A Perfect Day Off at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort

If you’ve ever visited Walt Disney World in Florida, you know it can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a VERY tiring vacation! A typical day in the parks probably begins with a 6:30 am wake-up call, and ends with bedtime around midnight, with about 7-10 miles of walking in between! By the third or fourth day,
the whole family can start feeling a bit (understandably) crabby, but I have a solution.

Add a day to your hotel stay, but don’t add a day to your park tickets, and take a Day Off in the middle of your trip!

Here’s my plan for a Perfect Day Off if you’re staying at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort!

On a Day Off, always start by sleeping in! Don’t set an alarm, and get the rest you need.

Reserve a yummy late breakfast at Whispering Canyon Cafe to start your day, and you might get lucky with some fun antics with your server! (Be sure to ask for ketchup!!) The “Heritage” All-You-Care-To-Enjoy Skillet is served family style, and it has all my favorite breakfast items, so I highly recommend that one. But there are lighter and heavier choices as well, so I know you’ll find something you love.

After breakfast, stop by the front desk and let them know you’d like to try the Hidden Mickey Scavenger Hunt. This activity will take you all over the resort property to find Hidden Mickeys, and it’s a really fun way to get more familiar with all the areas of the hotel too! Sometimes there’s a little prize for
completing the hunt, so be sure to ask when you pick up your clue sheet. After you finish the scavenger hunt, take a few moments to just enjoy the lobby of this resort – sit by the fireplace in the rocking chairs or play a game of checkers with your family – I love the calm ambiance here; it’s such a big change from your park days.

If the weather is right, spend some time at the Copper Creek Springs pool. The pool is heated year-round, and has a 67-foot water slide built into the rocks! There’s also a splashy play area for small kids to enjoy. And the Recreation Department usually hosts some fun games by the pool, so be on the lookout
for those.

If you prefer to work off your Churros and Dole Whips indoors, check out the Sturdy Branches Health Club (age 14 and up) for all your workout needs! They have treadmills, regular and recumbent bicycles, elliptical machines, and weight machines AND free weights, so you’re sure to find everything you want!
After your daytime activities, plan for some relaxing evening fun as well.

You could reserve an early dinner at Storybook Dining at Artist Point with Snow White, Grumpy, and Dopey. You may even meet the Evil Queen! This dinner is a prix fixe experience, and includes a shared appetizer for the table, an entrée for each person, and an assortment of desserts to share.

Or take a boat ride over to Fort Wilderness to catch the early Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue dinner show at Pioneer Hall for some high-spirited entertainment and delicious barbecue! There are usually three showtimes nightly, from Wednesday to Sunday, so you can choose one that works best for you.

As night falls, visit the campfire near Geyser Point Bar and Grille to make some s’mores, enjoy Movies Under the Stars on the resort lawn, and watch the amazing Electrical Water Pageant as it floats by! It’s a perfect way to end your Day Off! When you’re ready to start planning YOUR trip to Walt Disney World, let me help you make the perfect vacation for your family (Including a Perfect Day Off).

Contact me Brenda@travelwiththemagic.com

Brenda Arnold-Richard
Brenda@TravelWithTheMagic.com