Has anyone ever...?

[coinkc]

Has anyone ever gone to Disney and NOT gone into the parks? There is some amazing airfare available right now and I am thinking of flying to Orlando for 3 days in April (over my 30th birthday!). We could stay at a WDW resort but once we add the tickets in it gets too expensive. So I was thinking we could just do non-park activities. (We are going back in July and will be at the parks for 5 days then.) If you have done this, what kinds of things did you do?

Also, has anyone ever stayed on Disney property but only gone to the Universal parks?

 

[snowmouse]

I haven't, but I think it's a great idea. It would eliminate all of the 'hurry up' that we always have when there. So many things you could do....the weather should be great, so a day at the resort pool for sure. You could golf, boat go to downtown disney and take it all in. Go to fort wilderness in the evenings for a carriage ride and hoop de doo. Ride the monorail and boat transports, just for the fun of it. Watch the Electric Water Pagaent at the Poly Beach. Use spa facilities, go to tea at the GF, fo fishing at POR, or maybe even just resort hop and take in all of the ambience. Oh, I almost forgot, go hang on the Boardwalk and ride a surrey. I guess I could be busy for a couple of weeks!!

 

[MrsJ Henry]

I think if I was going to go to the Universal parks I would stay on site at Universal to get the front of the line access.

 

[SB in KY]

We had said for years we could spend a week at WDW and never go to the parks, but never managed to try it until last summer....we had just enough DVC points left over for a 5 night stay in a studio and we had a ball....in fact it was so much fun we are doing it again this summer!! (we go in fall and winter for a trip to the parks)....we slept in, did the water parks (had tons of left over "pluses" on old park hoppers), did one day at Disney Quest that was a riot....we rented a golf cart at Ft Wilderness one day and spent the entire afternoon driving around over there, my kids loved that....we ate one meal out each day, hung out by the pool a lot, took naps, rode the monorail and resort hopped our way around the monorail loop, watched the fireworks from the Poly beach a couple of nights, we took the afternoon tours of WL and AKL, hung out at DTD, went to a movie, played mini golf...

I thought my DD's (13 and 15 at the time) would be bored by the second day....but we all had a ball....in fact they asked to go again this summer and take one of their cousins (DH has to work this summer and can't go with us), when I reminded them that we only had points for a studio and that the budget was not going to buy park tickets for another trip they didn't even care....they just wanted to go back and "hang out" for a week.

It was such a relaxed and fun trip....the girls did activities at the community hall at the resort, played tennis and ping pong and foos ball, etc....they agreed it was way more fun than a week at the beach and I am inclined to agree.

I say go for it....you will have a terrific and relaxing week

 

[WDW LifeLong Fan]

We visit WDW 3-5 times annually from 6-10 days each trip always staying onsite. At least one of these trips is resort only. Most recently at the POLY in the Summer of 2004. It is a very relaxing experience!

If we plan on going to Universal, we stay at a onsite Universal Hotel before our Disney visit. Universal Hotels provide guests with FOTL (Front of the Line access at Universal Parks)

Have Fun!

 

["thegirls"]

I did a trip similiar to SB in KY. There is tons to do without going in the parks! My tip for you would be to rent a car for 1 day through Alamo to get to Universal. You can pick up the car right on site at the Dolphin(or Swan?). I runs about $30.00/24hours and that's with tax but without coupons. It worked great for us on two trips! And it gives you an excuse to try out the resturants in the Swan and Dolphin.
Go and ENJOY !!!!!

 

[katallo]

We did this last year and had a blast. It was the first time in 25 years that we have actually relaxed on a WDW trip. We stayed at the Dolphin, spent time at their beautiful pools, walked the boardwalk, visited Celebration and tried all of the restaurants. We even had a 16 year old with us and he loved spending time at the pool, the health club and sleeping in!

 

[BettyCv]

I did a trip similiar to SB in KY.

What is this, please?

Betty

 

[Goofster]

Pure torture for me, I could compare that to standing inside a bakery shop and and not buying those freshly baked goods that just call my name............anyway back to the question. aren't there alot of beautiful resorts off site that would be closer to the non Disney activities? After reading Katallo's reply, it sounds like a good idea. Good luck and enjoy!

 

[CheezDoodle]

I've done that twice, and in my opinion it's a lot of fun. I think it's a good way to get to know the resort you're staying at. For example, we've stayed at WL twice(Once in September and once during Christmas)and in September the parks were so empty, they were to good to pass up and we barely even slept in the room! But when we stayed in December and didn't go to the parks, we really got to know the real WL. We also stayed at CSR and didn't go to the parks. We even found our own little hallway that led from our building to Pepper Market!

 

[PamNC]

BUT it sounds like fun. I would definitely do it - there is so much to do at Disney without going to the parks. I couldn't do it for more than a weekend, but it sure sounds like fun. You're giving me ideas.....

pamNC

 

[apulk]

We have done this once before ...but it was only for a long weekend. Much beyond that and I think we would have had a mutiny in the family.

We stayed onsite and did lots of resort activities that we never have time to do when we're taking in the parks. We did Blizzard Beach and stayed nearly all day (vs. the 4 hours we usually have time for). We slept in one day (never do that on a Park day), went to Chef Mickey's breakfast around 10am, headed to Downtown Disney, went back to the hotel to swim then spent the evening at the Boardwalk -- even caught the fireworks at Epcot. Another day we did a 3 hour photo scavenger hunt. 2 kids went with Mom, the other two with me and we went to all of the Monorail resorts in search of picture opportunies at each place. We then went back to the room, downloaded the photos to the PC to determine the winner -- and laugh at each other's pictures.

I wouldn't want to do it often -- but it gave us a good WDW fix without spending $250/day on tickets.

--andy

 

[Minerva]

I would love to do that. I'd spend time exploring other resorts, taking the tours they offer at the resorts that are open to everyone, reading by the pool, wandering DTD, maybe trying a resort or DTD restaurant that you've always wanted to try but just isn't ever convenient to get to from the parks when you're trying to fit in as much as you can there. If the budget allowed I'd probably take part of a day and head to Kennedy Space Center too but then I've got a rocket science geek in the family. LOL

 

[IluvXU]

We had planned to go to Disney one day at the park the rest just hanging out (Saturday to Wednesday) and then go to the beach for two days. We had so much fun at POR that we stayed there and canceled the beach. It was fun to spend time at the hotel, sleeping in late, going to the Boardwalk, Chef Mickeys. I infact wanted to do it this summer when I got a Code, but grandparents and friends want to park it instead. I would do it again for spring break or any break in a heartbeat, probably splurging on the hotel a little more the next time.