by Happily Ever After Diva
Planning the Perfect Disney Bachelorette
The second my sister got engaged, the ideas began swirling as I thought about where I would take her for her bachelorette party. She is just as much a Disney-lover as myself, so Walt Disney World was at the top of the list for locations. Once I got her bridesmaids on-board with me, I set out to plan the most magical bachelorette I could dream up. Here are some tips I found that helped the planning and execution go smoothly.
Begin Planning Early
As with all Disney vacations, it is best to start the planning process well in advance. Rooms, dining reservations and FastPasses go quickly, so if you do the legwork early on, it will make for a much more easy-going and enjoyable trip once you arrive.
Planning the logistics for an entire group was a bit challenging, but purchasing park tickets early and downloading the My Disney Experience App made it super easy to keep track of how we wanted to spend each day in the parks. We were able to get first dibs for FastPass times on the most popular attractions and dining reservations. In addition, because we got our plans locked-down early, we never felt rushed or overwhelmed when in the parks because we knew we had already set aside time for the big attractions. That left time to explore shops and wait in shorter lines for some of the less popular attractions, making the most of the time spent in the parks!
Disney-Inspired Gear is a Must
The options are endless for ways you can deck the bridal party out in all-things-Disney! We went for a subtle approach, but we saw some other bridal parties that went all out with everything down to tube socks and tutus! Here are some fun ideas:
Matching shirts-We ordered shirts our shirts from Etsy. If you are going in the summer months, keep the heat in mind! We went for racer back tanks in a moisture-wicking fabric that kept us comfortable while looking super cute. The bow detail on the back was the best part of these shirts and made us look uniform and adorable from all angles!
Metallic tattoos-I can’t tell you how many people stopped and asked us where we got our tattoos. These were another Etsy find! The metallic gold was eye catching and made us stand out as a bridal party, especially on the days where we didn’t wear our matching shirts.
Water bottles-You can bring outside food/drinks into the parks and because of the heat, staying hydrated is a must. Purchasing water in the parks can add up quickly, so having water bottles on hand was essential. I purchased the water bottles from Christmas Tree Shop and ordered the name decals from Etsy.
Diva Tip: If you ask for cups of ice water, they are free and you can just pour them right into your water bottles!
Other ideas: decorate a pair of ears, design you Magic Band with stickers, customize sunglasses, or create sashes.
Plan some Bachelorette-Specific Activities
Throughout the four-day trip, there were a few bachelorette-specific activities that made the trip special for my sister, so it didn’t feel like one of our typical trips to Disney. Decorating the room was a fun way to kick-off the festivities, so we packed decorations that traveled well. We printed out love quotes from beloved Disney movies, had her friends and family members write short notes for her to read, and bought a couple goodies for the bride and bridesmaids that doubled as both room decorations and souvenirs from the trip.
We, of course, did the quintessential drinking around the World Showcase in Epcot. We wore our matching shirts and enjoyed a few hours of drinks and food throughout the World Showcase Pavilions. The shirts made for some great photo-ops and you also get a lot extra attention from cast members, which made our bride feel very special!
Another super fun activity that we planned was a monorail bar crawl. What could be better than riding around on the iconic monorail and stopping at a few of the lounges and bars with (arguably) some of the best views of Magic Kingdom? Our stops included Narcossee’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian, Top of the World Lounge at Bay Lake Tower (this one is a private lounge for DVC members only), and Trader Sam’s Grotto at Disney’s Polynesian Village. We ended the night with Disney’s Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show. There are several dinner shows to choose from and any one of them will make for a memorable girl’s night out!
Include Some Cost Effective Options Asking people to join a bachelorette party in Disney World required them to purchase both plane and park tickets, so costs added up quickly. Luckily there are some ways we were able to save some money to make the trip less costly for everyone.
Our trip was four days, so for one of the days I planned activities that did not require us to have a park ticket. This saved us all a significant amount of money. We started our day with a walk on the Boardwalk followed by a few hours lounging by the pool. Then we boarded the monorail for our bar crawl and ended the night at the Luau dinner show. Planning activities and a dining reservation that did not require park admission saved us money, but also allowed us to enjoy some quality time while relaxing and recharging. Disney Springs is another great place to spend the day or night without having to add another day on to your park tickets. With endless shops and dining choices, you and your girls can enjoy a day away from the hubbub of the park without sacrificing on fun!
Another way we were able to save some money was by opting out of table service meals at times. On the days where we didn’t sit down for meals, we were able to manage our spending by eating snacks in the parks and getting a quick-service meal for dinner. Epcot is a great place to do this because you can sample and share a variety of authentic foods from any of the World Showcase Pavilions. A few of my favorites are: fish and chips in England, beignets in France, a (gigantic) pretzel in Germany, and baklava in Morocco. Doing this also granted us more time to enjoy some of the events in the parks like parades and fireworks!
A Disney bachelorette is a sure-fire way to have a blast before the wedding with the bride and her ladies. The possibilities are endless, all you need is a bride, a group of girls willing to have tons of fun, and a touch of magic! Happy planning!
