As per usual in the world right now, nothing is usual. One thing that is very unusual is that you may find yourself on a Disney World vacation with time on your hands and no park to go to. Parks have limited operating hours currently depending on the day you are there.
If you are a normal, sane person, you may think, “Sweet! Now I can relax a bit on my trip!” We know I am not that normal, sane person, so my mind says, “But I paid all this money and came all this way - entertain me until I drop dead of exhaustion!”
So for those you of that think like me, here are some options to entertain you until you drop…
Early/Late Table Service Dining
I typically don’t suggest a lot of Table Service dining because once again, I’m looking to fit in as much as I can in the way of attractions. But if a park has late opening hours (Epcot usually), use that morning to have a fun breakfast! There are a couple of modified character breakfasts you can do also and more open up as we go, so by the time you read this you may have more options. The good thing about a breakfast before you go to the parks is that you can really fill up and if you time it right, you could even skip lunch which saves more time for those rides!
The same idea can be done with a late dinner. Looking at the calendar today, Animal Kingdom is closing at 5pm. I tend to eat dinner early, but that’s early even for me. So you could easily find a great dinner spot after your day and not have to eat dinner at 10pm. One option is to get an Advanced Dining Reservation for a few minutes before the park closes and have the park to yourself as you walk out. Or you could try a restaurant at one of the resorts you’ve been wanting to visit. Disney Springs has a lot to offer too! And since you’re not in a hurry to make it to your next attraction, you can actually linger over your meal for once at Disney.
Miniature Golf
My boys love mini-golf and I do too. But I never feel like it’s going to be more fun to play mini-golf than the fun I’ll have in the parks so we never do it. But when you don’t have the option of a park, what’s stopping you? We had a great time at Fantasia Gardens on our trip. They are currently closed for the season, but don’t worry… the other course - Winter Summerland - is now open! I’ll do a longer blog post on how Disney does mini-golf (spoiler alert - they get it right) in an upcoming blog post.
Resort Activities and Swimming
Here’s one that most kids love and often miss out on. Pools! The resort pools are awesome - and heated for you colder people (like myself). If you stay deluxe or moderate, you’ll even have a water slide. The pools aren’t open super late (currently closing at 9pm) but if you’re leaving a park at 5, that gives you a lot of time. Most have some sort of bar/restaurant near the pool area so you can really relax. Keep in mind that Disney doesn’t allow park hopping, so you can only use the pool at your resort.
Resorts also have a lot of activities that go unnoticed. There are Movies under the Stars, bike rentals, fishing… Often there will be a scavenger hunt or craft for the kids. Be sure and check with the resort front desk for the schedule of what’s happening while you are there.
Disney Springs
I mentioned Disney Springs in the dining section, but just know there is a lot to do there! Of course, there’s a lot of dining and shopping. But you can also see a movie or go bowling! The NBA Experience isn’t back open yet, but that may be an option soon. Since there is no admission fee or ticket needed to enter Disney Springs, it can get crowded and may close due to capacity. Just have a back up plan in mind if that’s the case while you are there.
Soaking in Your Surroundings
One of my favorite things to do at Magic Kingdom is just to find a bench on Main Street and soak up the atmosphere. If the park is closed, though, you can still do something similar. One evening, we took the Skyliner over to the International Gateway at Epcot but instead of going to the park, we headed over to the boardwalk for pizza and ate by the water. We ended the evening at Beaches and Cream where we made ourselves sick on ice cream. It was the perfect end to our day!
Just remember, it’s fun to be spontaneous and have a few “extra” hours that you don’t normally have on a Disney vacation. I, for one, can’t wait until I can Park Hop and spend every waking hour in a park, but I know that’s not for everyone. But keep in mind that you do need to plan a bit if you want Table Service dining as it’s currently limited and you will need an Advanced Dining Reservation. I can help you with that of course!! Contact me - it won’t cost you a penny!!