were going to Disney on our 10th anniversary.
If I could only bottle up that feeling and share it with them...

 

[Mrs. Snowgod]

DH & I have been to WDW celebrating anniversaries twice now, and my best advice to you is to mention it whenever you can, but don't expect anything at all, and you probably won't be dissappointed.

In '00 we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary, and DH mentioned it when he booked the ressies and also at check in, and there was no acknowledgement by the resort during our week there at WL. It didn't matter, as we went with a great agenda and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. I've seen many reports of people who had special occasions that went unnoticed by the resort staff. It can be dissappointing when you have heard other magic stories.

Conversely, this past trip at BCV, we mentioned at checkin that we were celebrating an anniversary and DH's birthday, and on 2 different days there we came back in the afternoon to find a card with helium ballons in the entrance to the Villa. One card was a photo of Mickey alone, with a birthday greeting to DH. The other was Mickey and Minne with anniversary greetings. They were really a nice touch.

Finally, last year when we were at BWV in 12/01, we simply mentioned that we were "celebrating" (it was our first DVC trip on points), and one day came back to the room to find a wrapped wooden picture frame and a congratulations card.

Your ideas regarding the special greetings are really good. Maybe an attachment for a GOH badge could also be fun. The GOH badges often make you feel special, too, when the CMs call you by name

Have a great time, and congratulations!

 

[cherylp3]

I made buttons and my husband and I wore them, we were greeted with many happy anniversaries. I would recommend this to anyone.

 

[wld]

We stayed at WL last June for our 24th anniversary. While the lodge didn't do anything special our mousekeeper made up for it with cool animals every day, even a bride after she saw our bride minnie and mickey. We bought bride and groom minnie and mickey pins and had fun with those. We even held up security one day going into MK while the security guard had everyone congratulate us. People seemed to think it was even cooler when they found out it was our anniversary, rather than our honeymoon.
We ate at Cindy's for our anniversary dinner and got several special suprises there. DU agent had mentioned it was our anniversary that night on the ressies. We loved it!!!
We also got free dessert several times although most of the time we were too full to eat it. We often told them that night wasn't actually our anniversary night, but they didn't care!
I also had a small sack of gifts delivered to our room from the disney florist and DH loved it.
While I didn't love WL, I did love our anniversary trip, sleeping in,going to bed late, and doing whatever we felt like with no plans!!!
P.S. I think your message thing would be great on Tshirts Too!

 

[Tig]

Since you are staying at the WL, tell them or fax them 3 days before you leave that it is your anniversary and you want it to be as special as possible.

Last January, I faxed them a letter and told them all that and we had champagne and strawberries delivered to our room and a card signed by the WL cast. It was so nice.

We had ressies at the California Grill for our dinner, and we got up there, and my PICKY, STICK IN THE MUD hubby looked at the menu and wouldnt EAT anything on there, so we left. I know they had a nice surprise for us too cause we had PS and he told them it was 10th anniversary. I WAS FURIOUS with him, but didnt say anything. DIdnt wanna ruin our night. (He is an extremely picky eater and doesnt EVER want to try anything new...wont even TASTE anything new. Strictly meat and potatoes kind of guy. No sauces, no "fancy food" as he calls it. UGH. DRIVES ME NUTS)
So anyway, we ended up eating a hamburger and fries (BIG SURPRISE THERE) at Disney Quest. Yay. But, as I got out of my mood I realized it didnt matter where we were as long as we were together. (That sounded good huh :roll eyes

ANYWAY.........LOL I got long winded

I think the tags would be just too cute. You can also purchase the Mickey and Minnie bride/groom hats and wear them. Honeymooners wear them, but I think it would be just darling to wear them on your anniversary! If I could get my hubby to wear his, I'd buy them. LOL

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! I will be there in 2 weeks for our 11th Anniversary!!!!! AND IM NOT EATING ANOTHER DERN HAMBURGER FOR MY DINNER!

 

[clkelley]

California Grill does have a steak. It's a convoluted name, but basically, it's just a steak.

 

[slimplaw]

You can have a WDW pin made with a picture of both of you on it. My sister and I did this last August. It is the same type of pin they sell in the parks. We did ours in MK in the shop just inside the park entrance next door to Tony's.

 

[miko]

We spent our 25th at WDW in Sept 2000. We spent a part of our honeymoon at Poly and Contemporary and I told the CM that during reservation call. We made ressies for Poly and WL. When we arrived at Poly they gave us pins that said "It's our 25th anniversarry"- they apparently were worth their weight in gold. Poly upgraded us to Lagoon view and our room had flowers and a small split of champagne. We ate dinner at Citircos on actual anniversarry date (Sept 13) and once they saw our "pins" all kinds of things happened. We were told the wine parings would be included free, and a special desert was prepaired. The Maitre D stopped by and took pictures with our camera and had a CM take a few pictures with WDW camera. The next day the photos taken by WDW were at our room, complimentary. We ate at Tony's in MK and got a free desert. We spent 4 nights at Poly, each day had another little surprise (chocolates, cheese ...). We had a $159 rate!!!!! When we drove to WL we were greeted at gate with "Happy anniversarry!". We were upgraded from standard view room to mini suite. We ate a quick lunch at Roaring Rapids and the cashier came over and gave us brownies with a candle!!!!!
We experienced several other "perks" and I think it was all due to the pins from the Poly. I know this was not the standard treatment!!!!! We stay at least once a year on site (usually twice) and I think our "portfolio" had some influence on the Hotel treatments, but the little acknowledgements in the Parks was purely random acts from Cm's.
We wrote a nice letter to Mr Weiss and got an apparent personal response from him thanking us for our loyalty and congratulating us on 25 years together.
I would not "expect" anything like this (least you be dissapointed), however WDW does try to make everyone feel special in any way possible.

 

[PamNC]

We spent our Honeymoon at WDW and our first and third year anniversaries. One year we stayed at Coronado Springs and told them it was our anniversary. We got a card, a coupon for a free dessert at their restaurant, Maya Grille. We also got a champagne toast at the lounge (can't remember the name).

We had dinner at San Angel once - nice romantic atmosphere, but mediocre food. I did like the view though, so I got over the food.

Here's an idea - we've done this but not on our anniversary. Have a nice dinner then head over to Ft. Wilderness and take a carriage ride. Not the hay ride where other people ride with you. They have a carriage for two.

PamNC

 

[strawberryblonde]

Everyone keeps saying it, but it really is true - don't expect anything and you will be happy. Perhaps something will happen, perhaps not. You will enjoy yourselves so much no matter but could be dissapointed after reading about others recieving so much. On our honeymoon we didn't advertise and recieved nothing at our meals. There was a nice fruit basket in our room at CB saying happy honeymoon but nothing in our honeymoon suite at the GF for our first night. For our 5th ann. we went back with family and our DS (2 at the time). For our actual ann. night we went to the California Grill just the two of us . I had mentioned when making the PS that it was our ann. They gave us a window table with a fantastic view of the fireworks/castle. Service was perfect and magical. We ordered two of everything even drinks and dessert. Nothing was offered for free nor was any fuss made over us because of our ann. but I think they saved the table for us (this was during busy spring break season). This was one of my best nights/dates ever!!!!! We just took our third trip to WDW this past Dec. and it was just to experience the Christmas stuff, no celebration date. We ate at Brown Derby were we had eaten on our honeymoon. I ordered the grapefruit cake and mentioned I had loved it on my honeymoon and was so glad they still served it. Perhaps they always serve big pieces but I don't remember it being that big of a piece before. It was a huge piece of cake and I think the server was very kind to give me that unexpected dose of pixie dust ! Best wishes on celebrating 10 years, congratulations, may you find magic where you least expect it.

Heidi

 

[gepetto]

We got champagne/flowers on our honeymoon. We spent our 10th at WL and our 12th at AKL (both trips with the kids, though). They didn't do anything special for either anniversary but then I mentioned it when I made the reservations not at check in or anything.

 

[Jen D]

We spent our seventh anniversary at Disney. Now, we did have our daughter (her birthday fell the same week.) A friend had tipped off the staff at the BWV, so for our anniversary we received a Mickey/Minnie frame and a balloon. Nice surprise. That night we went to California Grill, (put the Kid at the Neverland Club) and had a nice dinner. I think I told them it was our anniversary but I was sort of shy about telling them so they didn't pay a lot of attention. Nothing special was done, no big deal, we had a lovely dinner.

I didn't do this, because I got cheap, but I recommend calling the Walt Disney Florist and having a basket sent to the room. They have all sorts of romance baskets-- some with wine and food, some with towels, and lotions, and you can include a Mickey and Minnie-- whatever you want. It would be a great thing to have your first day, a nice surprise for DH and then you wouldn't be in suspense about "free surprises." Nothing wrong with free surprises, but don't rely on them!