A park free day - what to do?

[luna99]

Hello everyone! Turns out that DH and I will have a "free day" during our December 2008 Disney Trip and I was wondering if I could get some recommendations of what to do that day.

here's the scoop. We are staying in a condo with my parents and on our last day (it will be a saturday) my parents are leaving early in the morning to start their drive home back to texas. DH and I won't be flying out of Orlando until 6 pm that evening.. so we are going to rent a car. We won't have to check out of the condo until noon and after that we are "homeless" until we have to be at the airport.

anyone have any fun things for us to do? great restaurants we HAVE to try? I used to live in kissimmee back in 2000-2002 so I'm a bit familiar with the area but am far from knowing everything... just thought someone might have some fun, original idea for me.

thanks everyone!

 

[momofpirates]

I would sleep in and enjoy a little under the covers time.

I would suggest the Melting Pot if you like fondue and don't have one near your home. It's pricey, but it can be a lot of fun and you can easily spend two hours dipping food into the pot!

My kids really liked Wonder Works. It was pretty neat to see the displays/exhibits. You could easily spend 1/2 of the day there.

You could make a reservation at a spa for his and her massages. That could be really relaxing after a long trip.

Ok, there's my wish list if I could ever get my husband to go to WDW with me and the kids. It's just not the same with my mom!

 

[luna99]

I would sleep in and enjoy a little under the covers time.

I would suggest the Melting Pot if you like fondue and don't have one near your home. It's pricey, but it can be a lot of fun and you can easily spend two hours dipping food into the pot!

My kids really liked Wonder Works. It was pretty neat to see the displays/exhibits. You could easily spend 1/2 of the day there.

You could make a reservation at a spa for his and her massages. That could be really relaxing after a long trip.

Ok, there's my wish list if I could ever get my husband to go to WDW with me and the kids. It's just not the same with my mom!

great ideas! Maybe we'll do the melting pot .. I've never done fondue before.. and btw, don't feel bad... DH is coming with me on this trip but he isn't as big of a disney fan as I am so I know in the future after we have kids I'll probably be taking mommy and me trips to Disney and leaving him behind!

thanks again for all of your ideas!

 

[dolPhinlovEr83]

You can always take in a mini golf game, or a nice breakfast, some relaxing time by the pool, and a nice lunch/dinner. Or maybe take in some outlet shopping

On our free day(s), we usually will go to a buffet and go to the pool, or do mini golf, or shop, or visit Old Town, or a helicopter ride, etc. There's so many little things to do if you only wanted something small. No need to spend it at a park or anything.

 

[Bearvet]

I LOVE to spend time visiting the different Disney resorts! Choose 1 or 2 and enjoy exploring them - it's a great time to do this since they'll be decorated for the holidays! Wander the grounds, try a restaurant, enjoy the shops, the theming - I'd especially recommend the deluxe resorts. It's also relatively inexpensive to do this.

 

[mathgal]

I LOVE to spend time visiting the different Disney resorts! Choose 1 or 2 and enjoy exploring them - it's a great time to do this since they'll be decorated for the holidays! Wander the grounds, try a restaurant, enjoy the shops, the theming - I'd especially recommend the deluxe resorts. It's also relatively inexpensive to do this.

How do you handle parking to visit the resorts? Since we are staying offsite at Windsor Hills I wasn't sure if we would be allowed to park at the resorts to just "look". (I would love to check out the monorail resorts.)

 

[Bearvet]

When you get to the gate in the parking lot, just tell the attendant what you want to do (I usually mention a specific restaurant we'll be eating at). They'll ask to see your drivers license and will give you a 3 hour parking pass.

We have never stayed onsite, but I've enjoyed spending a few hours at all of the deluxe resorts and most of the moderates too. I've read that if it's a really busy time of year however, they may not allow you in (but that hasn't happened to us yet and we go during Presidents week in Feb).

If you're not planning to eat there, just tell them that you want to look at the resort for a future visit to WDW.

 

[gqchicago]

How do you handle parking to visit the resorts? Since we are staying offsite at Windsor Hills I wasn't sure if we would be allowed to park at the resorts to just "look". (I would love to check out the monorail resorts.)

That's not a problem, we just ate at Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge (awesome by the way!) last week, and we also ate at Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary. If you want upscale adult food, go for Jiko at AKL or California Grill at the Contemporary (2 of our favorites).

Offsite, we jsut discovered a new favorite place on US-192, the Houlihan's. Great food, service, and it's a very large and gorgeous restaurant. For us, this meant no waiting in line to get a table, when every other single place in the entire area was jam packed and had long lines and wait times, on property or off last week. They had a great outdoor bar area with TVs, all granite and marble, and had a live musician out there playing tunes while we ate dinner, just wonderful!

We liked it so much we went back the next day in fact.

 

[ratherbe@Disney]

The last trip we had we spent the morning before leaving for the airport at Downtown Disney. Lunch at Earl of Sandwich and shopping at HUGE Disney store.

We've also spent time looking at all the Christmas decorations at Grand Floridian and neighboring hotels, besides riding the monorail is fun! It was no problem parking at the hotel.

Have fun!

 

[momofpirates]

Do they still have the Gingerbreadhouse at the GF? My kids loved that, but it was like 8 years ago that we saw it.

 

[momofpirates]

great ideas! Maybe we'll do the melting pot .. I've never done fondue before.. and btw, don't feel bad... DH is coming with me on this trip but he isn't as big of a disney fan as I am so I know in the future after we have kids I'll probably be taking mommy and me trips to Disney and leaving him behind!

thanks again for all of your ideas!

If my husband could fish while we waited in the for the rides, I might be able to get him there. We went to Key West for our honeymoon many years ago, and he wanted to charter a boat to go fishing. I should have know then that I would be a fishing widow!


The Melting Pot can run close to $100 for a couple if you get the cheese fondue, salad, entree and chocolate fondue, but it is really nice way to spend some quite time together. Although you do have a flight later that day, so maybe you'd rather be out exploring. Have fun with whatever you do!!

 

[Detailor]

I'd suggest visiting the BroadWalk resort area. There are several restaurants, some shopping opportunities, you can rent a surrey bike and ride around the boardwalk, take the boat that runs from the resort area to Epcot's International Gateway, the Swan & Dolphin dock and the Hollywood Studios (sit outside in the back of the boat and just don't get off until you get back), walk through BroadWalk Inn, the Yacht Club or the Beach Club. Lot's to do and see there.

Or drive over to Celebration. There's a walking/nature trail around the little ponds (lookout for the gators!), several shops and restaurants, even a movie theater.

Dick Taylor

 

[spiceycat]

If my husband could fish while we waited in the for the rides, I might be able to get him there. We went to Key West for our honeymoon many years ago, and he wanted to charter a boat to go fishing. I should have know then that I would be a fishing widow!

you can definitely fish at WDW. It was one of the first sports. Walt liked to fish.

you can only kept the fish if you have cooking facilities - overwise you put the fish back.
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/moreMagic/otherRecDetail?id=OtherRecFishingDetailPage

there are a bunch of lakes in kissimmee and orlando - so fishing is much, much cheaper offsite.

 

[spiceycat]

enjoy the pool.

walk around DTD.

agree with the BW suggestion.

go shopping - lots of outlet malls in Orlando - some of the good ones are close to Disney. (I hate to shop)

 

[kismet1003]

I love Melting Pot..it's faboulou, we have one in philly right near me.

I second the going to the different resorts, especially when they are decorated. I love exploring all the resorts.

Our free day we usually end up seeing some resorts and going to downtown disney. Sometimes we catch a movie @ DTD if it's raining or whatever.

 

[kismet1003]

oops...i meant *fabulous*

 

[luna99]

I'd suggest visiting the BroadWalk resort area. There are several restaurants, some shopping opportunities, you can rent a surrey bike and ride around the boardwalk, take the boat that runs from the resort area to Epcot's International Gateway, the Swan & Dolphin dock and the Hollywood Studios (sit outside in the back of the boat and just don't get off until you get back), walk through BroadWalk Inn, the Yacht Club or the Beach Club. Lot's to do and see there.

doh! We totally should go to the Boardwalk that day. We got married there last year and it would be so nice to just spend some time at that resort and take in the atmosphere.. maybe walk over the SeaBreezePoint and reminisce on our wedding!

I'm wondering if we asked if we would be allowed to use the gym/pool area if we paid for it out of pocket there at the boardwalk. hmmm.....

thanks for all of your great ideas!!