Just going to the resort and skipping the parks

[ellie05]

I just don't see us ever going to Disney and not going to the parks. We are the type of people that if we go on vacation we want to go see and do stuff, we can't just go to the beach or sit at a hotel. However, we don't over do disney to the point we are too tired. We take afternoon breaks and never really feel the pressure to do it all in one trip, because by now we know we are going to come back sometime and which rides are our must do. If we want a vacation to just relax and read book we rent a cabin in the smokies were there is peace and quiet. As people have said before me, there are just better hotels and much better restaurants in other places we would choose if we are not going to do the parks. Honestly I don't feel disney is stressful vacation for us, maybe because we know so much about it and are so use to it that it is very easy.

 

[kbelle8995]

Why not. Disney World is a big place with lots of activities outside the park. Lately the parks are so crowded and stressful. I went recently was on property and didn't do any of the parks at Disney. I went to DTD (My hotel was within walking distance.). I would consider doing something at Disney you have never done before.

 

[jakeybake]

We love the parks and the restaurants most of all. We really enjoy the parks but not nearly as much as the resort (Beach Club is our resort of choice) and restaurants. I spend most of my time when I visit my conference once a year, resort hopping. Best part of my solo trips. I can't do that with our family trips each August but we don't go go go. We have been enough times to not feel the need.

Jay

 

[Dsnygrl1205]

DH and I are kind of doing this on our trip next week. We are buying the 4 day military tickets but we're spending very minimal time in the parks. We're only going to use them for a few dinners we have in the parks and to watch the fireworks/evening shows.
We probably wont even use all 4 days of the tickets. At this point we have been so many times that our trips are actually more about staying at a beautiful resort and having nice dinners every evening. I could definitely do a few days at a Disney resort, not go to a single park and have a great time. I say if that would make you happy then go for it!

 

[roydavid7771]

Having and AP and also being a DVC member has definitely toned my commando touring plans significantly over the years, but I think I would still go the parks first thing in the morning. I wouldn't necessarily rush to get back in the afternoon, but I would certainly enjoy the resort more or do some things that are outside of the parks, e.g. golf, bass fishing, etc....

 

[Minnesota!]

Resort only has become our new preferred way of visiting WDW. SOOOOOOO much to do without ever stepping foot in a park.

And, the hotels cannot be beat. Sure, I could stay cheaper off site, but why? Offsite I can't wake up to giraffes in front of me, or listen to African drum beats while I soak up the heat of a fireplace. I can't watch the water taxis shuttling happy guests around Crescent Lake, or listen to the happy chirp of the boat horns on Bay Lake from my room. I can't partake in the awesome kids area at Kidani pool (seriously...hot August day? Best feeling in the world is sticking your head underneat that waterfall...).

I can't wind up my day hanging out at pool side, while my kids swim, sipping a Gin and Tonic, listening to everyone around me recant their day, background music piped in

I can't swim under the spray petals at the Hippy Dippy pool or watch the fireworks from my bed.

WDW, to us, is SO much bigger than the theme parks. It's a whole package..and even though it took us almost 20 trips to realize that...better late than never!!!

 

[nkereina]

I love WDW resorts but if I'm going to spend all my time at a resort, I'm more inclined to visit the Caribbean and stay on the ocean at an all inclusive resort. Just my preference.

We did stay at a WDW resort one night post cruise, and didn't do the parks. We arrived at 9am on a Wednesday and left around 7pm the next day Thursday. We spent time at the pool, went to DTD, had dinner at another resort. By 3pm on Thursday we were bored and trying to kill time. We were also itching to get in the parks but the cost of buying a one day ticket made it impractical. We felt so close yet so far!

I could justify doing a resort only stay if we lived in driving distance of WDW, but since we have to spend so much on airfare, it would be hard for me to justify it for us. I had planned a quick trip to Universal for Halloween Horror Nights this Fall and ended up turning into a split WDW/Universal trip with the thinking "well, we're going to be in Orlando anyway..."

 

[MomTo3PrincessesInNJ]

As of right now we are NOT visiting any parks over Easter weekend. H is under the impression it will be too crowded to enjoy anything. I'm still holding out hope he will let us activiate our Annual Passes (I already have FPs booked for the 3 days we're there) but in the event that he doesn't we will just be hanging out.

We're staying at Fort Wilderness and there is a lot to do there. We'll have our motorhome/RV so we'll have some of the comforts of home with us. We also have the dining plan so we'll be hopping around to other resorts to eat and explore.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

We stay at WDW resorts because of WDW. If WDW parks closed tomorrow and the resorts stayed open, would ANYONE stay there? And if you would, you should really try a few resorts elsewhere. Hard to do worse for the price strictly for the resort.

 

[Disneyfanatic108]

When we went in 2013 we spent 2 nights at Caribbean Beach, 2 nights at Animal Kingdom Lodge, and 2 nights at Wilderness Lodge, ran the jingle jungle 5k, and had a 3 day hopper. It was a very busy trip. As Far as atmosphere and room design I liked Animal Kingdom Lodge the best. Next would be Wilderness Lodge. This most recent trip we stayed at Alligator Bayou and loved it. The room was excellent, and the resort was great. The pool area was excellent and over all one of our most favorite resorts. It was great hopping the water taxi to disney springs. We stayed for 10 nights ran the Haunted 5k and the Tower of Terror and did the Halloween Party. This trip seemed rushed while we were at the parks and relaxing while at the resort. We loved walking the paths at Wilderness lodge and walking around Port Orleans. I think that we would probably limit the amount of days in the park to 2 and spend the rest of the time at the resort or resort hopping. Animal Kingdom lodge is great but I feel it is to far removed from everything.

 

[Ceryssa]

Personally, I can't imagine staying in a Disney Hotel and not going to the parks. Especially when right outside Disney's gates are dozens of more luxurious hotels with better amenities for less money.

This is pretty much what I was thinking. I LOVED both the resorts we stayed at, and wouldn't hesitate to return to either one. But no way would I pay Disney hotel prices to not enjoy the main reason I actually book a Disney hotel--proximity to the parks. Places like Bonnet Creek, Floridays, and many other resorts in the area have just as much going on if not more.

 

[WDWOswald]

On our last visit I realized that I enjoyed the resort and being on property better than going to the parks. I was wondering if anyone else felt this way? We just started doing the run disney races and can get a hotel discount that way. With the cost of tickets going up, and the new FP+ system, the parks are more stressful than ever. It seemed I was forever trying to get a 4th FP and having to constantly cross the parks to get to the attractions we did have passes for. I would now rather spend the ticket money on a longer stay or better resort.

Stay at the four seasons. You will be quite happy.

 

[WDWOswald]

Well Hawaii airfare is a bit much- but a trip to Yellowstone or Yosemite etc. is a must for every american.

 

[nessz79]

We can do a weekend at a Disney resort with no parks, but beyond that, we get restless. It's hard to watch people going out to the parks in the morning or coming home in the evening and knowing we can't go

 

[fla4fun]

Even with an AP, I have spent long weekends at WDW without hitting the parks, and I would say on my regular ten day trips, I probably hit the parks maybe 5-6 days tops (and not full days either). The difference to me between on site and off site is that each resort has things to do and you have easy access to all of them. So I could be staying at POP, but enjoy the recreational facilities at FW or GF or AKL. If I stay off property, I'm stuck with my own resort for the most part. Not that there aren't some great off property resorts - they just don't offer me what Disney does, even without the parks.

My favorites for no-park visits are FW cabins and WL. I like being on Bay Lake, and you're kind of away from the hustle and bustle of the parks.

 

[Kevin355]

Well Hawaii airfare is a bit much- but a trip to Yellowstone or Yosemite etc. is a must for every american.

In 2013, we skipped a Disney trip for the Grand Canyon. Still looking forward to seeing Yosemite and Yellowstone, and Mount Rushmore. Good call Oswald.

 

[hsmamato2]

I like the resorts/alternate things to do.... but I've been about a million times,and I am definitely older than I used to be..... I still love taking the fam to Disney when we can, but I view it as a lovely hotel,with plenty of relaxing stuff to do, places to eat,do nothing and be surrounded by pretty things....and the parks are a great 'let's go do something fun and entertaining for a while' thing..... Our last trip we did this,and loved it. Easy mornings.... meet at the park (teen kiddo) stay till we feel like leaving..... go find some dinner,enjoy our surroundings....relax. If we saw something,then we saw something- if we didn't then no biggie, there is always something else around every corner on Disney property....that to me is 'my moneys worth'- the parks are great, but not my focus.

 

[Brian Noble]

Resort only has become our new preferred way of visiting WDW. SOOOOOOO much to do without ever stepping foot in a park.

And, the hotels cannot be beat. Sure, I could stay cheaper off site, but why?

You might be surprised at how nice some of the larger offsite resorts can be.

Well Hawaii airfare is a bit much- but a trip to Yellowstone or Yosemite etc. is a must for every american.

It's a great big world out there, and tons of non-Disney places worth visiting. We've been to Rocky Mountain NP, Smoky Mountain NP, the Wisconsin Dells, Alaska, the Grand Canyon, Sedona, the OBX, Paris and Washington DC. We have future plans for Hawaii, Hilton Head, and Rome---but also a few visits back to WDW.

 

[greentea]

I don't think I would stay onsite unless I was going to the parks. The parks are the reason I stay there at all, so I can have the transportation and location. We would go somewhere else if we didn't plan on doing the parks. We liked visiting a resort or two, but I can't see us having enough to do with just that. We aren't really pool people, either, so staying at our resort to swim for hours or lounge by the pool isn't our thing. Just different vacation styles and expectations!

 

[Minnesota!]

You might be surprised at how nice some of the larger offsite resorts can be.

I am sure they are lovely. However, DME is a huge factor...we hate to drive. So, the all-inclusiveness that WDW offers with DME and tons of amenities outside the parks...we have no desire to stay offsite.