Which resorts should we visit?

[PamperingPrincessSam]

My sister and I will be staying at Art of Animation resort Jan/Feb 2018. We plan to spend a day visiting other resorts, just to see what there is to see. Which resorts are "must see" resorts for us? Are there any restaurants or anything else special we should do? We are quite familiar with Downtown Disney but we want to experience some new things, too! Trying to keep costs low, as well!

(No in-park recommendations, please! That's a separate discussion. Haha!)

 

[DisneyWishes14]

There is a lot of fun stuff to do at the deluxe resorts. I would probably start at WL (you can bus to MK and take a boat) and have breakfast or lunch at Whispering Canyon. They do a lot of antics there (ask for ketchup!) so it's a lot of fun and the food is good. Ask the front desk for a handout about the resort - it will explain the architecture, the totem poles and other artifacts in the lobby. Walk over to Boulder Ridge and see a few of the trains that Walt Disney used in his own backyard. When you are done at WL, take the boat to Ft. W to see the Tri-Circle D ranch where all the WDW horses live. Then, take the boat to CR and do a monorail tour - CR to Poly to GF - if you time it correctly, you could go to Trader Sam's at Poly when it opens around 4 pm. It's a super fun lounge with lots of special effects and antics. Consider having dinner at O'hana (you'll need reservations). It's AYCTE Polynesian food and they have live music, the limbo, coconut races, etc. After Poly, go to GF and then back to MK and catch a bus to one of the EP resorts so you can walk around the Boardwalk where they will have live entertainment in the evening starting around 7 pm (you could have dinner over here as well). You can rent a surrey bike if you'd like, play mini-golf at Fantasia (across from Swan/Dolphin), have some ice cream at Ample Hills, go to Atlantic Dance Hall and/or JellyRolls (if you are 21 or older) and even see some of Illuminations from the bridge between BWI and EP. Or, you could do the monorail tour later and end at one of the monorail resorts to see the MK fireworks from there.

 

[loves to dive]

I'm not sure you are going to be able to do the MK/monorail resorts and the Epcot resorts all in one day unless you start early and only walk through them and not stop in the shops and walk around the grounds. I do agree with starting at WL and boating to CR and doing the monorail loop and eating at one of the resorts. The Epcot resorts certainly wouldn't take a whole day but would take a good half day, especially if you included the Swan/Dolphin. If you were doing the Epcot resorts, you might want to do a moderate first either PoR or CSR are both good for visiting then go over to those, I think CSR is considered an Epcot resort but you are going to either have to drive/Uber or bus to either Epcot or HS to get there. If you aren't driving you are going to have to bus to a park no matter which ones you decide to do. I'd bus to HS to do the Epcot ones since it's real easy walk or boat ride from there to Swan/Dolphin and the rest are just a hop/skip and jump from there.

 

[QueenBeeMB]

The Poly, GF, and POR/POFQ are some of my favorites to visit during the day. Just to look around, grab a bite and drink. Such lovely grounds and themeing!

 

[maryj11]

I would go with the monorail resorts first. The Grand Floridian is my favorite then Wilderness Lodge and the Animal Kingdom Lodge to see the animals and lobby. Or go to AKL first then head to WL end the day at the monorail resorts and watch the fireworks on the beach at the Poly.

 

[CynBeth]

We love breakfast and dinner at Boma and you can visit the animal viewing areas.

At WL we love breakfast at WCC and seeing the geyser. If you are interested there are rocking chairs in front of the fireplace in the lobby.

 

[Haley R]

It depends if you have a car or not. DH and I had a rental car in March and we went to every single resort in one day. It was so much fun because we haven't stayed in the majority of them! We loved seeing GF, WL, ASSports, and AOA. We were staying at AKL and POR and had previously stayed at POFQ so those weren't new to us, but POFQ is our absolutely favorite and seeing the animals at AKL is fun!

 

[KenHutch]

I do this each and every vacation for one day while the girls are in town shopping. As others have said a good start are the deluxe hotels. I use this tour as an excuse for taking the boats. Great pictures from the boats and its fun. You can do all of the deluxe and several others in a day. I admit that when I do the Value resorts I just sort of walk thru and take pictures but I slow down at the deluxe. In fact as I have stated one other topics we are staying at AKL next vacation because of the way they treated me their on my last resort hopping tour. I also do a little shopping on these tours. I have found shirts at the deluxe and moderate hotels that I have never found anywhere else. On our last stay at FQ the manager of the store came over and asked me where I had gotten my French Quarter shirt (2006 trip) he had never seen one before.

 

[Haley R]

I do this each and every vacation for one day while the girls are in town shopping. As others have said a good start are the deluxe hotels. I use this tour as an excuse for taking the boats. Great pictures from the boats and its fun. You can do all of the deluxe and several others in a day. I admit that when I do the Value resorts I just sort of walk thru and take pictures but I slow down at the deluxe. In fact as I have stated one other topics we are staying at AKL next vacation because of the way they treated me their on my last resort hopping tour. I also do a little shopping on these tours. I have found shirts at the deluxe and moderate hotels that I have never found anywhere else. On our last stay at FQ the manager of the store came over and asked me where I had gotten my French Quarter shirt (2006 trip) he had never seen one before.

Huh that's interesting. I didn't know they had different shirts than everywhere else. I always just assumed it was the same standard shirts.

 

[KenHutch]

Huh that's interesting. I didn't know they had different shirts than everywhere else. I always just assumed it was the same standard shirts.

I have found nice golf shirts in the hotels that I have never seen anywhere else and I drive my employees crazy by wearing them to work all the time.