PARKS SHMARKS

[MissSha]

Hi there!

I'd love to know if any of you stay on property and DON'T visit the parks? The two+ hour wait times my DH and I are seeing without fast passes right now have us thinking..."yeah....no thanks!" for rides we've done so many times already. Nothing wrong with pools, dinners, shopping and cocktails, right?????

 

[rwbriley]

My family is going in august and staying at yacht club for a week without going to the parks. We have dinner reservations every night and will enjoy the pool all week.

 

[MomOTwins]

If not visiting the parks at all, I'd rather go stay at a high-end beach resort with stunning ocean views, even better (and less crowded) pools, nice dinners, and stronger less sugary cocktails for the price you pay at Disney. I'm about as big a WDW fan as you get, and even I have to admit that the food, drink, and lodging at Disney World is overpriced for what it is compared to other destinations because of the parks access.

It sounds like you would actually enjoy a Disney cruise. The food is very nice and included in the cruise price, there are lots of fun disney touches, and castaway cay is gorgeous. Nice spa too. If you have kids, they'll get to enjoy the kids clubs, and if not, there are sections of the ship (pools, bars, specialty restaurants) that are adults only.

Now if you're a DVC member staying on points so the room is already paid for, I'd for sure say go for it, although even then, I'd lean toward Hilton Head/Vero Beach or Aulani to avoid the crowds you get at WDW area resorts.

 

[katyjeka]

We do resort days as a break from the parks. Our trips are always 10 days or longer so we need a down day. I'm a HUGE disney nut and love every second we are there but I would go elsewhere if I wasn't doing a park. The resorts are pretty and the atmosphere is great but I can get a resort as nice for a lot less money outside the magic gates. We'd probably opt for a beach resort... or even the desert.(we fell in love with southern Arizona) My parents have spent many vacations in WDW and never stepped foot inside the parks. They love Poly and will not look elsewhere. My family of six would need two rooms at a deluxe so its just priced to high for us if we are not going to a park.

 

[PalmettoPath]

For frequent WDW visitors, I think that that approach is not unheard of. We have been visiting for two to three weeks per year since it opened. Always onsite in Disney resorts. Two of my sisters rarely (if ever) enter the parks any more -- well before Covid. They love being in the Disney atmosphere, lounging around the pool, choosing lunch spots, browsing Disney Springs and so on. I still like the parks, but like to go for Rope Drop and then be done after a few hours. Then it's back to the hotel to do previously mentioned things, along with other WDW activities like horseback riding, archery and so on. My brothers-in-law golf every day, that's their thing. So definitely for repeat vacationers I think it is a more common or plausible thing. We grew up with WDW as a regular part of our annual vacations, so it's a different mindset and there are many in a similar boat. But if you don't visit as often, then the parks will be more important in the grand scheme of things naturally. Given the current circumstances, for our upcoming August visit we've booked a VIP Tour for one day so we can hit our highlight rides with no lines and that way we can still get our park visits with a FastPass feel.

 

[kylenne]

Even going as much as I do, with the resort being more important to me than the parks at this point, I would still get incredibly antsy not spending any time at all at the parks. Especially at the resorts I like, which are all in close proximity to them. I would much rather do a Disney cruise before a resort only stay tbh.

 

[DisneyFive]

If I was doing a resort only stay I might agree. For the money we are spending we go mainly for the parks, with the resort as a fall back. This trip will be the same.

Dan

 

[DLgal]

The hotels at WDW are not nice enough to justify doing that, IMO. I'd choose a better standalone resort that costs far less.

 

[OhDannyBoy]

I won't even stay at the resort when I am going to the parks.

I just don't get it. There are so much nicer resorts for lesser or equal money. To each their own though.

 

[Sue M]

If I wasn't going to the parks I wouldn’t be paying the ridiculous room rates at wdw. You could stay at a very nice Gulf coast beach resort for less!

 

[Jadyreen1282]

If the wait times are over 90 minutes for a ride when we get to the line we get a beer. Not saying we bring liquor into the parks or anything. Works best at Epcot. Some days are longer than others. It's also why we stay on site. It is easier to get back to the resort crocked when you can walk it, bus it or beg consierge to call you a cab. No kids here BTW

The next few months are going to be iffy till FP comes back as a paid perk, my opinion only friends.

 

[ColoradoLime]

If not visiting the parks at all, I'd rather go stay at a high-end beach resort with stunning ocean views, even better (and less crowded) pools, nice dinners, and stronger less sugary cocktails for the price you pay at Disney.

Ditto to this, our all inclusive Caribbean resort vacations are significantly cheaper than Disney. I go to Disney for the rides, if you take rides out of the equation Disney is not worth the cost. Give me a beach and a Mai Tai!

 

[Gehrig1B]

If not going to the parks we will spend our vacation money on a week or two in Italy, France, etc. We've been to Australia, Egypt... you get the idea. We go to WDW for the parks although we do enjoy staying at the deluxe resorts when there.

 

[Disneylover99]

When we check into the Poly for 3 or 4 nights we often skip the parks. I have no desire to leave. I love to watch the fireworks from the pool. Watch the electric water parade, Walk to the GF. Monorail to the Contemporary. Plenty to do.

 

[hereforthechurros]

For a quick weekend trip we love a resort only trip. The parks can be crazy and it’s nice to have a trip where there’s no pressure for rope drop and transportation and crowds and line. Not sure I could do longer than 2-3 nights though. A whole week may make me nutty without parks.

 

[happily single]

My family is going in august and staying at yacht club for a week without going to the parks. We have dinner reservations every night and will enjoy the pool all week.

I’m going to the Yacht Club for 2 nights in August with no park tickets

 

[loves to dive]

I don't think I'd do a total resort only stay. I couldn't stand to be that close to the parks and not visit them. We are not ride centric so don't spend a lot of time on rides but we do spend a lot of time in the parks. We enjoy just walking around them and taking in all the details. I could see if we were on - say a two week stay- spending a day here and there without going to the parks. For a week, if I weren't interested in going to the parks, I'd stay elsewhere. There are a number of nice resorts in Orlando that are less than the Disney resorts, offer the same things - pools, restaurants, activities, etc. I could see going to Orlando and doing that and exploring Orlando itself and surrounding area more. You could always go to DS from one of them and even make ADRs at some of the Disney resorts to eat and walk around.

 

[Chy]

I think it's a great idea to do a resort only stay. We did it last year at Animal Kingdom in the summer and the kids loved it. Very relaxing and enjoyable. Pools are awesome, and the resorts are awesome. Who wants to go to the parks in the heat and lines? No thanks - I'll only do the parks in the winter, especially with kids.

 

[boop0524]

I would do a resort only stay at the bnb we love in Costa Rica or a place on the beach. But WDW? Not unless I was DVC with mad points to burn. Too many other places to go and see for that price point if I’m not going to the parks

 

[Marthasor]

IMHO, the high cost of Disney resorts is only justified due to proximity and transportation to the parks. Otherwise, if you really just want to chill in the Orlando area, I would be looking at Bonnet Creek, the Ritz, Waldorf, etc. Much nicer hotels and better price points.