Can offsite people visit other resorts (beach area?)

[goofy4tink]

No one is going to care if you walk around on any of the beach areas in WDW. I wouldn't suggest going to the Polynesian and taking up the swings or hammocks though. That would be rude. But, I have always seen people out on the sand, taking pictures and what have you. Even sitting on the grass watching the EWP. Now, if 300 people show up, that would be a different story!! Same goes for YC/BC beach. That's a nice area and I never see too many people out there. And I believe the Swan and Dolphin have pretty nice sandy areas also.

As for those pesky alligators..yep, they're there. But they are watched and taken away when they get to a certain size. There is no way am I putting my feet in any 'natural' bodies of water in WDW. Too yucky and I could lose a toe or two. I know you are allowed to 'wade' in the water, at least you could a year ago, but I wouldn't do it.

 

[diznygirl]

We have beautiful pictures we took on the beach at the Beach Club at sunset on Father's Day. We even sat in the swing!

Go, get your pictures, have a great time!

 

[grimley1968]

All the above advice is fine for taking pix at the resorts. However, I know a little about Cocoa Beach, as my mother in law lives there. If you decide to take pix at Cocoa Beach (which I think is more scenic than the resorts, no offense to anyone), here's some advice for Cocoa Beach:

- Go to one of the beach entrances south of the main drag. You're still on A1A, but you'd be south of the Ron Jon mess and all the other traffic from the major resorts there. The beach there is less disturbed and you're more apt to find nice dunes, although there are signs telling you not to disturb the grass, etc. But you could certainly get dunes in the background. Also the beach is normally pretty wide in this part of town. I believe it's the 4th or 5th St. South beach entrance here. You just put coins in a meter here to park, and there are almost always spots available.

- Slightly before dusk may be the best time if you want the ocean in the background, keeping in mind the sun's western position in the sky that time of day. If you want dunes in the background, morning may be the best time. However, I think you'd be able to get good pictures at just about any time of day at Cocoa Beach. Remember also that the sand is quite bright here in comparison to some other beaches, so you might need to consider that.

- If you decide to do this more in the middle of the day, don't attempt to walk around barefoot very much. The sand at Cocoa Beach gets hotter in the summer than anyplace else I've ever seen, unless you're within the section that gets hit by tides every few hours.

 

[7thdwarf/dopey]

edited..

 

[ganggreen4jc]

Just an FYI. There is a wonderful "Christmas Card - Disney Style" spot at DTD. It has a couple of characters permanently posed in a "Christmas" scene and is perfect for guests to "plan" for their Christmas cards. It is over near the World of Disney Store, kind of near the bus stops and the Earl of Sandwich.

 

[Disneyrsh]

We've seen 4 foot gators twice, both times at the Coronado...

Grand Floridian has good light in the evening and the wedding pavilion in in the background. Ft. Wilderness beach has the widest stretch of sand for some really pristine photos, I'm going to try and put a few up of the girls on both beaches so you can get an idea of what you'd be composing....

Here's the shot from the grand floridian beach:

and here's fort wilderness:

The sand turns wonderful colors as the sun is setting, and the light's a lot softer...

 

[Deb & Bill]

I've seen gators at the BC Villas and at the MK in the lagoon surrounding Tom Sawyer's Island.

 

[emer95]

Thank you so much to everyone who answered! I really appreciate the advice. Disneyrsh- your girls are beauties! They remind me of my two, and I'd be thrilled to get such beautiful pictures.
Grimley 1968- excellent advice, and many points I wasn't thinking about. I imagine barefoot little girls, frolicking in their long white dresses in the sand....I never thought about how blazing hot the sand would be! Maybe we'll bring their white sandals with us.
Gangreen- cool! I never knew about that- thank you!

And I will definitely check out some of the resorts mentioned. We absolutely do not plan to use hammocks, chairs or pools; just take a couple of pictures in the sand and then leave, so I don't think we'll have any problems. I'd love to share them with you when we get back!
Thanks again.

 

[SuperMickey]

I have a question that is a little off the topic, but can still pertain I guess.....can you swim at the beaches at the Poly anymore?? We went MANY years ago and haven't been back since but are planning a trip there soon, and were thinking that you used to be able to swim in the water, but then they changed it so I didn't know what the rule was now.

There is no swimmming allowed at the Disney resorts according to many website. Disney used to allow swimming and even surfing with a wave machine the was formerly in operation for a little while until it started to erode the beaches of the resort.

 

[ducklite]

Whoa, whoa, whoa! I'm going down there in Sept and was worried about hurricanes. Are you telling me that there might be live alligators wandering around inside WDW? I like to take early morning and late evening walks and would not appreciate coming face to face with an alligator. Please tell me your joking.

It's Florida. There's water. Of course there are alligators. They generally avoid people though, and as long as you stay away from them, they'll be happy to leave you alone.

Anne