Hotel Visiting trip

[MAGGIED]

Not really a trip but more like a 7 hour visit......

This past week I needed to get out of the cold in upstate NY so I took my DD (15) and her and I flew to Tampa to visit my dad - we drove over to Disney to check out some of the hotels. We will be staying at the Shades of Green for the first time in April so we wanted to see it - very nice place - much bigger than I thought. We then walked over to the Poly and checked it out - it had been years since I had been there. We caught the monorail over to the GF. There we walked down to the spa where I bought a gift certificate for my niece who will be going with us in April. We then hopped back on the monorail and went over to the Magic Kindgom to hop a bus to the Yacht and Beach Club. It was tough not going in the park - just coming around the bend and seeing the castle... anyway ... we rode the bus over to the YC and had lunch at Beaches and Cream - Yummy!!!! then walked around and checked out both hotels - they were nice too!!! We then again boarded the bus back to MK and there hopped on the boat back to Poly where we saw a wedding taking place on the bluff - wanted to cry it was so beautiful.... we walked back over to Shades of Green and got in the car and drove over to Animal Kingdom Lodge and spent some time looking at the animals... then we very sadly had to leave to go back to Tampa. For myself and my DD it just made the excitement for a trip in April even higher. It was a great way to spend the day - have a little of the magic and build the anticpation.... everyone should try it!!!

 

[tubachick]

That sounds like a great idea thanks

 

[Fortuosity]

Fun! Thanks for posting.

If I may ask a question? How were you able to use Walt Disney Transportation to visit the hotels? I thought one had to be staying on property or be using a pass of some kind to ride the monorail and bus? (Information regarding briefly visiting/checking out Disney World "free" without going into the parks would have been very useful to me some years ago.)

 

[spiceycat]

unless the parks are really busy - the CM at the monrail doesn't generally ask for ID or key - so not a problem riding them.

the resorts want you to use their restuarants and shops - so most of the time the security guard will let you park there - but only for a limit amount of time (like 2 or 3 hours). enough to have fun at the resorts - but not to go to the parks.

 

[MAGGIED]

what Spiceycat says is true - we had no problem getting on the monorail, boats or bus - but I had just purchased my tickets (although not activated) I did have them with me just in case... when we drove over to Animal Kingdom we just told the CM at the gate we were there to look at the hotel and they gave us a parking pass good for 3 hours -

 

[DisneyMomOK]

What a wonderful way to spend a day with your daughter! Lunch at B&C; hope you had dessert, too.

Thanks.

Sharon

 

[Fortuosity]

spiceycat and MAGGIED: Thank you for the information!

 

[Grasshoppa]

Thanks for the tips. I've been wanting to do this but wasn't sure that we were allowed.