This week we get to list our top five things to do in Walt Disney World beyond the theme and water parks.
However, before we get to that task I do want to comment on last week’s blog. The most popular Disney Water Park among those that commented was Typhoon Lagoon. The lazy river at Typhoon Lagoon was mentioned quite a bit along with the wave pool and shark reef. Many agreed that Blizzard Beach is better themed and probably more suited for bigger kids and adults.
Anyway, on to my list.
Top Five Things To Do
1) Visit Tri-Circle-D Ranch & Stables at Fort Wilderness
2) Tour the Disney Hotels
3) Mini Golf at either of the two Disney locations
4) Shopping at Downtown Disney
5) Rent pontoon boats (any location)
OK, now that I have told you my favorites, what are yours? I’d love to know. Also, you can add whatever comments you want to help us appreciate your choices.
Speaking of comments, here are some of my thoughts. 1) The Tri-Circle-D Ranch & Stables at Ft Wilderness is a great place to take children. They have lots of activities like trail riding and pony rides. If you’re not up to that, you can just walk the grounds and see the ponies that pull Cinderella coach and go into the stables and see the big horses that pull the trolleys down Main Street. If you’re lucky you may see a Cast Member washing the horses or a blacksmith working. And you can stop at Trail’s End and have a great meal. Great fun! 2) Visiting the various Walt Disney World hotels is a lot of fun. They are all themed so wonderfully, have great shops and fantastic restaurants. The landscaping is always changing and is so beautifully done. And I really love watching all the guests as they go about enjoying their visit to Disney. 3) The mini golf courses are a great way to spend a couple hours. In particular I enjoy the more difficult Fantasia Fairways at Fantasia Gardens. 4) Walking and shopping in Downtown Disney is always a great way to spend some time. The variety of shops selling Disney merchandise is really good. 5) Getting a group of friends and/or family together and taking a leisurely cruise on Disney waterways, in a pontoon boat, is so much fun.
You could win an AllEars® baseball cap. I will take all the names of those who post a comment (see below) with your list, within the next couple weeks and I will put them in a hat and randomly draw the name of the lucky winner. The only rules are that you must reside in the US, be 18 years old or older and you must provide your email address so I can contact you should you win.
All comments must be posted no later than Sunday, August 8, 2010 in order to be eligible to win the baseball cap. The winner of the AllEars® baseball cap will be announced shortly thereafter.
To make things a bit easier for you can just copy and paste the following into the Post A Comment section below and add your information:
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Top Five Things To Do
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Your comments:
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In the coming weeks I will blog on more “favorite” things to do in Walt Disney World. Also, let me know if you have any suggestions as to other things you would like to see “top lists” of. I’m open to any and all suggestions. So far readers have suggested I blog on Magical Moments and Favorite Character Meals. Great ideas! What do you think? Based on the number of comments, I think you all agree that these are fun to do.
And the winner is: the winner of the AllEars® baseball cap for commenting on my Favorite Walt Disney World Restaurants at the Resorts and Downtown Disney blog is: Trista Newell from Alabama. Congratulations to Trista and “thank you” to everyone who took the time to share their Favorite Walt Disney World Restaurants at the Resorts and Downtown Disney with me and all the loyal AllEars® readers!
Did you know AllEars® has a huge area called Rate and Review where you can share your dining reviews with fellow readers? Check it out!
Finally, be one of the first people to hear when my newest blogs go live on AllEars.net by joining “DisneyMike’s World” Facebook group.
Well, that’s all for now. As my good friend says, “see ya real soon”…DizneyMike
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I know i’m a bit late but 5 things to do in WDW
1.) Walking back to the buses at night from a park. It’s always a bit sad and a bit happy that your going to the resort. Sad to leave the park but happy you’ll be able to put your feet up.
2.) taking the buses in the morning and at night. My mom and I often end up talking to other people, especially with kids, to see what they liked.
3.) Walking around your resort to take pictures of the huge characters (Pop century my 2nd home)
4.) The Magic express from the airport to your hotel. It’s always exciting even though it’s usually the same video every year. It’s like you’re almost home again.
5.) One Word = Shopping! Every year i make sure i get a new beach towel. 🙂
Top Five Things To Do
1) Hanging out by the resort pools
2) Any of the activities at Fort Wilderness Campground
3) Mini Golf
4) Checking out other Disney Resorts
5) Walking around Downtown Disney
Your comments:
We recently towed our camper and stayed at Fort Wilderness Campground for the first time, and it is by far the best place to stay as far as having alternatives to the parks. Swimming, biking, campfires and outdoor movies, just to name a few. There is even a nice wooded path in which you can bike to the Wilderness Lodge, doubling your dining and activity options.
Top Five Things To Do
1)Enjoy a cooling drink in the shade at hotel pool and chatting with friends/family.
2)Strolling around the Boardwalk at night.
3)Mini-Golf – Fantasia Gardens
4)Dinner @ Boma’s followed by animal watching.
5)Shopping/people watching @ Downtown Disney
Your comments:
One of my very favorite non-park attractions that closed was Discovery Island. It was always refreshing to break away from the MK, take a boat ride to the Island and leisurely stroll in the shade about the Island listening to the animals and seeing how many different ones we could see. A brought a sense of calm to the senses before heading back to the bustle of the MK.
Top Five Things To Do
1)Taking the resort monorail from Polynesian resort to the Magic Kingdon docks and then transfering onto a boat for the trip to Fort Wilderness to attend the “Hoop-De-Doo Review” show and dinner.
2)Asking to “ride up front” as co-pilot on one of the TTC to Epcot monorails.
3)Dinner at California Grill while watching the
Magic Kingdom fireworks and also seeing the Electrical Water Pageant boats head out onto Bay lake.
4)Swimming at your favorite Disney World resort hotel pool with your children.
5)Window shopping at the Polynesian Resort before strolling down the beach to enjoy the “Spirit of Aloha” dinner show.
Your comments:
There is so much to do and see at Walt Disney World that you can go for weeks without going into any of the parks and still have a blast! What a wonderful place to vacation!!!
Top Five Things To Do
1. See YeHaa Bob (Bob Jackson) perform in the lounge at Port Orleans Riverside Resort
2. Enjoy the animals / activities at Animal Kingdom Lodge
3. Ride the monorail around the resort loop – stopping to shop at one or more resorts and then riding the Epcot monorail line.
4. Spend an evening at the Boarwalk.
5. Shopping / eating at Downtown Disney
Comments: The family entertainment provided evenings (Wednesday through Saturday I think) by YeHaa Bob is not to be missed. Our whole family – adults and kids absolutely loved him. You can’t see his show without smiling and singing and it is totally FREE! Also, Animal Kingdom Lodge is just packed with activity. I highly recommend viewing the savanah with night vision goggles in a program where a guide from Africa will answer any of your questions about the animals.
1. Cirque du Soleil – La Nouba
2. Water taxi to Downtown Disney
3. Walk around/between Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter
4. Monorail
5. Characters in Flight (haven’t actually tried this yet, but I plan to next month; it sounds great)
Top Five Things To Do
1)Go to see the animals at Animal Kingdom Lodge
2)Go to Downtown Disney and visit the Christmas store. Any time of year, a dose of Christmas magic always perks me up.
3)Talk to cast members from another country – you learn so much about their country AND even more about Disney in general. Cast members are everywhere.
4)Take the boat to Ft. Wilderness – and while there, take a horse and buggy ride.
5)The Grand Floridian Spa & Health Center. There’s nothing like a relaxing massage after walking around all day.
Your comments: Unfortunately, some of my favorite “non park” things to do have closed –like “Discovery Island” in Bay Lake, a couple of restaurants I loved to frequent,…..but I love to explore the “less known” activities and places at Disney World.
Top Five Things To Do
1)Shopping at the resort hotels and DTD!
2)Enjoying a good meal at the YC or GF
3)Strolling around the Boardwalk &BC&TC at night
4)Watching the water pagent while on the beach
5)Riding the monorail at night during the Christmas Season& enjoying the view of the castle!
1) Golf
2) Golf
3) Golf
4) Golf
5) Did I mention Golf?
But seriously. Disney has some great golf courses for beginners and the more experienced.
Top Five Things To Do
1) Touring Hotels
2) Eating/Shopping Downtown Disney
3) Bike Riding at Fort Wilderness
4) Dinner at Boma!
5) Boardwalk
Top Five Things To Do
1)Check out all the shops at DTD
2)Take the boat from FQ to DTD and back
3)Check out the hotels
4)
5)
Your comments:
I have to admit when we are at the world we spend most of our time at the parks. We leave to go eat at one of the resort hotels. We barely leave time for the kids to swim. However, we became DVC members in April. So I am hoping we will have time to stop and smell the rest of the world when we go 2 times a year or every year for now on.
1) Grab a hammock at the Polynesian beach and watch ‘Wishes’ and the ‘Electrical Water Pageant’
2) Enjoy the performers on the Boardwalk
3) Mini-golf at Winter Summerland
4) Enjoying a good meal at one of the many restaurants on property
5) Shopping!
Cara
Portsmouth, England
1)Dinner at O’Hana’s
2)Campfire sing along with Chip and Dale
3)Surrey bike at French Quarter
4)Pirate cruise from Contemporary
5)”Resort hopping”
Top Five Things To Do
1) Once Upon a Toy in Downtown Disney
2) Riding on the Monorail
3) Neverland Club
4) Sea Raycers
5) Surrey Bikes
Your comments:
This stuff was awesome! I don’t think five really sums it up.
(Compiled with assistance of my nine-year-old son)
Top Five Things To Do
1)*Get married at the Grand Floridian’s wedding pavilion.*
2)Cirque Du Soleil
3)Pilot a monorail
4)Shopping at Downtown Disney
5)Jellyrolls
My wife and I were married back in Feb. of 2009. It was perfectly magical!
We had been putting off going to Cirque and then finally went on our last trip. This show is not to be missed, it’s like nothing I’ve experienced before.
Jellyrolls is so fun and entertaining.
Top Five Things To Do
1)Jellyrolls
2)Shopping in Downtown Disney at night
3)Ride the Monorail
4)Walking around the Boardwalk/Cresent Lake
5)Mandara Spa at the Dolphin
1) HOOP-DE-DOO
2) Resort hop and explore the trails at each
3) Pirates Cruise from Contemporary
4) Lay on any of the beaches
5) Enjoy everything Disney
There is really too much to narrow it down to only 5. If you are there for Christmas it is fun to go to Ft Wilderness and look at all the RV’s that are so incredibly decorated. Christmas is the BEST time to visit WDW there is so much to do and see. I could go for a week at Christmas and not go into a park, and still not have seen it all! AMAZING!!!
Top Five Things To Do
1)Drinks at the California Grill Lounge area overlooking the MK
2)Tour the hotels
3)Shopping at Downtown Disney
4)Atlanta Braves spring training baseball game at Wide World of Sports Complex
5)Rent a Surrey Bike at the Boardwalk
Your comments:We were trying to kill some time before dinner at the Grand Floridian and stopped at the California Grill to have a drink. When the bar first opens, it is easy to get a table right by the window. It was so nice and relaxing to just sit and look at the Castle and Space Mountain. Honorable mention for Cirque de Soleil, loved the show – but have only done it once so far.
Top Five Things To Do
1)Visit all the Disney Hotels
2)Shop at Downtown Disney
3)Ride the Monorail(MK loop & Epcot loop)
4) Take rides on the water taxi’s
5)Visit Tri-Circle D Ranch
Your comments: I like to spend my first day just absorbing all the Disney atmosphere, and riding the monorail around or the water taxis is a great way to get into the feel of WDW. I always have to visit all the hotels just to see if anything has changed and if my favorite dishes are still on the menus!
Top Five Things…..
1. Tour the resorts
2. Walk from the Disney Hollywood Studios to
EPCOT
3. Any and all of the miniture golf courses
4.Walk along the Sassagoula River early in the morning
5. Shopping and eating at Downtown Disney
Actually, the walk from the studios to EPCOT should be number one. I’ts always a nice form of transportation to get you from one to the other and the walk is always surprisingly full of wildlife and is a lovely way to relieve stress when it’s not too hot!
The Sassagoula always looks fabulous first thing in the morning, with mist rising from the river, rabbits hopping around and some amazing birdlife! You really could be in the Mississippi!
My Top Five Things To Do are:
1)Walking around the boardwalk at the Boardwalk/Beach Club hotels (especially at night, when Illuminations at Epcot is going on)
2)Sitting in the lobby at the Grand Floridian and taking in the surroundings – how “grand” it really is!
3)Visiting the spa at the Grand Floridian
4)Walking around Downtown Disney (I miss Pleasure Island!)
5)Touring the hotels to see which one I would like to stay at next
1. Downtown Disney for sightseeing, shopping, pin-trading, food and fun!
2. Touring Resort Hotels-especially those on the Monorail track and the Wilderness Lodge–and pin trading.
3. Captain Cook’s at the Polynesian for Dole Whip, when I can’t go to MK for it.
4. Disney Photopass family pictures, offerred at several resort hotels.
5. Disney outlet stores off property-bonus for me, pin-trading!
Another great one that allows others to say “hey, that’s a great idea!!”
1) Dining up at California Grill on a clear night including taking a stroll outside and just taking in the Magic Kingdom. Oh and if you look real hard around the left side you can see Epcot.
2) (my wifes) Shopping at Downtown Disney and also just walking from DD thru to the West Side
3) Mini Golf on the Winter side, always nice to think cold on a hot day!
4) I say this is “outside” because it is after hours at Epcot, when they blow out the gases on the Illuminations float
5) Riding the monorail
Top Five Things To Do
1)Shopping at Downtown Disney
2)Listening to the piano player at the Grand Floridian
3)Touring the hotels
4)Cruising the river to Downtown Disney
5)Mini-golf!
Your comments:
Top Five Things To Do
1) Mini-golf – any and all the courses!
2) Ride the hot-air ballon at DTD
3) Cirque Du Soleil
4) Ride bikes & play the games along the boardwalk
5) DisneyQuest
This list will continually morph as the kids become adults! Meanwhle us adults will keep on being big kids!
Top Five Things To Do
1) Eat at all of our favorite restaurants in the World
2) Watch the fireworks at the MK from the beach at the Polynesian
3) Tour the resorts especially the monorail resorts
4) Monorail and boat transportation…both provide sights you wouldn’t see normally on the roads
5) Shop and stroll through Downtown Disney
Your comments: I don’t even think these are in any specific order of which I actually like the best because I love all of these things equally. There is so much to do outside of the theme parks at WDW that many people who don’t take the time to slow down don’t notice. These things cannot be replaced for me on any trip to the World 🙂
Top Five Things To Do
1) Sitting on our balcony at the Polynesian and reading/people watching/enjoying the view
2) Swimming in the Polynesian quiet pool when no one else is around
3) Massages at Grand Flo Spa
4) Having some drinks at the Poly lounge
5) Watching fireworks while having dinner at the CA Grill
Your comments: We’ll be doing all these things in mid-Ocotber — can’t wait to get back to WDW for Food & Wine fest!
Top Five Things To Do
1)Walk the Boardwalk, Y & B Club, S & D circle
2)Take a boat down the Sassagoula from Port Orleans to Downtown Disney
3)Stroll through the Wonderful World of Disney in Downtown Disney
4)Ride the monorail, get off and walk through a MK resort or two
5)Watch the resort channel in my room from the bed after a morning at the parks during my rest/nap
Top Five Things To Do
1)Monorail – stop and have a beverage and listen to the entertainment at each hotel on the loop
2)WinterSummerland Golf
3)Jellyrolls
4)Stormalong Bay
5)Watching fireworks from Polynesian
Your comments:
Tried Stormalong Bay for the first time last week. The only way it would rise to #1 on the list is if the water were actually refreshing instead of bath water, but otherwise it was really cool. The monorail is fun to ride, but added to the fun is visiting the hotels on the loop – you could spend a whole day doing so. The fireworks in MK viewed from the Polynesian offer a different (and less crowded) perspective.
Top Five Things To Do
1)Taking the boat to Downtown Disney
2)Going to the Polynesian dinner, and watching my daughter have fun making leis for all of us
3)Pirates and Pals Cruise(Patches & Patches are a blast)
4)Eating Fudge from the MK
5)Having a Pretzel in Germany
Your comment: also kicking back at night having a drink in the lounge/bar of the French Quarter and listening to the entertainment
Top Five Things To Do
1) Tour the Disney Hotels
2) Eat at a Disney Hotel (Hoop-De-Doo, ‘Ohana)
3) Shop DTD
4) Ride the Monorail
5) Disney Quest
Your comments:
My 13 year old son may me say Disney Quest. I think he would be there most days of a Disney vacation if I let him.
1) Ride the water taxis
2) Read on any balcony (but love the Boardwalk!)
3) Stroll through the rose garden at Epcot, hand in hand with my husband
4) Ride Big Thunder Mountain at night!
5) Eat an ice cream cone at Ghirardelli’s, Beaches and Cream or on Main Street
Top Five Things To Do
1) Eat at a favorite restaurant
2) Swim in the pools
3) Visit the hotels
4) Shop at Downtown Disney
5) Sit on a hotel patio and read/people watch
Your comments: Eating and touring the resorts and relaxing in the pool or patio of your Disney resort are great ways to compliment all the rest of the time spent at the parks.
Top Five Things To Do
1) Eat at a new restaurant in the parks or resorts
2) Eat at an old favorite restaurant
3) Golf, both regular golf and miniature golf
4) Just walk, on a path or trail somewhere in the World
5) Ride the monorail
Bonus: Eat some more!
: My Top Five Things To Do in WDW Beyond The Parks
1) Bass fishing with a Disney guide around Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon. It is incredible
2)Taking the monorail from MK to Epcot: AT night when you where able to ride in the front!
3)Renting Sea Racer boats
4)Walking the path from the Grand Floridian to TTA
5)Watching the fireworks and the Electric light water parade from the beech at the Grand
Top Five Things To Do
1)Tea at the Grand Floridian
2)Watch the electrical boat parade on the seven seas lagoon
3)Three words: HOOP-DE-DOO!
4)Horseback riding at the Tri-Circle-D ranch
5)Listen to the orchestra play in the GF Lobby
Your comments:
My other two favorites are technically in the parks; Segway at Epcot and Surfing Lessons at Typhoon Lagoon!
Top Five Things To Do
1) Waking up in a WDW Resort Hotel
2) Shopping at Downtown Disney
3) Character Dining (especially at Chef Mickeys)
4) Playing Golf at WintersummerLand (the winter side) and singing Christmas Songs in August
5) Walking past Crescent Lake with my family on our stroll to Epcot
Top Five Things To Do
1)Mini Golf – esp Winter/Summerland fun!!!
2)Tea at the Grand Floridian – relaxing!
3)Shopping at Downtown Disney-fun and relaxing!
4)mani/pedi at a spa – Saratoga Springs!!!
5)Riding the transportation see comments!
Your comments:
Yes for a fun time take all the Disney transportation! Make a game out of it, we start with a boat from Port Orleans (resort of choice) to Downtown, a bus from Downtown to the Polynesian where we walk around then monorail to the Contemporary where we boat to Ft Wilderness to walk around and see how far you can go without entering a park 🙂