Summer vacation without a park visit?

Penmac

Mouseketeer
Joined
Mar 31, 2017
Anyone planning a non-park Orlando trip? We usually travel to the area each summer to visit Disney. We had not planned a trip this year. We had other things scheduled for the summer that have since been canceled, and now I am facing a full summer at home in the sweltering heat with 5 kids, no pool, no activities... just like everyone else! 🤪

We have been social distancing since mid-March & both work from home. But, we are thinking by August we will need a change of scenery for a couple weeks (or lose our minds...). I have been taking care of my elderly mother who lives with us and it’s been amazing to spend more time with her. We feel so thankful we have the space and means to care for her and that she is not in a nursing home right now. Many facilities in our area are very affected by covid.☹️ But, this is still very challenging/exhausting with remote learning for 5 kids under 12, and working.

If my brother can help out with my mom for a couple weeks in August, we are thinking of driving kids down to FL to rent a house for 10-14 days with a private pool. Or, if it seems ok to use a communal pool, a condo at WBC or somewhere similar. Likely no park visits, and mostly just social distancing, but in a way that will give my kids tons of swimming time and the feel of a vacation. Maybe a visit to Disney Springs to bring a bit of the “magic”.

Just curious about what others with similar vacation plans are thinking of doing. I checked some rental sites and looks like nothing is open until at least July. I don’t want to book something that isn’t fully refundable, either, 🤔. Should we be considering other areas of FL? We know Orlando so well it seems the best option. And likely cheaper than beach rentals. But, any advice or feedback is appreciated!
 
Anyone planning a non-park Orlando trip?
Depending on how restrictive the Disney World experience will officially be announced to be, our current 7-night July WDW parks & resorts trip might turn into a 4-night July getaway to Four Seasons Orlando with no park visits at all.
 
Yes, I’ve posted in other threads about our plans. We were going to go on a cruise which was canceled, decided to make it a WDW vacation instead. Well that’s not looking good for June, but we plan on keeping our flights and renting a place in Windsor Hills. We plan to have a low key vacation at the pool, beach, and hopefully at least going to dinner at Disney Springs. If Kennedy Space Center is open I’ll take the little guys there too. I’m off work through at least June and really just didn’t want to reschedule the whole trip so we will just make the best of it!
 
Yes, I’ve posted in other threads about our plans. We were going to go on a cruise which was canceled, decided to make it a WDW vacation instead. Well that’s not looking good for June, but we plan on keeping our flights and renting a place in Windsor Hills. We plan to have a low key vacation at the pool, beach, and hopefully at least going to dinner at Disney Springs. If Kennedy Space Center is open I’ll take the little guys there too. I’m off work through at least June and really just didn’t want to reschedule the whole trip so we will just make the best of it!

I'm thinking we may end up doing something similar. Besides Windsor Hills are there other places in the area that would be a good place to stay for 1-2 weeks with multiple bedrooms/kitchen, etc....?

Also, considering staying at a condo for most of the time then staying at a Deluxe disney resort for the last few days without doing the parks.
 


This is exactly our plan (if it is permissable). A no park trip to Orlando in a private home with a pool through VRBO. We are currently looking at Windsor Hills or Emerald Island. We like the 192 corridor and the access to restaurants (take-out).
 
Since your plans are to rent a house and hang out, why not try someplace else? Pick somewhere on the ocean for a swim vacation or the smoky mountains if you want beautiful drives. August is a great time to visit northern states. What about renting a house on a lake with a boat? Orlando may be a tad depressing this summer.
 
Since your plans are to rent a house and hang out, why not try someplace else? Pick somewhere on the ocean for a swim vacation or the smoky mountains if you want beautiful drives. August is a great time to visit northern states. What about renting a house on a lake with a boat? Orlando may be a tad depressing this summer.
Mountains are not out thing at all. We love Florida. That's why. 😁
 


We have pretty much the same plan, only since August isn't an option for us we will probably go over Thanksgiving. Have a couple of different hotel reservations booked, may keep one of them or may cancel them all and rent something. Will not be using VRBO though due to all the negative issues they had with cancelling for COVID-19.
 
If you are considering a Florida vacation, I would suggest renting at/near the beach and not near the theme park zone. Driving to the beach, finding parking will get old fast and will eat up a lot of vacation time.
 
If you are considering a Florida vacation, I would suggest renting at/near the beach and not near the theme park zone. Driving to the beach, finding parking will get old fast and will eat up a lot of vacation time.

Good advice for beach people. We are pool people and have no interest in the beach. Would greatly prefer to be at a nice resort, with plenty of dining, shopping, mini golf, and other activities nearby.
 
We have pretty much the same plan, only since August isn't an option for us we will probably go over Thanksgiving. Have a couple of different hotel reservations booked, may keep one of them or may cancel them all and rent something. Will not be using VRBO though due to all the negative issues they had with cancelling for COVID-19.
We had A VRBO condo in Cocoa Beach rented for first week of May that we had to forgo. We contacted the owner and moved the date to same week next year. Didn't want to lose the deposit and we had a whole plan for the week including Kennedy Space center, the zoo, and other stuff that we still want to do. I was nervous about losing the deposit but the owner was very cool.

Now with the home rental in August we may wait to book until almost August itself so we are more sure its happening.
 
I'm thinking we may end up doing something similar. Besides Windsor Hills are there other places in the area that would be a good place to stay for 1-2 weeks with multiple bedrooms/kitchen, etc....?

Also, considering staying at a condo for most of the time then staying at a Deluxe disney resort for the last few days without doing the parks.

I am curious so I gotta ask....Why would you pay Disney Deluxe hotel prices if you don't plan to visit a Disney park? You can rent a 2 bedroom unit at a timeshare resort for a week for the price you will pay for a Disney Deluxe for a night or two. I guess I don't have an appreciation for "The Magic" to understand that logic. :rolleyes: :sad2:

My recommendations:
Wyndham Bonnet Creek - Still within Disney gates
Orange Lake Resort (HICV)
Sheraton Vistana or Vistana Villages - Never stayed there but there are plenty on these boards that have
Marriot Grande Vista, Lakeshore Reserve, Harbour Lake, etc....
Hilton Grand Club Vacations

There are so many places to choose from that will be FAR LESS EXPENSIVE and have MORE ROOM than a Disney Deluxe. Go to Redweek.com or TUG2.net and find plenty of places and/or suggestions. Windsor Hills is nice but they are not the only option.
 
I am curious so I gotta ask....Why would you pay Disney Deluxe hotel prices if you don't plan to visit a Disney park? You can rent a 2 bedroom unit at a timeshare resort for a week for the price you will pay for a Disney Deluxe for a night or two. I guess I don't have an appreciation for "The Magic" to understand that logic. :rolleyes: :sad2:

My recommendations:
Wyndham Bonnet Creek - Still within Disney gates
Orange Lake Resort (HICV)
Sheraton Vistana or Vistana Villages - Never stayed there but there are plenty on these boards that have
Marriot Grande Vista, Lakeshore Reserve, Harbour Lake, etc....
Hilton Grand Club Vacations

There are so many places to choose from that will be FAR LESS EXPENSIVE and have MORE ROOM than a Disney Deluxe. Go to Redweek.com or TUG2.net and find plenty of places and/or suggestions. Windsor Hills is nice but they are not the only option.

Hi TamaraQT,

There's no denying we love the Disney bubble. We've always had very pleasant experiences at POFQ which is a moderate. Right now rates for July are very low for Deluxe resorts and we've always wanted to experience Animal Kingdom Lodge. If we did stay there it would only be for a few nights. Depending on what happens in the next few weeks we may end up going back to POFQ and add a few park days. It's a bit frustrating right now with information filtering out slowly.

The plans for this vacation are constantly evolving right now. I appreciate the feedback and suggestions though. We've never rented or stayed off property. Plus I'm trying to find something nice for 2 adults and 3 kids.

Wyndham Bonnet Creek was one of the first places I reached out to, but they aren't taking any reservations until August.
 
If Disney doesn't happen for us, we are probably doing Universal and then driving over a couple days to the beach. Never thought I'd be entertaining Universal :rolleyes:.
 
Which beach does everyone recommend that is close to Orlando? We've been to Cocoa Beach which was nice. Thinking about Clearwater this time, but open to suggestions.
 
Which beach does everyone recommend that is close to Orlando? We've been to Cocoa Beach which was nice. Thinking about Clearwater this time, but open to suggestions.

Florida gulf beaches are much nicer. We like the Treasure Island/Madeira Beach area, which is north of Clearwater.
 
Anyone planning a non-park Orlando trip? We usually travel to the area each summer to visit Disney. We had not planned a trip this year. We had other things scheduled for the summer that have since been canceled, and now I am facing a full summer at home in the sweltering heat with 5 kids, no pool, no activities... just like everyone else! 🤪

We have been social distancing since mid-March & both work from home. But, we are thinking by August we will need a change of scenery for a couple weeks (or lose our minds...). I have been taking care of my elderly mother who lives with us and it’s been amazing to spend more time with her. We feel so thankful we have the space and means to care for her and that she is not in a nursing home right now. Many facilities in our area are very affected by covid.☹ But, this is still very challenging/exhausting with remote learning for 5 kids under 12, and working.

If my brother can help out with my mom for a couple weeks in August, we are thinking of driving kids down to FL to rent a house for 10-14 days with a private pool. Or, if it seems ok to use a communal pool, a condo at WBC or somewhere similar. Likely no park visits, and mostly just social distancing, but in a way that will give my kids tons of swimming time and the feel of a vacation. Maybe a visit to Disney Springs to bring a bit of the “magic”.

Just curious about what others with similar vacation plans are thinking of doing. I checked some rental sites and looks like nothing is open until at least July. I don’t want to book something that isn’t fully refundable, either, 🤔. Should we be considering other areas of FL? We know Orlando so well it seems the best option. And likely cheaper than beach rentals. But, any advice or feedback is appreciated!

I think we just might.

We have done WDW, Universal, Discovery Cove, and SeaWorld many times, but we haven't really tried anything else in the Orlando area. There really is a lot to do.

I found a three bedroom, two bath suite at a resort with pools and a water park for a very reasonable price. Refundable if cancelled more than three days from arrival. We will hang out at the water park and visit some Orlando attractions we haven't seen before.

We still have our reservations at both Disney and Universal for the same week- hanging on to them in case they reverse their mask policy- but at this point, it looks like we will enjoy ourselves more off property this time. My teen is actually more excited about staying in the suite than staying in a single room at a Disney or Universal.
 
I am huge Disney Fan but my first plans will be to stay at the
Cabana Bay Family Suites at Universal. I always have so much fun at this property.
 
If you have ALWAYS stayed on-site, this pandemic may give you the motive and chance to experience off-site. I am sure DISNEY does NOT want their die-hard on-site guests to see what is offered outside the bubble, hence, they have dropped their hotel prices. Its really a good sales tactic when you think about it. Keep the sheep herded together so they can never wander outside the gates. Intimidate them with fear in believing they will find it difficult to 'survive' outside the bubble. Give them free transportation from the airport and bring them in via 'toll-roads' so they can't see all the hotels, gift shops, entertainment and other amenities offered 'off-site'. Distract them by playing music and videos on the bus to keep them from paying attention to what's outside the windows and gates.

Now don't get me wrong, I have no problem with their tactics; and actually I give them credit for it. Hey, sales are sales. A Disney only vacay works for many people. I am not insulting people who LOVE all things DISNEY. My point is, you don't know if you would like off-site if you have never tried it. Question: Why is it EASY to stay off-site and easily visit Disney attractions; BUT, if staying on-site, DISNEY makes it difficult to visit off-site attractions. ( Remember the big Uber and Lyft fiasco where Disney didn't want them coming onto their property? Was that ever really settled? I guess the "Minnie Vans" was the solution) Disney does NOT make it easy to venture out of the bubble. Honestly, if you paid on-site hotel rates, and park tickets, and meals, why would you want to venture off-site after spending all of that money anyway? Disney dictates the vacation by giving you 'choices' of where to stay, what to ride, when to ride it, what to eat, what times to eat, etc. The 'choices' are to make you THINK you are in control but they really have all the control. Their intent is to keep the off-site world as far from you as they possibly can. I advise people should take a chance and venture outside the bubble and discover all that Orlando and surrounding area has to offer. You may find that you don't need as much "DISNEY" to have a great vacation.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!






Top