I know most people go to Disney to do the parks. There are, however, many other things that can occupy your time while saving you money and energy at the same time. In this post, I will talk about some of our favorite things to do outside of the theme parks, so here goes.
Water Parks- Disney has 2 water parks on property; Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. I believe last time we went, prices were about $40/ticket for adults. This is about half price from the parks and is quite refreshing on a hot summer day. Typhoon Lagoon is my favorite because it has a more lush feel about it. I basically find a nice palm tree, lounge chair, and a good book and nap and read all day. I run out to the wave pool if I get hot, then back to my chair. The family runs off and does all the slides, which I may or may not do, depending on my mood. The slides are all nice-typical of all water parks, but nice. They also have a small snorkeling section which is kind of neat and different than other parks, so check that out. Blizzard Beach is more like a modern ski resort and not as tropical feeling. It has more updated rides and thrills, teens would probably prefer this water park. Both parks have counter service eateries that are fairly reasonable and tasty or you can bring your cooler with picnic lunches/drinks.
Downtown Disney- Shopping and dining. Not sure if you'll save money here, but its a must do. The have a great big disney store called World of Disney that you must go in. Now you WILL get lost from your group because it is massive and has departments for everything!! If you have the Disney credit card, you get 10% off in this store with a $50 purchase, so we always save our shopping for this store. You'll also find, Ghiradelli's Ice Cream shop and store, which is my favorite dessert place, a must check out if you like ice cream and chocolate. There are numerous other stores and street vendors, and most of the time there is entertainment that you can watch or listen to. You can definately spend an entire day here. Check it out for sure. This area is around a lake area and is very visually appealing. They've just added a balloon ride that takes you up in the air then you come ride back down. I've not done this, but they say its neat and inexpensive. Downtown Disney also has Cirque De Soleil; which is very expensive (about as much as going into one of the parks). I've never been, can't see paying that much to watch people fly around in the air, but they say its great. So if you have ever been, let me know how you liked it.
BoardWalk- This is really a hotel, but there is an area behind the hotel that has restaurants and street vendors outside. This is where ESPN is located. It is on the water and is nice place to stroll around and sit down and enjoy the scenery. This is not a 'must see' but it's nice enough to see if you want to just mosie around. I will tell you, we rented the bicycle built for 8, and cycled around the lake----warning....this is hilarious, yet miserable. You would think 8 grown adults could do this, well...maybe for 5 minutes on flat land. We laughed the entire time though. We've done this several times just for kicks, so I do recommed trying it at least once!!
Resorts- Spend the day touring all the hotels. Now this isn't for everyone, but my husband and I love looking at the themed hotels, decorations, architecture, shops, etc...This always helps us get an idea of where we'd like to stay on our next trip. We also like to hit the resorts on the Seven Seas Lagoon at night to check out the fireworks from Magic Kingdom and see the water parade at night. We also hop on the monorail and check out all the resorts on the monorail track, and it's kind of like being on a free ride.
DisneyQuest- I guess you could call this an indoor theme park. It's all indoor and has various things to do inside. Most of it is like interactive games, eg. create a ride your own roller coaster. Has various technological things to do that are just okay. I've only been once (and that's because we have tickets that allow us to go in for free) and wouldn't pay money to go there, well maybe once to say we've done it. Prices are comparable to the water parks. I'd rather spend my money being outside than in this place. It has very dark and clausterphobic feel to it, but that's just my opinion...you should check it out yourself if your into technology and games.
There are some other things to do such as the Disney Wild World of Sports area and the Racecar Driving Experience, which we've never done. I think you can catch the Braves spring training at the sports area, which we keep saying we're going to do, but we've never made it there...maybe next year. I think the driving experience is pretty expensive and I've never heard from anyone who's actually done it, so if you have let me know.
I guess that's it for now. There are many things to do on Disney property besides parks, and I know you will find something that would interest you. As always, if you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask. Next time we'll discuss hints, tips, and money, until then.....
