Introduction
We’ve all thought about what we would do if we won the lottery, right? Now, let’s be honest. How many of you would immediately splurge on a Disney trip? I know that is the first thing I would do! It is so fun to think about a trip where you get to splurge and check out all the fun opportunities that you would never think to look into since they’re typically out of your price range.
This is definitely my favorite post to write so far! I could probably write a whole book with this one because Disney offers so many opportunities to splurge. There are many different routes to take with this, so I will be focusing on staying at Disney World and not anything outside of that. To help myself reign in my excitement, this splurge trip will just be two weeks at Disney World.
The first week will be at Animal Kingdom Lodge and will focus mainly on tours, fancy dinners, and other special events. Week two will be at the Polynesian and will focus on the parks, rides, and other offerings at the parks. The weekend in between is going to be spent at the Resort, Resort hopping, going to water parks, and at Disney Springs!
*As a note: many of the tours at the parks are not currently running, so be sure to check before your trip to see what is available!
Breakdown
- Theme: Classic Disney Trip
- Length: 2 weeks
- Age and Group: Single Adults
- Spending: $$$$+
Week 1
Check-In
Your first resort that you will be checking into for this trip is the Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House. You swing for a club-level, one-bedroom villa that faces the savannah. One of my biggest Disney Bucket List items is staying at a savannah facing room at Animal Kingdom Lodge. I have wanted to stay in Animal Kingdom Lodge since it first opened. I remember the commercials showed people waking up to giraffes outside their window and I thought that was the coolest thing I had ever seen!
Food
For dinner the night of your check-in day, you will head over to Boma. It is an all you care to eat, buffet-style dinner, so you fill up to get ready for a busy week! You are sure to grab a few Zebra Domes for dessert, since they are one of the more popular dessert items at Disney.
Day 1: Magic Kingdom
Here we go, it’s the first park day on your splurge trip! You start with a classic (and pricey) day at Magic Kingdom. You have a lot on the agenda, so you get an early start and head out to the park before breakfast.
Extras
To make the most of your day at Magic Kingdom and to best splurge, you book the Keys to the Kingdom Tour. This tour is 5 hours long and gives you access to backstage areas that are not open to the public. You will learn hidden secrets, trivia, and history of the park!
Food
A perfect Magic Kingdom day starts with a character breakfast, so head over to Crystal Palace for a meal with Winnie the Pooh and friends! It is right in the hub, which makes it the perfect place to start your day at Magic Kingdom. Lunch is provided on your Keys to the Kingdom tour, so no need to plan anything extra for that. Lastly, you get to go into Cinderella’s castle for dinner at Cinderella’s Royal Table.
Rides
Your tour and specialty dining experiences take up much of your day at the park, however you still want to ride a few classics! You get on Small World, Peter Pan’s Flight, and Pirates of the Caribbean, while spending the rest of your day eating and touring Magic Kingdom.
Day 2: EPCOT
EPCOT has one of the coolest histories of any Disney park, so spending the day exploring and learning more about EPCOT is the perfect way to splurge at this park.
Extras
The UnDISCOVERed Future World tour allows you to learn about Walt’s original design for EPCOT and get an exclusive look backstage of a few areas. You will get to walk under the outdoor track in Test Track and go to the Cast Services building!
Food
You grab a quick breakfast at the resort, to save time for a long day at the park. Head to World Showcase and enjoy a fun, German lunch at Biergarten Restaurant. Dinner will also be in World Showcase, but at the Canada pavilion at Le Cellier. This is a classic steakhouse, with some of the best cheddar soup you have ever had!
Rides
Since your tour doesn’t last the entire day, you will have plenty of time to hit up your favorite rides! You are able to get Lightning Lanes for Soarin’, Spaceship Earth, and Living with the Land.
Day 3: Hollywood Studios
Hollywood Studios is one of the most popular parks right now, so getting to splurge here will be a dream!
Extras
Building your very own lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop is a must do splurge at Galaxy’s Edge. This fun experience allows you to customize a lightsaber, with the help of a cast member. This is not only a unique and interactive way to spend time in Galaxy’s Edge, but you will end up with a cool souvenir to take home! Check out my Star Wars themed vacation post to see what else you can splurge on in Galaxy’s Edge.
Food
Lunch will be at Hollywood and Vine, where you can see Minnie dressed in seasonal attire! It has pretty standard meals, but the real draw is definitely the characters and their unique outfits. The Hollywood Brown Derby is your splurge dinner tonight. This signature dining restaurant is modeled after the actual Brown Derby in Hollywood and has upscale, American cuisine.
Rides
A day at Hollywood Studios isn’t complete without trying to ride Rise of the Resistance! An Individual Lightning Lane is the perfect way to get right on the ride! You also are sure to get Lightning Lanes/Individual Lightning Lanes for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Tower of Terror, and Toy Story Mania.
Day 4: Animal Kingdom
To round out your first week at the parks, we will check out how you can continue your spending spree at Animal Kingdom!
Extras
One of my personal dream days at Animal Kingdom includes the Wild Africa Trek! You get to see the animals in a way no one else in the parks can and have a knowledgeable guide to answer questions and tell you about the animals. This tour also includes African snacks and pictures from the day! After the Wild Africa Trek, you will move on to your next special extra, Caring for Giants. This special tour doesn’t actually come with a huge price tag, but it is still a wonderful way to spend your special day at Animal Kingdom. You get to spend time with an animal specialist who cares for the African elephants and you are able to get up close and personal with these amazing animals!
Food
The Wild Africa Trek comes with snacks and since you are doing the mid-day tour, those will serve as your lunch for the day. Your dinner will be at the signature dining option at Animal Kingdom, Tiffin’s. It has an eclectic menu and the décor makes you feel like you are traveling the world!
Rides
A big portion of your day will be spent with the special tours and extras, but you still make time for a few rides. You use Lightning Lanes/Individual Lightning Lanes for Na’vi River Journey, Expedition Everest, and DINOSAUR and are able to get them around your tours.
Weekend
Day 5: Resort Day & Resort Hopping
Take some time to enjoy your balcony and watch the animals in the savannah for a calm way to start your morning. After that, you explore the resort and head to the pool for a bit! The rest of the day will be spent resort hopping, so the relaxing morning is a perfect way to get back some energy before heading out. In the late afternoon, you will find transportation over to the Yacht Club Resort. You’ll start out just exploring the area (and even head over to the Beach Club Resort as well if you have the time, since they’re fairly close). To round out the night, you will head over to the Boardwalk Inn and check out the Boardwalk area.
Food
For lunch, you will head to Kidani Village (the other side of Animal Kingdom Lodge) and eat at Sanaa. Be sure to ask for a savannah facing table so you can enjoy the views and order the amazing bread service! While enjoying the pools, grab a drink or snack at Uzima Springs or Maji Pool Bar. For dinner, you will be at the Yacht Club for an upscale meal at the Yachtsman Steakhouse. While at the Boardwalk, stop by BoardWalk Bakery for a specialty coffee and snack.
Day 6: Blizzard Beach & Disney Springs
If you haven’t been to one of the two water parks at Disney World, you are really missing out! My personal favorite is Blizzard Beach, the winter themed water park. It has so much to offer that you can easily spend the entire day there. If you are a thrill seeker, you will have to check out all the water slides. The biggest slide being Summit Plummet, which is a nearly vertical drop! You also ride up to the top on a ski-lift, which is my absolute favorite in terms of the theming of this park. If you are wanting something a little less adventurous, head to the wave pool or the lazy river. They also have a variety of lounge spaces and dining options to keep you relaxed and well-fed!
After cleaning up from your water park day, you will catch a bus to Disney Springs for dinner and shopping.
Food
For dinner at Disney Springs, you go to the Boathouse. This signature restaurant has something for everyone, with amazing views. You can also take a short boat tour before or after your meal to see Disney Springs from a whole new perspective! For dessert, you head to Amorette’s Patisserie for some of the cutest and most intricate desserts you have ever seen. They always have something new and seasonal, so you may have to take a few treats to-go in order to try everything!
Day 7: Resort Day & Resort Hopping
To start off your final weekend day, you are going to transfer over to the Polynesian Resort for the second week of your trip! It is fairly common, especially for folks who have the means to do so, to transfer resorts in the middle of a trip. This allows you to not just see other resorts, but to really experience more than one resort during your stay. You check out of Animal Kingdom Lodge and head over to the Polynesian. To get there, you will need to either drive, get a ride with a ride-share service, or use the Disney buses and transfer at a park or Disney Springs. For your room, you choose the priciest option the resort has to offer, the Bungalows. Staying in a Poly Bungalow is definitely a Disney Bucket List vacation for me. These bungalows are on the Seven Seas Lagoon, the water connecting the monorail resorts. They are huge and face the Magic Kingdom, so you would have the opportunity to watch the fireworks there at night if you wanted. They even pipe in the music from the show!
After checking in, you will spend the day exploring the Poly, grabbing drinks, and checking out the pools! The rest of the evening will be spent going to the other monorail resorts (the Grand Floridian and the Contemporary). You’ll go to the Contemporary first and just explore, then you will head to the Grand Floridian.
Food
At the Poly, you will grab drinks and maybe a small plate at Trader Sam’s. This is one of my absolute favorite lounges anywhere on Disney property. The atmosphere and theatre of the space is unbeatable! You absolutely have to check it out while at the Poly. Once you’re at the Grand Floridian, you will eat dinner at Disney’s fanciest and priciest restaurant, Victoria and Albert’s. It has been awarded many prestigious accolades, so you know it is going to be one of the best meals of your life! It is a prefix meal, so you pay a flat price and get an 8-course meal. You will need to dress up for this dinner, as there is a dress code and kids are not allowed.
Week 2
Day 8: EPCOT
After a fun and relaxing weekend, it’s time to get back to the parks. You focus this week on rides and other unique extras offered at the parks. You are sure to go all out this week since it is your last week to splurge!
Extras
For dinner and fireworks, you purchase the Spice Road Table Fireworks Dining Package. This package includes appetizers, a dessert platter, and unlimited drinks, all while enjoying the fireworks from the covered, outdoor dining area.
Food
The best meals in EPCOT are definitely in World Showcase, so you will be there for both lunch and dinner. For lunch you will travel to Italy to eat at Via Napoli. Via Napoli serves classic Italian dishes and pizza made in very uniquely themed wood-burning ovens. Dinner will be at Spice Road Table for your special fireworks viewing party.
Rides
Since you are focusing on rides today, you are definitely going to get to the park as early as you can to get in line for your favorites. You will also purchase Disney Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes. You start with Test Track, Mission: SPACE, and Journey into Imagination. After you have ridden those, you head to some other must-do EPCOT rides, like Soarin’ or Frozen.
Day 9: Hollywood Studios
A second trip to Hollywood Studios is the perfect opportunity to ride any of the rides you missed on your first day and fit in some exciting extras!
Extras
Last week in Hollywood Studios, you were able to build a lightsaber, so obviously you need to build a droid to add to your Star Wars collection! Head over to the Droid Depot, where you can choose between the BB-series and R-series. There are even extra accessories you can purchase after you’re done, which you will definitely splurge on!
Food
For lunch, while you are in Toy Story Land, you check out Woody’s Lunch Box. This walk up, quick service restaurant has classic lunch options like Grilled Cheese and a BBQ Brisket Melt. You also get an order of “Totchos” (the must-try tater tot nachos) and a couple of Lunch Box Tarts for dessert. For dinner, you check out 50’s Prime Time Café. This table-service restaurant is uniquely themed and a really fun, interactive experience. You are dining in “Mom’s Kitchen” and served by family members who will tell you to mind your manners and eat your veggies.
Rides
With so many rides to get on at Hollywood Studios, you purchase Disney Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes again. You are sure to check out other rides you didn’t get to ride last week, like Slinky Dog Dash, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, and Star Tours.
Day 10: Animal Kingdom
You’re back at Animal Kingdom today! I think Animal Kingdom has some of my favorite ways to splurge out of any of the parks. It’s actually the biggest out of all the parks, so it makes sense there would be so many cool extras here.
Extras
While in Animal Kingdom, you will definitely want to grab a seat to watch A Celebration of Festival of the Lion King. It is an amazing performance featuring music and characters from Lion King. There are many showings throughout the day and it can be a great way to escape the busy park for a moment and enjoy an awesome show!
Food
Lunch today will be at Yak & Yeti, a table-service restaurant in the Asia section of the park. There is also a quick service option and a market to check out while you wait! Dinner is going to be back in Pandora at Satu’li Canteen. It is a quick service restaurant, but has some of the best options for dining in Animal Kingdom. You will eat in what was previously an “RDA mess hall” and be able to customize your meal however you like! After dinner, stop by Pongu Pongu for a fun, unique drink to end the night.
Rides
Since your time at Animal Kingdom so far on this trip has been mostly filled with tours, you definitely want to ride everything you missed today! You will purchase Disney Genie+ again today to be sure to get on as much as possible. You head straight to Flight of Passage, then Kilimanjaro Safaris, Kali River Rapids, and the Wildlife Express Train to Rafiki’s Planet Watch. Spend some time in Rafiki’s Planet Watch learning about conservation and getting up close and personal with the animals!
Day 11: Magic Kingdom
You’ve made it to your last park day! I hope you saved up a little bit of energy to make this final day count. Since much of your first Magic Kingdom day was spent doing your tour, today will be a perfect opportunity to explore the park a little more.
Extras
To close out your night and your time at the parks, you choose to watch the nighttime fireworks from the Magic Kingdom ferry! You book the Ferrytale Fireworks: A Sparkling Dessert Cruise for a special and memorable viewing of the fireworks. This special event includes water front views of the nighttime show, unique desserts, and fun beverages. It’s the perfect way to celebrate the end of your splurge vacation!
Food
Liberty Tree Tavern is on the schedule for lunch. Located in Liberty Square, this restaurant serves classic American food in an all you care to eat, family style. The location is a colonial inn and each room is themed to an important figure from American history, so be sure to request the room you want! Dinner will be at Tony’s Town Square Restaurant, located right at the front of the park. It is Lady and the Tramp themed and has traditional Italian options, with something for everyone.
Rides
Today is all about the rides at Magic Kingdom! Magic Kingdom has the most rides of all of the parks, so you will once again get Disney Genie+ and ride as much as possible! You start your morning in Tomorrowland with a thrilling ride on Space Mountain and a spin on Astro Orbiter. Next, you will make your way towards Frontierland for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain. If you still need some more thrills, check out Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train. End your busy, thrilling day with a relaxing ride through Tomorrowland on the People Mover.
Check Out
Sadly, your splurge trip had to come to an end eventually. Hopefully you still have enough lottery winnings left to come back to Disney soon, but for now, it is time to head home. You have time for brunch at the resort and a few last-minute castle views, then head to the airport.
Food
‘Ohana is a classic, must-do restaurant at Disney. It is a great way to close out your vacation. Food is served family style, so it makes it easier than the typical, buffet style brunch. This is also a character meal, where you can see Lilo and Stitch, who can’t be found anywhere else on property!
What would your lottery Disney vacation look like? Let me know in the comments and then go buy that lottery ticket!
Overview
- Resort: Animal Kingdom Lodge (Deluxe Resort)
- Check-in Day: Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Food: Boma
- Day 1: Magic Kingdom
- Extras: Keys to the Kingdom Tour
- Food: Crystal Palace, Cinderella’s Royal Table
- Rides: It’s a Small World, Peter Pan’s Flight, Pirates of the Caribbean
- Day 2: EPCOT
- Extras: UnDISCOVERed Future World Tour
- Food: Biergarten Restaurant, Le Cellier
- Rides: Soarin’, Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land
- Day 3: Hollywood Studios
- Extras: Savi’s Workshop
- Food: Hollywood and Vine, The Hollywood Brown Derby
- Rides: Rise of the Resistance, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Tower of Terror, Toy Story Mania
- Day 4: Animal Kingdom
- Extras: Wild Africa Trek, Caring for Giants
- Food: Tiffin’s
- Rides: Na’vi River Journey, Expedition Everest, DINOSAUR
- Day 5: Resort Day & Resort Hoping
- Food: Sanaa, Uzima Spring/Maji Pool Bar, Yachtsman Steakhouse, Boardwalk Bakery
- Day 6: Blizzard Beach & Disney Springs
- Food: Boathouse, Amorette’s Patisserie
- Resort: The Polynesian (Deluxe Resort)
- Day 7: Resort Day & Resort Hoping
- Food: Trader Sam’s, Victoria and Albert’s
- Day 8: EPCOT
- Extras: Spice Road Table Fireworks Dining Package
- Food: Via Napoli, Spice Road Table
- Rides: Test Track, Mission: SPACE, Journey into Imagination, Soarin’, Frozen
- Day 9: Hollywood Studios
- Extras: Droid Depot
- Food: Woody’s Lunchbox, 50’s Prime Time Cafe
- Rides: Slinky Dog Dash, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Star Tours
- Day 10: Animal Kingdom
- Extras: A Celebration of the Festival of the Lion King
- Food: Yak & Yeti, Satu’li Canteen, Pongu Pongu
- Rides: Flight of Passage, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Kali River Rapids, Wildlife Express Train
- Day 11: Magic Kingdom
- Extras: Ferrytale Fireworks: A Sparkling Dessert Cruise
- Food: Liberty Tree Tavern, Tony’s Town Square Restaurant
- Rides: Space Mountain, Astro Orbiter, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain, Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train, People Mover
- Day 12: Check Out Day
- Food: ‘Ohana
