Tell me your secrets for enjoying the other resorts after you'e been there for dinner!! - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Tell me your secrets for enjoying the other resorts after you'e been there for dinner!!
i.e, at the Poly, would you head to the beach after and enjoy the hammocks and swings to watch the fireworks and water parade? Would you stick around after Boma for the African story-telling? what about WCC, when we're too late to make it in time for the sing-a-long? After 1900 Park fare? love trying new things! about to do trip number 2 and already dreaming of trip number 3!!!!!!
If we go early and we don't have any other plans (like say IllumiNations or Wishes) for that night, we'll explore the resort. It tends to be more about taking photos for me and just wandering around, although I usually do browse the shops, as they all have something different. At the Contemporary, you can go out on the fourth floor balcony and see Wishes, which is always fun to do.
Please keep the suggestions coming. I'm trying to convince my husband to do more exploring at the other resorts this trip. Having some ideas ahead of time would really help!
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I think I remember reading somewhere that at AK they also have nighttime viewing of the animals using night vision goggles at one of the Savannah viewing areas. We completely forgot to do that the last time we were there (everyone was exhausted which didn't help I think hehe), but we did do the story time, and it was really good, the kids really enjoyed themselves.
If you go to either the Yacht or Beach Club or Boardwalk area, there is the boardwalk to walk along, tons of great entertainment there at night...I enjoy it more than DTD, and wish it was more accessible from other resorts as well.
Tim
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Touring the shops at the GF can be great fun as the men's and women's clothing ones carry some very upscale items. The Basin White bath products shop is really fun to tour, too, even though their store in DTD is much larger. You can get custom-made gel soaps with Disney character silhouettes embedded in them.
It can be enjoyable if you're music lovers to sit in the lobby and listen to the pianist late afternoon. In the evenings, there'll be a swing band playing GF-ish music (all pre-Elvis with some later easy listening only. "Old people music," I heard one young non-fan describe it).
Plus, look at the floors in the lobby. There are Disney character silhouettes embedded in the flooring. One of my favorites is near the in-the-wall elevators.
There's a wide veranda along the main building side that goes to the outside entrance to the food court. There are cushy chairs at tables on it with a pretty nice view of the other buildings and grounds.
You can't go above the second floor in the GF main building unless you're staying CL there, but there are some lovely views of the GF grounds and pools from various areas on the two lower floors.
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years ago, after a typically wonderful meal at Boma, we happened upon a small salon where a young cast member from South Africa giving us a sort of Travelogue -- best places to see when you visit South Africa. It was wonderful. There were probably no more than ten of us, and we asked questions of him all along. What a delight!
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Things that are beyond the obvious fireworks and pools a the resorts. Here's what I've come up with so far:
ASMu Movies Under The Stars
AKL Wanyama Sunset Tour
AKL Music of The Savanna in the Sunset Lounge
AKL Storytime at the Fire Pit
Boardwalk Atlantic Dance Hall
Boardwalk Street Performers
Boardwalk Games
Boardwalk Belle Vue Room
Boardwalk ESPN Lounge
Disney Hollywood Studios Fantasmic
Downtown Disney Chracters In flight
Downtown Disney Cirque De Soleil
Downtown Disney Dance Party
Downtown Disney House of Blues concerts
Downtown Disney Interactive Fountains
Downtown Disney AMC Theaters
Epcot Rose & Crowne Pam Brody
Epcot Illuminations
Fantasia Miniature Golf
Grand Floridian Sea Ray Illuminations Cruise
Magic Kingdom Main Street Electrical Parade
Magic Kingdom Wishes
Mickey's Backyard BBQ
Pirate & Pals Fireworks Voyage
Press Pennies at resorts
Sandcastle Club at Yacht & Beach Club
Wilderness Lodge Fire Rock Geyser
Wilderness Lodge Hidden Mickey Hunt
Winter Summerland Mini Golf
Yacht club Ale & Compass Bar
Yacht club Crew's Club Lounge
Yacht Club Martha's Vineyard Bar
Yacht Club Rips Tide Lounge
Port Orleans Scat Cat Lounge
Port Orleans Ye Haa Bob Jackson at the River Roost Lounge
Downtown Disney Comedy Club
Port Orleans boat trip to Downtown Disney
Port Orleans Horse Drawn Carriage Rides
Fort Wilderness Wagon Rides
Fort Wilderness Horse Drawn Carriage Rides
Fort Wilderness Chip & Dale's Campfire Sing-A-Long
Port Orleans Movie Under The Stars
Port Orleans Cajun Campfire
All resorts Arcades
Breathless Cruise
Wishes Cruise
Electrical Water Pageant
GF and Y&BC have marshmallow roasts on the beach. I think the Poly might too
Cirque's La Nouba
Hoop De Do Review
Luau at the Poly
GF lobby in the evening when they have the band playing
Jellyrolls
Love love wandering the resorts at night. The storyteller by the open fire at AKL, the hammocks at the Poly watching the fireworks and the water show and just wandering around the Poly you feel like you are on a tropical island. The jazz singer at the Scat Cat club at Port Orleans FQ is so much fun to listen to and walking between the FQ and Riverside is a lovely evening walk. The Boardwalk is fun - find a chair and sit and watch the world go by or sit by the fireplace at WL and listen to the music. I agree with other posts - all the different shops are fun to look at or hop a boat or monorail and just relax
I'll add that I think WL has one of the quietest beach areas. It's been a couple years since we've been to AKL but they used to have a tour of the African art throughout the resort. We've found a quiet little balcony area at the GF that overlooks the family pool that is quieter during the evening for some drinks.
We've enjoyed Wishes from the Poly beach after dinner at 'Ohana. You can look for the Electric Water Pageant to float by from the beach area of any of the MK hotels (including the Wilderness Lodge and Ft Wilderness); this would be after 9pm/9:30pm-ish. At the WL, watch for Firerock Geyser to blow (I believe it does every hour on the hour until about 10pm). Or walk the short pathway to the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge and explore the lobby there, especially the Carolwood Pacific Room which pays homage to Walt's love of trains, plus there are games to play as well (checkers, etc). There are surrey bikes at the WL (not sure how late you can ride them there) but they are also offered at the Boardwalk. And as mentioned above, the Boardwalk is a great place to stroll and people watch. We've watched magicians and jugglers there and caught Illuminations from the top of the bridge. Many of the resorts also offer movies on the beach or poolside.
We usually show up 30 minutes early for our reservation and walk around the resort checking it out. We have done this at Ft wilderness, Beach Club and Wilderness Lodge. We have never stuck around after our dinner. By then we are usually ready to hit the room.
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