All the Disney resorts are amazing. Although you are staying in a rental home off property you can still spend days enjoying the Disney resorts! Each resort has beautiful lobbies, interesting shops, manicured grounds, fun things to do, and entertainment that you can often enjoy for free if you know how. You do not need to a be a resort guest in order to enjoy many of these things. Here we will tell you some of the ways you can make it happen.
We share this info only with our valued Lelani Beach Club guests. If everyone in the public knew these secrets, Disney would likely close down the options and restrict them to only resort guests.
Since you will have a vehicle, you will need to drive and park it somewhere. There are two ways to get into Disney resorts and enjoy them without paying Disney for an overnight stay or parking:
1. Use the My Disney Experience app or website to make a restaurant reservation at one of the resort restaurants. Then you can drive up to the resort gate near the time of your reservation and show the security guard your reservation to get in. You can easily stay for a half a day.
2. Park for free at Disney Springs parking ramp and then take one of the Disney buses to the resort of your choice.
Once at a resort, you can eat quick service meals or get snacks/drinks without any reservations. Although you may be able to walk in without reservations at a sit-down restaurant, don’t count on it.
We will recommend a couple of itineraries that focus on the deluxe resorts that we feature in rooms of the home at Lelani Beach Club. Plan a half day or day to enjoy each tour. It can be relaxing to just sit in the lobbies, read a book in the gardens, do a little shopping, eat lunch or get treats, etc.
Christmas is really a special time everywhere at Disney (about November 8-January 7) with amazing decorations in all the lobbies of all the resorts.
The main thing you can’t do at the resorts is use the swimming pools. Those are gated areas that require a room key to access.
Tour 1: Magic Kingdom Resorts on the Monorail Loop – The Polynesian, Grand Floridian, and Contemporary
Drive to Disney Springs and park your car. Walk to the bus transportation area and take a bus to the Polynesian resort.
Polynesian
Walk around the resort and enjoy the beauty.
Visit the shops and get a souvenier.
Sit-down Dining options:
Quick Service options:
- Captain Cook
- Pineapple Lanai – Get a Dole Whip snack!
You can watch the Magic Kingdom Fireworks around 9 pm from the beach at the Polynesian. The music is piped in on the beach.
Take the free water taxi from the Polynesian to the Grand Floridian or walk on the path (10-15 minutes).
Grand Floridian
Walk the grounds…including the wedding pavilion.
Visit the lobby and listen to live piano music. Browse the shops on the second level. At Christmas time see the big gingerbread house.
Sit-down Dining options:
Quick Service
Take the monorail from the Grand Floridian to the Contemporary resort.
Contemporary
Visit the Disney shops. Get your caricature drawn or take a pontoon boat out from the dock and go fishing if you like for a fee. Watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks viewing on the 2nd level outside in the evening.
Sit-down Dining options:
- Steakhouse 71
- California Grill – On top with a view of the fireworks at night
- Chef Mickey’s – Character dining
Quick Service options:
Take the bus from the Contemporary back to Disney Springs. Alternately you can call an Uber or take a Minnie Van (paid).
Use the My Disney Experience app to get transportation directions if you need them.
Tour 2: Rivera, Beach Club, and Yacht Club
Park at Disney Springs. Take a bus to the Caribbean Beach Resort. After visiting the lobby and grounds walk to the Riviera.
At the Riviera visit the lobby and shops. It feels a lot like Europe.
Sit down restaurants include Topolino’s Terrace for a character breakfast with Mickey and Minnie or for an elegant dinner. Get a quick-service meal at Primo Piatto. The Croque Madame is a special breakfast option.
From the Riviera, take the gondola to Epcot. It exits near the France pavilion.
Then walk to the Beach Club/Yacht Club.
Visit the amazing lobbies and shops. There are several sit down restaurants. Cape May is great for a buffet breakfast. Get a snack at Beaches and Cream.
Take the water taxi boat for free from the dock at the Yacht Club over to the Boardwalk and watch some free entertainment. You can also walk around the lake passing the Swan and Dolphin resorts.
If you are in the area around 9 pm you can see the Epcot fireworks from the bridge outside of the Beach Club.
Take a bus from any one of the resorts you end up at back to Disney Springs to get your car…or take the gondola back to the Riviera/Caribbean and take a bus from there to Disney Springs.
Other Resorts
Unfortunately, you can’t visit the Disney cruise ship or the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser for free. However, you can visit Hollywood Studios Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge area or the Typhoon Lagoon water park which is most similar to the private Island of Castaway Cay.
You can also visit the Art of Animation or Pop Century resorts accessible via the gondolas to see some amazing grounds including huge statues of the Lion King, Ariel, Cars, etc.
You can also take the water taxi transportation from Disney Springs to Saratoga Springs, Old Key West, The French Quarter or Port Orlean’s Riverside for an interesting visit at any of those resorts. Saratoga Springs is the closest and Riverside is the furthest. Rent a surrey bike at Riverside, eat a beignet at the French Quarter. Be sure to plan enough time as the boat ride is more relaxed and could take up to an hour to get all the way to Riverside.
See this article for more detail and ideas from Mousesavers.com.
Visiting Disney resort restaurants are a great experience as well.
Art of Animation and Boardwalk Tour
This tour is an amazing half day with lots of fun photo opportunities.
Drive to Disney Springs and park for free in the Orange ramp.
Enter Disney Springs and take a right to go into the Disney bus pick up area. Take the bus from queue 16 to the Art of Animation Resort.
Once at the Art of Animation resort, you can eat quick service meal or get snacks/drinks, tour the gift shop, and see the lobby art. They have good pizza that is easy to share.
Take a walk through the resort areas for Cars, the Lion King, the Little Mermaid, and Finding Nemo for lots of great photos opportunities.
Walk to the Skyliner/Gondola and take one to the Caribbean Beach main terminal.
Transfer from the Skyliner to another one going toward the Riviera and Epcot. You could get out and visit the Riviera resort on the way if you like…or continue on to Epcot.
After you get out at Epcot go right to the boats or water taxi…and take it to the first stop at the Board Walk resort.
Visit the gift shop there…and maybe see some free outdoor entertainment. There is a lot to see and experience.
Walk through the lobby of the Boardwalk and take the bus from the front of the Boardwalk resort back to Disney Springs to get your car.
To get back the fastest way to Lelani Beach Club…ask Siri for directions to the Coronado Springs Resort. From there take Western Way going west out of Disney and you are on your way.
Here are some resort hopping videos…
Polynesian and Contemporary Resort
Disney’s Boardwalk, Caribbean Beach Resort, Art of Animation
Fort Wilderness
French Quarter