Hi Scott,
Thank you so much for visiting the Disney Parks Moms Panel with your question. I find that there is so much to do at Walt Disney World, even outside of the theme parks. Let me share with you some of my favorite ways to spend a non-theme park day at Walt Disney World.
As you mention, you can check out some of the
Walt Disney World resort hotels. Many have beautiful lobbies, great places to stop for a bite to eat, and excellent merchandise locations. One option would be to check out the resorts on the monorail loop: Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, and Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. These resorts are different in theme but close enough to take the monorail from one to the next.
Another area where you could explore resorts and a bit more is
Disney's BoardWalk. The BoardWalk area itself is vibrant with shops, restaurants, and fun. You can even rent a
surrey bike to ride around! Disney's BoardWalk is located on Crescent Lake, which also has along its borders Disney's Beach and Yacht Club Resorts, as well as the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels.
Finally, you could consider spending some time at
Disney Springs, Walt Disney World's newly re-imagined shopping, dining and entertainment district. There is great shopping here, even if you are only browsing. I also find many of the new dining locations to be great. One of my favorites is
Chef Art Smith's Homecomin'. The Florida-inspired fare there is delicious!
Please do let us know if you have any further questions, Scott!