9 Great Date Ideas for Valentine’s Day in Disney World
It’s February and Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! Are you ready for it?
There are a ton of fun Valentine’s Day treats you can try in the parks for the holiday, as well as new merchandise, but we wanted to take it a step further. So, we’ve got some fun Valentine’s date ideas that you can do in Disney World this year!
Valentine’s Day Dates in Disney World
Fancy Dinner
Starting out with a classic, treat yourself and your partner to a meal at a fancy restaurant in Disney World! This could be a great time to splurge on a meal at a nice restaurant you’ve been wanting to try and a chance for you to get all dressed up.
Some options that come to mind are California Grill, Yachtsman Steakhouse, Le Cellier, Topolino’s Terrace, Tiffins, Jiko, or even go super big with something like Monsieur Paul or Victoria & Albert’s.
Of course, if you’re not up for something fancy, just go somewhere that you love or have been wanting to try! Since Valentine’s Day is a popular day for dining reservations, don’t be afraid to have your special dinner on one of the surrounding dates or even opt for a lunch reservation if you need to.
Exclusive Experiences
Disney World has a lot of add-on experiences called Enchanting Extras that can make your vacation even more exciting, and what better time to try one than for a Valentine’s date? You can find the full list right here, but we’ll go over some of the highlights.
You could do the La Cava Experience, which is an exclusive tequila tasting with a certified Tequila Ambassador at the Mexico pavilion in EPCOT. They don’t actually do this on Valentine’s Day, but they do on the 15th and through the weekend, so it’s a good option if you want to make plans for a different day!
It’s $180 per person and you can book it right here.
Looking for something more affordable? Check out the Caring for Giants experience at Animal Kingdom!
This lets you get a closer look at the African elephants at the park and learn about what it takes to care for them. It’s $39 per person and you can book it here.
If you want something a bit more interactive, check out Sangria University! This is an afternoon experience where you learn about sangria and how to make it at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort.
There is also a light appetizer served with the tasting of the 4 sangria offerings. This is only on Saturdays and Sundays (so you could do it before or after Valentine’s Day) and is 90 minutes long. It’s $69-$79 per person — book it here!
And, what’s more romantic than a horse-drawn carriage ride? You can take these at Port Orleans — Riverside Resort or Fort Wilderness Resort. It’s $65 total, the ride is 25 minutes long, and the carriages can fit up to 4 adults (a pretty affordable double date option!). Book right here!
Sweet Treats Around the World
A lot of people know about drinking around the world, but what if you put a sweeter twist on things for the holiday? You can get desserts from all around the World Showcase!
I wouldn’t suggest eating something from every single country otherwise you’ll feel sick. Definitely split these items with your date and maybe only pick a handful of items you’d like to try — 11 desserts in one day is a lot!
I’m going to list some ideas for each country, but feel free to create your own journey and experience.
- Mexico
- Churros with chocolate sauce or churro sundae — La Cantina de San Angel
- Norway
- School Bread, Eplekake, or Norwegian Kringla — Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe
- China
- Sesame balls with red bean paste — The Painted Panda
- Caramel-ginger or Lychee ice cream — Lotus Blossom Cafe
- Germany
- Werther’s Caramel flight, Caramel popcorn, Caramel chocolate cookie, etc. — Karamell-Kuche
- Pretzel Bread Pudding — Sommerfest
- Italy
- Gelati, Cannoli Al Cioccolato, Zeppole — Gelateria Toscana
- Torta Ricotta di Cioccolata — L’Arte di Mangiare
- The American Adventure
- Hummingbird Cake — The Artist’s Table
- Crazy Chocolate Funnel Cake Sandwich — Funnel Cake Stand
- Banana Pudding — Regal Eagle Smokehouse
- Japan
- Kakigori — Kabuki Cafe
- Ichigo Mochi – Daifuku — Goshiki
- Morocco
- Chocolate Cake — Tangierine Cafe
- Pastry assortment — Oasis Sweets & Sips
- France
- Croque Glace, Macaron Ice Cream Sandwich, variety of ice cream — L’Artisan des Glaces
- Beignet, Pain au Chocolat, Napolean, etc. — Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie
- Hazlenut & Chocolate Crepe or Red Berries Crepe — Crêpes À Emporter
- United Kingdom
- Sticky Toffee Pudding — Rose & Crown Dining Room (note this is a table service restaurant — there is also an assortment of British candies inside The Crown & Crest store)
- Canada
- Maple Popcorn — Popcorn Cart
Luckily, some of these desserts travel well, so you could always save them for later, too.
Also, I included some items from the food booths at EPCOT’s Festival of the Arts, so don’t forget that those are also options for desserts — you can see the full menus right here. And, check out our favorites right here!
Capture Your Moment Photo Shoot
Capture Your Moment photo shoots fall under the Enchanting Extras category we mentioned earlier, but we wanted to highlight them on their own! These are personalized 20-minute photo sessions in the parks at Disney World.
These sessions are $99 and you must have park admission to do one. The price of the photos is not included in the experience, but they are if you already have PhotoPass attached to your tickets or passes!
You can even book back-to-back sessions if you want longer than 20 minutes. Here’s where this experience is available:
- Magic Kingdom: Main Street, U.S.A., Fantasyland, or Liberty Square
- EPCOT: Germany, Italy, American Adventure, Japan, or Morocco Pavilions
- Animal Kingdom: Tree of Life, other locations vary
- Hollywood Studios: Toy Story Land, Hollywood Boulevard, Echo Lake, Sunset Boulevard, and more (Galaxy’s Edge booked separately)
Many people book these to celebrate special occasions, but why not just have a fun little photo shoot for Valentine’s Day?! You can learn more right here.
Mini Golf
Going mini golfing is a classic date, and now you can experience it Disney-style! There are two mini golf locations at Disney World — Fantasia Gardens and Fairways and Winter Summerland.
Fantasia Gardens has two 18-hole mini golf courses and it’s themed to Disney’s Fantasia.
Winter Summerland also has two 18-hole courses and the theming has a really fun backstory. Basically, Santa Claus was flying back to the North Pole on Christmas Eve and discovered snow in Florida, so he decided to build a vacation spot for his elves!
There are two distinct courses — a sand course for elves that like the warmth and sunshine of Florida and a snow course for elves that prefer the cold snow.
The best part might be the cost — It’s only $19 per adult! You can walk up and golf or make reservations by calling (407) WDW-PLAY or (407) 939-7529.
Attractions About Love
There are several attractions at Disney World that have love as a theme, so you could make a little adventure out of it by going on all of them if you have a park hopper ticket! Alternatively, there are also a bunch of rides that have magical, romantic vibes.
In Magic Kingdom, there’s Under the Sea — Journey of the Little Mermaid, which focuses on the love story of Ariel and Prince Eric that we also see in the movie.
On the flip side, head on over to Haunted Mansion to check out what love looks like from the perspective of Constance Hatchaway, the woman who may or may not have (but definitely did) kill all of her husbands that she “loved.”
Or, you could re-create one of the most romantic scenes in a Disney movie by going on the Magic Carpets of Aladdin!
Over in Hollywood Studios, get on Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. The adventure kicks off with the duo trying to go on a picnic date!
In EPCOT, Frozen Ever After takes you into the world of Arendelle and focuses more on friendship and sisterly love, which should also be celebrated! Not only that, but the beautiful lights and music definitely have the perfect vibes for a date.
Speaking of romantic vibes, Na’vi River Journey in Animal Kingdom is a slow-paced boat ride through some absolutely gorgeous illuminated scenery.
Lounge Around
Another great date idea is to check out the various lounges around Disney World! There are several in the parks as well as the resorts that are nice places to relax and have a drink and maybe some snacks.
These also tend to be places where there’s a smaller likelihood of a bunch of children being around, if that’s a concern for you at all.
In Animal Kingdom, I’d recommend checking out Nomad Lounge! This is such a relaxing spot with some incredible drinks (one of which is an all-time fave for me) and delicious snacks.
You’ll find comfy couches and oversized chairs either on the large covered porch or inside the cozy bar area. Nomad Lounge also has the best churros on Disney property, in my opinion!
Moving on to EPCOT, La Cava del Tequila is at the top of my list. This tequila cave is in the Mexico Pavilion and has hundreds of tequilas to choose from — there’s also usually not too long of a wait to sit down inside and grab some chips and guac!
If wine is more your jam, go to the wine cave in Italy. This is called Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar and is attached to Tutto Italia Ristorante (and serves a lot of their food!).
There’s a huge selection of wine and other Italian drinks here, as well as delicious food. And, the atmosphere is super cozy!
As for the resorts, Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto is almost always a super fun time at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. This is a tiki bar that has an interactive room and some of the best bartenders you’ll find at Disney.
There are also some small plates to snack on! Trader Sam’s is very popular though, so try and get on the list as early as you can — it opens at 3PM but they usually start putting names on the list even earlier (and you have to go put your name on the list in person!).
Next door at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort is the Enchanted Rose lounge. This is a gorgeous bar and lounge themed after Beauty and the Beast, but elevated and elegant. There are fun cocktails and some small plates available!
These are just a handful of all the bars and lounges around Disney World, but they’re some great options for a date!
Fireworks Dessert Experiences
Another way to celebrate the holiday is by going to a fireworks dessert party!
There’s the Magic Kingdom Fireworks Dessert Post-Party, Pre-Party, and the one in the middle — Seats & Sweets. These take place over in Tomorrowland Terrace and get you access to a bunch of desserts as well as a reserved spot for the Happily Ever After fireworks.
Over at EPCOT, you can do the Rose & Crown or the Spice Road Table Fireworks Dining Package, which gets you dinner at the restaurants as well as reserved viewing of the fireworks show (which is Luminous right now).
If you want to get REALLY fancy, you can even charter a private watercraft and watch the Magic Kingdom or EPCOT fireworks from a boat. The audio of the shows will even sync through the speakers on board!
The cruises come with a captain and an assortment of snacks and soft drinks (you can also request festive banners and balloons that are included in the cost). These start at $449 plus tax and the boats seat up to 10 guests, so it’d be a really cool experience for a group date!
You’ll have to call Disney to schedule one of these cruises at (407) WDW-PLAY or (407) 939-7529.
Spa Day
We’re ending on another classic — treat yourself and your partner to a spa day in Disney World! You can go to the Grand Floridian Spa at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort or Mandara Spa at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort.
The Grand Floridian Spa offers things like body treatments, massages, manicures, and more. There are also relaxation rooms with light refreshments and a dressing room complete with your own robe and slippers!
Mandara Spa is a Balinese-themed, full-service luxury spa and salon. Here, you can get massages, body wraps, facials, and aromatherapy. At the salon, you can get manicures, pedicures, hairstyling, and more.
So, I hope that gives you some fun ideas for dates if you’re in Disney World around Valentine’s Day this year! Or, some great date suggestions in general — a lot of this work year-round.
Stay tuned for more Disney World tips, news, and info!