WDW without the parks... Any tips?

[Minnie_Mom]

We are thinking of a short trip (3-4 days) to WDW in mid-March. Traveling with me will be my DS (3), DD (1), Dmom, and Ddad. My parents and I have been to WDW numerous times... DS has been three times and DD has been twice.

For this trip we are wanting a more relaxing experience and were thinking of only going into a park (Magic Kingdom) for 1 day and spending the rest of our time enjoying Disney outside the parks... spending time at the resort (fishing, boating, exploring, etc), resort character meals, Chip and Dale's Campfire, a dinner show, DTD, etc.

My question is... what are some "non-park" activities that we should consider and which resort has the most activities to offer?

Thanks so much!

 

[DipsyDoodles]

AKL is a great place to take the kids to view the animals. They have many viewing areas and if you go at night they have night vision goggles which are really cool. AKL also has many activities going on during the day for kids. It would be worth it to swing over there and grab a schedule for the week you will be there.

 

[Minnie_Mom]

Thanks for the tip! We will definitely do that!

 

[noahdove]

Go to the Boardwalk and rent a surrey DTD for ice cream

 

[onelugnut]

my favorite non park thing to do is the boat ride between epcot and dis studios, goes by all the hotels i wish i could afford, but it is still one of the best rides, especially at night and its free!

 

[managerdreamer]

DTD has some great fountains the kids can get wet in and other entertainment throughout the area. If your in DTD look for a quick meal stop at Earl of Sandwich. It is very tasty and well priced $5.99 for a sandwich and it was good. Have fun!

 

[NLK]

We love to do an not park trip. It's a good time to do things you don't normally do. We have tea at the GF, and my DD does the Alice in Wonderland tea party. One time she did the pirate cruise. She loved both. Another time we book a firework cruise. That was amazing! We also like to go to the Poly and sit on the beach with a drink and watch the fireworks, they pipe in the music it's wonderful. Have a great time

 

[Minnie_Mom]

Go to the Boardwalk and rent a surrey DTD for ice cream

Great idea about visiting the Boardwalk, We are a "bike ride loving" family! Yummy, ice cream from Ghirardelli... now I'm have a serious ice cream craving! Thanks for the great tip!

my favorite non park thing to do is the boat ride between epcot and dis studios, goes by all the hotels i wish i could afford, but it is still one of the best rides, especially at night and its free!

This is the perfect tip! Thanks so much... my DS loves boat rides, my mom loves looking at the resorts, and it is FREE! Thanks so very much!

DTD has some great fountains the kids can get wet in and other entertainment throughout the area. If your in DTD look for a quick meal stop at Earl of Sandwich. It is very tasty and well priced $5.99 for a sandwich and it was good. Have fun!

Thanks so much for this idea... DS and DD will love to play in the fountains. My parents have never had Earl of Sandwich... They will love it!

Thank you to everyone who has replied thus far! They have been great and I really appreciate them all!

Please, please, please keep the tips coming...

 

[Minnie_Mom]

We love to do an not park trip. It's a good time to do things you don't normally do. We have tea at the GF, and my DD does the Alice in Wonderland tea party. One time she did the pirate cruise. She loved both. Another time we book a firework cruise. That was amazing! We also like to go to the Poly and sit on the beach with a drink and watch the fireworks, they pipe in the music it's wonderful. Have a great time

Glad to know that we are not the only people who are doing/have done a non-park WDW trip. I am really looking forward to FINALLY getting to do things that we never have time to do otherwise! I will definitely have to look into the pirate cruise and GF tea. I had temporarily forgotten about watching the fireworks from the beach at the Poly... thank you for reminding me... this is a must-do! Thank you so much for the excellent tips! I love ALL your great ideas! Have you ever written or read a TR for a non-park trip? I would love to read one! Thanks again!

 

[Brandi1leigh]

What about catching one of the outdoor movies that the resorts play? A lot of the resorts have a movie every night. I've never done it, but I've heard that the Poly beach movie is a lot of fun.

This site (buildabettermousetrip) has the a schedule of the movies at each resort for about a month in advance. Of course Disney reserves the right to change them at any time.

Also Ft. Wilderness has a Campfire Sing A Long where Chip and Dale make an appearance.

Best part, the movies and the campfire are free!

 

[jeffrent]

I have to second the call to check out the Animal Kingdom Lodge. The cast members there can tell you a lot about the care of the animals, Boma is a great meal, at Sanaa you can sit window-side and have an up close view of the animals while you dine on Indian food. The resort also has activities for kids throughout the day that can include African drumming and other unique experiences.

Also, there are a few multi-park tours that don't require park admission. These might be something for you to check out. I believe allears.net has user reviews of every tour that you can read.

 

[Magic Man]

The one time we stayed at AKL the resort had lots of things to do for kids. Scavenger hunts, ceramics, lots of educational types of things the kids loved. We have found that most resorts are well worth exploring on their own. My wife and daughter do tea at the GF quite often while my son and I play putt-putt golf or rent a small boat and cruise around.
You can have a great time without going to the parks.