Favorite Thing to do at a Resort?

[DAWGPOUNDAJ]

I thought it would be fun to see what everyone's favorite activities were at their favorite resorts. I've noticed a lot of threads lately asking if people spend enough time in their resorts to justify the expense of a Deluxe or Moderate, and figured this would give people a chance to say what their favorites at different resorts were. Plus I know that my favorite things to do at some of the resorts aren't things exactly listed in the FAQ pages about those resorts.

Okay so Ill start. At the CBR one of my favorite things to do is to just walk around the resort at night. How often do you get to walk along pathways with little lizards runnning around in front of you? I find that magical for some reason, and when your strolling by the lake the magic is enhanced by how the lights reflect off the lake itself, not to mention the hammocks! It's very peaceful and non-busy at night.

During the day the whole tropical, busy atmosphere always seems in full swing and I LOVE that. Just sitting in the food court is about as close to the Caribbean as I'll get without actually going back and the colors just make it a very nice eyeful.

Then there are the quiet pools. We go in peak season a lot and I've always found the quiet pools to be just that, quiet. Maybe I'm superbly lucky on vacations but it always winds up being just us in the pools, but sometimes ducks join us. Where the ducks come from I have no idea but some of my best memories there are with the ducks swimming along right next to us in the pool! How fun is that? Thats never happend to us at any of the other resorts.

At the All Stars I love the food court's selections. I have this unusual food allergy and at the other resorts I always have a hard time finding something that is safe for me to eat, but not at the All Stars! It makes meal time a lot more enjoyable.

At the Polynesian the lobby! Its always a great photo-op there!

Anyone else?

 

[s&k'smom]

One of my favorites as well is walking around in the evening, especially at the Poly with the tropical music. At the BC I love to come out after dinner at Cape May and look at all the lights and walk up to Epcot. At CR I loved to ride the monorail after dark as again the lights from MK are gorgeous.

 

[monorailsilver]

My favorite thing to do at the Poly is just listen to the sounds from the MK, no need to describe them since you know what they are.

I also love to just sit on a hammock since that is where we got engaged in 1999 & just take it all in.

Oh & I do enjoy my cry (OK I really don't) when I leave the world.

And I can't forget the smells from the Poly. My husband thought I was nuts when I brought him there the first time (we were dating) & I told him to smell. He was like smell what? He couldn't quite understand the special scent at the Poly in the longhouses & in the GCH that I remember from my childhood.

Kerri

 

[Harambe]

My balcony or patio. Always with a nice glass of white wine. Lovely water view at GF, lovely garden view at the poly, animals at AKL, football game at All Stars. It's all good!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I know this sounds wierd but I like to be up before dawn, grab a coffee and take a nice quiet walk by myself around the resort as the sun rises. It's a great way for me to start the day when I'm on vacation - before the craziness with the kids begins. On the DCL I'm down on Deck 4 doing the same every morning; nothing like it! (LOL, this is not something I'd ever do at home at that ungodly hour).

Another thing I enjoy is watching the CMs do the Twist and the Hustle at 8am and 6pm at Pop Century, too!

 

[pixie08]

Oh there r so many (even if I haven't stayed @ each resort I visted them each for a while on my trips!!!!- to me it is just as fun as the parks)

1. PoFq- taking a stroll a night by Sassagoula river
2. Poly-having some drinks (great pinas @ tambu) and then grabbing a hammock on the beach(feeling of the tropics) catching the fireworks
3. Gf-the high tea and stroll on the grounds..a trip to the spa if budget permits (truely luxurious day)
4. OF COURSE- view at AKL!!!
5. PoR-hanging out there!! going fishing, renting some surrey bikes-a lot of fun!
6. just taking the monorail to the contemporary- i've been to disney many times and still never get sick of pulling right into that resort..I love it!(plus CG and chef mickeys is a bonus)I feel like that is what walt intended disney to be!!!
7. Walking around beach club and grabbing burgers at beaches and cream!!

 

[marksor]

My favorite thing to do when staying at the Beach Club or Boardwalk Inn is to just hang out on the Boardwalk and get a drink and a snack and wander around the lagoon, especially during the early evening hours. The atmosphere is really nice. It seems like it's the place to be. Also renting one of those ridiculous surrey bikes with your family is worth lots of laughs- especially when trying to make it up the two incline areas around the resort area. If you choose not to go into Epcot for reflections of Earth in the late evening, you can, of course, enjoy the fireworks from almost anywhere around the area. Whenever anyone mentions disney World the first image I get in my head is the boardwalk area and the loop around the lagoon.

 

[jarestel]

At the WL, I enjoy getting up right before the sun does and taking a casual stroll over to FW. You can see a lot of wildlife along that path at daybreak.

 

[sotoalf]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned this yet: drinking in the lounge! I love relaxing with a gin and tonic at the Contemporary's Outer Rim, or with a single malt scotch watching the hotel common grounds at the GF's Mizner's.

 

[tubachick]

We like to sit on the beach at WL or walk on the trail. We also like to rent the mouseboats. if you ask DH he would tell you my favoirte thing to do at the resort is SHOP.

 

[Nik's Mom]

For us, we have pleasant memories of walking the grounds of POR during our honeymoon.
At WL, I love hanging out in the lobby, walking up to the geyser, walking to and riding the boat heading to MK, sitting on the balcony of our room and enjoy the MK fireworks or electrical water pageant. I could go on and on here.
At Poly, walking around the grounds. It's beautiful.
Hotel atmosphere is high on our list of importance. It's more than just a place to sleep for us.

 

[MrsJ Henry]

I loved sitting on our balcony after dark at the YC. We had a lagoon view and just sitting there watching all the lights from the boardwalk and hearing the kids down below was quite relaxing and magical.
I also loved sitting out here just as the sun was coming up and having a cup of coffee.

At AKL I loved walking around looking at the animals and then sitting at the pool side bar and having a drink. So realxing also.

Can you tell I like the realxing part of the resorts??

 

[bellebud]

searching for bunnies and lizards with our kids

 

[lewdyan1]

At POR we love to rent the boats and go up and down the river. This is a close to being a boat owner as I will ever be!!! It's alot of fun.

 

[minijeanie]

at WL, love to rent pontoom boat in afternoon. pack a lunch and off we go.
at Poly, nothing better than to sit on beach at night..*hammocks are hard to come by*
at BWV, love to sit on balcony at end of day, sip a cocktail and watch the boats go by...even better if there is a slight rain, (know I am crazy)

and love the boardwalk at nite to people watch...

is there nothing better than wdw----
why don't other people get it

 

[Ladyhawke10]

At GF, love watching the fireworks and water parade from a lagoon view room...just wonderful! Also love to just swim in the waterfall pool at sunset or else ride back from MK on those motor launches at night. So relaxing!

At Poly, I agree the hammocks at night are key (motor launches are great to Poly, too.)

At Boardwalk, love to go in the jacuzzi during Illuminations! Also love jacuzzis at AKL under the stars, near giraffes and flamingoes! Wow!

 

[mickeyluv]

We really enjoyed sitting on the beach at the Poly and watching Wishes!!!
Also, when DH and DD got in for the night, I would walk down to the GCH by myself and just take in the atmosphere. I would go get me a cup of coffee and just walk...listening to the music and watching the castle change colors...I called this my one time a day to myself moment!!

 

[LixardKing]

I can't relate to this "getting up early" thing, but standing at the very front of Disney Cruise Liner and watching the sun set in to the ocean is something us east-coasters never see. Blue water everywhere you can see, and the sun disappearing slowly. That's about as close as you can describe it. Everybody should see that, even if it is just once in a lifetime.

 

[MariettaC]

My favorite thing to do at a resort (or even on the Magic) is to get up early (I'm an early riser) and have coffee in the food court before the rest of the world awakes. Everything is so quiet and peaceful and it's a nice way to start the day.

 

[Leota]

At Fort Wilderness, I love bike riding.
At the Epcot Resorts, I love waking up early & walking around Crescent Lake with my coffee & going over to BW Bakery
At the Polynesian, I love sitting in the Volcano pool up against those jets at the far end, watching the Fireworks from the pool.... and feeding the ducks that came knocking on our patio door in the afternoon.
At CSR, strolling / scootering around Lago Dorado.....
At the MK resorts, renting Water Mice
At the Grand Floridian, soaking up the sun at the quiet pool, sitting on my balcony & enjoying the resort....
At the Swan / Dolphin - luxuriating in the Heavenly Beds, enjoying a room service dinner in bed & watching a movie after the Parks close.
At Wilderness Lodge, lobby sitting, people watching & sharing good times with friends.....

As someone else posted above - the Resort Atmosphere is very important to us. It's as big a part of our trip as the Parks are, esp. after as many trips as we have taken. We do the Parks everyday, but we also really enjoy the resort everyday. Each trip has a different Tone, set largely by the ambiance of our Resort, each one special in it's own right.....