Ever stayed at a WDW resort and NOT gone to the parks?

[Princess_Lisa]

Unless you are getting it free or deeply discounted (which it appears you are), I don't see any purpose in that. You can stay at some really nice places off-site (some next to Disney Springs) for the around the rack rate of a value resort. There are also some decent off-site hotels that will run you less than or the same as a value with passholder rate and give you an interior hallway and more/bigger beds.

 

[MikeNamez]

Unless you are getting it free or deeply discounted (which it appears you are), I don't see any purpose in that. You can stay at some really nice places off-site (some next to Disney Springs) for the around the rack rate of a value resort. There are also some decent off-site hotels that will run you less than or the same as a value with passholder rate and give you an interior hallway and more/bigger beds.

I would say the appeal for me with never doing the parks but staying onsite is the transportation aspect. I come to Disney for Trader Sam's and Disney Springs (food and booze) so that is worth its weight in gold not having to drive around at night.

 

[Pooh2]

We stayed at Coronado Springs this summer for 3 nights without any park time. We enjoyed the resort and pool, watched fireworks from the TTC, enjoyed the outdoor movie, visited Animal Kingdom Lodge for breakfast and to see the animals, did a surrey bike ride, went to Disney Springs a few times.

That being said, we have gone to the parks since being empty nesters and enjoyed it. It's a different experience but just as enjoyable.

 

[hearts8701]

Done it several times in January we eat dinner at all the best restaurants that the kids would not enjoy we see a movie
one night at Boardwalk to jellyrolls catch the boat at Boardwalk and explore yacht and beach resort take the walkway back
We have had good weather to use our pool the pools are all heated evenings are cooler some nights real chilly we live in Chicago so we know the difference between cold and chilly
Disney springs is a must great restaurants and entertainment especially in the evening we have taken the boat to riverside and back
If you arrive before January 7 most Christmas decorations are still up to explore at resorts
We eat all our meals at a different resort everyday it gives us a chance to see what all the resorts have to offer
We drive so we have a car if that's not an option you can take a cab to celebration it's only 10 minutes away
We also go to the outlet mall it's very close a short ride down I4
once you tried Disney without children you'll try it again I guarantee it

 

[Shanti]

DH and I are considering doing this in January and just wondering if anyone here has done this? We have enough Disney Visa points for the resort/hotel to be free, so that's part of this equation too, but mostly, it would be an escape from winter.

We've been to WDW with our kids several times, but as empty-nesters, I don't know that I feel the need to go to the parks. During past vacations, there were always other places - primarily other resorts and restaurants that I would have liked to go to, but didn't have the time ... this would allow that.

I know we CAN go to WDW and not go to the parks .... but once we got there, would it be so weird not going to the parks, that we'd end up buying tickets there? We will have a rental car, so there are other entertainment options ... what to do, what to do?

Truth be told ... we all know that our kids grow up too fast ... and really, I think it might be a little sad being in the parks without our kids.

What are your favorite non-park and non-WDW things to do in the area?

I couldn't. The parks are what make WDW so special. We have restaurants, pools & shopping at home.

 

[kathy884]

YES!!!! I loved it!!! It depends on weather,and resort.... but we enjoyed 5 days just relaxing on the beach at Swolphin, wandering the property via bus/boat/monorail,and visiting little places to explore all over WDW. It was relaxing,and we enjoyed eating our way around the place without any parks at all. We also enjoyed our partial views of fireworks etc at night from the parks.... to me, it's a great place to just relax and enjoy ...Disney springs is lovely to just walk and soak up atmosphere while getting a bite too. Our kids were older,and decided to do parks one day, we happily bid them farewell and relaxed and enjoyed our day.

Delightful -- kind of reminds me of the one time we did this.

We did it once too and LOVED it. It was early May, and weather was delightful and crowds were low. DH had a conference at the Contemporary so three nights were free and we added one night. My parents came down too. During the day it was me, my parents, and my three year old, and it was so heavenly. We took the monorail all around, took my toddler swimming, went over to Fort Wilderness / Wilderness Lodge on the little boats and looked around. My toddler was so delighted with everything. We went to the boardwalk hotels and checked them out too. And OMG we got upgraded at the convention price to tower view rooms, so each night watched the Electric Light Pagent from our balconies -- so fun, and I remember this water parade from the 70s camping with my family at the FORT so nostalgic too. I love Orlando and Disney, but this was my most memorable and favorite trip. We did do one theme park, but not Disney -- our first full day we did go to SeaWorld. My little one now 22 is and was always into marine mammals, so we couldn't possibly go to Orlando without going there. At three, though, he was scared of characters and didn't like rides, so it was an easy decision not to spend any money on Disney theme parks. What a joy, though, to wander around the resorts. Oh and Grandma and Grandpa would tell me and DH to go out in the evening, and they would watch our son (a delight for them to spend one on one time with their grandbaby), so I had some romantic dinners with DH in the evening too at some of the nice restaurants. This was pre dining plan, so we could just wander around and get in anywhere and stuck to the MK monorail resorts as they were the most convenient. DS is 22 now, so you can see that this was 19 years ago. I have had many wonderful trips since, but still remember this one the most fondly.

I looked at prices of Contemporary tower rooms to possibly repeat, but alas without that convention rate and others paying for many of the nights -- they are just way too high priced for my vacation budget and budget sensibilities. But boy did I enjoy my one experience when everything came together to make it possible and affordable. Interestingly too all the other people at the convention we ran into had those garden view rooms. We are the only people I knew of who came a day early and were updated to Tower for free. I still love the CM who did that for us. When we checked in I said you don't by any chance have something in the tower, and he smiled with delight while he gave me the keys, and I think got a kick with how absolutely delighted and excited I was with the upgrade.