Thursday's Tip

Your flight home leaves at 4:00 p.m., but your WDW Resort check-out is at 11. What to do with those extra hours? If you're not planning to go into the parks for a half day (why waste an entire day's ticket on just a few hours?), you can get your resort check-out extended up to 2 hours at no additional cost! Just call the front desk and ask politely, and they will almost certainly grant your request. (Not guaranteed, but usually they are quite agreeable.) Here are a few of my favorite "half day" options for Walt Disney World:

• Schedule a character breakfast at one of the resorts. These don't require park admission, and they tend to be less expensive than those inside the parks (with a few exceptions). Favorites: Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary, Ohana at the Polynesian, and the Supercalifragilistic Breakfast at 1900 Park Fare inside the Grand Floridian.


• Hit the shops at Downtown Disney. They won't be open in the early morning hours, but there's plenty to see and do by mid-morning. And you can grab that last-minute souvenir before heading home!


• Take a swim in the resort pool. Even the Value Resorts have elaborately themed pools that are fun for kids of all ages. My favorite? The "dragon" pool at Port Orleans French Quarter.


• Hang out at the Boardwalk. Food, shopping, and entertainment! Rent a surrey and let the whole family pedal over to the Swan and Dolphin, too. Or take a boat to the Yacht & Beach Club and have a sundae at Beaches & Cream--yum!


• Take a transportation or resort tour. Grab a bus, monorail, or boat and see some of the parts of the World that you might have missed. I particularly enjoy taking the monorail around to each of the Deluxe Resorts on the loop.


• Spend some time at Ft. Wilderness. The property itself is a sight to see (they have their own internal bus system). They have a petting barn area, as well as horseback riding.

These are just a few ideas. What are your favorite "half day" activities?