Trip to Disney with no parks?? Have you done it?

[Bibbidi]

I was wondering if anyone with small children (under 6 crowd) has planned a vacation to Disney and just stayed at onsite, but didn't go into the parks. Do the kids have a fit? I was thinking about spring break next year. The cost of the hotels is so expensive that I thought it might be fun to splurge on the hotel (i.e. Beach Club) and skip doing the parks altogether--the money we'd save by not buying park tickets would offset the cost of the hotel room. But....I'm just wondering if the kids would be upset about not going into the parks. We're going this May anyway so they should get their fill of the parks this trip--so it's not like it would be their first time there. Any thoughts???

 

[toesmom]

There are lots of things to do without including the parks, especially if you have swimming weather. When my dd was young we visited disney probably 2x and didn't visit the parks because she preferred days in the pool. And considering the cost of the trip, I didn't mind since I saved the park passes until she really wanted to go into the parks.

My ds is 3 and this past trip and the 2 before, my dh stayed with him while I visited the parks with my dd. He has no interest in those characters (breakfast at chef mickey's scared him), and my dh doesn't care about the parks.

If your kids are 6, I think you can still convince them to do other things.

Depending on the time of year, swimming of course.

AKL, you can visit the animals for free at rear of hotel viewing area.

BW area is wonderful

Minigolf is great

DTD is a great way to spend morning especially the toy store. Just agree not to buy anything and enjoy the surroundings.

Well, you get my point. You may want to visit one park ie Magic Kingdom, but if you decide not to, you'll still have lots to do.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

If you aren't going to the parks I would suggest a cabin at FW. It is such a great resort with plenty to do! You won't even miss the parks. I on the other hand have to see MK or I would cry!

 

[mom2dzb]

A few years ago my family (then: me, DH, DS8, DS6 and DD<1) took our RV to Disney and stayed in Fort Wilderness and spent just one day at a waterpark. We found plenty to do on the rest of our trip. Mouse House Mama is right when she says that there's plenty to do there. We went to the campfire sing-a-long/movie a couple of times. We rode the boat to Wilderness Lodge and enjoyed that resort and it's amenities. We took a DVC tour and used the gift certificate that came with it for a nice lunch at Beaches and Cream. We shopped in DTD. We watched the MK fireworks and a floating parade at the beach at FW. There are carriage rides available. There is a modest playground. You can just sit and relax in one of the many rocking chairs on the porches. The Hoop Dee Doo Revue is convenient. The pool at FW is nowhere near as impressive as most other Disney pools and I don't recall pool hopping as an option. That was one drawback of staying there.

Good luck on the decision!

 

[Oceana]

like the PP said, I would cry... I have a hard time going near central Florida without going in the parks

 

[arielsleepingbeauty]

As a teenager we had gone to Disney and never did the parks. At the time all that was there was MK , MGm and EPCOT. We used to travel with about 10 other families so we were occupied with the other kids our age. Our parents stayed by the pool and we would go on the water sprits or hang out in the game room at the contemporary, go to Typhoon Lagoon or wandered around Fort Wilderness. At night we would ride around on the monorail while our parents at at the California Grill. It was a good time and we didn't mind not going to the parks. There is much more things to do now onsite that you dont even have to go into the parks.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

Sorry but I couldn't imagine my kids not wanting to do the parks when they are that near WDW. They know and they're young. As soon as we get off the plane at MCO , both say so when can be go to the park?

Seriously, it would kill me too!

 

[ChrisAlli]

I've been thinking about this as well. My kids are 3 and 5 and we've been the past two years.

I would like to hang out resort, do a character dinner or breakfast, movie campfire at FW, miniture golf, walk the boardwalk, shopping, just not sure how the kids would handle it, they know what they'd be missing. If I even mentioned that we weren't able to ride Peter Pan or see Flights of Wonder I think they'd be really upset.

Have you looked into renting points to be able to stay at the Beach Club??? It makes it more affordable

 

[GEM]

I definately could for an adults only trip. DH and I could find TONS of stuff to do and be very, very happy for a week or so with no parks. That's something we'll probably do eventually, just the two of us.

My 3.5 year old, on the other hand, starts asking about seeing the castle and riding the Haunted Mansion the minute anyone even casually mentions Disney World, so, for him, it would be a form of torture. We could have done it when he was younger, but he's too smart for that now. He also knows too much about Disney World!

 

[GEM]

Ooops. Delete.

 

[pbharris4]

I think we'd have to do one park. The first 2 yrs we went as a family we did all the parks. That was in Jan. and Feb. even with light crowds and great weather it was tiring. We now go in the summer and it's too hot to do them all, plus all the crowds. We only do 2 parks per trip now. This year it'll be MK and BB or TL. But I'd be fine just doing MK and actually realxing a little more this time.

 

[Desnik]

We did it!!
It probably was my favorite trip! No itinerary, just relaxation and fun!! We stood at SSR and really enjoyed the pool and community hall there. We rented boats from the WL/GF marinas, we did the campfire/singalong at FW. Went to DtD, resort hopped, ate at some great resort restaurants. The kids didn't ask to go to a park once!! We did this trip in June and had gone to WDW and the parks the Nov before. The kids were 3 and 7 at the time and we had my sister along who is 14. We ended the trip with a few days at Vero Beach and it was a great trip.
We will definately do it again.

 

[stacy6552]

We have done it the last two summers. There were no fits, because we told them and told then that there would be no parks. Our son has done the pirate cruises and the cooking class. Otherwise we swim and dine, swim and dine. However, as DVC members, we can use different pools. Even though its an amazing pool, I dont know if it would do the trick for your kids for an entire week.

 

[jenseib]

I personally would want to do at least one day at the park. Also alot of the things others suggested, do they cost money as well? I'm not sure about everything, but i would assume alot of it still has a cost attached to it ,s oyou still may not be saving money, if that is the idea. But you would be doing other neat stuff.
Perhaps get one day park ticket and then you can do the dining plan as well (if you like that) and then you will have your meals taken care of and can try all the out of park resturants.

 

[ampooh]

We've done it multple times. we prefer to stay at the Beach Club and are peferectly happy. One of the main reasons I go to Disney fis the resorts.
BC has such a pool and the boardwalk is there to entertain

We can make a week of swimming and eating ice cream at B&C

 

[CleveRocks]

With all of the great travel options our great country (and beyond) has to offer, why in the world would you travel to a Disney resort and NOT go to any of the parks??? I mean, I understand it if you are a 2-hour drive away and can go anytime you want and the Disney resorts are the best hotels near you, but if you're flying there, PLEASE reconsider for the sake of the kids.

Ask yourself this question: Would you go to Friendly's for dinner but plan in advance that your kids will NOT be allowed any ice cream?

If you are flying to Orlando anyway, we are blessed with SO MANY great options, why limit yourself to Orlando??? Show your kids some other great things.

There are wonderful (and fun!) spa resorts outside Phoenix, and your kids can learn the wonder and beauty of the American southwest.

We have many beach towns on both coasts that have excellent, fun-and-pampering resorts with a lot of great activities.

Philadelphia and Boston have many great hotel properties with any and every amenity you can imagine, plus a lot of FREE history to see and explore.

San Antonio has wonderful resorts, and the Alamo, the River Walk, and Sea World, too!

The Pacific Northwest. Mount Rushmore. Cleveland (yes, Cleveland.). Anywhere where there's a Great Wolf Lodge. Don't limit your imagination to Walter Elias Disney's imagination!

 

[jessica52877]

We have discussed how much fun this would be and also thought about the Beach club as the hotel. We have never done it though and I am not sure my 4 year old would be okay with it. He would probably ask everyday about going on the rollercoasters! I think we could do one or two park days for the week though, as it is now, if we go for 8 days we only go into parks on 4 of them. I didn't count travel days since they are mainly for traveling, so we have 4 off days we fill with other stuff! Pony rides at the Fort Wilderness is a favorite along with the camp fire sing a long.

 

[TheDizMom]

I guess I don't get the point of going to DW and not going to the parks, especially, as you say, the expense of the resort is not small . So many places to eat would be left off you list of possibilties because you would need park access, and yes the resorts are great but for how long? If you are wanting a relaxed vacation with sun and pool fun or something to that effect why not find a hotel or condo on one of the Florida beaches. It probably wouldn't be any more expensive and a lot of them have kitchens to save money on food. We love the Tradewinds in St Pete's Beach. It's a resort on the beach, has kitchens, seperated bedrooms, kids club, retaurants if you want to eat out (not to mention lots nearby) and several pool. We have gone there for a week and just really enjoyed spending the day on the beach and the kids never got board . I just can't imagine spending the money to get to DW and stay at one of the resorts and not going to a single park . I would be disappointed and I am 39!

 

[mom2-four]

I couldn't imagine staying at a resort there and NOT going into the parks. Even if the kids are young, they'll still enjoy it!!

 

[gina2000]

No, I wouldn't even consider it. Disney resorts are overpriced primarily because they are in the heart of WDW. I'd rather take that money and go to a first class all-inclusive resort somewhere else and take advantage of what another part of the world has to offer.