Have you ever gone to WDW and NOT gone to a park?

[disneygirl76]

Hi all!

So after 10 days of magic and memories and even giving myself a "pep" talk before we went, I still did something that I wanted to avoid. I wanted to avoid the feeling of anxiety to just get in the parks and spend time in the parks and we ended up missing out a lot on the resort activities and just enjoying non park time. I do this every trip and i'm a bit annoyed at myself that I did it again.

Out of curiosity, has anyone just gone to WDW and NOT gone into a park? My parents live about 4 1/2 hours from the World and the DH and I go to HHI each year to see them, usually in the mid winter/early spring. So I was going to look into the DH and I just getting away for a night and spending the night at a Deluxe resort. Thinking the Boardwalk? It will be hard not to be tempted to go in but I think it might be fun for a quick get away.

Has anyone done this?

Thanks!

 

[Epcot-Rules]

When I deployed to Iraq my wife and I decided to let our AP's lapse since I was going to be busy for essentially 18+ months. We banked our DVC points and planned a long vacation for my return. We planned on meeting in Europe for my leave, but she got a new job and moved cities while I was away. I decided to come back to the States because I'd never seen our new condo, she had a list of projects for me, and I missed my dog.

During my two weeks home my wife booked a surprise four days at SSR. We went down with a list of things we never get to do outside the parks. We only got through about half of the list there was so much. We didn't even bother with park tickets. It was actually one of my favorite trips.

We always schedule a down day in the middle of our trips just to recover.

Wife had a list of projects? I think I married her sister lol. Thank you for your service!!

 

[got2lovedisney]

We did that once...got a great rate for Christmas at the Wilderness Lodge, had rewards dollars to spend and couldn't say no. We had seasonal passes but were blacked out so instead of going to the parks, we spent a few days just resort hopping...checking out all the different decorations, did some pin trading, rode the monorail and just relaxed. It was nice.

 

[EvilQueen-T]

it took me a long time before i could do it. we're annual passholders and live 2 1/2 hrs away so once we became passholders we started taking more one day and just weekend trips. it was a combo of these smaller trips plus going on a summer trip with my granddaughter for me to be able to relax enough to spend some time at the resort. my granddaughter loves to swim so that started it mid day during the summer...easy transition since the parks are open so late so on our last trip (still a summer trip) i was able to stop counting or feel like i was wasting what we call mickey minutes (number of minutes you can be in a park on any given day) and chill at the resort. we did the pool, wave racers, camp fire, outside movie, dinner at dtd, and put put golf...apparently i still can't just do "nothing lol".

 

[Alison1975]

Hi all!

So after 10 days of magic and memories and even giving myself a "pep" talk before we went, I still did something that I wanted to avoid. I wanted to avoid the feeling of anxiety to just get in the parks and spend time in the parks and we ended up missing out a lot on the resort activities and just enjoying non park time. I do this every trip and i'm a bit annoyed at myself that I did it again.

Out of curiosity, has anyone just gone to WDW and NOT gone into a park? My parents live about 4 1/2 hours from the World and the DH and I go to HHI each year to see them, usually in the mid winter/early spring. So I was going to look into the DH and I just getting away for a night and spending the night at a Deluxe resort. Thinking the Boardwalk? It will be hard not to be tempted to go in but I think it might be fun for a quick get away.

Has anyone done this?

Thanks!

Yep..as you know..LOL.. 3 full days there before we hit the parks. and even during the 10 days in parks we didnt spend all day...

 

[worldfanatic]

I absolutely love the Disney Hotels, so I always schedule many "off" days to enjoy them (as well as Downtown Disney),
I spend oodles of time at the pools, jacuzzis, lounges, lobbies, and my balcony. Soaking up the atmosphere.

We spent 6 nights at the Animal Kingdom Lodge in 2009 with zero theme or waterpark visits.
It was a pre- Caribbean cruise trip and it was the perfect way to relax and get ready for the the cruise.

I'm currently planning an 11 night trip next summer which will involve only 1 day at Epcot, and 1 visit to each of the Waterparks. Leaving 7 full days of hanging out at the Resorts & Downtown Disney.

I'll wait another year or two for the Seven Dwarfs Coaster to open before I head back to the Magic Kingdom.
And they also need to add something new at AK & DHS before I'm tempted away from the Resorts.

I know it sounds crazy to some, but I've been a "Park Commando" before...........I'm never going back to that style. No way!
The Disney Resorts are that awesome!!!

 

[coachwnh]

when we first arrived this summer we stayed at AKL club level and spent two days just relaxing at and enjoying the resort. we did a few resort activities with the kids, too. never went to a park or DTD. We then left WDW to see Legoland and Universal for three days. The catch though, we returned to WDW after for our regular summer vaca to the world. (does that still count?)

 

[NickandSammie]

I actually have. When I was on tour back in 2009, our tour package was booked at a venue in Orlando. I am a total man-child, and realizing the fact that we showed up at the venue at noon and load-in wasn't until six, I forced our tour manager to drive me to the World.

Unfortunately, being a touring guitarist makes you literally no money so the only thing we could do was head to DTD and I ended up spending money from our merch fund at the Virgin Megastore (on books, ironically).

Afterward, we ended up playing one of the best shows of the tour. I still attribute that to the positive attitude I had after being able to visit my favorite place on the planet.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I did it in California. I regret it since we didn't get back to Cali like I'd planned, but we spent a couple of nights staying over near DLR's DTD and just hung out around there. My parents and brother/SIL live in FL and they have taken several trips to WDW with no park time. They just like to soak in the resort atmosphere and spend time in DTD.

 

[SMS55]

Nope. I almost did a few years back. I went to a convention at the Swan( I had already been to the parks two months earlier). I wasn't going to go then I found out that people that attended the convention could get a discount ticket to any park for like $40 valid for after 4opm and I had to spend the rest of the evening at MK. It was open til midnight. If I'm up there the parks are like a drug and I am an addict.

 

[luv]

Nope. It would have made me nuts to be in Orlando and never enter a theme park. But I did once make a trip where we'd go to a theme park for about 3 hours each morning and then do the pool on nice afternoons and other Orlando things on rainy days.

 

[disneygirl76]

Maybe it's just me I don't really put "down days" into the same category that the OP was talking about here. I thought the idea was a trip to WDW property without actually going into the parks any day there. I'm so out of it, maybe I missed it so my earlier response now makes no sense. LOL!!!

hee hee No, you are right. But it merged into down days b/c that is why I am currently asking. We really meant to have a down day this last trip and am missing that I didn't do it. So I was thinking when we go see my parents, maybe to take a day and just spend 2 days and 1 night at the resort. And that's it. i think it would be super fun and it "forces" me to enjoy the resort b/c when I am there, I just cant help myself and go into the parks and spend as much time as possible there.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

My friends is out there at Bonnet Creek as we speak and they Don't go to the park...To that I said..

I'm sorry I just couldn't do it...If I was in Florida that have more parks than my state (Which sadly just has one big park) I'd take any advantage to get to one..

 

[lisa&dave]

Yes to go to Market place or just to go eat on the Boardwalk

 

[Alison1975]

hee hee No, you are right. But it merged into down days b/c that is why I am currently asking. We really meant to have a down day this last trip and am missing that I didn't do it. So I was thinking when we go see my parents, maybe to take a day and just spend 2 days and 1 night at the resort. And that's it. i think it would be super fun and it "forces" me to enjoy the resort b/c when I am there, I just cant help myself and go into the parks and spend as much time as possible there.

Once you have a few kids you will do downtime..at least when they are younger. Mine love the parks but they love pool and exploring time too ..they would be miserable if we were at the parks ALL the time..

 

[luv]

I never spent an entire day not going to a park, but even on the busiest trips, I always had sleep-in days and/or afternoons off. Also mid-day breaks.

In fact, the only time I stayed in a park from open to close...13 long hours...was at Epcot, with another adult. And we were both so tired that we fell asleep on top of our beds with our clothes on the second we flopped into our rooms.

I really don't know how anyone goes all day and night, day after day.

 

[dave&di]

Whit! No way ever.After flying 3000 miles and spending $7500 its 14 days & night of pure magic.

This!!!! Coming from the UK time at WDW is too precious!!!

But I understand the want to squeeze in everything, we stayed at WL and I would have done the guided tour around the resort but it happens at 9am!!!! I have to be entering a theme park at this time (except EMH of course!)

If I was local I would do non park activities!

 

[Denny]

Several times, we used to take a day trip to spend at either DTD or go to the Fort Wilderness Campground area. There are many things to do at Fort Wilderness even if you aren't camping there - Pony ride for the small ones, the horse barns, horseback riding, Trails End, etc.

 

[Jo DeVil]

WHY WHY WHY, Why would you do that!!!
No really each to there own, We come from the UK and spend 14 nights, But next year we will be adding 3 extra night to stay at Uni, so we have 14 nights in the World, we stay at Crescent lake area and also do the DDDP which we use to the max, So I don't think we could get thru a day without going to a park in someway or another. TTFN Jo

 

[disneygirl76]

hee hee b/c I know there is more to explore. I just get like a 3 year old! Can we go in now! Can we go in now! when it is time to go to the parks!! I really wanted to have that down experience this trip and blew it. That is why I was thinking of just going for the sack of staying at a resort. I'm thinking February when we go for a week to HHI to see my parents (we do NOT like Hilton Head Island) so that would be a nice thing to do to break up some time. Now to decide - where to stay for this amazing "resort only" experience!

 

[luv]

I'd stay somewhere nicer than a WDW hotel. If you're going to spend a bunch of time in a hotel, might as well make it one with good service. Still, I think it would get very boring, very quickly.

Is being in a WDW hotel part of what you want?