UPDATE rental didn't rent - but we went!

[TravelMommy]

I am so glad you are able to go! I have to tell you after numerous trips our last one, Feb 14, I told Dh that really, the Disney Resorts are destinations themselves. We could happily spend our days by the pool, relaxing !Enjoy!

 

[garnetandblack]

I think that brings you bring up a good a point, "vacation" means a ton of different things to different people. Having to "make sandwiches" and cook is work for me. If I have to eat in or snack then I'm staying home until I can.
Now me, I don't want to go to Disney on a wing and a prayer simply too many things I want to do there so it's not the place I pick if I'm doing a "budget" vacation. I'm also lucky that iv live in a region where I can take a great long weekend, very relaxing for a couple hundred bucks.

I'm cheap - but I will gladly pay someone to clean my house. I hate cleaning and having someone come every 2 weeks is worth my sanity. I hate to clean but I also hate a messy house.

I also hate staying anywhere without a full kitchen for over 3 nights. I can't eat out that much, I start to feel sick. We also don't have huge appetites so when we are on vacation we tend to share entrees to avoid waste (at home we bring home leftovers for lunch the next day). I always choose a condo on vacation (they tend to be cheaper than hotels) and I like that I have time to cook nice meals. I spend a few hours on the first day preparing meals for the week and always buy our favorite foods. I will get some sliced chicken at the deli with spinach, tomatoes and cucumbers to make wraps for us to eat for lunch. It doesn't take any real time and they are yummy! We also eat a lot of fresh fruit and veggies and like to have them to eat. DS is also picky and I couldn't imagine him eating chicken fingers at every meal for a week.

We do go out to eat on vacation - probably around 3-4x in a week but they aren't just for nourishment. We choose our favorite places and really enjoy our meals.

Everyone vacations differently and before DS we had many AI vacations to 5* resorts and loved calling room service for omelettes, fruit and pina colodas when we finally woke up around 10am. Fresh fish for lunch and a delicious meal with filet and lobster and lots of wine for dinner I do look forward to those vacations again in 12-15 years

 

[travelgirl06]

We tacked 2 nights at CBR onto the end of a trip to Tampa this spring and did not do the parks - such a relaxing way to do Disney (we did a big park trip in the fall, so were ready to just enjoy). We went to a spring training game, watched the fireworks from the beach at the poly, had breakfast at Kona, took DD for a pony ride at Fort Widerness, spent time at the pool and spent the evening at DTD. Also, when we went last fall we brought our own breakfast food and did breakfast in the room most mornings and also brought snacks and drinks for when we got the munchies between meals/in the evenings.

We're in the midst of home renovations (and DH is doing the majority of the work), so we frequently need to physically leave town to unplug and have family time (otherwise he works on the renovation most of the weekend, I try to juggle the kids alone and we're both completely drained by the time we have to go back to work on Monday). I look forward to being able to do more staycations (or at least "lazy" weekends at home) once were done

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I'm cheap - but I will gladly pay someone to clean my house. I hate cleaning and having someone come every 2 weeks is worth my sanity. I hate to clean but I also hate a messy house.

I also hate staying anywhere without a full kitchen for over 3 nights. I can't eat out that much, I start to feel sick. We also don't have huge appetites so when we are on vacation we tend to share entrees to avoid waste (at home we bring home leftovers for lunch the next day). I always choose a condo on vacation (they tend to be cheaper than hotels) and I like that I have time to cook nice meals. I spend a few hours on the first day preparing meals for the week and always buy our favorite foods. I will get some sliced chicken at the deli with spinach, tomatoes and cucumbers to make wraps for us to eat for lunch. It doesn't take any real time and they are yummy! We also eat a lot of fresh fruit and veggies and like to have them to eat. DS is also picky and I couldn't imagine him eating chicken fingers at every meal for a week.

We do go out to eat on vacation - probably around 3-4x in a week but they aren't just for nourishment. We choose our favorite places and really enjoy our meals.

Everyone vacations differently and before DS we had many AI vacations to 5* resorts and loved calling room service for omelettes, fruit and pina colodas when we finally woke up around 10am. Fresh fish for lunch and a delicious meal with filet and lobster and lots of wine for dinner I do look forward to those vacations again in 12-15 years

No need to wait that long. That's a typical Disney cruise. My ds14 was calling for room service by the time he was 8.
I highly recommend it.

 

[crisi]

I'd rather pay someone to clean and I will ride in a car for as long as it takes ....you are so right that we are all different.

I could pay some one to clean, then I could veg in my house! If I could only see the Eiffel Tower out my window, it would be the best of all worlds!

 

[mrslur]

We talked at lunch and we are going - just no parks. Gas will be the most $ and dining plan - QS - was already booked and paid for.
Di

I'm confused. I'm assuming you know you will be limited to hotel QS and Downtown Disney for meals if you don't have park tickets.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I'm confused. I'm assuming you know you will be limited to hotel QS and Downtown Disney for meals if you don't have park tickets.

A lot of people enjoy the atmosphere of Disney resorts and are fine with not visiting parks. Often it's people who visit frquently and get "parked out".
Still why do you feel those people should be limited to QS meals? If I stay at BCV there's no reason I can't enjoy Cape May Cafe, Ohana, Chef Mickey, etc.

 

[mrslur]

A lot of people enjoy the atmosphere of Disney resorts and are fine with not visiting parks. Often it's people who visit frquently and get "parked out".
Still why do you feel those people should be limited to QS meals? If I stay at BCV there's no reason I can't enjoy Cape May Cafe, Ohana, Chef Mickey, etc.

I get the no park trips but the OP herself posted she has already bought and paid for QS dining plan which I quoted in my post. She has also stated she is on a budget so I just assumed she has no budget to pay OoP for any other meals.

 

[buckeev]

Sanity.
What means this word SANITY!???

Go...have a great time, even if it means pinching a penny here-and-there!

Our trips are always at a breakneck speed, I often wish I could just go and enjoy Central Florida at a more leisurely pace.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I get the no park trips but the OP herself posted she has already bought and paid for QS dining plan which I quoted in my post. She has also stated she is on a budget so I just assumed she has no budget to pay OoP for any other meals.

Sorry, I missed that. I was reading from my phone on train home from work.

I'd still rather go on a budget with QS meals & no parks than go to work.

 

[quirty30]

OP, our most relaxing WDW vacation ever was last summer when my kids and I stayed in a Treehouse for 8 nights with very limited park time (a day each at Epcot and MK and each of the water parks.) I got a great deal on a car rental so we could go grocery shopping and I actually cooked about half our meals (including one where the power went out for an hour right in the middle of prep. Now that was an adventure.) To be honest, I could have lived without the parks altogether. But we have 10 day non-expiring park hoppers with WP & more, so we used them.

We spent a ton of time at the Treehouse pool; had it all to ourselves most of the time. Not a fancy pool, but we just thoroughly enjoyed the peaceful surroundings. Also checked out the other SSR pools. Took the water taxi to Downtown Disney several times.

I think you have plenty of options with your QS dining plan, even without access to the parks. Especially since you are driving, it will be easy to visit other resorts. I think you will find a "no parks" trip to be far more relaxing and it sounds like that it just what you need. I'm glad you persuaded DH to go forward with your trip and I hope you have a great time!

 

[maggiew]

I'm confused. I'm assuming you know you will be limited to hotel QS and Downtown Disney for meals if you don't have park tickets.

But the hotel QS and Downtown Disney have some of the best QS meals out there!

Maggie

 

[Marionnette]

The OP should be back from her trip (it was this past weekend). I would love to hear how things worked out for her! We're too far away to make a weekend trip worthwhile but I always find it interesting to learn how people spend non-park days.