WDW without parks

[dvc_bwv]

Has anyone ever gone to WDW and not gone to any of the parks?

 

[spiceycat]

yes - but you need to stay at OKW or SSR - so won't be tempted......

I you can't see the parks you don't miss them....

 

[photobob]

Funny you should say that Spiceycat because that is exactly what my wife and discussed. We may take a trip in the future and only do Univeral and Sea World since we have been to either and we said if we do we'll go toe OKW or SSR. BTW I've been a DVC member know for a solid 2 days. PS I'm also a B'ham native..Bob

 

[DVCDAWG]

dvc-bwv, I will be going to SSR with my family in 2 weeks and we are not doing any parks. After 20 years of going to WDW this will be a first. Will let you know how it goes. The plan is to swim, workout, eat at DTD,and swim some more.

photobob, welcome home. We are members at BCV and just recently added SSR.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Only for 1 night, after a DCL cruise, we stayed at VWL, invited friends, we enjoyed a lively meal at Whispering Canyon. It was a great birthday celebration for DH!

We did go to DTD, I think the celebration there was of the Masters, beautiful chalk sidewalk drawings.

Bobbi

 

[prez65]

Has anyone ever gone to WDW and not gone to any of the parks?

Just got back from OKW a few days ago. We stayed at the resort and went to Downtown Disney but did not go to any parks. It was a very Relaxing Vacation.......Even when we went to the Character Breakfast at The Grand Floridian and passed right by The Magic Kingdom....my 2 DD did not even ask about the Parks...They just wanted to get back to the resort and use the pool. It also might be that we went to the parks on our last trip in March.

 

[Cruelladeville]

We have been going to WDW since 1976, so we have been there about 70 times(according to CRO) By now, we have seen everything there is to see, so we sometimes just go down to golf and sit in the sunshine. At Christmas the parks are sometimes so crowded that it's not enjoyable, so we use that opportunity to see the ice sculptures in Orlando, golf, shop after-Christmas sales, and enjoy the sunshine until the crowds clear out a bit. We don't sweat it if we don't get to WDW, because we can always go to the parks on the next trip.

 

[lisaviolet]

Has anyone ever gone to WDW and not gone to any of the parks?

Yes, on a ten day trip once. And we were staying at ASMu.....

And loved the change in vacation. Didn't set out to do so but everyday just said, "nah". Great time.

 

[byoung]

Don't think I could not go to any parks, staying there.

 

[disnutt]

I'm trying to convince DH that this can be done. We're buying a new house and won't have lots of free cash but we've got points that I can't let go to waste!

I'm thinking we could resort/pool hop, do the miniature golf which we've never done and MAYBE a water park which we've also never done. We can actually use the kitchen. I like the idea of the resort character meal, too. Maybe Chef Mickey's!

I think it sounds like fun!

 

[dvc_bwv]

Thanks to all...

Actually we were at OKW in April and DH liked it so much we changed our September ressie from BWV to OKW. Our APs ran out and we didn't renew so we were planning to golf and not do parks. DH said he didn't think he'd be as tempted if we stayed at OKW compared to BWV. Glad to see we aren't alone in our thinking.

I did post another queston about DVC discount for APs purchased at WDW just in case we change out minds and got an answer to that also so we can get the discount just in case we have a breakdown and suffer from withdrawal.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Yes, on a ten day trip once. And we were staying at ASMu.....

And loved the change in vacation. Didn't set out to do so but everyday just said, "nah". Great time.

Wow-so you had a 10 day vacation with no parks? I could see it for one or two days, but 10 days! In September, I'm spending my first night at AKL, and I'm planning to stay at the hotel. But that's only 1 day, don't think I could do it for 10 days!

 

[Lesley]

We did it for one night once....OKW. We were on the way home from visiting my MIL in St. Petersburg and we didn't want to activate our AP vouchers yet, as we were saving them to use for multiple trips.

My dh didn't think it was possible to have fun without the parks, but after this visit he was convinced that it could be done. I believe we pool hopped to WL before a dinner reservation at WCC. The next day we went to DTD...might have taken the boat there. I think we also took the kids to do a craft at the Community Hall.

Even without the parks there's actually more to do than at the beach or whatever...we've still never done the mini-golf. We're not sure when we'll get park tickets again after our AP's expire this time...our youngest will need a ticket once March rolls around and tickets for 5 people (3 adults, 2 children...as our oldest is 11yo) is just a staggering proposition. Next year we plan to go to Hilton Head.

 

[RealMickey]

Has anyone ever gone to WDW and not gone to any of the parks?

We have tried to a couple of times, but usually we end up in a park for a day. One of the joys of DVC ownership for us is a more relaxed approach to touring the parks, and enjoying the resorts.

BTW I've been a DVC member know for a solid 2 days.

Welcome Home photobob! I'm glad you took the plunge!

 

[Disney Dreamer7]

We are going in Oct for 6 days and we are planning a no park vacation.
We just want a relaxing vacation and exlore the other things to do in the area.

 

[dvc_bwv]

Getting closer to the date and still no plans to go to parks.... but we did find out we can get APs with the DVC discount just in case. Our trip is for 10 days so we'll see if we can make it.

DH just ordered a treasue hunt book from Passporter that looks like fun. Some of it has to do with the parks, but also the resorts and DTD. I think we can do it... I'll let you know if we succeed.

 

[JWollman]

We stayed at SSR last year- we did Sea World and Discovery Cove.. (HIGHLY RECOMMEND) Mini Golf and hung a lot at DTD just to people watch
I was 5 months prego and we did do AK....only because we missed so much of it last time- so we walked all the walking paths and did lunch at RFC... it was nice

 

[bigsmooth]

We've not toured WDW enough to consider a trip without parks, but I could definitely see the benefit of it.

I noticed that some of the tours listed on the DVC website for Epcot do not require admission to the park, and some of those tours looked really cool. I could see fitting stuff like that into a trip where we did not buy park tickets. Plus a trip out to Cape Canaveral and/or IOA.

Still though, our pace of going everyother year will make it tough to ever completely avoid the parks. I can easily see how it would be neat for others however.

 

[pjadtl]

I'm trying to convince DH that this can be done. We're buying a new house and won't have lots of free cash but we've got points that I can't let go to waste!

I'm thinking we could resort/pool hop, do the miniature golf which we've never done and MAYBE a water park which we've also never done. We can actually use the kitchen. I like the idea of the resort character meal, too. Maybe Chef Mickey's!

I think it sounds like fun!

It is so much fun!! That is exactly what we do. We usually hit a water park, go to DTD, hop around for a dinner here and there, lots of pool time, rent boats and play it by ear. We have fun cooking in the room- we usually make tacos or something fun like that, bake cookies, etc.
We just can't hit the parks all the time like we could when I wa a CM years ago and I have long run out of my free passes
We do have Seaworld and Universal AP and we always say we will just go there one of the days but we have so much fun and get so relaxed- nobody ever wants to leave.
Just beware- we always say we are going to go the cheap way and eat in the room and no parks- but with 9 of us usually going 2 families) we usually end up spending a fortune!

 

[MissD]

Has anyone ever gone to WDW and not gone to any of the parks?

We do it quite often, usually for 3 and 4 days at a time. It may help that we live only about 90 minutes away (less if I drive ) but, to be honest, the resorts are so beautiful, and there is more than enough to do without the parks. We spent a week at VWL a few years back with the family water package and it was one of the best trips we had...spent hours on those water mice. Nobody even thought about the parks, except for zipping past the MK and dodging the ferry I hope they bring the package back.

We're going down to BWV on Sunday for 4 nights so that DS can see the Bucs Training Camp--and I am wondering if the lure of being so close will have us buying our AP's now instead of waiting for our trip in Sept as planned. Temptation, temptation....