A warm welcome to planDisney, Jeff!
I'm excited to see that you'll be visiting Disney World in just a handful of days! You must be packing and planning in all of your spare time! Don't forget to bring a light jacket as it has been a little chillier down here in the evenings.
You'll be happy to know that you are allowed to explore the Disney Resorts whether or not you are a Guest of that particular hotel! You will need to take internal transportation (meaning a bus, boat, or the Monorail or Skyliner) to get to these locations. If you happen to be driving in a car, you will have to have a
Dining Reservation at that hotel, be visiting someone staying at that hotel, or a Guest of the hotel yourself to park there.
One of my very favorite Resorts to explore is
Animal Kingdom Lodge! There are animals to see, a fun playground to explore if you have kids, a fun gift shop, and it is home to one of my favorite restaurants --
Boma - Flavors of Africa. This buffet-style restaurant is incredible. The food is legendary, and you MUST get the POG Juice as your drink if you go!
I hope you have a wonderful time exploring the Resorts, Jeff. If you have any additional questions before your trip, we'd love to hear from you again. Just give a little whistle to planDisney when you need us.
See ya real soon,
Allyn