We love being so close to Disney. We don’t live in Orlando and I’m actually glad that we don’t have to deal with that traffic regularly (lol). We recently moved here and have been thinking of becoming annual passholders. But until that day comes, we take advantage of every opportunity to experience the Disney magic.

Recently we decided to take a day trip down to visit some of the resorts. If you’re a regular on Pinterest like us, you may have come across a few posts about Resort Hopping. What is resort hopping you ask? Well it’s visiting the Disney resorts and experiencing Disney magic that is usually just for guests staying on property. Being able to visit the resorts can also add lots of fun to your vacation if you have a long stay already planned. And you get to check out the properties to see if you and your family would enjoy a future stay.

Our Resort Hop started with a plan. Were we able to complete everything – NO! Sometimes, the magic takes over and you just have to go with the flow. Be in the moment because who knows when it will ever be there again. But here is part one of our resort hop – plans and executions, and the failures 🙂 Enjoy!

Disney Springs – Disney Springs is the start of our day. With free parking and a bus depot, you don’t have to worry about driving around all of Disney and having permission to park at resorts without reservations. Plus if you get to Disney Springs early enough, you will have 1) a parking spot by the escalators, 2) short lines at the Starbucks (you know you need it), and 3) can check out some of the attractions at Disney Springs.

Characters in Flight – This was a failure. The plan was to get to Disney Springs early enough to ride Characters in Flight at the special rate. If you arrive before a certain time, definitely take advantage of this. We ran into traffic on I-4 this day, so we were a bit late. But it is definitely still on our bucket list. For those of you that aren’t familiar with Characters in Flight, it’s the large, blue, hot air balloon that takes you 400 feet into the air. You’re able to get a 360 degree view of the area. So check back to see if and when we check this off.

Bus Depot – You can take Disney transportation/bus from Disney Springs to a park or a resort. On this day, since running a bit late we needed to eat. We couldn’t wait to try the Mickey Beignets at Port Orleans Resort — French Quarter. So we took a bus there first. Other options for Disney transportation are the ferry, the monorail (which we took once at Magic Kingdom), and Minnie Vans (additional cost).

Park Entrances – Thanks to YouTube and Pinterest, we were prepared when moving on to our next location. You cannot ride the bus from Resort to Resort. You must go to a park first before going to another resort. But this allows some great photos during holiday times by the park entrances. So after a stroll around Port Orleans and photo ops with the gators, we hopped on the bus and headed to Magic Kingdom. Its Halloween in the parks now and giant Mickey pumpkins are everywhere. Once going through security, we had a decision to make – Monorail or Pumpkin Pics. lol

Monorail Crawl – There are three resorts that sit on the monorail system. The Contemporary Resort, The Polynesian Resort, and the Grand Floridian Resort each have their own something special. We started at the Contemporary Resort to take a picture with the Mickey sculpture. But once you step off the monorail, you see so much and all plans can go out the window. In the Contemporary, there is a seven story tile mural by the artist Mary Blair. The mural can be viewed from all four directions in the Contemporary’s Grand Canyon Concourse. There are animals, birds, flowers, and American Indian children, on the hand-painted tiles. It is a wonderful piece of art that if with children/teens, you will need to make sure they look up from their cell phones to marvel in the works.
The Contemporary also has Chef Mickey’s which is known for character dining but usually needs a reservation. So if you’re doing this as an impromptu trip, its not for you. But there are gift shops and a grab and go eatery with your traditional merchandise as well as tasty treats only found in the Contemporary.
After our time in the Contemporary we hopped back on the monorail and rode it back to Magic Kingdom. We had plans for another park and spending time at the Polynesian and Grand Floridian would have taken up a huge part of time. So another failure.

Animal Kingdom Lodge – On the outskirts of Disney World is Animal Kingdom. One of the newest areas of Disney World (20 year anniversary, but still newer) is a place we feel everyone should experience. We planned to have lunch at one of the dining areas, but knew we wanted to eat specifically at a restaurant in Disney Springs. So instead we toured the property and was happy to be able to see the African drummers in the lobby.

Return to Disney Springs – Disney Springs is not only a place for free parking but its the best outdoor mall in town. It’s a beautiful shopping, dining, and entertainment complex. Disney Springs is divided into four distinct neighborhoods―The Landing, Marketplace, West Side and Town Center―to help navigate your day. Each section is different from the other and has something for everyone. Some of our favorite stores/eateries are Disney Style, Sprinkles Cupcakes, the new World of Disney, and what we held out for on this visit day―the Poutine stand.

That’s a quick review of our recent attempt at Park Hopping. Takeaway from this trip, you can plan as much as you want, but there’s so much to see that you may not be able to get it all in. And that’s okay. Enjoy being in the moment. Those are the memories you’ll remember the most!

~Kel & Rhi