Bad Weather? Don’t Despair - Spend a Day at the Disney Resorts

​There’s no doubt that the main attraction at Walt Disney World are the four theme parks, followed closely by the water parks and Downtown Disney. But if you want to stop and smell the roses, touring the Disney resorts is a great way to relax, regroup and take in some sights almost as thrilling as a ride on Space Mountain.

On a trip to Walt Disney World in late April 2013, I was 16 weeks pregnant. My husband and I took several break days during our week-long vacation and the day we spent at the resorts actually happened by accident. You could blame Mother Nature – she sent the Florida equivalent of a monsoon to the area and we had NO desire to get soaked to the skin. Note: it does rain a lot in Central Florida, but this was NOT a passing shower. It rained HARD, ALL DAY.

We were staying at Bay Lake Tower, and started our day there with breakfast in the Club Level lounge. Our first – and longest – stop was the Polynesian. We took our e-readers and sat on one of the comfy sofas in the rear of lobby, watching people dodge the raindrops. We had Dole Whips from Captain Cooks as a snack and hubby meandered around the Great Ceremonial House to do some shopping. In sunnier weather, we would have walked onto the beach, swung in a hammock and perhaps even come back in the evening for a primo view of Wishes. If you find yourself at the Poly near sundown, ask a Cast Member about the torch lighting ceremony. This may be on hold because of the refurbishment at the resort, but if you can see it – you should.

Our second resort was just one Monorail stop away at The Grand Floridian. I love the lobby at GF: open, airy and topped by an amazing stained glass feature with elegant chandeliers.  The best part is the pianist who performs there daily and is followed closely by a swing band (they come on closer to ‘tea time’). There’s also plenty of great shopping in this resort and a hair salon if you need some pampering. Of course, you can always indulge in a treatment at Senses Spa. During the holiday season, the GF lobby hosts a giant gingerbread house – and they give out free tastes while the building is going on. Yum!

After the pianist finished playing at the GF lobby, we packed ourselves up and grabbed a bus over to Animal Kingdom Lodge where we had a dinner reservation at Boma. Of course, this meant first taking the bus to Animal Kingdom and then switching to the AKL bus. En route, we saw many soaking wet people slogging through the elements and I knew we’d made the right decision to spend the day at the Disney resorts.

Animal Kingdom Lodge is another lobby that will knock your socks off – as soon as you walk in, you feel transported to another world. There are numerous African artifacts all throughout the lobby and if you have the time, they are worth investigating. Definitely walk to the rear of the lobby and down the stairs to visit some of the savannah viewing areas. If you’re at the resort when it’s dark, ask a Cast Member to direct you towards where the night vision goggles are on loan to see the animals at night. My favorite part of AKL is Boma, the buffet restaurant open for breakfast and dinner. A meal there is a delight, and I highly recommend it to everyone.

With our dinner at Boma concluded, and feeling pretty beat, we knew it would be a haul back to our resort – it was the bus to Magic Kingdom and then we walked back to the Contemporary. If you’re not up for a Disney transportation adventure, the bell staff can get you a cab (if there isn’t one or two lined up outside already). It’s about a $25 fare (including tip) back to the MK area resorts, and the cabs accept credit cards and cash as well.

Another resort to consider adding to your touring loop is Wilderness Lodge. The lobby here is a sight to behold, featuring a soaring fireplace, totem poles and the best fleet of rocking chairs you ever sat your bottom upon. Lots to see here in terms of historic artifacts and I encourage you to take a walk over to the boat dock (weather permitting). You’ll feel like you’re deep in a National Park and forget you’re in Central Florida. You might also want to make plans to enjoy a hootin’ and hollerin’ dinner at Whispering Canyon Café – be sure to ask for some ketchup.
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What are your favorite resorts to visit? How do you spend a ‘bad weather’ day at Disney?

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About the Author

Rebecca M. Farrell, Client & Contributor
Rebecca is a public relations professional, mom, and MAJOR Disney fan. She has been visiting parks since she was a child and now as a mother loves sharing the joy of Disney with her son. Rebecca regularly contributes to Disney-themed blogs and websites across the internet.