Ideas for a non-park day on 1/2

[mousestruck]

Looking for suggestions! We're arriving on 1/1 (through 1/9) even though our Gold annual passes are blocked out until 1/3. We figured a couple days of down time wouldn't be so bad after the holiday frenzy! We'll be staying at AKL and are very excited about catching the resort decorations - for a day! First night we're planning a nice dinner at Boma and simply enjoying the resort. Jan 2 is a free day. My husband and son plan to golf, leaving my daughter (19 years old) and I to fend for ourselves. I've heard that resort decorations (including the gingerbread house) come down immediately after New Years, so we'll probably miss those. Thinking about heading to Disney Springs or to the GF spa. Any other ideas?

 

[Leigh L]

We had 3 days last December where we couldn't use our tickets until 1/1. Some of the things we did:

Breakfast over at Trattoria Al Forno (Rapunzel, Flynn Ryder, Ariel, and Prince Eric - breakfast starts I think around 7:30 and goes until noon. DD25 loves the character stuff even more than DD12 does lol)
Disney Springs Christmas Tree Trail (if that's still up) and hung out in DS
Mini Golf
Monorail resort tour (and also popped in at Beach and Yacht Club). We did it for the decorations, but we also had not been in GF, Beach, or YC before so it was fun checking them out even without decorations

We also spent part of an afternoon taking boat rides and walking around Fort Wilderness (before 4 p.m. Hoop de Doo) which was fun since the last time we were over there was in 2001 for Mickey's BBQ so seeing this area was all pretty much new to us.

We loved being in the parks the first week of New Year's, it was busy at first but last year started to taper off later in the week. I hope you have a wonderful trip

 

[Gentry2004]

AKL has awesome culinary tours and other types of things you could do.

 

[kwdw]

Resort decorations MIGHT still be up on the 2nd. I don't think its that consistent year to year that they are all down on by that day. I've been there in very early January - I know I have seen them on the 2nd because I've never arrived earlier than that. I would bet they are gone by the 3rd or 4th though.

1) AKL will have resort activities for each day (usually a craft project) - and there might be something fun with that.

2) I like the Trattora Al Forno suggestion - that's a character meal I couldn't get my partner to attend!

3) An AKL culinary tour.

4) Have lunch at Sanaa over at Kidani.

5) Do you have a savanna view? If so - you can lose time pretty easily watching the animals from your balcony. If you don't - there are viewing areas both inside and outside for everyone off the lobby.

6) Try the hot tub at the pool!

7) Otherwise - the typical monorail resort tour, Disney Springs, mini-golf ideas are all good.

 

[mousestruck]

We had 3 days last December where we couldn't use our tickets until 1/1. Some of the things we did:

Breakfast over at Trattoria Al Forno (Rapunzel, Flynn Ryder, Ariel, and Prince Eric - breakfast starts I think around 7:30 and goes until noon. DD25 loves the character stuff even more than DD12 does lol)
Disney Springs Christmas Tree Trail (if that's still up) and hung out in DS
Mini Golf
Monorail resort tour (and also popped in at Beach and Yacht Club). We did it for the decorations, but we also had not been in GF, Beach, or YC before so it was fun checking them out even without decorations

We also spent part of an afternoon taking boat rides and walking around Fort Wilderness (before 4 p.m. Hoop de Doo) which was fun since the last time we were over there was in 2001 for Mickey's BBQ so seeing this area was all pretty much new to us.

We loved being in the parks the first week of New Year's, it was busy at first but last year started to taper off later in the week. I hope you have a wonderful trip

Great suggestions!!! I didn't even know about the Trattoria Al Forno character breakfast, but I bet my daughter would absolutely love it! We are planning to catch the Christmas Trail on 1/1 or 1/2 because I believe that I read it's up until 1/4. Monorail resort tour would also be fun if decorations are still up.

Glad you had a great New Year's week experience! We're excited!!!

 

[loves to dive]

Even without decorations I love to resort hop, even if you aren't going into the parks you can bus to say MK then monorail hop to the monorail resorts. Do some shopping and maybe have a mother/daughter tea at GF. Take the boat from MK to WL and look around there, boat over to FW and wonder around there.

Or hop on the bus to HS and take the walkway to the Epcot resorts, look around BW, maybe have lunch there or over at Dolphin.

 

[mousestruck]

Resort decorations MIGHT still be up on the 2nd. I don't think its that consistent year to year that they are all down on by that day. I've been there in very early January - I know I have seen them on the 2nd because I've never arrived earlier than that. I would bet they are gone by the 3rd or 4th though.

1) AKL will have resort activities for each day (usually a craft project) - and there might be something fun with that.

2) I like the Trattora Al Forno suggestion - that's a character meal I couldn't get my partner to attend!

3) An AKL culinary tour.

4) Have lunch at Sanaa over at Kidani.

5) Do you have a savanna view? If so - you can lose time pretty easily watching the animals from your balcony. If you don't - there are viewing areas both inside and outside for everyone off the lobby.

6) Try the hot tub at the pool!

7) Otherwise - the typical monorail resort tour, Disney Springs, mini-golf ideas are all good.

What great ideas... thank you! We do have a savanna view and love watching the animals, so that's definitely on the agenda! Also love the AKL culinary tour and resort activity suggestions! AKL is our favorite resort. Not worried about spending a whole day there!

 

[mousestruck]

Even without decorations I love to resort hop, even if you aren't going into the parks you can bus to say MK then monorail hop to the monorail resorts. Do some shopping and maybe have a mother/daughter tea at GF. Take the boat from MK to WL and look around there, boat over to FW and wonder around there.

Or hop on the bus to HS and take the walkway to the Epcot resorts, look around BW, maybe have lunch there or over at Dolphin.

Agree... monorail resort hopping is always fun! We have the GF tea booked for another day, or definitely would have done that! We have never been to FW, so that's a great idea, too!

 

[Unca’ Donald]

If you do go to Disney Springs, and it isn’t too cold, you could always take a boat ride over to POFQ for some Mickey Beignets, followed by a nice walk along the Sassagoula River over to POR.

 

[mousestruck]

If you do go to Disney Springs, and it isn’t too cold, you could always take a boat ride over to POFQ for some Mickey Beignets, followed by a nice walk along the Sassagoula River over to POR.

That sounds nice! Thanks so much for the suggestion!