Favorite Out of Park Activities

[WLfan]

What are your favorite activities to do at Disney that are not actually in the parks?

 

[UrsulasShadow]

What are your favorite activities to do at Disney that are not actually in the parks?

SeaRaycers...out of GF or FW.
IllumiNations Cruise...Breathless II is best!
Sitting in the lounge of just about any resort, sipping a glass of Cabernet and enjoying the atmosphere and talking to the CMs...or eating in the restaurants.
Walking around the Boardwalk, Epcot-resorts area.
Riding the monorail.
Riding the ferries.
Groovin' on the holiday decorations (I always go in December).

 

[WaltD4Me]

Does shopping count?

I love the resort gift shops. My favorite is the shop on the 2nd floor of the
GF and I love the shops on the lower level of the Poly. I always find different things in the resort shops. Things you don't see all over everywhere else. I'm hoping this hasn't changed since my last trip...seems like you see the exact some stuff everywhere now.

 

[WLfan]

What is different about the shop at the GF?

 

[NC Belle]

Well, I guess when we are finally out of the room and not in the parks...window shopping at various resorts and trekking over to Beaches and Cream at least once for our No Way Jose (2 spoons). We have luck at the Poly shops for tee-shirts in the 2x and 3x (long enough in some designs for a 6'5" big guy---have to search through a lot of shirts).

Last year, we hit DTD and did the wish pearl after seeing the Osbourne lights.

This year...maybe we will finally do mini golf or some outside recreational things at CSR.

 

[disneyholic family]

-fishing (guided fishing excursion on bay lake/seven seas lagoon)
-bicycling (rent bikes at a different resort each time and ride around)
-riding the monorail
-boating
-trailride
-jellyrolls
-DisneyQuest
-movie theatre

do you count TL and BB as parks?

if not, then TL and BB....we usually go to BB once a trip, getting there for rope drop and spending 2 hours just on the slides and lazy river and then leave (after having a snocone)
we go to TL several times, getting there at about 5 in the afternoon for the last 2 hours of the day (spent mostly on Crush and Gusher and then the last 20 minutes on the lazy river)

 

[metalis4ever]

Boardwalk
Relaxing at the Resort Pool
DTD
I-Drive (if I have a rental)
Jellyrolls

 

[cyberbox2]

When not in the parks, we enjoy an occasional Disney Cruise!

 

[disneymd33]

- Dining at the different resorts
- Riding he monorail
- JellyRolls
- Watching the entertainment on the Boardwalk

 

[WaltD4Me]

What is different about the shop at the GF?

I don't know, it's just a nice shop, gives me a reason to go over to GF and I always find something different there that I haven't seen in other shops. One year I got the coolest Mickey hands rolodex, another year I got beautiful crystal Minnie earrings I never saw anywhere else and last year my sister got a really nice watch.

 

[jacstangler]

Miniature golf
riding bikes at Ft. Wilderness
visiting other resorts and shops
riding the monorail
visiting the golf courses. hiting balls off the practice tee.
downtown disney for shoping, a movie to eat.
riding the carriage around the boardwalk
jellyrolls
afternoon tea at the GF
driving around the property
boat rides
sitting around the pool
a drink in the ESPN club on the boardwalk.
ball game at the sports complex

Disney related would be the town of Celebration especially when they are having a street fair or other activities.


John

 

[jacstangler]

Miniature golf
riding bikes at Ft. Wilderness
visiting other resorts and shops
riding the monorail
visiting the golf courses. hiting balls off the practice tee.
downtown disney for shoping, a movie to eat.
riding the carriage around the boardwalk
jellyrolls
afternoon tea at the GF
driving around the property
boat rides
sitting around the pool
a drink in the ESPN club on the boardwalk.
ball game at the sports complex

Disney related would be the town of Celebration especially when they are having a street fair or other activities.


John

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

We're another family that loves to rent watercraft while visiting WDW. It's not something we would get to do at home...so that makes the vacation even more special.

 

[WLfan]

Great responses, but it made me think of three new questions related to this:

1. Which water park is better - Typhoon or Blizzard? I find once I make all my ADR's and main parks schedule, I usually only have time to squeeze one in for a couple of hours. I've always gone to TL because of the wave pool. My DH really wants to go to BB for Summit Plummet, but I hate to give up the wave pool. I also have an 18 month old. Based on that, which is better? Oh, and someone mentioned TL closing at 7, I thought I had read it closed at 5?

2. Which miniature golf course is best?

3. What type of boat rental is best and where would be best to rent it?

 

[metalis4ever]

Great responses, but it made me think of three new questions related to this:

1. Which water park is better - Typhoon or Blizzard? I find once I make all my ADR's and main parks schedule, I usually only have time to squeeze one in for a couple of hours. I've always gone to TL because of the wave pool. My DH really wants to go to BB for Summit Plummet, but I hate to give up the wave pool. I also have an 18 month old. Based on that, which is better? Oh, and someone mentioned TL closing at 7, I thought I had read it closed at 5?

2. Which miniature golf course is best?

3. What type of boat rental is best and where would be best to rent it?

1. I enjoy both water parks immensely however, what BB lacks in Wave Pool in makes up for with great water slides and an amazing and relaxing lazy river. From my experience with a younger sibling the child area at BB is better eventhough at 18 mo it probably wouldn't matter that much.

2. Personally, I enjoy Fantasia Gardens..I think thats what it is called anayway lol..In any case my DW and I go there at least once on every one of our stays at WDW...Although my DW and I quite enjoyed the course at BB last time we played it so if you are planning to visit BB and Mini Golf in the same day that one may be better for you.

3. HOnestly I have only rented a boat from DTD..but from what I have read and heard on here is that the best place to rent watercraft is at GF.

 

[disneyholic family]

Great responses, but it made me think of three new questions related to this:

1. Which water park is better - Typhoon or Blizzard? I find once I make all my ADR's and main parks schedule, I usually only have time to squeeze one in for a couple of hours. I've always gone to TL because of the wave pool. My DH really wants to go to BB for Summit Plummet, but I hate to give up the wave pool. I also have an 18 month old. Based on that, which is better? Oh, and someone mentioned TL closing at 7, I thought I had read it closed at 5?

2. Which miniature golf course is best?

3. What type of boat rental is best and where would be best to rent it?

TL closed every day at 7 pm when we were there....(except on EMH night, when it closed later)

 

[Winkster]

In answer to the three questions:

1) I prefer Typhoon Lagoon - more chilled out, more attractive and better range of slides and attractions.

2) They're all good but I prefer the Fantasia Gardens.

3) I'd rent from the marina by the Comtemporary so you have the whole of the lake to play on.


Now - in terms of favorite out of park activity, I just love the boat trip from POR to Downtown Disney.

It's such a relaxing journey with the sun glinting off the water and the wake from the boat lapping at the shores.

You go past the tree houses of the old villas, past the golf course and then into the lake past the whole of Downtown Disney before docking at the Marketplace.

I relax so much on that trip I often go down to DD just to turn around and come back (though usually I can't resist popping into the Christmas store!).

I love it!

 

[*NikkiBell*]

I personally love Downtown Disney, especially the marketplace section. It is such a fun and relaxing atmosphere. Pin Traders, a great pin shop, gets me very excited about pin trading/collecting during my trip.

 

[bcvdreamer]

My family loves to watch the outdoor movies that they show at some resorts. It's so relaxing to pull up a chair at the Beach/Yacht Club beach and watch the nightly movie. You don't have to be a resort guest to participate.

We also love walking around the Boardwalk and watching the performers.