Resort Hopping for Childrens Activities?

[punkin]

We are staying at POR and I don't know if the moderates have any childrens' activities during the day. I know that Poly and AKL do (so I'm assuming the rest of the deluxes sould as well) Is there any way we could get a list of planned childens activities in advance so we could "hop" resorts and paricipate?

For example, Iknow AKL has cookie painting ang Poly has lei making, I just don't know what time and since I'm not staying at those resorts, I wont get the info at check in . Anyone help?

 

[Janet2k]

Punkin, I have always been told that the children’s activities at the resorts are for guests of those resorts (just as it is for its swimming pools). As we all know here on the Dis, each category of Disney resort has varying amenities: click here. The more amenities a resort has, the higher its price.

A resort newsletter is given to a guest when they check into their resort. Since the newsletters are tailored for a specific timeframe, they aren't normally available in advance. The newsletter will outline what activities are available and when. If there are any costs involved with those activities, they will be noted in the newsletter.

Disney does have activities that any guest may book for their child. Those activities include the Grand Floridian’s Wonderland Tea Party, Pirates Cruise, and Grand Adventures in Cooking Class (click here for official WDW website). The Yacht / Beach Club resort area has added the new Albatross Cruise (I believe that is what it is called). To find out the schedules and pricing for any of the aforementioned activities, please telephone WDW-DINE. They should be able to answer any questions and also book the activity for your child.

Having said all that, my daughter absolutely loves the GF’s three children’s activities (tea party, cruise, and cooking class). I don’t know how old your child is, but if he/she is old enough to attend those activities, do consider booking them. My daughter was sad on our last vacation because she didn’t get the opportunity to partake of any of them (we were traveling with a group of family and friends and I didn’t want to pull her away from our guests). For our upcoming trip, she made me promise that I would let her attend all three of the activities, plus the YC/BC’s new cruise. I gave her my word that she could.

I also thought I should mention a wonderful tour at the Magic Kingdom. It is called the Family Magic Tour (click here). We attended that tour as guests of a fellow Dis’er last year. We had a ball on it. I wrote about it in detail (including links to photographs) in one of my trip reports. If you are interested in it, let me know and I’ll send you the link. I am considering booking the tour again for our upcoming trip. When I attended it last year, I couldn’t walk too well (I’d had surgery a few months prior) and thus didn’t get to hop/skip/jump like the others (I was jealous ). This year I am walking much better and would love to have my shot at hop/skip/jumping with my daughter and husband.

I hope you have a wonderful vacation. The Port Orleans resort is one of my absolute favorites. It has one of the best entertainers in all of WDW -- Bob Jackson (click here).

 

[punkin]

I don't know. I was able to participate in the lei making at the Poly even though we weren't staying there. The lady running the activity knew we weren't guests and never said anything. I wonder if what you say is really true. If it is, does anyone know if POR has any childrens' activities during the day.

 

[skiwee1]

I've also heard that the activities are for the resort guests only. That being said, I can't imagine hopping resort to resort doing these activities. They are kind of lame for all the trouble you would go through to do them. We always stay at the Poly and the lei making is no big deal at all! There is a basket with different color silk flowers, some string, and pasta and that's it. It takes all of 4 minutes to make a necklace.

 

[punkin]

I was not planning to go just to do the activities. I was planning to resort hop; have lunch (like Kona) or see the animals (like AKL) and have the kids do a little something just to occupy them for an hour or so. I know it's nothing major, but I think my 6 year old would enjoy it.

 

[skiwee1]

I doubt it will take an hour. My now 6 y/o DD makes a lei every time we visit and it takes her 5 minutes. In an hour you can many quite a few!

 

[#1hockeymom]

I usually try to stay out of these questions, but felt I had to say my piece on this question. Having lunch, going shopping in the gift shop, walking around the grounds, even checking out the arcade are wonderful ideas. I guess what I am trying to say is that I wouldn't put resort activities on the public list of things to do. To me that would be like staying at the Hilton and driving over to the Ritz for their managers welcome party or vice versa. (I have no idea if they have a welcome party, but you get the idea). I know the Ritz would love me to look around their lobby areas and eat at their restaurants, but I don't think I would be, nor should I be included in their guest activities since I am not a guest. When I pick out a resort, I am also picking out the activities we'd like to participate in during that trip and the amenities offered. Obviously, not all trips can be AKL concierge level, but my kids know that and know what options are available to them at our reserved resort.

Debbie