What comes to mind when someone mentions Walt Disney World? For me and many others I am pretty sure it has to do with something in either Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney Hollywood Studios, or Disney's Animal Kingdom. Well this post is not about that. It is about the things you can do without ever setting foot in one of those parks.
Walt Disney World is around the size of San Francisco, California. I'll let that sink in for a minute before I go on... Okay, now that you have wrapped your head around that I will progress. Walt Disney World has three golf courses which have held PGA tournaments as recently as 2012. They also have another which is run by Arnold Palmer Golf Management. I know you may not be a duffer (me neither) so maybe you like water sports? Walt Disney World sits on Bay Lake (a natural lake) and Seven Seas Lagoon both are stocked with largemouth bass and other fish that would make any angler happy. My oldest and I went out with a guide one morning and within five minutes of launch time we were reeling in 2-3 pounders on a regular basis. We also saw people parasailing that day under a big Mickey Mouse para sail. You can rent water craft of all kinds and travel the waters and even there are water crafts that take you to non-park destinations.
While we are on the subject of transportation there are buses, the aforementioned water crafts, and the monorail that can transport you to your resort and/or Disney Springs.
Resort hopping is another thing to do. You can visit any WDW resort and explore the resorts except swim at the pools. This is especially fun during the holidays when each of the resorts are decorated. Along with exploring the resorts you can dine at any of the restaurants on property. There are over twenty-five Walt Disney Resorts in four levels (Value, Moderate, Deluxe, and Deluxe Villas) each themed. Along with all of the resorts there are dining options to fit any palette from the "foodie" to the snacker. Almost all of the resorts offer opportunities for entertainment for families to enjoy. Some offer movies and Fort Wilderness Campground and Cabins offers a movie plus a sing along with Chip and Dale plus all the fixin's for Smores.
There are two water parks at Walt Disney World, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. Each are themed and offer guests fun water activities such as wave pools, water slides, and lazy tube rides. Another area off the theme park path is ESPN Wide World of Sports which hosts tournaments for all different types of sports as well as the Spring Training home of the Atlanta Braves.
The last two areas I will talk about are Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney) and the Boardwalk. Both offer shops and restaurants. Disney Springs is also home to a AMC Cinema as well as Splitsville a bowling alley.
There are many more opportunities for Disney fun outside of the parks and the best way to find out is to plan a Disney vacation today. I am NOT affiliated with any travel agency so whoever you use make sure they specialize in Disney vacations including Walt Disney World and any of the other Disney destinations.
