Favorite off-the-beaten-path WDW activities?

[DaisyDuck001]

What less well-known activities do you like to do at WDW? For example: guided tours of resorts, spa treatments, mini-golf, various activities at Ft. Wilderness, torch lighting at Polynesian, geyser at Wilderness Lodge, etc.?

After many visits to WDW, I still much enjoy repeating my favorites, but also looking for new ideas.

I've done guided tours of Boardwalk resort and Boardwalk area, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Wilderness Lodge. What other resorts offer these? Do they have one at Yacht Club?

 

[ZoZo]

I think they have a Drawing Class at AoA (like the one at DHS).

 

[wifey]

We really enjoyed the Behind the Seeds Tour in the greenhouses in The Land Pavilion, at Epcot, tickets available each day from the desk next to the entrance for Soarin' (near the restrooms). It's informative fun and interactive, we had a chap who was head of the program show us how everything was grown and planned. So much more interesting than the boat ride!

I would love to take a carriage ride either at POR or FW the look relaxing and DS was keen to try the archery sessions . You should try a movie under the stars on the big screens and he campfires. We enjoyed HDDR on our last trip and hope to find time for mini golf and ten pin bowling this time. The horses and ponies at the Tri Circle D Ranch are fun to watch and they do offer pony rides there too. You might even catch a blacksmith at work there.

 

[CdnKayDee]

Really like Surrei bike rentals. FW is our fav for that. Also Piano Bob at POR.

 

[lborne]

Watermice rentals - especially at the Poly. My kids (and I) love it and you get some interesting views of the resorts and parks. Watching the animals at the AKL. Shopping at Mitsukoshi in Japan and trying different sake. Really taking the time to explore all the countries in EPCOT and read the plaques, see the sights.

 

[bamacmac]

What less well-known activities do you like to do at WDW? For example: guided tours of resorts, spa treatments, mini-golf, various activities at Ft. Wilderness, torch lighting at Polynesian, geyser at Wilderness Lodge, etc.?

After many visits to WDW, I still much enjoy repeating my favorites, but also looking for new ideas.

I've done guided tours of Boardwalk resort and Boardwalk area, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Wilderness Lodge. What other resorts offer these? Do they have one at Yacht Club?

I did a spa day at the Senses Spa at Saratoga Springs once. IT WAS INCREDIBLE!!!! I love spas and massages and have been to many. There is also a Senses Spa at the Grand Floridian. They are supposed to be almost identical, but I want to try the GF one out as well. It was the one of the best spa experiences I have ever had though. I did it on a non-park day while the boyfriend was working at his company's nearby plant. Then dinner that night for our 1st anniversary at Yachtsman. That was a really good day!

 

[Accident]

I like the horseback riding at Ft. wilderness or the horse carriages between Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter. I keep meaning to try the minigolf courses but never seem to get to them.

 

[Barbydoll8]

Yeeha Bob at Riverside. Movie on the beach at Beach/Yacht club. Getting a Duffy fan at Epcot and having someone from each country sign it. That was hysterical cause my BIL's last name is Duffy so we got it signed for him. Taking in the new entertainment at night at DTD (they've added a lot).
Getting coffee, parking on a bench and watching the free "parade of people" at the crossing of Future World and International Gateway Entrance. (this is one of the most interesting things to me).
Kidani Village has a game that you can walk around the resort and write down all the proverbs all over the walls. They don't tell you about this at the front desk but DH and I did it one rainy visit. Now, there are A LOT of them. But it was a great way to get in exercise during a rain day and at the end we took the paper to the front desk and they gave us a prize for completing it. It was fun actually. Ask at the front desk for the proverb game paper. If the person there doesn't know what you are talking about ask someone else. Great mid day heat or bad weather day filler. I actually took pics with my phone through part of the trip and then we filled in the rest when the weather was bad.

 

[sabodriver17]

Both of the mini golf courses are a lot of fun. My favorite of the four (2 courses at Blizzard Beach and 2 near the Epcot Resorts) is the Fantasia themed one.

 

[tomatecerise]

The train, the monorail and the boats. I looooooove boats! I could go nowhere on boat and i will be happy

 

[WIDisneyFan]

Rent a pontoon boat at the Contemporary Marina and cruise Bay Lake and the Seven Seas Lagoon. Nice break from the rush of the World and a great vantage point for pictures.

 

[DaisyDuck001]

Thanks to everyone who has replied. Y'all mentioned many things I have already done, and also quite a few things I haven't done yet! And even the things I've done, will be new for some of the other readers, so thanks for all the great variety of ideas.

I did a spa day at the Senses Spa at Saratoga Springs once. IT WAS INCREDIBLE!!!! I love spas and massages and have been to many. There is also a Senses Spa at the Grand Floridian. They are supposed to be almost identical, but I want to try the GF one out as well. It was the one of the best spa experiences I have ever had though.

I'd already been wondering about this. How are spas and spa massages at WDW different from doing the same thing where you live? Do they massage a Mickey-shaped pattern on your back, or what?

Taking in the new entertainment at night at DTD (they've added a lot).

What have they recently (say, in the past eight months or so) added to the nighttime entertainment at DTD?

 

[bamacmac]

Thanks to everyone who has replied. Y'all mentioned many things I have already done, and also quite a few things I haven't done yet! And even the things I've done, will be new for some of the other readers, so thanks for all the great variety of ideas.



I'd already been wondering about this. How are spas and spa massages at WDW different from doing the same thing where you live? Do they massage a Mickey-shaped pattern on your back, or what?

LOL! Well I don't think they massaged in a Mickey pattern, but I could be wrong? Ha. There were little Disney touches in the spa. Including a hidden Mickey in the tile by the whirlpool.

I think the thing that made it stand out from other places I have been, is that it lived up to the standard that I feel Disney tries to meet in all that they do. Not that they always achieve the highest standard in everything, but I feel like they try to for the most part. So for my spa experience, everyone I encountered there was above and beyond helpful and kind and welcoming. The place was amazingly clean and in excellent condition. The tranquility room had the yummiest little muffins for snacks. The massage therapist was a very friendly, welcoming person and she was excellent at what she did. It wasn't just a good massage or average massage, it was an outstanding massage. I left there that day completely relaxed and feeling extremely pampered. Their prices are very high, but I left there feeling that I completely got my money's worth. I felt like everything was the best possible quality and I wouldn't have asked for anything to have been better. I'm sure there are other places where you can get an equal or even better experience. But it was a 5 star experience for me and maybe just being on Disney property made it a little more magical than it would have been elsewhere. I would do it again in a heartbeat if I had the extra money at any give time.

 

[Barbydoll8]

They have added lots of night time performers. Mostly live music but there is a small outside theater now in the middle from the west side to the east side. Well not dead center middle. It's on the water side and it's close to the new hat store. There were 2 music acts playing there on recent visits. They want you to buy their CD's but they were really good. Nice to sit a spell and listen a while.

 

[bamacmac]

They have added lots of night time performers. Mostly live music but there is a small outside theater now in the middle from the west side to the east side. Well not dead center middle. It's on the water side and it's close to the new hat store. There were 2 music acts playing there on recent visits. They want you to buy their CD's but they were really good. Nice to sit a spell and listen a while.

That sounds fun! Thanks for sharing!

 

[katyjeka]

We love the watermice and boat rentals. The kids had a great time miniature golfing and we were the only ones on the course. Thank goodness as it took forever to get through it!! We did the balloon ride downtown Disney at night, really was beautiful.

 

[Hootch]

There are so many things to look at in the parks to look at in the parks. Explore the MK railroad artifacts at Main Street an Frontierland. Watch the "citizens" of the different parks. Look up at the windows and the different signs on the rides. I found a sign for a town near where I grew up on the Liberty Belle ride. The town was established in the early 1800s as supported by boats only.

 

[Dusinberre]

My husband and I loved the bass fishing boat trip during our honeymoon in 2013. It was probably the highlight of our trip. It was so neat to see the waterways early in the morning. I highly recommend the fishing. I have fished my whole life and those two hours were almost non stop action. We are doing it again when we return for two weeks in November. If you like to fish do it! It's worth every penny.

 

[koppa]

I think they have a Drawing Class at AoA (like the one at DHS).

Do you know how I would go about finding out if this is true and how to sign the kids up?