If you are planning a trip to Disney World it may seem like you have to go into the parks everyday in order to have a good time. If this is going to be your only trip to Disney, you should definitely get plenty of park time in. However, we did a resort focused trip when we already had our next trip planned. There are so many things to keep yourself busy during a resort only stay.
We stayed in a One-Bedroom Villa at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort. If you are staying longer than a few days this would be my recommendation. Having the ability to cook and eat in the room is really nice, especially with young kids that don’t always do well in restaurants.
Things to do During Your Stay
If you are planning a resort only stay or resort focused stay there are so many things to can do to stay busy. In this article, we will talk about our recent resort focused stay and all of the things we did to stay busy while still having a nice relaxing Disney vacation.
Some ideas of things to do:
- Explore your Resort
- Disney Springs
- Pool and Splash Pad
- Restaurants and Character Meals
- Explore other Resorts
- Test different forms of Transportation
- DVC Tours
- Stroll Along the Boardwalk
- Make fun Disney Recipes in your room
Exploring your Resort
We stayed at Saratoga Springs which is a great resort to spend time exploring. This is a huge resort with miles of beautiful sidewalks to walk and see everything they have to offer. We looked at the pools, golf courses, treehouse villas, the carriage house, and the Disney Springs area.
You can spend so much time at Saratoga Springs just seeing what is at the resort and walking around, in fact we spent most of our resort days accidentally walking four or more miles. If you are going into the parks a lot this may not be a perk but it was a great way to pass time on our more laid back trip.
Disney Springs
Disney Springs had so much to offer and staying at Saratoga gives you a great opportunity to visit as it is in walking distance to the resort. There are so many really amazing food options. We tried Swirls on the Water, B.B. Wolf’s Sausage Co., Chicken Guy!, and D-Luxe Burger. They were all amazing and didn’t even scratch the surface of what Disney Springs has available.
In addition to all of the amazing dining, Disney Springs is known for shopping. There are tons of Disney stores as well as typical outlet mall type stores. It is truly giant with so many options. If you have ever wanted to take a hot air balloon ride Disney Springs also has that!
If you aren’t interested in any shopping or dining, Disney Springs is just a great place to walk around and there are plenty of nice places to sit and take a break before you continue your journey.
Disney Springs is home to many different events. When we visited there was a dance competition going on just outside World of Disney on a stage. What a great way to spend an afternoon, grab a snack or fun drink, and relax while being entertained.
Disney Springs is probably not somewhere we will visit on every Disney trip but it is definitely worth it when staying at Saratoga Springs and not spending much time in the parks.
Pool and Splash Pad
This could be tricky depending on when you plan your trip. We were there in mid January and were able to spend a couple of afternoons at the pool area. Our girls favorite part is the splash pad. It’s actually nice in the cooler months because the pool isn’t quite as busy but it is still a great way to spend an afternoon to burn some energy.
If you don’t have young children to supervise spending an afternoon reading a book by the pool or on your balcony would also be incredibly relaxing. A perfect way to spend an afternoon before a fun dinner reservation.
Restaurants and Character Meals
Disney World has so many incredible restaurants to experience. You do not have to have a park ticket for so many of these incredible experiences. I highly recommend making a reservation at one of these restaurants.
During our trip we had an amazing date night at Yachtsman Steakhouse to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. We are so happy we made this a priority for our trip. The food, service, and atmosphere were all everything we could’ve wanted.
Character Dining
Another great thing to experience is a character dining meal. These are more expensive than just a regular quick service but it’s a great way to meet characters and get great pictures while still spending less than a park ticket and you are able to wait to meet a character while enjoying a delicious meal.
We were able to get a reservation at Topolino’s Terrace. Cannot recommend enough. Like Yachtsman, the food, service, and atmosphere were absolutely incredible.
Quick Service
If you are eating at another resort, you do not have to choose signature dining. Just experiencing quick service at other resorts is great! We really loved Gasparilla Island Grill at Grand Floridian. They have the best Mac and Cheese I have ever had and it’s so beautiful and relaxing to sit outside overlooking the lake with Cinderella Castle in the background.
Explore Other Resorts
One of our favorite things to do in Disney World is to explore other resorts. You can drive, ride a bus, skyline, ferry, or monorail to other resorts and see what they have to offer. We like to see lobbies, pools, restaurants and lounges, as well as different gift shops. This is such a fun way to see what the other resorts are all about.
On our most recent trip we were able to visit:
- Boardwalk
- Beach Club
- Yacht Club
- Old Key West
- Riviera
- Grand Floridian
- Polynesian
- Wilderness Lodge
With the exception of Beach Club we ate at a restaurant or lounge or got coffee at each of these resorts. If you’re looking for a good way to spend a morning, afternoon, or evening this is a great relaxing yet adventurous way to do it.
Test the Different Transportation Methods
If you are new to Disney World or have only ever used Disney Buses I encourage you to test out the different forms of transportation offered on property. While each of these is not available for every resort or every park it might be nice for future trips to know what transportation you should prioritize.
We were able to use every form of transportation except ride share on our recent trip. Our favorite is probably the Skyliner, or as our three year old calls it “the balloon”. We really liked being in a separate little car instead of sharing with other guests. This also just seems to be the most efficient form of transportation, though we never tried to use the Skyliner during peak time so this could be something to consider.
We enjoyed the different Ferry options but we did find them to be a bit slow and they’re pretty loud. Of course, the Monorail is very nice but unlike the Skyliner you will likely be sharing the cabin with other guests. You do have to go through a security checkpoint if you are coming from a resort or TTC so be prepared for that.
DVC Tours
Disney Vacation Club (DVC) is Disney’s timeshare program. Whether or not you are interested in buying into DVC, going on a DVC Tour is a great way to see what deluxe resorts have to offer. Our favorite DVC Tour was at Riviera. It was so fun to see Disney World’s newest resort.
Boardwalk
Before visiting we really weren’t sure what to expect of the Boardwalk. The first time we visited was a Friday evening. We are so happy we went. There was different live entertainment/street performers all along the Boardwalk, shopping, Abracadabra Bar, ice cream, and so much more. We really loved it and ended up hanging out for a few hours at the end of our trip it was so nice to sit and relax while talking about how much fun we had all week.
We went back the next day during the daytime and there is definitely a different vibe but still just very relaxing and nice to look across the water and see Beach Club and EPCOT in the background.
Disney Recipes
If you are lucky enough to be able to stay in a room with a kitchen another great way to spend your day would be trying out some fun Disney Recipes. What better way to enjoy Disney food without paying for those signature meals. Try our recipe for ‘Ohana Noodles the next time you need to cook a meal at Disney World.
Final Thoughts
As you can tell, there are so many things that you can do in Disney World without stepping foot into a park. While I admit going into the park is one of my favorite things to do, we were pleasantly surprised by the amount of things we enjoyed doing outside of the parks. I hope you try some of these tips on your next trip to Disney World.
