What are your "special" things which make your vacation?

I'm with you on the Movies Under the Stars. I know that you can have a movie night anywhere, but there is something special about sitting, in our case on the Village Green at BWV, and just enjoying the night and soaking in the fact that you're on vacation and don't need to be anywhere or do anything but just be there.

I'm a fairly early riser on vacation, but it's nice to go for a run and roam around before people are out and about.

An unexpected resort thing that was a big part of my last trip was the arcade. My 3-year-old got really into the crane games and some of the other kiddie games. Some older kids randomly pixie dusted him with one of those stuffed animals from the crane game, and he was able to pass along the pixie dust later on by giving one of his duplicate prizes to a little girl. It was sweet.

• Resort mugs. Yes the upfront price may seem a little steep but the longer you stay, the more value they bring. And they're just convenient.

• Resort-hopping. If you have some spare time to step away from the parks go out and explore the architecture and dining/shops of the various resorts. One fun way to explore is to go to the bus depot at MK, for example, and just hop on whatever but is there actively loading.

• I agree with @LDLC12. We also have a great time at the arcades. We keep cards for the Disney Resorts and the arcade in the Dolphin Resort. It's quite large.

• Particularly when staying at Value accommodations, Doordash a nice meal for your family with apps and desserts to share. I've never stayed Club Level but I feel like it's almost a hack to get a nice warm meal delivered that is cheaper than you would find on property. We've had The Cheesecake Factory delivered, for example.

• We really try to use them sparingly, but splurge for a Minnie Van occasionally. Especially after a long day or if you just want a more direct way to get somewhere they cannot be beat for comfort and convenience.

Here are a few I enjoy:

• community hall, just taking in the activities with the kids

• like previously mentioned, pool time. Just hanging out at the pool with no real plans.

• Breakfast, we book 1 or 2 Bedrooms so having a kitchen making a full breakfast and sitting at the table as a family. I know its a vacation but I enjoy the time better than sitting in a restaurant.

• coffee on the patio. I love waking up making a pot of coffee and sitting on the patio just taking in the environment. Obviously some resorts are better (AKV Savanna view) but its something I don't get to do a lot at home and makes me feel like I am on vacation.

We enjoy movie under the stars, too. And is there a better resort than BWV for that? I ask somewhat rhetorically but also curiously, as BWV has the largest “lawn” space that we’ve seen. Our boys have beem known to bust out a kickball game mid-movie and there was enough space for both!

We also enjoy the community halls on property. BWV and SSR might be our favorites. Do you have one that tops your list?

+1 on resort days. Kids love making tie-dye shirts and other crafty things. If we want a change of scenery we’ll hop on the bus to HS and ride the Skyliner or to MK and ride the boats to walk around other resorts.

Pin trading - always make time to check out a pin board.

No trip is complete without a visit to Disney Springs.

On park days, we try to explore some of the slower paced things. Our last trip this March we did a few of the Pirate’s Adventure missions in Adventureland and checked out all the topiaries & gardens at Epcot.

We also usually splurge on character dining once a trip.

BWV is definitely our favorite community hall.

A movie at BWV sounds incredible! Definitely will have to put it on our list. While it is always nice to be at your resort for the movie, I've made a habit of checking around to see what other movies are being screened to see if we want to pop over somewhere else. I'll be checking for BWV now.

My 4 year old son LOVES the arcade. The one at the Contemporary is particularly well done. We have to plan several visits each trip. My wallet now has about 3-4 of those game cards from the years, ha!

The resort mug is an absolute must for me each trip. It absolutely clicks my mind into "on vacation/at resort" mode.

Love the door dash idea. Our very first trip we got in super late and hurried the kids in to get them to their beds and my wife and I doordashed Chipotle and ate it on our balcony. Oddly, we've never thought to DD since that time, and that is such a fun way to spruce it up.

I think we engaged on the transportation thread on this- but we are on team Minnie Van for sure.

BLT has a great community hall, and the cast members there seem to always be in a great mood & welcoming to our family.

We stayed at BCV this past March, and that outdoor movie setup is pretty cool - right on the beach! And the view across Crescent Lake… Although we did walk past BWV at night and that is a great movie setup as well.

Yes, they are so wonderful there! One of them noticed that my son liked Lightning and quietly pulled out this book that had maps from various Disney movies. He found the page with Radiator Springs to show my son--very thoughtful!

Yes, the arcade at the Contemporary was great! I'm not sure if it was normal or just a lucky glitch, but we noticed that each day there was a game or 2 that was free play. Once it was the skeeball; another it was the basketball game. 🤷‍♀️

That is a great setup! Crescent Lake is our favorite spot on property.

BWV green space is perfect for the outdoor movie, snacks, cocktails and ice cream close by while the kids half run around and half watch the movie. It's a must do for us even if for just an hour or so. We are fortunate enough to enjoy longer stays of 10ish days and we usually do "park park rest" as our schedule. After two park days, a nice resort or disney springs day really helps recharge us.

For us it's definitely skyliner rides. We usually start our vacations with a non-park day to get groceries, strollers, etc but always make time to bus over to HS and hop on the skyliner. Sometimes we ride to a restaurant but mostly we'll just walk around, grab a coffee, and enjoy the vibes before getting back on again.

When the kids were small we were DVC members. The day before the last day we had a late start-late night day. Moms breakfast buffet was cooking up any unused leftovers and groceries, we swim until the kids had their fill, then I did laundry while they napped. After that we did a nighttime park, and our suitcases were full of clean clothes. I packed everything except pajamas and travel outfit. Travel day we sleep in, have a last sit down meal and it's tome to go. Relaxing end to vacation.

Enjoying the birds. We are birders and WDW is a great place to go birding (as is the rest of Florida). Whether it is SSR and OKW or around Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon, we have seen a lot of beautiful birds and we have a lot of great pictures. Plus it is relaxing and it is free.

I love getting up early for a run around Caribbean/riviera lake before skyliner even gets going. By the time i am finishing up, people are out and its fun seeing the tired Dads walking with a handful of refillable mugs, the skyliner testing has begun and you start to get excited about the day ahead. Also love running back and forth along the path from MK to Poly. Great views all around and i have seen a lot of deer between the grand and MK.

• Watching HEA from the patio in front of Gasparilla Grill on our check-in day

• The horticulture! I love gardening, and Disney's landscaping department does an incredible job. Walking around enjoying all the flowering trees and bushes that we can't grow in Ontario - priceless.

• Sitting on our balcony at VGF in the early morning and late night, taking in the sights and sounds

• Hearing the resort music on our tv when we enter our room for the first time each trip

• Riding the resort boat back from MK at night. So peaceful and beautiful.

• Reading a favourite book, followed by a nice long nap under a shady palm tree on a lounger at the Courtyard pool. Resort rest days are the answer to blistered feet, sore muscles and park exhaustion. This is also usually the moment I finally leave my worries from home behind and truly relax for the first time in months.

The Village Green at BWV is unmatched! We like the one at the Grand also. Super chill vibes and we get to stop and watch MK fireworks as well! Also like the lawn at Riviera because the night vibes there are super chill as well.

This was easily one if my favorite threads to read through! My must do’s are below:

• Movies under the stars are big for us as well. We have been doing 10 day trips and have to get this in at least once

• Split stays- staying 10 days in one resort can get old. We love split stays and doing part of the trip at a skyliner resort and half on the monrail loop. It feels line you’re starting a second vacation!

• Pin trading- we love doing this as a family. We all have our characters we collect and i try to get one from each resort were staying at (bonus if it has the year)

• Getting a one bedroom for the back end of the split stay. We typically only do this for the in room laundry and the extra space to sprawl out at the back end of our trip

• Private airport transportation like gear fusion. We cant always score the greatest flight times and these guys get us to our resort so fast in a super clean vehicle. The drivers are also wonderful

I hadn't thought about GF! We have a BWV and GF split stay planned next month so will for sure have to check them both out.

• The day we arrive my daughter and I will take a walk around the resort just to check everything out. It doesn't matter how many times we have stayed at that resort or what time we arrive. We typically end up at the arcade! She loves it! (And so does Dad!!)

• I love sneaking out of the room during my wife & daughter's nap time in the afternoon during a park day. There is nothing better than grabbing a coffee and finding a secluded place at the resort to relax! Especially at BLT!

• Watching the "Must-Do's" at WDW and also listening to the resort music on tv on that first day getting amped up for the parks!

• We usually hit Disney Springs on the day we leave and spend way too much time and money in World of Disney and the Co-Op!

• We typically drive to each park and on the occasion when we decide to park hop, my daughter and I will typically take Disney Transportation such as the Skyliner from HS to EPCOT and race my wife who will drive our vehicle from HS to EPCOT.... My wife usually wins! 🤣

• Ending the night with a late snack run with my family just recapping the day over some chicken strips with a crispy coke...perfection!