Thursday's Tip

Today's tip is mostly for those with small children and those who have been to Walt Disney World several times: take a day off from the parks to explore! For small kids, it's great to have a day between touring to sleep late and get to bed early--this helps counter the break-neck pace that many of us keep, trying to squeeze in every last minute of fun at the parks (guilty!). But many frequent visitors to WDW have failed to explore what Disney has to offer outside of the four main parks. What a shame! There are so many things to do--many that are free!--that won't take up your valuable theme park tickets but still provide lots of fun!

Some examples:

• Spend a day touring the resorts. All the WDW resorts are elaborately themed. This is a good chance to see where you might want to stay on your next visit. In addition, most have daily activities planned for kids (also mostly free).


• Shop and eat your way through Downtown Disney. Home of the ginormous World of Disney store, a Legostore, and a great fountain to play in, there's plenty to keep you busy for an afternoon or longer.


• Have tea in the beautiful Garden View Tea Room (Grand Floridian), an inexpensive alternative to a full meal in this deluxe resort.


• Stroll on the Boardwalk. While you're there, take a boat (or two or three) to Disney's Hollywood Studios, Epcot, or the other resorts in the area. Better yet, rent a surrey and pedal to them!

Remember that Disney transportation is free to guests, so you can hop a bus to just about any part of Disney property and explore!

my girls wiggling their toes in the sand (Yacht & Beach Club)