Resort Hopping - things to do
In a recent post, we talked about what Resort Hopping is and how to utilize Disney’s Complementary Transportation to do it! Now that you know how to get around, what is there to do?
Generally, there is dining, shopping, and other activities, but we are going to dive into some more specific things that you can do that will make your time resort hopping really special!
Pin Trading
One of our favorite things to do at Disney is pin trading! This is something that anyone, young or old, can participate in! If you see cast members with a lanyard or a board with tons of pins, then you can ask them to trade. You will often find boards at many of the resort gift shops and on occasion you may get lucky and they’ll bring out a big board!
You can trade up two two pins per person, so make sure you have some that you are ok with giving away! You can order clearance pins from ShopDisney before your trip, or get any of the starter sets that you can find in any Disney giftshop!
Shopping
Of course a huge part of resort hopping is checking out all of the unique shops! Each one is themed to the resort and you can often find exclusive souvenirs and merch that you will only be able to find at that resort. This includes resort specific shirts, ornaments, pins, and much more!
This is also sometimes a great place to find really popular items that sell out super quick in the parks like new ear colors and limited edition pins.
Some of our favorite resort shops to visit are BouTiki and the Polynesian, Basin at The Grand Floridian, Zawadi Marketplace at Animal Kingdom Lodge, and even Everything Pop at Pop Century Resort!
Dining
Honestly, some of our favorite restaurants at Disney are at the resorts! These feature everything from Quick Service Cafeteria type dining, to Coffee Shops, to Signature World Class Dining! We won’t talk to much about it here, because we plan to talk about JUST food in part three of this blog series.
But trust us, make it a priority to at least try out one of the fabulous resort restaurants on your trip. You won’t regret it!
Bars and Lounges
Disney makes some pretty great cocktails and they do a great job of sourcing drinks and options from all around the world! You can experience this in one of the many bars or lounges at the Disney Resorts.
You will even find that several of the bars have some light bites available that you can find in the connecting restaurants! This is a perfect way to try some eats if you are not able to secure a reservation!
Does the idea of reserving dining stress you out? Don’t worry! I can help when you book through me! (oh, and did I mention that it’s free?) Click HERE and fill out the form to get a FREE no obligation quote!
Resort Activities
You will find that each resort hosts a variety of different activities throughout the day. You can do hidden mickey scavenger hunts, tie dye, wine/food tastings, watch a movie under the stars, yoga, and much more!
You can find lists of each day’s activities on the activities board in each resort, or ask a cast member! Some of these offerings do come at an added cost, but many of them are completely free to you!
The only thing that you will not be able to participate in is utilizing the resort pools if you are not currently a guest at that resort. They do have fun games, dance parties, and more throughout the day, so all the more reason to stay on property!
Take in the Unique Theming and Scenery
Each resort is incredibly detailed in their theming and half the fun is just getting to walk around and explore the resorts! You can see animals like giraffes and zebras at Animal Kingdom Lodge, take fun larger than life pics at the All Star and Art of Animation Resorts, or just take a relaxing Surrey Bike Ride around the serene Boardwalk Resort.
With over twenty resorts to explore, you will never find the end to the adventures you can have and memories you will make on your Disney Vacation!
