Could you spend a week and not go to the parks? What would you do?

[mrsmtc]

We are considering camping Sept 2012 for aprox a week. We are thinking of not going to any of the parks. We would probably do Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (loved it last year) as the only trip to a park.

Just looking for ideas of how you would fill you week if you weren't going in the parks!

 

[disneygirl76]

Could I do it? Yes. But I think it would so torturous being that close! :lol: I would go to DTD and shop and have a meal, play mini golf, rent a bike at the Boardwalk or at Fort Wilderness, have dinner at a resort and stay and watch the water pageant, head to Celebration and check it out, take an evening carriage ride, take an evening wagon ride, sing around the camp fire and watch an evening movie at Fort Wilderness...Oh yes, enough to fill a week! It sounds like fun!!! :sohappy:

 

[plaz10]

I could, but I wouldn't like it. :lol:

I'd spend some time at DtD, both during the day and at night. I would do Disney Quest (though I did it once and wasn't a big fan), La Nouba, maybe catch a band at House of Blues. I'd watch Wishes from Poly or Grand Floridian beaches. Shop at the outlets. Check out Celebration. Go down to Universal and check out City Walk (love me some Panda Express!)

And last but not least....really wish I was in the parks.

 

[jformica]

We would do it......but haven't. I can say that 50% of our Disney trips are not spent in the parks so here's what we do when we're not in the parks. We go watertubing (also could go waterskiing or parasailing), bike rides through different resorts (many of the resorts have bikes to rent), take a fishing excursion, rent sea racer boats or jet ski's, take carriage rides, go horseback riding, archery, go to Downtown Disney, the Boardwalk, resort hopping at various bars/lounges, ride the monorail, take some ferries (Port Orleans to Downtown Disney, Wilderness Lodge to MK and back). Lay around the pool or beach. There are so many options.

 

[Kristamouse]

We have in the past done the 50/50 park thing too but that was because of our money or lack there of issues...I did look into a lot of the options on property but not in the parks that were mentioned but they were pretty costly...we really liked chilling on the Grand Floridan beach after 1900 park fare, a pretty cheap buffet meal. We also rode the Monrail to EPCOT over and over again and swam in our hotel pool...enjoy and good luck I couldn't do it for a week

 

[NiarrNDisney]

Actually I have spent a couple weeks down there and only went to the parks every once in a while.
Now allow me to clarify that while I was enjoying this extended trip I had family/friends coming in and out for a visit. I was taking trips to Cocoa Beach and the Ft. Lauderdale area relaxing on the beach and visting folks. Shopping off property and checking out other things around Orlando.
As for activities on property outside of the parks, would lounge around the pool, went to a salon and got my hair cut, toured the resorts thoroughly (shopped and had a meal), played mini golf, I went to the Boardwalk area and DTD alot, would enjoy the boats and lakes, head over to the outlet mall, relax with a coffee or cocktail with a book and last but not least I would shop.

 

[Jeff456]

I could spend a week at Disney and not go to the parks, but that would only be if that week was spent visiting other attractions in Orlando with another week tacked on after for Disney. So I'm not sure I could do it, however there are plenty of good suggestions in this thread as to what you could do. DTD is definitely a good idea, allows you to soak up some of the Disney atmosphere without actually being in the park. As someone else said definitely check out Disneyquest if you haven't been it is showing its age now but is still good and I imagine in the morning and early afternoon on a weekday it would be fairly quiet so short lines. Further to the suggestions about watching wishes you could try watching wishes from the California grill, the food is fantastic and it was really good watching wishes from a completely different area. If you do go I hope you have a fantastic time!

 

[Susan Savia]

Maybe. I'd go to the beach, Sea World (always wanted to go), do lots of shopping at DTD, possibily Universal, Busch Gardens, etc. I'd certainly feel like something was missing without going to WDW.

 

[forevermickey]

I would spend a lot of time at the resorts checking them out in detail.... DTD.. water sports...... horse back riding... dinner shows..... ( do water parks count) go check of what Fort Wilderness has to offer. I have never been to Disney Quest....... Go check out surrounding towns because we are planning on moving to Florida!

 

[bgraham34]

My wife and I were thinking of doing a week down at the parks in the next few years and only going to the parks at night. Hang by the pool during the day, play minigolf and other minor things.

 

[Patrick_Ears]

Yeah i think i could do it, Buuuttttttt i think i would go crazy :brick::hammer:

 

[ThinkTink721]

I don't think I could - I love MK & Epcot too much! :wave:

 

[Spike-in-Berlin]

No way. Perhaps I could wait a few days before I go there but avoid them completely? Impossible.

 

[MouseDreaming]

Nope. No way. Could not travel all the way there, be that close, and never go, even once. I am too weak.

 

[JIMINYCR]

NOOOOOOOOO... If I went anywhere near the Disney property and didn't go to the parks...... my body would go into convulsions, my brain would seize up, every organ would fail. Just thinking about this possibility is making my hands shake and I'm feeling dizzy. It's a sacrilege to go to Disney and not enjoy the parks, the rides, the characters and atmosphere.

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

If I'm going to travel all the way from Maine to Orlando, we're going to Disney!! But they do have sooo many other things lots of people have already mentioned: Horseback riding, parasailing, jet skiing, mini-golf, the Luau @ the Poly, Hoop Dee Doo revue @ Ft Wilderness, biking, Dowtown Disney, catch a movie at the new cinema, Cirque... so much stuff to do to fill the time if you're not at the parks!

 

[DisneyWeather!]

Just did 4 days at Beach Club w/o parks. Did pool most of the day mixed in with strolls around the lake. Stayed til 6 pm then showered up. The first night we strolled around the boardwalk after eating dinner and caught the Illuminations fireworks from outside of Epcot's gate by France. Second night went to DTD and had dinner and did some shopping. Third night was again at the Boardwalk for dinner. This time caught the fireworks from our outdoor table. Had to fly home on the 4th night, but some other thoughts we looked into was the Luau at Poly, La Nubia and dinners at other resorts to check them out. Don't know if I could have done 3 more days of pool only without another daytime activity mixed in, but it was only my wife and I ( ran out of things to talk about - with rest of family and/or friends, probably could have used more time.) Also could have spent another evening at DTD. Admittedly I did get the urge to go to Epcot with it being right there, I think I could do a week with no parks. Wouldn't mind trying!

 

[mrsmtc]

Keep the ideas coming...they're great and I have a year+ to plan! Just making sure we get enough of the Disney Magic while we're there, hubby's on board for the challenge...not like we can't buy tix if we decide to give in and go!

 

[gnuts0306]

I would find that VERY challenging!! To me, and my family, Florida IS Disney World AND the parks!! We are going in Sept for 11 days, and Im having a hard time even dealing with the fact that we are leaving and going to Universal for a day LOL Good Luck and Happy Travels!!

 

[bgraham34]

A few years ago I had met a couple that was retired and travels the States in an RV they had been in Disney for 30 days and were leaving the next day. They said they went into the Parks a total of 5 days. The rest of the time they ate at resorts and played golf.