Just going to the resort and skipping the parks

[hildae0630]

I'll visiting WDW for my 11th time in April for 4 nights and planning to go to the parks 1 or 2 days. All my last visits had been solo and trustfully I enjoy a lot the resorts, going DTD and resort hopping. My friends cannot understand why I visit WDW so much but I do really, really enjoy it even without going too much to the parks.

 

[Steve G]

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.


With the latest ticket price increases, I thought it might be interesting to resurrect this old thread....anyone have more of a tendency to NOT go to the parks in the last couple of years and just stay in the resorts? Or simply opt for the other non-park DVC resorts???

 

[skramer100]

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.


With the latest ticket price increases, I thought it might be interesting to resurrect this old thread....anyone have more of a tendency to NOT go to the parks in the last couple of years and just stay in the resorts? Or simply opt for the other non-park DVC resorts???

Interesting topic for sure. Looked at 7 days on property and I live in Florida and it is about the same for my family of 4 to fly to Colorado, get 5 days skiing and stay in a resort vs 7 days at Disney. With the new ticket pricing Disney is becoming more a thing of the past. This may actually be the first year we don't go since 05.

 

[nkereina]

We spent a day at WDW last Thursday. We had no plans to go to the parks, regardless of the ticket increase, because we were just spending a day there and had to commute to and from Tampa. I wrote a post on all we were able to do outside the parks in just one day: https://www.disboards.com/threads/o...-we-maximized-our-time.3664095/#post-58811006

The ticket increase doesn't phase me honestly, but I will say it was nice to just explore WDW property without the craziness of the parks. Nothing was overly crowded, we saw and did so much, and we were able to just take in the sights and go at our leisure. We live in NY so it wouldn't be worth it to us to take a trip to WDW with no parks, but for what we did - staying in Tampa and having one day to visit WDW - it was well worth it to avoid the parks and just enjoy the rest of the property.

 

[beck00]

While I'm not "there" yet...traveling to property and not visiting any parks...on our last trip we realized the value of taking a day or two off from the parks and have structured our Thanksgiving 2018 trip. Both my husband and I, and both of our girls are excited for days off to enjoy the resort and do other things.

 

[dansdad]

While I'm not "there" yet...traveling to property and not visiting any parks...on our last trip we realized the value of taking a day or two off from the parks and have structured our Thanksgiving 2018 trip. Both my husband and I, and both of our girls are excited for days off to enjoy the resort and do other things.

That's exactly how we started. First 1 non park day, then 2, then 3, etc. We've had multiple 7 night non park trips and have thoroughly enjoyed them.

 

[DisneyAddictTom122]

We started originally going to WDW for a week (8 total days giving us 6 full days and 2 travel days) and trying to squeeze in so much park time (we would buy 5-6 day PH passes). After our second trip we began scaling back a bunch to know when we go for a full week we usually get a 4 day regular park pass meaning only 1 park in a day. As a side note, we also book and plan our vacations around the lowest crowd times of the year so that we are less likely to have any issues with overcrowded parks. So while I can't say we would ever go to WDW and not do parks I can say we have scaled back and try to give ourselves at least 2 days outside of the parks (if we are there for a week).

We love Disney Springs, and walking around exploring the resorts (our last visit to POFQ was an amazing resort to walk around at). One of our non-park must-dos when visiting WDW is Drink around the resorts or resort hopping. Basically like Drinking Around the World in Epcot, we go to different resorts and hit the hotel bars grabbing drinks and apps at each one along our journey. The best for this is the Magic Kingdom Resorts since transportation is so easy - My recommendation for this is to start at Wilderness Lodge at the Geyser Point Bar and Grill. From there you can take the boat over to one of the other MK resorts and then use the Monorail to jump from Resort to resort, although we enjoy the walk between Polynesian and Grand Floridian.

 

[jliucci]

If I wasn't going to go to parks I would head to Hawaii or somewhere like that. Maybe San Francisco or a
National Park

I agree! These posts are really interesting though. I never even considered going to Disney and not doing the parks, i didn't realize this was a thing lol. I dont normally consider my Disney vacations as "relaxing vacations" though. If we want to relax on vacation we normally book a cruise and lay on a beach somewhere tropical.

 

[SCSteve]

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.

I totally get this. Unless you are a DVC member, if you are not going to the parks, you should consider staying off site. There are many many MUCH BETTER hotels that COST LESS than Disney on site hotels

 

[moesy4]

We just did a 6 day Florida trip that only included 1 park day...we stayed 2 nights at CBR (1 day at AK during that stay), 2 days at AKL with DVC points, and 2 days in the Tampa area. I really, really like the resorts and the other aspects of Disney and I don't think most people get to really experience them. I can see the complaints that the hotels cost more than other places so I wouldn't make it a habit, but for an adults only trip it was nice to really soak in the touches and the different dining experiences.

 

[dfurst05]

My wife and I are planning our next trip as 5 days/4 nights with a focus on the resort/Disney Springs. We are planning to get a two-day non-hopper ticket to go to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. We are going to focus on slower park days with less time in the parks overall in order to really relax and enjoy our time at WDW.

I can see us doing trips like this more often because they are more affordable. Maybe once every few trips we will go hard at the parks but for the most part I think if all goes well these style trips could become our go-to vacation.

 

[GoGoBeans]

Interesting topic for sure. Looked at 7 days on property and I live in Florida and it is about the same for my family of 4 to fly to Colorado, get 5 days skiing and stay in a resort vs 7 days at Disney. With the new ticket pricing Disney is becoming more a thing of the past. This may actually be the first year we don't go since 05.

We’re a family of 4 from the east coast and spend a week out west skiing every year. A ski in/ski out condo, lift tickets, airfare, food etc runs at least $12k+ for the week, and thats with having our own skis.

Depending on what Disney season you’re pricing, our summer week long Disney trips are less than half of skiing and that’s staying CL. Peak season may be different of course, but so is skiing and we don’t ski Christmas/New Year’s anymore.

Disney value is in the eye of the beholder. Given some other NYC or resort trips that we do, I think Disney offers a lot of value for the dollar. And with such ease. YMMV.

 

[Princess_Lisa]

As nice as some of the Deluxes are, I just can't see staying at one and not going to the parks. If I just wanted to relax, I'd find a 5-Star resort with a private beach and probably pay less.

 

[Steve G]

Interesting feedback! We are DVC so the beach is def an option at HH and/or VB for us, where we have spending more time during the last few years. The prices are what they are, but more and more the crowds at the parks are turning me off...maybe I'm just getting old

 

[wdwthanksgiving]

This has been an interesting thread to read. While we do take other trips to other places, we have found that our annual trip to WDW is always fun. Coming from Atlanta, it is a 7 hour drive - not too bad. To drive to DC or New Orleans or Nashville, etc is doable and within the same time frame as Orlando (and we have done those), for our family WDW is overall easier and more relaxing. We go in early November and look forward to the nice weather, the Christmas decorations and the feeling there is lots to do "at our fingertips". There is something for everyone to look forward to. We enjoy staying on property for the theming, the ease of movement between parks, hotels and restaurants plus the overall feeling of safety and convenience. While staying off property may be less money - we really look forward to being "in the WDW bubble". We have enjoyed "all park trips" and a couple of "resort trips"--riding the monorail and exploring the grounds of different hotels, playing mini golf, checking out the lounges, etc. There is really a lot to experience and see outside of the "just the theme park experience". For us, when we stay off property, we have to get in our car and drive to a restaurant or activity that is off our hotel property ... we have to sit in quite a bit of traffic to get to the theme parks and always lots of traffic when we leave the theme parks at night. Again, for us, the ease of movement on WDW property is such an advantage (whether we go to the parks or out to dinner) and the return to our hotel after a long day is easy as well.

 

[DisneyArkie]

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.


With the latest ticket price increases, I thought it might be interesting to resurrect this old thread....anyone have more of a tendency to NOT go to the parks in the last couple of years and just stay in the resorts? Or simply opt for the other non-park DVC resorts???

Imo if someone is worried about the latest ticket price increase I would not understand going to Disney just to stay at a resort for those prices alone. You could go to about any other resort not named Disney and do more at half the price. We go to Disney to experience it all. If we want to “save” money we go somewhere else.

 

[Simba's Mom]

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.

Last time DH did the Dopey, he never entered a park until the Dopey was over. Maybe that's because, at 65, he needed all his energy for the races! Anyways, we've done it several times, not gone to parks. All the planning sometimes seems overwhelming. One day, I just took buses over to Caribbean Beach, ate in the food court, then strolled out to the island, and rocked in a hammock for a few hours. One trip I stayed at AKL, and they offer so many activities that I was busy enough at the resort. And I always had the animals to watch from my balcony-they could supply entertainment for hours. Non-park trips are great!

 

[dfurst05]

A lot of people in this thread are saying if you aren't going to the parks, go somewhere outside of Disney. Lots of claims of "better" resorts out there.

For me, the appeal of Disney is the "Disney-Bubble". From the time I land in Orlando to the time I leave I can rely on Disney 100%. To get me to my resort, for entertainment options and complimentary transportation to and from. Plus the ability to easily select and prepay for my vacation options such as a dining plan, theme park tickets, etc. That way once I get there I can rely on Disney to work their magic and deliver an outstanding vacation to me that has already been paid for in full and completely planned out.

I've looked at other all-inclusive resorts that are state side but I can't seem to find one that offers the same level of benefits as Walt Disney World.

 

[Steve G]

This is one of my favorite threads as it always gets good discussion. Seems appropriate to raise up the issue again given the Genie changes and the recent Covid-related challenges the parks have been facing.....anyone care to comment???

 

[_19disnA]

Seems appropriate to raise up the issue again given the Genie changes and the recent Covid-related challenges the parks have been facing.....anyone care to comment???

There are already numerous other threads about Genie so no need to restate what is already being discussed in multiple threads.

As it relates to the OP's question, part of the higher price of Disney hotels is their proximity to the parks, transportation, etc.. If not planning to do any of the parks, you are paying a premium for a lot of things you won't be using so there are a lot of other more economical places to stay in Orlando (or most other resort cities). We have stayed both on-site and at nearby hotels when going to Disney and enjoyed both for various reasons. But our trips to Disney always included the parks. Would never plan a vacation to a Disney hotel if not going to any of the parks.