Ever go just for the resort experience, not the parks?

[Pink Flamingo]

I was curious as to whether anyone has ever gone to WDW and not gone to the parks (MK, EPCOT, AK, MGM)? I'll be traveling with DH in early March. He'll be in a conference most of the day on all the days we are there & since the parks close pretty early in the evening, I don't think we'll be visiting any parks. Any ideas for other things we could do on Disney property (we won't have a rental car)?

TIA

 

[KarenNY]

You can go to DTD for dining and shopping. Pleasure Island is a good way to spend an evening. How about heading over to the Boardwalk. You can have dinner, just stroll around Crescent Lake or get some laughs in Jellyrolls. Where will you be staying? You can go to another resort for dinner and walk around (AKL, GF, Poly). Lots to do on property.

 

[Pink Flamingo]

Thanks Karen! Great ideas. I'll be staying at CSR. It's the first time we have gone w/o kids. We've never had time to plan "grown up" things to do ~ LOL.

 

[pchpie]

i love to just hang around the resort(s). beautiful, fun, exercise rooms, pools, sit on balcony and chill, eat lunch at different resorts (e.g., grand floridian). i always spend a few days just hanging out. you'll love this.

 

[wishuponastarforever]

The resorts are a destination all by themselves. Just taking the time to stroll around and appreciate the detail that Disney does so well would be fun.

If you did decide to go into any of the parks solo during the day, there are a variety of tours that are worthwhile.

My DH has a conference in October - I was thinking the new segway tour in WS in Epcot would be fun to do.

Ahhh - time on your hands at WDW - Does it get better? Have a great time.

 

[leighe]

We are taking DH's parents to AKL over Spring Break. We are only going to go to the parks 3 or 4 days and spend the rest of the time enjoying the resort. We chose AKL so we could be at Disney but feel away from it all.

Pink Flamingo - go have a spa day at the GF! That sounds heavenly to me.

 

[spiceycat]

you are staying at a beautiful resort walk around it one evening


one night (it helps if you have a car) - go visit the Polyn - if you want eat dinner there (I like Kona Cafe) - then go walk along the resort and the beach - if you time it right - you can see the fireworks from the MK and around 9:00pm the EWP - Electric Water Parade - very old - but definitely Disney.

If you drive tell the security guard at the MK gate that you are going to the Polyn - tell the security guard at the Polyn that you are shopping or eating or just looking.

Now if you don't have car - it gets harder - you can always ride the MK bus over - but getting back especially if the MK is closed can be difficult - however remember that the buses generally run an hour to two hours after the parks closes. If MK is closed then check on EPcot (the monrail is within walking distance of the Polyn) - if it is also closed - then just enjoy going to DD and that shopping experience....

 

[yecats]

Once your on Disney property you can use their transportation to get around no matter if your visiting the themeparks or not and you can still tour the resorts even if your not staying on property. Definately tour all the resorts. You will need to take their transportation to one of the hubs or a themepark then transfer to the resort you want to visit.

It is very easy to tour the monorail resorts and walk around each of them, eat in their restaurants and even rent equipment (bikes, watermice, etc.). You can spend a day touring the monorail resorts then go to Contemporary and take the friendship boat over to the Wilderness Lodge. At night, you and your hubby can pick a spot on the beach at the Poly and watch Wishes at MK. Wait around until about 9:10 and watch the water pagent from the beach as well.

It is also easy to tour the Epcot resort area by starting at the Boardwalk and walking around. You can easily walk up to the gate leading to the World Showcase and watch part of Illuminations going off at 9:00 without having to purchase a ticket then walk back to Boardwalk and enjoy the nightlife.

Another way to visit some of the resorts is to start off in the evening at DTD and take the boats over Port Orleans Riverside or take the boat over to the Old Key West resort. The water trip is very plesant, quiet, informative and about 20 minutes in each direction. Get off the boat at the destination and walk around. For instance if you take the boat to Port Orleans French Quarter or Riverside, tour the resort, get a dessert and walk right on over to the next resort as they are right next to one another and will provide 3 different feels (French Quarter, Bayou homes and Southern Mansions).

AK is a great place to visit as well even though it is out of the way. Now I am an animal person and just love to watch them for a while. You can easily go there and animial watch, eat lunch or dinner and tour the resort.

You will do a lot of walking but can have a bit of the Disney magic without experiencing a theme park.

Also, you can purchase tickets to the Hoop Dee Doo (I am not a fan of this show but many are) and check out the Fort Wilderness area. You can also catch the Poly show as well.

Keep in mind that many resorts, especially Thurs - Sat., will have their own entertainment scheduled. For instance, if you were to tour PORS on a Friday night, you would See Bob the showman in the lounge. He is really entertaining to watch and all are invited free of charge. Of course any tips are appreciated and I'm sure Disney wouldn't mind if you purchased a drink at the bar either.

There are also things that you may want to check out during the day while the hubby is out. I believe that GF, WL and AKL offer brief (I think free) tours of the property a few times during the week. GF has an afternoon tea that you may be interested in (not cheap but you may enjoy the tea). You may also want to schedule some spa time at AKL or GF.

Lastly, if you do decide to buy a ticket to something (during the day) to enjoy by yourself but don't want to spend a lot of money, purchase a ticket to one of the waterparks, they are really fun to enjoy.

 

[mommary]

I've gone several times to WDW without going to the parks.
One of my favorite things is visit the monorail resorts to do some shopping. See if you can get a reservation for tea at the Grand Floridian, a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

 

[mtheiss]

my DW and I have been finding that we spend less time at the parks and more at the resorts since we started using the BCVillas. I tend to wander to Boardwalk and spend more time doing a small hit and run to a specific part of a park rather than the whole thing. Having been an annual passholder a couple of times, i have found that the need to validate the purchase and use up all the time has lessened. DW is a Disstore cast member and does not need tickets, we tend to enjoy the pools and activities of the resorts.
Downtown disney is a great way to spend some time, and even catch a movie. I also enjoy going to wild world of sports.
One of the better semi-park ways to spend some time is to try one of the special activities, like the Dolphins at depth or, learning to surf at Typhoon lagoon.
Two years back, I brought my golf clubs and spent more time on the links than at parks.
One last adventure that entailed just resorts was to take advantage of the pool hopping during less crowded seasons. Each resort has it's own interesting recreation area and pool. If you like water slides, you can try each one at each resort.
The impeccable nature of the staff and grounds at Disney make it an ideal place for a non-park vacation. It can be your very own spa vacation with all of the possible services on sight.