Our Resort-Only Disney Trip: How It Actually Went, From Art Tours to All the Pin Trading

How did our no parks trip go?

Perfectly! I kept pinching myself! I couldn’t believe we were actually doing the things that I’ve been reading about for years. I felt very proud of ourselves! lol

But, to be honest, it was not a 100% no parks trip. Mia and I activated our new annual passes at Animal Kingdom and we slipped in for some pin trading and a yummy nightshade slushie on Monday.

Although, honestly, the trip didn’t need it. There is so much Disney magic all over the bubble. You don’t even realize it until you feel the same way, but you haven’t been at a park all day! Next time I’ll talk about our food, but here are some of the things we did.

Art Tour at Animal Kingdom Lodge

Best tour ever. Karabo was our sweet and fun tour guide. She is from Botswana and told us all about Africa. We walked around the lobby and she told us all about the artwork there, customs, history, art, folk art, and culture.

Everything felt more like a conversation than a lecture. We had three other people in the tour group and we all just had the best time. There are truly some magical pieces of art in the lobby.

As we were leaving, we rubbed the King’s door for good luck, and the bus we wanted was sitting there waiting for us! A little African luck right there!

Architectural Tour at Wilderness Lodge

This one was early, at 9:00 am at Ft Wilderness. Ranger Jack was adorable. He was dressed like the little kid from Up! He was so knowledgeable.

He walked us around the property inside and out, and told us all about the thought and detail that went into the planning of Wilderness Lodge. I won’t give any spoilers in case you go on the tour some day.

It’s magical for sure, we were all amazed! There was also a fair amount of Walt Disney memorabilia, and we got to hear all about Walt’s house and the very first Disneyland!

Tai Chi at the Poly

This was on the lawn at the Polynesian Resort at 6:00pm on Monday. I was so excited to try tai chi for the first time! The sun was setting and the air was changing to night.

Our instructor Pam was energetic and joyous. But I’m not sure how authentic it was. Pam was actually a Pilates instructor from Florida. But still, it was fun, although a little more intense than what I was thinking. Even my 13 year old was in pain the next day! Haha, use with caution.

Pin Trading Everywhere

Oh my, all the pin trading. There are pin boards all over the resorts! Front desk, DVC desk, gift shops, food courts. I mean, literally everywhere. We found amazing pins too. Definitely a highlight of the trip.

Disney Springs

We spent our last evening at Disney Springs. My daughter had some funds left over from a shopping spree she got from her grandmother for Christmas. We shopped at Lululemon, Uniqlo, Francesca’s, and the Disney Store.

We spent a little less time than normal at Disney Springs this evening because it was soooo crowded. It felt like Christmas crowds still. It was crazy.