Hiya Gina! Welcome to planDisney!
Enjoying a relaxing day at a
Disney Resorts Collection hotel is one of the best ways to spend your day! In fact, I've taken a couple of trips in the past few years where the sole purpose was to enjoy the Disney Resort we were staying at. We took advantage of the amenities and recreation offerings while also eating our way around the resorts. We stayed so busy that we didn't feel the need to visit a theme park during these visits.
You can absolutely enjoy the bars, restaurants, and food offerings at almost every Disney Resort on property. Most pool bars are located near the main pool area but are typically not inside the gated area. If this is the case, then you should be able to order drinks and food from these locations. If the pool bar is located inside the gated pool area, then you most likely will not be able to utilize these bars. Pools at Disney Resorts are only available for Guests staying at that resort. It wouldn't hurt to ask a Cast Member for permission to do so, but keep in mind that you may be turned away in these scenarios.
Leaping Horse Libations located at Disney's Boardwalk Inn is the bar that comes to mind that you may have trouble accessing since it is located inside the pool area.
Another thing to consider is how you plan to get to these resorts. If you happen to be driving, you will most likely need a dining reservation to be able to park there. It will be up to the discretion of the security at the gate whether you will be allowed to park without one. Since you plan to enjoy some drinks, I highly recommend using Disney Transportation to get to and from these resorts. There are many resorts to visit along the
Disney Skyliner path along with a few that run along the monorail line.
Banana Cabana at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort is my absolute favorite pool bar to visit. The drinks are delicious and they have some wonderful food offerings.
Gina, I hope you have a magical time during your upcoming visit.
See ya real soon!
Greg