Weeklong Stay at DVC without Parks

[exchanger]

I don't own DVC, but I do see SSR / OKW pop up for weeklong stays in 1 bedrooms within RCI. I've thought about snagging a week and not making the parks a priority in our stay. In reality, I'm sure we'd probably book either a special event (Party or After Hours) or pick a day and go to just Magic Kingdom.

In a separate thread this came up, and to avoid completely hijacking that thread, I thought I would pose a few questions:

Is there enough to do outside the parks to fill a week?

If you've done this (say 5 days or more) what did you like and what would you do differently?
I'm not sure if any of you have any experience, but we have stayed at several of the Marriott Vacation Club properties in Orlando, and it's a bit cheaper to stay there and go "Park Free". Do you find the amenities to be that much more fun?

For reference we are a family of 5, 2 parents, a 6 year old, and 2 2 year old boys. I was really hoping to get the boys to Disney while they could really enjoy it (but before I had to pay for them), but I just don't see that happening. Short of a vaccine being available by the time they turn 3, a lot of the things that they would enjoy the most like character meet and greets just don't seem like they would be open to them.

Our kids love Disney, and we will probably go to the parks every 3 years or so, but have also enjoyed going to Orlando for cheaper vacations (i.e. day or two at Sea World, go to water parks, etc)

 

[chicagoshannon]

I think those 2 resorts are more similar to Mariott resorts than any other DVC since there's no hotel attached. They have activities every day like other time shares EXCEPT they don't have outside companies come in for shows like gatorland or magicians. They usually have a movie on the lawn every night.

You can check out movies and games for free also.

I think it would be really fun especially if you had a car. You could got check out the smaller attractions in the area like Gatorland or even Legoland( would be great for your kids ages). Both OKW and SSR have a boat to Disney Springs also. A boat ride is always fun.

 

[shoegal9]

I definitely think that there’s enough to do for an entire week.

Both resorts have a boat that goes to Disney Springs which has a lot to do.

The pools have activities all day for kids.

Animal Kingdom Lodge is pretty much a zoo that you can visit for free.... and they have a ton of things going on in the lobby and in the evenings they have night vision googles you can use to see the animals.

There’s also just resort hopping. Being on Disney property, you have access to other resorts on the buses from Disney Springs. I could easily spend a day exploring the Magic Kingdom monorail resorts- and another day exploring the EPCOT resorts and Boardwalk area.

 

[MrsBooch]

100% yes - especially at DVC resorts like Saratoga or OKW bc they have activities scheduled and community centers etc - plus Disney Springs is right there.

 

[Ms.Minnie]

I'm another vote yes, for the reasons previously stated above. You could boat over to DS from either resort you're think of and take bus transportation from there to HS. From HS you could ride the Skyliner over to the BW area and explore that area. The Skyliner is an attraction in itself and I think your children would like riding it. You could also boat over to Port Orleans and check out that area, maybe get lunch and boat back to DS after. These are just a couple of ideas but I'm sure there are many more things you could do with a little thought.

Whatever you decide I hope you have a great vacation.

 

[Donna M]

We brought our 1 and 2 year old grandkids this past March and stayed at OKW. We had a great time. We did go into MK once, but it wasn't a big deal since the kids were so young. The 2 year old enjoyed going to the Community center often and coloring. The pool was a big hit, it was warmer than Kidani, pool hopping is an option we tried. We played miniature golf, which was a lot of fun, then walked to the Boardwalk for a snack. The boat ride to DS was a fun adventure in itself. We did that more than once since we have a 3:00 ice cream tradition and nothing beats Girardelli.

It was a relaxing vacation since the 2 yo especially, had to have naps, it was easy to plan short activities around that.

An advantage of OKW is that the living room is nice and large. They were able to run around the island and have plenty of space to move. There are two couches and a comfy chair for the adults too.

We own DVC, so we like to use our points at Disney. If you really love Disney then go for it.

 

[exchanger]

These are all good ideas. I think if we were able to get a night or two for some type of special party and maybe spent a day at the water parks we could have a relatively cheap, very fun, and quite relaxing vacation.

 

[dismom58]

Another fun activity if they like trains is wilderness lodge offers a tour including one of Walt Disney’s train cars from his backyard! There is also carriage rides and horseback riding! You can definetly spend 5 days and never enter a park

 

[jarestel]

I don't see any real point to paying a premium to stay at a Disney resort if you aren't going to visit the parks. JMO, but you don't need to stay on property to visit Disney Springs and if you're happy at SeaWorld or Universal, bag some cheaper accommodations and visit Disney for a few hours to get your Disney items checked off. Good luck and have a great trip!

 

[Brett Wyman]

I don't see any real point to paying a premium to stay at a Disney resort if you aren't going to visit the parks. JMO, but you don't need to stay on property to visit Disney Springs and if you're happy at SeaWorld or Universal, bag some cheaper accommodations and visit Disney for a few hours to get your Disney items checked off. Good luck and have a great trip!

It's all personal preference really. Some folks are resort folks who love a resort that has all the bells and whistles. And others just want a mattress and a shower to get them to the next day.

But OP was talking about NOT making the parks a priority which lends itself to a resort stay when your hotel is actually your entertainment destination.

 

[matheke]

It depends on the time of year. From the middle of August to the first of November you can do the Halloween party at the MK, and from about 8 November to around 20 December are the Christmas party.

There is the HDDR, and Mickey's Backyard BBQ at Fort Wilderness and the Luau at the Poly. There are carriage/Hay/Sleigh rides at FW also.

There are Character meals outside the parks. Beach club, Chef Mickey's and 1900 Park fare to name a few.

There are recreation options at each resort. Check into them before you leave.

 

[3 Hobbits 2 Disney]

These are all good ideas. I think if we were able to get a night or two for some type of special party and maybe spent a day at the water parks we could have a relatively cheap, very fun, and quite relaxing vacation.

There are 3 themed pools on SSR plus one without, with little kid splash areas as well as slides. You could save money and have a more relaxing time IMHO by just rotating to a new pool each day.
There are also carriage bikes you can rent, all kinds of games and activities at the Community Hall, plus pool games at High Springs. SSR is a great resort for relaxing and just being — when you have 3 kids or no kids.

 

[cm8]

There are 3 themed pools on SSR plus one without, with little kid splash areas as well as slides. You could save money and have a more relaxing time IMHO by just rotating to a new pool each day.
There are also carriage bikes you can rent, all kinds of games and activities at the Community Hall, plus pool games at High Springs. SSR is a great resort for relaxing and just being — when you have 3 kids or no kids.

And the boats to no where! LOL, it’s soo much fun for kids to just get on a boat and cruise the loop. Lots of things to see and do around the resorts.

 

[keishashadow]

JHMO, even without kids along, just couldn’t skip the parks calling me

 

[matheke]

If you have a car a trip to the beach, Clearwater on the gulf and Cocoa on the Atlantic. (Or Daytona or any other beach).

Kennedy Space center is a short distance, along with the Canaveral National Seashore. (Depending on the time of year there is a manatee viewing area)

 

[garanorymom]

I’m not really into the rides so I would actually love to do this.
Pool, resort restaurants, movies and bowling at Disney Springs, shopping and restaurants at Disney Springs.