We recently became big fans of adding a Resort Day to our Disney schedule. This just means a day when we don’t have park tickets when we can explore the resorts, try new food and drinks, and just relax because when park days come around, we are go-go-go! Here are a few of our favorite things to do outside of the Walt Disney World parks.
1. Disney Dining
Start your day with breakfast or lunch at one of the resort restaurants. There are so many to choose from, but two of our breakfast favorites are Kona Cafe at the Polynesian (Tonga Toast!) and Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary (Character Breakfast).
Bloody Marys before breakfast at Kona Cafe
2. Resort Pool
If you’re staying at a Disney resort, the pool is one thing that you’re likely to miss if you’re spending all day at the parks. Take the afternoon of your non-park day to soak up some sun, cool off in the water and grab a drink at the pool bar. We love Stormalong Bay at Yacht & Beach Club and Copper Creek Springs at Wilderness Lodge. The Lava Pool at Disney’s Polynesian Village also gets amazing reviews, but we can’t personally vouch for it as we’ve never stayed there (but it’s on our list!).
Hanging out at Silver Creek Springs at Wilderness Lodge.
3. Monorail Bar Crawl
We tend to fit bar crawls into our schedule whether we have park tickets or not, but a no-park day is a perfect setting to explore some of the resorts and restaurants outside of the park. Try a monorail bar crawl and hit up some of the great resort bars as you make your way around the Seven Seas Lagoon. A perfect itinerary will start with some witty fun and great drinks at Trader Sam’s (Polynesian), move on to Mizner’s lounge for the gorgeous castle views (Grand Floridian), and if you can time it perfectly, catch a sunset from Outer Rim (Contemporary).
Cocktails at Trader Sam’s are delicious, but the entertainment that comes along with it is what keeps us coming back.
4. Fireworks from the Polynesian
My parents actually told me about this and to be honest, I wasn’t sold by the idea at first. But I loved it from the moment we got there and have been trying to fit it in ever since! From the beach at the Polynesian, you get a view over the lagoon of Cinderella Castle. Grab a drink at Tiki Terrace and cozy up on a beach chair. They project the music in sync with the fireworks and it’s a truly delightful way to watch the Happily Ever After fireworks show.