Hi Margaret! You'll find plenty to do at Walt Disney World, even on days that you don't venture into the parks!
One of my favorite activities on non-park days is a trip to
Downtown Disney. You can take a bus from the Animal Kingdom Lodge to Downtown Disney, where you can browse loads of interesting shops and dine in great restaurants. The huge World of Disney store there is the go-to spot for souvenirs, and my family loves having a wood-fired pizza at the Wolfgang Puck Cafe. You can take in a performance at Cirque du Soleil or a hot-air balloon ride on Characters-in-Flight!
Since you're staying at the fantastic Animal Kingdom Lodge, you should definitely spend a day exploring all your resort has to offer. The Lodge offers lots of programs during the day and evening, and you'll receive a schedule of them upon check in. Some of the fun activities they offer include programs such as flamingo feeding with the animal keepers, tours of the resort, African folktales around the firepit and personal stories about life in Africa from the cultural representatives. The restaurants at the resort offer daily culinary tours (with yummy samples!), and for a fee you can participate in a wine-tasting at Jiko or Dine with an Animal Specialist at Sanaa.
Other fun activities outside of the Disney parks include miniature golf, horseback riding at Fort Wilderness, and dining at the restaurants in the resort hotels. Consider heading to the Boardwalk for a evening to watch the performers, savor a meal, and then have a cocktail while enjoying the dueling pianos at Jellyrolls.
For information about Catholic churches near Disney World, click
here to read a recent question I answered.
Wishing you a magical vacation!