How to enjoy resorts you're not staying at

[jbvenn]

We love resort hopping! Even if all you do is stroll through and enjoy the scenery, it's a lot of fun!

You can get a bite to eat, stroll the pool area, browse the shops, etc.

We always like to make a trip to the Contemporary; we eat at Chef Mickey's, watch the monorail go through, and go to the lake where the kids rent a boat.

A lot of the resorts have distinctive food items; for example, there's ice cream at Beaches and Cream at Beach Club, pralines at PO, Tonga Toast at the Polynesian, cobbler at Wilderness Lodge, etc. If you're a foodie like me, that alone is a great reason to resort hop.

[tiggerrrrrr]

In addition to eating at the restaurants, check out the bars at the different resorts, even if you don't drink. There's a really good "piano man" at Port Orleans Riverside.

[tmptnr]

Every resot had great food. Why not please your taste buds with some great food.

[Blackie Pueblo]

On the same point of enjoying the resorts you are not staying at... how do you all get around? Some of the resorts my wife and I will walk from resort to resort. Some we catch a bus. Do you all use the buses or do you drive?

I often get worried about taking the buses because I'm always worried they will make a scene when they find out we are not staying there.

"...it was all started by a mouse."
---Walter Elias Disney

[AKLRULZ]

They definitely won't make a scene if you're not staying at the resort you're using the bus for - Disney resorts aren't for the exclusive use of the guests actually staying in the rooms (pools are, but that is about it). They've got entertainment, dining, and shopping open to not only guests of the resort, but all Disney guests as well as locals who might be stopping in for a bite to eat, say. Resort hopping is a huge pasttime of Disney fans.

That said, depending on where we are staying I prefer to drive the rental car when we resort hop as it's typically a quicker process than using bus service.

[jbvenn]

Like others have said, just strolling around the resort and taking in the unique ambience is a fun (and low cost) way to do resort hopping. We have done this a lot. The kids also like to go to the Contemporary to rent boats.

[Captain Schnemo]

I might have the opportunity to do this in the near future. Most of my potential targets are no-brainers (I haven't seen Pop Century or Saratoga Springs, or the changes to the Port Orleans area). I guess I'll also have to go look at the construction of the ugly-ass new Contemporary building, and visit the arcade while I'm there. I'm looking forward to catching the Electrical Water Pageant and animal viewing at the AK Lodge.

I'm also doing a couple of the walks I've seen suggested here (from Fort Wilderness to the Wilderness Lodge and the Boardwalk to the Studios).

I also like the mass transportation, which are essentially "rides"...although the buses don't really count.

Anyway, any other suggestions? I should be in the area for a few days, so hopefully I'll be able to spend some quality time looking around.

[Disney Depot]

We always try to have at least 1 dinner in a resort we aren't staying in. This year and last it was the Poly. I like Boatwrights at POR and the piano guy is Bob Jackson
http://www.yehaabob.com/
check his schedule

We did one day just sitting around the AK foyer . Also if the day is warm we split a Banana Split from Beaches and Cream at the Beach Club

[meticulus9]

shopping, atmosphere, and restaurants are all differnt ways to enjoy them. Poly, Broadwalk, port orleans, animal kingdom resort

[castmember04]

Wilderness Lodge - Get a snack at Roaring Fork and eat it outside at one of the tables by the pool in the morning. Very Relaxing.

Walk on the pathway between the Contemporary, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian in the evenings especially. you can smell the aromas from the luau. Very romantic stroll with your loved one.

[SlueFootSue]

The resorts are so different, and the food is amazing everywhere!! Sometimes just walking around the resort can be amazing. I mean the artwork, and the atmosphere is beautiful at the Poly, Port Orleans, and so many others!!

[Captain Schnemo]

Can you actually walk from the Contemporary to the Polynesian? I know there are actually a lot of places you can walk which aren't exactly advertised, but I thought this wasn't possible. That would be cool.

Last time I checked, you couldn't walk from the Floridian to the MK, because the canal where they store the water pageant didn't have a bridge.

Maybe I'll have to look at some sat photos to plan my trip...

Hmm...just looked. Doesn't appear to be any way to get across the water, unless you want to walk through the tunnel that all the cars go through, which probably isn't a very good idea.

[DisBeamer]

Can you actually walk from the Contemporary to the Polynesian? I know there are actually a lot of places you can walk which aren't exactly advertised, but I thought this wasn't possible. That would be cool.

Last time I checked, you couldn't walk from the Floridian to the MK, because the canal where they store the water pageant didn't have a bridge.

Maybe I'll have to look at some sat photos to plan my trip...

Hmm...just looked. Doesn't appear to be any way to get across the water, unless you want to walk through the tunnel that all the cars go through, which probably isn't a very good idea.

You answered you own question I guess, but to second that, no, you can't walk from the Contemporary to the Polynesian without going on roads that you're not supposed to be walking on (and probably getting yelled at by WDW police - it's kind of a long walk along the road there). And you can't walk past the resort boat launch on the MK to Floridian side (still). The walk around the Seven Seas Lagoon remains sadly incomplete. The walk between the Floridian and the Polynesian is nice, though.

In terms of other fun 'transportation as attraction' stuff, the boat ride from Downtown Disney to Port Orleans (or vice versa) is pretty nifty; you can get a good look at the Treehouses as you go past them.

[stev02]

I like to hop over to The Caribbean b/c we used to stay there all the time when I was a kid.

[castmember04]

Best thing to do is to sample the different restaurants at the other resorts. Generally I find eating there much better than in the parks. Whispering Canyon is probably one of my favorites.