What to do besides the parks?

[4407mark]

A long weekend trip coming up for us and staying in the treehouse villas at SSR. We are not planning on doing any of the parks - it just wasn't in our budget this year and we honestly just want some time to relax and enjoy the resort. I am looking at what else to do besides the parks (including water parks). I've got the following on my list so far:

* Disney Springs
* miniature golf
* monorail tour of the GF, Contemporary, and Poly
* Skyliner tour
* just enjoying SSR
* pool-hopping to another resort

Any other thoughts?

 

[dcassetta]

A long weekend trip coming up for us and staying in the treehouse villas at SSR. We are not planning on doing any of the parks - it just wasn't in our budget this year and we honestly just want some time to relax and enjoy the resort. I am looking at what else to do besides the parks (including water parks). I've got the following on my list so far:

* Disney Springs
* miniature golf
* monorail tour of the GF, Contemporary, and Poly
* Skyliner tour
* just enjoying SSR
* pool-hopping to another resort

Any other thoughts?

Pool hopping has not returned yet.

Renting a pontoon boat, canoe, or doing a fishing excursion
Hoop Dee Doo
Biking at Fort Wilderness and visit the Tri-Circle-D ranch
Bowling at Splitsville
Boardwalk in the evening and Jellyrolls

 

[Travel60]

Disney area: From SSR ride the boat to Old Key West just to walk around (or walk the path along the water), take the boat to Disney Springs. Check out the movies showing, go bowling. From DS take a bus to Boardwalk, walk around Boardwalk, ride the skyliner.

Drive down to Celebration - cute town, walk around the small lake, eat at Columbia Restaurant.

If you are a shopper, head to Mall of Florida or the outlets across I4 from Disney Springs (although they are starting to look tired).

Go into old downtown Orlando.

Drive over to the East Coast for a day trip.

 

[GreatAuntie]

There's a new drone show at Disney Springs beginning May 24th.

 

[NVDISFamily]

If you have a car or don't mind doing an uber we love this place just down the road -

https://maps.app.goo.gl/U24Kobk4Je82NSmE7

It was a hit on our first family trip in 2022 and we liked it so much we made two trips in 2023....

Delicious empanadas, arepas, and more. I always order too much just because I want to try the different options. It's not too far from SSR.

We also love raiding the character warehouse to see what deals we can get.

 

[4407mark]

Thanks everyone! Great ideas and we’re looking forward to trying several of them!

 

[MsChristy12]

Disney area: From SSR ride the boat to Old Key West just to walk around (or walk the path along the water), take the boat to Disney Springs. Check out the movies showing, go bowling. From DS take a bus to Boardwalk, walk around Boardwalk, ride the skyliner.

Drive down to Celebration - cute town, walk around the small lake, eat at Columbia Restaurant.

If you are a shopper, head to Mall of Florida or the outlets across I4 from Disney Springs (although they are starting to look tired).

Go into old downtown Orlando.

Drive over to the East Coast for a day trip.

Love that restaurant! We went there once pre-pandemic on Christmas eve. We haven't been able to go back but definitely will on our next trip!

 

[paults]

Just try visiting all the Disney resorts and getting something to eat, even swan and dolphin.

 

[samsp99]

Have you been out to Kennedy Space Center?

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Have you been out to Kennedy Space Center?

If you do it correctly, it’s an awesome experience.

 

[The Mayor]

Ft Wilderness also has a 2 hour Segway tour that is awesome. My wife and I did it (when we were in our early 60's) and loved it.

I'd also agree that the Hoop Dee Doo is a lot of fun.

 

[achinforsomebacon]

Character meals outside the parks (might not be in the budget if parks aren't)

DVC tours - we sometimes try to tour different properties as we make our rounds to get a better idea of room sizes/layouts for future trips. Although this can be a gateway to more points after touring the grand villas!

Campfire and roasting marshmallows - I think most if not all resorts offer this for free every (or almost every night).

Borrow sports equipment for tennis, pickleball, basketball.

Scheduled resort activities - during our last stay they offered a free pickleball class that then led us to spending another couple of hours playing at another time.

Community hall activities - this is something we always forget about.

Get to know the cast members. Our last no park trip, we spent a lot of time talking to the activities cast members because we saw them a lot (that may or may not have been due to the marshmallows). It was nice hearing their stories of how they got where they are from people in the college program to people doing it for quite a few years. This was probably the best part of our last trip.

 

[zackiedawg]

I'm a big fan of boats, so I often take the various resort launches around to different resorts just to walk the grounds, grab a bite or a drink, etc. If the waters get back up to proper levels and the Disney springs boats start running again when you're there, those are favorites of mine. You can get around from SSR/Treehouses over to Port Orleans - see Yeehah Bob at Riverside, enjoy coffee and beignets at French Quarter, and just walk the lovely French Quarter streets. Head over to Old Key West - nice long boat ride, and just grab a drink bayside or eat at Olivia's. The boats around Bay Lake are great too - now that they've restored boat service from Contemporary to Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness. And there's the Epcot resort area boats between Epcot and DHS, which stop at Swan & Dolphin, Beach and Yacht, and Boardwalk. Plenty of restaurants, bars, and walkable boardwalks/paths around there.

Check what the outdoor movies are at each resort - many have them, so it's relaxing and fun to lounge on the lawn and watch a movie...if you find one you like.

Skyliner is fun to get around too - Riviera has beautiful grounds and a few really nice bars and restaurants, so you could make your way over there - mix it in with the same day you're doing the Epcot resort area, as the Skyliner is right next to Epcot's Int'l Gateway entrance. Even without a car, it's fairly easy to get around to all the resorts or back again from SSR/Treehouses - since all you need to do is walk over to Disney Springs and take whatever resort bus you want to or from.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

I didn't see it mentioned above, but perhaps a water park day would work, too - especially since you mentioned pool hopping (which isn't going to be allowed currently). You could 'hop' to a water park instead!

 

[bakerworld]

We've done this many times now and have always enjoyed our resort only visits. I could go a week with just going to Disney Spring and doing an appetizer crawl to all the different eateries, choosing a different selection each day. We are always talking about bowling at Splitsville and, in 12 years, have only managed to do it once. Never made it to the places in the Springs along the perimeter, like Polite Pig and Guy's Chicken Place. You could do a Skyline crawl for evening appy's starting at Topolinos (if you go right when it opens you can sit at the bar - no ressie needed). There are two really good mini golf places off behind the Swan/Dolphins.