What is there to do outside the parks?

I will admit that when we go to Walt Disney World I like to stay on property and be totally immersed in the Disney experience.  However, that doesn't mean that you have to go into the parks every day.  There are a number of things that you can do at the WDW Resort that do not require a park pass.  Here are a few options for you to consider:

Time at your Hotel
All of the resorts have pools, some more heavily themed than others with standard amenities like water slides and lounge chairs.  There are also playgrounds at most resorts, allowing the kids to climb, slide, and interact with other kids while you just kick back with a beverage and watch the fun unfold.

The Animal Kingdom Lodge also offers different animal and Africa themed activities throughout the day. We attended one session about how flamingos and pelicans eat, and another about the musical instruments of Africa and what each instrument's sound represents.

Time on the Water
Bay Lake and the Seven Seas Lagoon offer a number of different options from the marinas at the Contemporary, Wilderness Lodge, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian Resorts.  There are other marinas available as well, check out your specific resort as well as other resorts in the area to see what is available.

You can go bass fishing, complete with a guide, large pontoon boat, live bait (the guide will bait your hook for you), and plenty of places to test your skills.  This is strictly a catch-and-release excursion, but it is a nice quiet break from the parks.

You can also rent a watercraft and cruise around the lake by yourself.  There are a number of different options here.

You could also show your more adventurous side by going parasailing, waterskiing, or wakeboarding.

From the water you can watch the Wishes fireworks over Cinderella's castle by booking a Pirates and Pals Fireworks Cruise. While the price may seem steep, it does include beverages, snacks, a character meeting with Captain Hook and Smee, and seeing some spectacular fireworks without the crowd on Main Street.

Time at Downtown Disney
Downtown Disney is broken into three sections: West Side, Marketplace, and Pleasure Island.

West Side has a number of restaurants, an AMC 24 movie theater, some shopping, DisneyQuest, and the venue where La Nouba is performed.  DisneyQuest is a giant indoor amusement park where you can create your own virtual roller coaster and then ride it, play virtual reality games like white water rafting, and all kinds of "regular" video games. La Nouba is a Cirque du Soleil production.  It is a performance rooted in circus entertainment, but is really more of a theatrical experience.  My husband went into the theater pretty skeptical, but in the end was really impressed. It really is something to be experienced and is difficult to describe. You can see a little bit of it here.

Marketplace is specifically focused on shopping, and features "World of Disney" the world's largest Disney Store (be prepared to get lost).  There are also a number of restaurants, and some must-stop places for me like the Disney's Days of Christmas (where you can get a personalized ornament for the tree) and The Art of Disney where you will find animation art, sericels, and figurines.

Pleasure Island has gone through some different incarnations over the years.  Once primarily a night club district, it has now been converted to restaurants and shopping.  Some areas have been set aside for future development, so I am anxious to see what this evolves into in the future.

Time on the Links
Walt Disney World boasts several world-class golf courses.  You can bring your clubs with you on your flight, or you can just rent some at the course.  The courses offer carts equipped with GPS, so you won't have to work too hard on vacation.  You can also schedule golf lessons with certified professionals, including a play-along option where they actually play the course with you so they can help with all the different aspects of your game.

There are also two miniature golf courses where you can play a quick game with the family.

Time in the "Wilderness"
At the Fort Wilderness Cabins and Campgrounds, they have several offerings to consider.  They have horseback riding, carriage rides, wagon rides, bicycle rental, and pony rides.  One of their trademark offerings is "Chip 'n Dale's Campfire Sing-a-long." Gather around a campfire, make smores, meet the characters, and then watch a classic Disney movie under the stars.

I hope this tempts you to spend some time outside the parks enjoying some of the other resort amenities while you are on vacation.  Oh, and I guess there are other parks in Orlando too, like Sea World and Universal Studios that you might want to check out.  But remember, I like to stay in the "Disney Bubble" when in Orlando...