Those of you who have been paying attention will know that I’m back in Orlando next month. I’ve cleverly bought After Hours tickets for HS and EP, so on those days I will only be in those parks after 7pm, leaving the daytime free.
The idea is to tour some resorts and enjoy some transportation.
Here’s where I need help.
If you are at DS, which resorts are easy to get to by boat or on foot? I know that SS, OKW, POFQ and POR are nearby. Can you easily visit all four? In other words, having made it to one of those resorts, how do you get to the others without using a car? Also, is your answer to this question accurate, given that half the transportation options still haven’t come back.
Another example of that: can you get from FW to MK by boat, or is it only by bus? I know WL to FW isn’t a thing any more by boat, which is rubbish.
Any updates on the walkway from MK to GF? Or does Disney just not care any more?
Finally, what are the highlights of these resorts? What should I do when I go there?
SS
OKW
POFQ
POR
RR
CBR
BC
YC
BW
Swan
Dolphin
WL
FW
Acceptable answers include: “amazing lobby” (e.g. the Dolphin, which always wows me whenever I go there).
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Get a snack or a cuppa something and sit by the mosaics.
Find a friend with a reservation there and use the pool.
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Not quite. One boat route connects DS to SSR and OKW. The other connects DS to POFQ and POR. To do all four, you have to change boats at DS. You can also easily walk from DS to SSR.
You could take the boat from DS to POR (it’s the last stop), then walk on the connecting footpath (after exploring a bit of POR) to POFQ, get beignets then bus to a park to go someplace else. Or take the slow boat back to DS and bus to another resort.
DH and I have never been to OKW and SSR (we’ve driven and boated past) because we have no interest in it. We’re only 2 people, not DVC, don’t stay deluxe yet, and the architecture doesn’t interest us. We haven’t ever had so much free time that we have wanted to visit it just to do it.
POR is easy for me to get lost in. It’s big with lots of trees/shrubs. You’ll see the different architecture of the two areas: the mansion area with plantation-style buildings, and the bayou area with rustic buildings.
POFQ is smaller, more open and easy to get around. The architecture is similar to New Orleans French Quarter. To me, it’s more decorative. And they have beignets.
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Yes. Boats (and buses) connect FW to MK. There are buses that connect FW to WL.
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Eat crab cakes and southern most fried chicken at Olivia’s
Beignets, of course, they do have live music in the evening at Scat Cat Lounge too.
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BW is easy. Explore and find the nanny chairs and other antique decor. And then sit out on the boardwalk with an ice cream or a cocktail from Abracadbar for sunset or in the evening.
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FW sign up for an activity like archery or a horseback ride. Or rent a canoe or go fishing
Hoop Dee Doo?
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RR–great coffee shop; next door to the coffee shop is a lounge with Disney memorabilia. There are also some photos of Walt and his family.
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The boat from DS to POFQ and POR is nice. Get a beignet and a hurricane. Scat Cat lounge has live music on Friday and Saturday nights at POFQ. Yeehaw Bob is at POR. Never seen him but people seem entertained by him.
See the mosaics at Riviera. Grab something from Primo Piatto.
At WL Eat at Geyser Point, see the train room, watch the geyser go off.
Ft. Wilderness–see the stables
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RR - the coffee shop is the best coffee on property. No comparison. You’re beloved Starbucks will be jealous. I also prefer Bar Riva to Primo Piatto. The atmosphere is better and the staff is great. The sticky chicken wings and baked Brie are both favorites of my crew. A great activity is to wander the hallways looking at the art (which you can then purchase in the gift shop)
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WL has Geyser Point, which I believe you know already. There’s also a tour you can do. And also a tour of the cabins w/ a DVC guide. And the lobby at Boulder Ridge is super cool.
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While you’re in the Swan/Dolphin region - try out Fantasia Gardens mini golf. We had a blast there last time.
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I know in the past there was a pretty walk around SS and to DS from there. Of course it is June and you will melt.
As people have mentioned, there is a nice boat ride from DS to POFQ where you can see the treehouses from the water. You can get your beignets (boozy?) and then walk over to POR for Yeeha Bob for an 8:30p show (check the schedule ahead of time).
I’ve stayed at CBR and though I loved the pool, I think this is one you can skip if you want. It is easier to get there from the skyliner if you want to check it out on your way to enjoy classier coffee at RR.
If you toured BC, YC, and BW for the gingerbread as we told you to back in Dec, you may have seen most of what they have to offer. The grounds are beautiful and the lobbies are spacious, but I don’t remember any special tours or events. The boardwalk area itself is fun in the evening when the performers are out. If we need QS in the area, we go to one of the places on the boardwalk rather than BC or YC. The ice cream window at BC isn’t the best ice cream.
I really like WL whether you go to hang out in the lobby for a bit, enjoy Geyser Point, or grab QS and sit outside. I’ve never made it to the train tour because it is during prime park time, but it is on my list if I ever take a more laid back trip.
FW reminds me of Disney movies from the 1950s. Are they still doing the campfire sing-a-long? It was nice to be in a more wooded area and we enjoyed HDD. We have not been to the stables, but I’ve seen them from the bus when I stayed at WL and they shared buses to the parks.
Edit: if it were me, I would rather enjoy the lounges at GDT at CS rather than about half of the resorts you’ve listed.
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Omg their coffee is one of the best I’ve had at WDW!!
Lickety Split at the Four Seasons is my favorite. Mmmmmmm
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I have thoughts.
But will limit this to only potentially helpful thoughts.
POR and POFQ are gorgeous at night. If you are a Disney springs for a late lunch or early dinner, you could wander down and hop on the boat and take it up to POFQ where you can grab the beignets for dessert poke around and then walk the path up to riverside. It’s about a 15-20 minute walk. You could then look around the grounds at Riverside and catch YeeHa Bob. I would definitely Uber home from there.
I will say, we were there in April and the boats were not always efficient, especially going from the resorts to Disney Springs. Now, it was pretty insanely busy in the week leading up to easter, but we went down to grab a boat to get to dinner, and we waited 45 minutes to get on a boat to make it to Disney springs. I think the boat’s going from Disney Springs to the resorts are a little easier to get on.
I also second the concept of skipping Caribbean beach. There’s not a whole lot to look at there other than the pool.
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I love your idea of seeing several resorts! We did some of that even with little kids, as the military salute tix used to offer fewer park days than we had days. So we’d book table service meals at resorts and also see the resort. I also spent most of my Las Vegas trip a few months ago just exploring resorts. I think most of the ones at WDW i went to aren’t on your list though.
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