Touring resorts at Christmas as off-site guest

[PFHite]

We will be at Disney this December, but staying off site. We'd like to tour some resorts (GF, Poly, Contemporary, Boardwalk, Beach Club, Yacht Club & AK Lodge) to see the holiday decorations. Is there a good strategy to see them? What is the best way for off-site guests to get to these resorts? Is it better to see them all in one day (off day from the parks) or split them up over several days? Thanks for the help.

 

[dansdad]

We like to take a break from the parks and tour the resorts. So during an MK day, we will use the monorail and resort hop Contemporary, Poly and GF. On an Epcot day walk out the International Gateway and check out BWI, BC and YC. And check out AKL on an AK day.

Also you won't have to worry about parking issues at the resorts themselves during the busy holiday season if you do it this way.

 

[Wood Nymph]

You can access the Epcot area resorts - Beach Club, Yacht Club and Boardwalk without using a park ticket by taking a bus to Hollywood Studios (DHS) and then the boat to one of the resorts. Or you can walk from DHS to the resorts.

You can get to the monorail resorts by parking in the Magic Kingdom parking lot. Make sure you visit the Wilderness Lodge. It is very nicely decorated for Christmas and you can get there via boat from MK or boat from CR or bus from MK.

You can reach any of these resorts via bus from Downtown Disney.

 

[disnut8]

We will be at Disney this December, but staying off site. We'd like to tour some resorts (GF, Poly, Contemporary, Boardwalk, Beach Club, Yacht Club & AK Lodge) to see the holiday decorations. Is there a good strategy to see them? What is the best way for off-site guests to get to these resorts? Is it better to see them all in one day (off day from the parks) or split them up over several days? Thanks for the help.

The problem is that these resorts are either monorail resorts or Epcot resorts (except for Animal Kingdom Lodge) and that time of year could bring out parking restrictions (you said December, but not specific dates). If you want to do these all in one day, I would suggest you park at the TTC, then take the boats and/or monorail to the Polynesian (you can walk there from the TTC and it's a nice walk), then either walk (which will take you past the Wedding Pavilion) or take the monorail over to the Grand Floridian. Then boat over to the Magic Kingdom, get out there (you do not have to enter the Magic Kingdom) and then walk over to the Contemporary. From the Contemporary, take the bus to the Studios, get off there and either take the boat or walk to the Boardwalk and then either walk (much quicker) or take the boat across the lake to the Yacht and Beach Clubs. Then take the bus back to Magic Kingdom (still don't have to enter the park) and the ferry boat back to the TTC. Get your car and drive over to the Animal Kingdom Lodge for the evening. Grab some food at the Mara and walk around and see the animals.

That would be a fun day.

 

[goofy4tink]

Parking at the resorts could be an issue at this time of year. So, I would plan on parking at the TTC and going from there. Once at the TTC, you can hop on the monorail and visit the Polynesian, GF, and the CR.I would actually take the small boat from the CR over to WL...it's beautiful at this time of year. After that, I boat back to the MK, and take the bus to BW. Or take the DHS bus from WL and either walk or boat to the BW. Then you can check out those resorts....BW, then head to the S/D (they are both worth a look-see), then YC, then BC. If you want to keep going, hop on a bus to AK...then transfer to the AKL/Kidani bus.

Or, bus from BC back to MK, monorail or ferry back to TTC and your car and drive to AKL/Kidani. As disnut8 said, eat at Mara, or book an ADR at Boma!! Nice way to end the evening.

 

[LisaCM614]

I would see the resorts over a couple / 3 days. I would plan ADRs around this touring.
For example I would like to visit the AKL at night to see the decorations so I'd make a dinner ADR - Sanaa! Bread service, yum.
For the monorail resorts plus the Wilderness Lodge I would have a lunch ADR after spending the AM at the Magic Kingdom or sleeping in and parking at TTC. Lots of great choices but I'd want to end up at WL as it was getting dark since that lobby is so spectacular at night all decorated for Christmas. So I think I'd have lunch at Kona, explore the Poly, hop on the monorail to GF - get Gingerbread for dessert and explore then head on over to the Contemporary to view the decorations there. I would then drive to WL or take the monorail and then a resort launch to WL.
Be sure to shop at the resorts too!

The Epcot resorts I would explore after a morning at Epcot. Head out through International Gateway, and head right to the Beach Club and Yacht Club. Maybe have lunch at Beaches & Cream? Then enjoy the easy stroll over to the Boardwalk and then back into Epcot to continue touring World Showcase. Alternatively, after a day at DHS you could take a Friendship boat to the Boardwalk and continue from there. You can take the Friendship Boat back to DHS when you are done touring.

Enjoy. Christmas time at Walt Disney World is amazing!

 

[PFHite]

Thanks for all of the info. It's very helpful.

 

[Sue M]

We like to take a break from the parks and tour the resorts. So during an MK day, we will use the monorail and resort hop Contemporary, Poly and GF. On an Epcot day walk out the International Gateway and check out BWI, BC and YC. And check out AKL on an AK day.

Also you won't have to worry about parking issues at the resorts themselves during the busy holiday season if you do it this way.

This would be my plan too.

 

[ilovevacation]

I did this last year! My husband was working and it was rainy and slightly miserable out. We were staying off site so I drove over to dtd and parked for free, had a hot chocolate and hopped the first bus I saw. I then went to the MK and road the monorail to the other hotels and made my way back to dtd. It was a lovely way to spend the day instead yet enjoy the magical of holiday disney!

 

[jakeybake]

I was down for a conference the first week of December and I made it my mission to hit every single resort and to take a picture next to each Christmas tree. It was a lot of fun but I flew around from resort to resort a lot. I was staying at the YC so the Boardwalk area resorts were easy. The All Stars were also really easy. The ones on the outskirts, like AKL and SS were a bit tougher but I had a rental car so it wasn't that bad. It made for some fun pictures but I felt like I could only do it solo and with a rental car. I have stayed at many resorts but was a blast to visit the ones I hadn't stayed at before. You see pics of them all the time but it's cool to see them in person.

Jay