It’s time once again to take a look at inexpensive
options in or around Walt Disney World to augment your vacation
experience. Things that you might do on
your own or with your traveling companions that are FREE or close to being
free. Today we'll take a look at some of the fun and enjoyment to be found
throughout the various Resort Hotels at Walt Disney World.
Like the theme parks, Disney’s resort hotels are all highly
themed and beautifully maintained. Some
of the resorts’ lobbies and public spaces are truly gorgeous. Just as the price level differentiates the
hotel offerings and amenities, it can separate the level of thematic elements
and detail – BUT – that doesn’t mean that only the Deluxe or Moderate hotels
are worth exploring!
The Value Resorts (Disney’s All-Stars Movies, Music &
Sports, Disney’s POP Century, and the newest value category resort Disney’s Art
of Animation) all have their own unique stylings, and are well worth a
visit. The over-sized icons, graphics
and elements that convey the overall theme of each resort are beautiful, and
great for photo opportunities. Some of
my favorite design elements can be found at POP Century and All-Star
Music!
As you move up the price chain, the level of landscaping
and overall building design increases. All
of the Moderate and Deluxe resorts, especially, have extraordinary theming and
are well worth a visit. In the Moderate
realm, Disney’s Port Orleans and Disney’s Coronado Springs resorts, and in the
Deluxe realm Disney’s Boardwalk Inn, Disney’s Polynesian and Disney’s Grand
Floridian resorts do an exceptional job of utilizing theme appropriate-landscaping
to augment and convey and evoke the locale and time period represented. Personally I feel that two of the Deluxe level
resorts go well above and beyond exceptional in creating evocative environments,
and fully immerse the guests into the environment being conveyed – Disney’s
Animal Kingdom Lodge and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. Both of these resorts are absolutely
breathtaking.
The pools the various resorts are delightful: at Coronado Springs the pool looks like a
Mayan ruin; Stormalong Bay at the Yacht & Beach Club includes a huge
"shipwreck" containing a water slide, and is one of the largest sand
bottomed pools in the United States; at the Wilderness Lodge follow the “spring”
in the lobby and watch as it passes under a bridge, then cascades down a
waterfall passing under another bridge, appearing to go into the pool and then
down into the adjacent Bay Lake!; at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge-Kidani
Village, there is an entire pool / water play complex known as Uwanja Camp
where fanciful fountains, flowers and other devices spring to life dousing
guests; at Disney’s Polynesian guests can slide down through a volcano! There are so many terrific designs just in
the pools alone, that you’ll want to explore each one. (Note that pools are for use of the
registered hotel guests
Each of the resorts offers an array of free or
nominal-fee activities. Check the lobby
upon your arrival to see if anything appeals to you. Some resorts even offer free tours, whether
you are a guest of that resort or not, such as Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Disney’s
Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney’s Grand Floridian and others (usually in the
mornings, so get there early if you are interested).
If you are staying on property and don’t have your own transportation,
simply use the FREE Disney transportation to get to your chosen
destination. You won’t be able to get to
a resort directly, but the journey is part of the fun, right? Take a bus (or boat, or monorail) from your
resort to the nearest theme park, water park, or Downtown Disney, and then
transfer to a bus going to the resort you’re looking for. Or if you do have your own wheels to get
around, simply drive to your resort of choice and you can get a FREE 3-hour
parking permit from the gate attendant.
Now go out and enjoy looking around!
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