Welcome back to The Sedentary Explorer! Reaching into my imaginary mailbag to answer more of your burning travel questions about Disney World, the happiest place on earth!
My wife and I recently visited Disney World by ourselves, without any children or other relatives. We upgraded from our usual budget vacation to stay at the Wilderness Lodge, a deluxe resort modeled after the great lodges of the western National Parks, particularly Old Faithful Lodge in Yellowstone National Park. We had a marvelous time, and hope to return there for future visits.
However, this trip was distinct from other Disney World vacations we experienced, and leads to questions other inquiring minds may have. I will answer those questions based on our experience, recognizing that other explorers may prefer a different vacation style.
Is it possible to enjoy Disney World without taking children?
Absolutely? While our first two trips were with our children, our last two trips did not include any young people. On one occasion, we enjoyed the park with my in-laws and the other trip my wife and I enjoyed by ourselves. There is so much to do at Disney that does not require children.
We did not do the character breakfasts, or stand in line to get our picture taken with a character. We also did not get on the kiddie rides. Disney is definitely a family-oriented resort. However, anyone can enjoy the bulk of the theme parks. In fact, much of Epcot is suited for older children or adults rather than the wee ones.
Of course, since the theme parks are a major part of the resort, it makes sense to enjoy the attractions. I look at Disney as an all-inclusive for families. Just as you wouldn’t take children to an adult-based resort, it makes sense that you would want to enjoy what Disney has to offer if you decide to go there.
Is it possible to Enjoy Disney without the Theme Parks?
Absolutely! That was a significant change in our vacation this year. Every other trip was focused on the theme parks. We used our lodging as a place to eat, rest, and reload before hitting the next theme park. This trip we decided to focus on enjoying the resort. We rented a bicycle, enjoyed the pool, and hung around the resort. Of course we ventured out to the parks. But instead of trying to see everything we could, we saw a few select attractions. In fact, we did not even make it to Disney Hollywood Studios.
We enjoyed a couple special items we had not done earlier, such as miniature golf at Fantasia Gardens and dinner and a show at the Hoop-de-do Review. We also tried to experience as many modes of transportation getting from one place to another. This added time, as in it took an hour to get to Fantasia Gardens. But the goal was to pace ourselves and not rush around. We wanted to leave our trip refreshed, not exhausted.
I know people who visit Disney for a long weekend and never set foot in the parks. Other people have visited few attractions because their goal was to enjoy as much fine dining as possible. We purchased the Magic Your Way tickets with the Park Hopper option for maximum flexibility. But someone could stay at a Disney Report without even entering the park.
The key focus for us this trip was pacing. One day we rented bikes, enjoyed the pool, and did not even head to a theme park until 3:00. Whereas our last day there we got to the Animal Kingdom theme park just before opening to enjoy what we could before catching our plane home. We paced ourselves to enjoy our vacation, not accomplish as much as possible.
On every other trip to Disney World, we stayed at Port Orleans – Riverside (formerly Dixie Landings). Since our emphasis was the theme parks and not the resort, we picked a more budget resort. However, this trip was designed to enjoy the resort more, so we moved up a level to the deluxe resorts. While this was a considerable step up in cost, each deluxe resort has its own pricing, unlike the value or moderate resorts which carry similar pricing for all resorts at the given level.
First, I love national parks, and most of my travel articles under The Sedentary Explorer feature various national parks. The Wilderness Lodge became a way to enjoy the feel of national parks in our lodging while enjoying Disney World.
Second, since our goal was to enjoy the resort, moving up to a deluxe resort offers more on sight. We had more restaurant options, and more activities. Some of the activities, like renting a bicycle or boat, do have extra costs. But more options are available. We have already discussed some resort activities we can enjoy on our next visit.
Finally, the Wilderness Lodge offers several features unique to Disney World. The entire resort structure is under one roof, so there are no long walks for a meal or to shop. There are two pools, one which is more secluded, which we could enjoy almost by ourselves while families frolicked at the larger pool. The Wilderness Lodge is also nicely situated close to the Magic Kingdom for easy access by bus or boat. From there we could easily get to other theme parks if desired.
We met both families and other couples who enjoyed the feel of a national park lodge. It boasts a signature restaurant as well as quick service for an easy meal by the pool. The convenience, location, and cost (yes, it is the cheapest of the deluxe resorts) makes the Wilderness lodge an excellent choice for a resort rather than theme park-based Disney vacation.
Will you ever go back to your old method of seeing Disney?
Not by ourselves, that’s for sure. We hope to visit many more times, enjoying the Wilderness Lodge and seeing the theme parks when we wish. Knowing we intend to return takes the pressure off of trying to see everything. We know we’ll try to do other things next trip, and won’t do everything we did this time. Our goal is to enjoy each vacation, leaving in a way that makes us want to return.
But we also have grandchildren present and on the way. Their parents will likely want to visit Disney World since we had special Disney vacations when they were children. So when those times come, our activities will change. We’ll enjoy the character breakfast. We’ll enjoy time at the water parks. We’ll hit the kiddie rides in the Magic Kingdom and other theme parks.
But we won’t try to do everything. We will pace ourselves, and encourage their families to pace themselves. We may take breaks to enjoy the pool, or slip away to relax while our families hit the parks. We will treasure the time together without exhausting ourselves. We will make each Disney World vacation special and memorable without being overly tiring.
