Hidden Gems (Off the beaten path)

[LarryH]

Hello Everyone:

I am sure this question has been asked a million times so I apoligize for asking again. My darling wife and I have been to Disney World many times and are always looking for different things to do, things that are not main stream to the parks. So I was wondering if all the other Disney diehards may be able to add to our list. Things like the Fort Wilderness Campfire and Outdoor Movie that I just found out about. Hopefully you can add many of these neat things to the list no matter how small or trivial, we want to try them all.

Have a wonderful day

Larry

 

[briarberry]

I don't know where you will be staying but my DD and I really enjoyed the boat ride from FQ to DTD. It was very relaxing and the driver was full of information about things we saw along the way. We were the only people on the boat both ways!
This one may sound odd especially for adults, but what about a water park? My sister and I travelled together last year with our kids. We got to BB and found chairs then the kids went off and did the slides and my sister and I just lounged around and talked and read. We did do the lazy river and a few slides with the kids. We only see each other once a year and it was a great way to get caught up without the kids being around. And surprisingly enough the water park was fairly quiet!
My DD and I also spent sometime in the rose garden by the castle in MK. It is beautiful and often overlooked by most people rushing by.
One year my DD had gotten popcorn on the way out of the park and while we were waiting for the bus a couple of ducks waddled by. She ended up sharing her popcorn with them. It was just a small thing but she enjoyed it and it entertained the other people waiting for the bus too. It is also something she still remembers doing now she is older.
Don't know if this helped but I have learned over the years that it is often the little things we do at WDW that have the lasting memories.

 

[pepe of ohio]

We're headed for our 39th stay in September, and we get just as much enjoyment out of the little things on property as well as the parks. We might enjoy stopping in Jellyrolls at the BW, never miss a HDDR dinner, play some rounds of putt putt, used to hit the gameroom at CR, ( being refurbed), having a picnic at the resort pool on an off day, catching a late first run movie during a rain day at DTD AMC, just shopping and lunch at Capt. Jack's in DTD, renting a pontoon boat for a cruise on Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon, shopping spree of the monorail resorts or hitting lounges at the resorts. Just so much to do and see.

 

[Feralpeg]

DD and I find it fun to play mini-golf at Winter-Summerland by Blizzard Beach.

 

[william4192]

What is a HDDR dinner?

 

[Donald is #1]

What is a HDDR dinner?

Hoop De Doop Review --> It is a dinner show at the FW campground.

 

[JoelNYC]

One of the things I like to do is rent a watermouse in the late afternoon at the Contemp. After that, a drink or two at the Outer Rim bar, followed by dinner at the Concourse Steakhouse. Substitute your favorite MK resort/bar/restaurant.

It's a relaxing couple of hours after a day at the parks and loads of fun boating around Bay Lake/SSL.

You can end your day after dinner or monorail over to EPCOT for Illuminations or to the MK if they have Spectro and/or Wishes depending on time of year.

 

[smidgy]

DEFINITELY take a Segway tour at epcot. there is Simply Segway (the short one) or the better (longer, more expensive) Segway around the World (you go into the countries before world showcase opens. what great fun! those are so fun to ride and its easy to learn.
you do need reservations, cal las soon as you decide.

 

[shadownoze]

Dining with an Imagineer at Artist Point was the highlight of our trip back in March. Food was incredible, the Imagineer was fascinating and it felt like a real "insider" experience. You get a lovely souvenir, plenty of photos, and great service. But it is QUITE pricey, about 80 bucks a person if I remember correctly. Still, I'd do it again.

 

[LKHomemail]

There was a giant for two size hammock on the polynesian hotel at the little beach. This was a welcome site after a full day at the parks. We watched the fireworks from the beach in the hammock. We were staying at the contemporary hotel but had dinner at the polynesian hawaiaan restaurant. We found this beach walking after dinner. There was also a little boat that took people from one place to another. it was part of the dis transp center. we asked the "captain" if we could ride with him and back from polynesian to one of the other hotels. think we went to the key west and back but can't remember the name of the other hotel. hopefully, this spot is still there for you ... i know things change , but this was a perfect spot. have fun !

 

[katdocnorf]

Take the trail ride (horseback riding) at Wilderness, you can also do a carriage ride or a hay ride. Rent bikes and bike ride the wilderness area, ride the path over the Wilderness Lodge have lunch bike ride back. We have done this with the kids, sometimes we bring our own bikes if we drive down and plan to have a couple of relaxed days. We have also started at WL and had breakfast, then biked over to FW rode around, went to petting zoo, parked bikes and took some of the walking trails, had lunch at Trails End, rode back.
At Christmas (but you can do this anytime) I enjoy taking a day and get on the buses, monorails, boats and just resort hop. We enjoy the decorations many of the resorts put up. You can also do this to see some of the resorts you have never been to just to check them out, shop and eat at a restaurant you have never ate at before and probably would not unless you stayed there. It gives you a chance to decide if you would ever like to stay there too.

I also enjoy the fireworks cruises. Go fishing, if you enjoy fishing they have fishing excursions where a CM takes you out for a couple of hours to fish on one of the pontoon boats. You can do that from Boadwalk, Beach Club or Fort Wilderness (there may be other resorts you can do that from as well).

 

[MICKEEP]

1. Keys to the Kingdom Tour
2. Riding up front on the monorail from TTC to Epcot. Especially at night.
3. The free Disney tours at AKL (Culinary tour, Art tour, night vision glasses)
. OMG Did I use the Words free and Disney in the same sentence?
4. Walking on the beach from GF to Poly
5. Renting bicycles at WL and riding them to FW

 

[paDISnut]

I love the monorail....so my wife and I enjoy going to all of the resorts on the monorail and having a drink at their lounges walking around the resort then moving on to the next....that was before our upcomming trip with our 4yo son...although i think he will love the monorails as much as me...the drink may be out of the question...

 

[ZoZo]

I really like the Flights of Wonder bird show at AK. They do a great job with it; most of the animals are trained to come on and off stage on their own, which is quite cool.

 

[BrADmatt]

Parasailing. We are going to try this for the first time next week. It's at the Contemporary Resort. It costs $90 for one rider, $140 for two.

 

[LindaBabe]

Walking by the Sassagoula from Port Orleans French quarter to Riverside and around the mansions in the evening, hand in hand with my sweetie.

 

[kitty'sAuntie]

.......
3. The free Disney tours at AKL (Culinary tour, Art tour, night vision glasses)
. OMG Did I use the Words free and Disney in the same sentence?
...........

These sound great! Do you need to make reservations months in advance? Are they available to everyone, or just AKL hotel guests? Is there a site that lists tour times?

 

[MICKEEP]

These sound great! Do you need to make reservations months in advance? Are they available to everyone, or just AKL hotel guests? Is there a site that lists tour times?

Very few people take advantage of these tours. for example our family were the only ones on the culinary tour the day we took it. And one other person and myself were the only two on the Art tour.

The info on the tours, with times, is posted in the display case to the right of the Bell stand near the main entrance to the lobby.

 

[annie1995]

This is a great thread with lots of ideas and hidden secrets!!!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1437421