Ways To Make The Most Of A DVC Resort-Only Vacation

You don’t have to visit any of the Disney parks to have an incredible Disney vacation! Sometimes the best Disney vacations are the ones spent relaxing at Disney resorts. DVC resorts are perfect for resort-only vacations because of their large size and gracious amenities. You can easily spend a few days exploring your DVC resort and having a fantastic resort-only vacation.

Visit Community Halls

There are several DVC resorts that feature Community Halls. These Community Halls are great places to spend time at your resort. They feature activities like crafts, video games, DVD rentals, board games, and book rentals. Bay Lake Tower, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney’s Boardwalk Villas, Old Key West, Disney’s Riviera, and Saratoga Springs all have a Community Hall available. This is a great option for a resort-only vacation, as you might not typically have time to set aside for this feature if you were visiting Disney parks.

Schedule A Spa Day

There are several DVC resorts that have spa services. Grand Floridian Resort and Saratoga Springs Resort both have full-service spas, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge has limited spa services available. Due to Covid restrictions, the only spa that is currently operating at Walt Disney World is the Grand Floridian Spa, however, this is subject to change. Nothing says “relaxing vacation” quite like a facial or a massage. A spa day is the perfect time-waster for your resort-only vacation.

Relax At The Pools

Perhaps one of the best DVC resort features is the pools. Each DVC resort has at least one pool, with several resorts having more than one. Each deluxe resort pool has a water slide for added fun. Most of the DVC resorts have poolside bars and food, so a pool day is a definite must-do for any resort-only vacation. One of my favorite resort pools of all time is located at Disney’s Polynesian Resort and features a 142 foot volcano water slide. Located near this pool is a food stand to grab a Pineapple Dole Whip, and, of course, Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar. Any DVC resort will have a fantastic pool, so make sure you carve out a pool day no matter where you are staying.

Utilize Resort Activities

The recreation opportunities at Disney DVC resorts are unmatched. Most DVC resorts offer bike rentals, outdoor movies under the stars, fitness centers, tennis courts, basketball courts, volleyball courts, jogging trails, and playgrounds. A few resorts, such as Old Key West, offer paid fishing excursions and boat rentals as well. Some resorts also have nightly campfires and campfire activities. Check with the front desk of your DVC resort to see what special resort activities they offer. It will be hard to run out of things to do!

Resort Hop

A fun way to explore other Disney World properties is to resort hop. A fun way to do this is to utilize the monorail line, and check out Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and Disney’s Polynesian Resort. These resorts all have various shops and places to eat, and of course many sights to take in. You can also hop on the Skyliner and explore Disney’s Riviera Resort, as well as other resorts such as Pop Century, Art of Animation, and Caribbean Beach Resort. You can also catch a bus to any Disney resort from the bus stops located in the Disney parks, no tickets required! Resort hopping is a fun way to spend your time, and to make it feel like you did more on your vacation than sit at your current resort.

What is your favorite way to spend a resort-only vacation? Let us know in the comments below.