Should You Build a Resort Day Into Your Disney World Vacation?
Sometimes one of the best days of a Disney World vacation is the day you don't walk through a theme park gate.
When you're planning a Walt Disney World vacation, it's easy to count your days by theme park.
Magic Kingdom day.
EPCOT day.
Hollywood Studios day.
Animal Kingdom day.
And then maybe a day at Disney Springs, Typhoon Lagoon, or Blizzard Beach.
But, there is another possibility: Don't visit one. Instead, have a resort day.
That might sound strange. After all, Walt Disney World is home to wonderous and unique theme parks. Why not spend the entire trip exploring them?
Sometimes, a resort day instead of a park day can be a key component of a magical Disney World vacation. Spend a day enjoying your resort, swimming, eating, exploring, relaxing, and sharing time with loved ones.
A resort day won't be right for every Disney World vacation, but many times it can make the entire vacation better.
Disney World Has So Much To Do...That Means a lot of Walking
Each day at Walt Disney World can involve a lot of walking. You will have no problem reaching your daily step goal! It is important to remember that multiple days of walking in the parks can quickly add up.
Then, consider the travel, Florida heat, and several days away from your own bed. Even the most enthusiastic Disney fan can eventually get tired.
A resort day provides a natural break in the vacation. A good rule of thumb is at least one resort day for three parks days. Depending on the time of year, how long you spend in the parks, and your vacation preferences, a better plan may be one resort day for every two park days.
A resort day is a chance to relax and recharge, of course, but, if you are staying at a Disney World hotel, a resort day is not only for sleeping in, having those Mickey waffles at brunch, or laying by the pool in the afternoon. It can certainly be all those things. However, it can also be just as exciting as a day at one of the theme parks.
When You Think "Resort Day" You Might Picture a Pool
The words "resort day" might sound as though everyone has agreed to sit beside the pool for eight hours. You certainly can. If that is a priority for you, Disney World provides plenty of options.
Many Disney World resort hotels have a large main pool with a slide and other activities for kids as well as one or more quiet pools for those who want more relxation. For example, Disney's Coronado Springs Resort has Fuente de Moros, a large pool with a waterfall and slide, plus three quiet pools nestled in each section of the resort. Wilderness Lodge similarly has a large pool with activities for kids by the main lobby, but also a zero-entry quiet pool and hot tub in the Boulder Ridge section.
And because it is Disney World, the theming is second to none. You might stay at Disney's Art of Animation and swim with Nemo and friends at the Big Blue Pool, the largest pool at Walt Disney World, or you might choose a quieter experience relaxing in one of the traffic cone-shaped cabanas at the Cars-inspired Cozy Cone Pool.
If you are looking for the ultimate "wow" experience, though, Disney's Yacht Club and Beach Club share Stormalong Bay which has a lazy river, multiple hot tubs, enormous slide, and a sand bottom section. Many people choose the Yacht Club or Beach Club just for Stormalong Bay (although being able to walk right next door to EPCOT may be their best perk).
The Pools are Great, but the Resorts Offer More
While a “resort day” may mean spending the whole day by the pool, it doesn't have to. In fact, you can have a memorable hotel day, whether relaxing or exciting, without ever stepping foot in the water or laying out on a poolside lounge chair.
There is much more to do at a Disney World resort than swim.
Many resorts offer activities that can turn an otherwise empty afternoon into part of the vacation. Depending on where you're staying, you might find arts and crafts, games, movies under the stars, campfires, playgrounds, outdoor recreation, or other activities unique to that particular resort.
These experiences can even become something you specifically look forward to. You might make a mosaic or sangria at Coronado Springs or you might spend time watching the African animals at Animal Kingdom Lodge, including on the Starlight Safari which lets you get even closer to zebras, giraffes, and more at night.
And then, of course, there's the food.
A resort day gives you something that's often difficult to find on a busy park day: time to actually enjoy your dining experience. Instead of grabbing breakfast on the way out the door, you can sit down and enjoy it. Lunch doesn't have to be squeezed between attractions. Dinner can become the main event rather than something you need to fit into an already crowded evening.
You might have a leisurely meal, grab a snack you've been wanting to try, find somewhere outside for a drink, or explore another part of the resort simply because you have nowhere else you need to be.
And that leads to one of the easiest resort-day activities of all: Explore.
Disney World resorts are designed to be experienced, not simply slept in.
Walk through the lobby and look at the details. Each resort is rich with architectural detail and history. Wander around the grounds. Visit the shops. Find a quiet place you didn't know existed. Walk along the water. Explore a part of the resort you haven't seen yet.
You may be surprised by how much you miss when your only experience with your hotel is walking from your room to the transportation every morning and back again every night.
A resort day gives you permission to slow down enough to notice where you're staying. Perhaps that's the biggest point.
A resort day doesn't need an itinerary of its own.
You can schedule an activity. Have a special meal. Explore the resort. Spend six hours by the pool. Or you can do absolutely nothing for a while.
The purpose isn't to replace a busy park day with a busy resort day. It is to give yourself time to enjoy a part of your Disney World vacation that can otherwise be very easy to rush past.
Where You Put the Resort Day Matters
If you decide to include a resort day, consider placing it where everyone is most likely to appreciate it.
A resort day after several consecutive park days can provide a much-needed break before the second half of the vacation.
Think also about how you plan to experience the theme parks. If you and your family want to spend the whole day in the parks, a relaxing evening at the pool might be part of your plans.
On the other hand, maybe you choose to experience the illuminated wonders of Magic Kingdom or EPCOT at night. In that case, waking up the following morning without somewhere to immediately go can feel wonderful.
The best place for a resort day isn't necessarily the same for every trip. Think about the rhythm of your itinerary. Where might everyone need some breathing room?
You Don't Necessarily Need a Full Day
Perhaps your vacation isn't long enough to dedicate an entire day to the resort. That's okay.
Create a resort half-day instead.
Spend the morning at a park and return after lunch. Sleep later and enter the park in the afternoon. Take a long midday break. Or deliberately plan an evening when everyone returns to the resort early.
One popular method is what Plan Upon A Star "scientifically" calls "the sandwich method." Florida weather is often hot, especially at midday and through the afternoon. Add to this that the parks are often most crowded at that time. For those staying at a nearby resort hotel, it often makes sense to go to the park early in the morning, go back to the resort hotel in the middle of the day, and return to the parks at night.
Sometimes a few unscheduled hours are enough to reset everyone's energy.
But What If I Feel Like We're Wasting a Disney Day?
This may be the hardest part.
You're at Walt Disney World. You know how much the vacation costs. You know how many things there are to experience.
And there you are...sitting by a pool.
It can feel like you should be somewhere else.
But vacation time isn't valuable only when you're accomplishing something. If an afternoon at the resort means everyone returns to the parks the following morning rested, laughing, and excited again, that afternoon served an important purpose.
You may discover that the resort time itself becomes part of what everyone remembers.
The pool your children never wanted to leave.
The quiet breakfast.
The afternoon thunderstorm you watched from somewhere dry.
The little piece of Disney history you found in the lobby.
The conversation you had while wandering around the resort.
You weren't taking a break from the vacation. You were still on it.
You Paid for the Resort Too
Since Disney World has so much to do within the theme parks, it is entirely possible to choose a resort because you love everything about it and then barely see it.
You leave before breakfast. You return after dark. You walk through the lobby on your way to bed. Then, you do it again the next morning.
There's nothing wrong with that if the parks are your priority. But, iif part of the reason you chose your resort was because you wanted to experience it, make sure your itinerary actually gives you the chance.
Who Might Benefit Most From a Resort Day?
Consider making room for a resort day if:
You're taking a longer trip.
You're traveling with young children.
You're traveling with several generations.
You have early mornings or late nights planned.
Your resort is an important part of why you chose your vacation.
Your family loves pools and downtime.
You know from experience that everyone is happier when vacations include some slower days.
The answer depends on the trip you're trying to create.
Before You Start Planning...
Ask everyone:
“If we had half a day at Disney World with absolutely nothing scheduled, what would you want to do?”
Listen to the answers.
If everyone immediately starts talking about the pool, exploring the resort, sleeping late, or having a leisurely meal, that tells you something.
Maybe you don't need another park day. Maybe you need a resort day.
Plan Your Trip. Make Lifelong Memories.