Hi Anne!
You and I have something in common; I love the many wonderful activities at Walt Disney World Resort hotels too. My family always tries to stay at least one day more than we plan to spend in the theme parks so we will have time to enjoy all the magical details and entertaining activities characteristic of the resort we chose to call home over the course of our trip.
The answer to your question is a bit complicated. While many of the activities at the Walt Disney World Resort hotels are open to Guests staying elsewhere, not all of them are. For instance, if you wish to take the complimentary Wonders of the Lodge Tour at
Disney's Wilderness Lodge (and I highly recommend that you do), just show up in the lobby at the designated start time and enjoy the experience. Similarly, you can feel free to stop over at
Disney's Art of Animation Resort to take free drawing classes from an animator even if you are not staying there. However, the activities scheduled to take place at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel's pool are typically not accessible to Guests staying elsewhere because you would need a valid MagicBand or key card linked to that hotel to access the activities there as the pools are secured by a gate. Does that make sense?
If there's a specific activity you're curious about, just let us know in a follow-up question, Anne. We'll be happy to find out if Guests staying outside that specific Walt Disney World Resort hotel would be eligible to participate.
Wishing you many magical memories on your upcoming trip,
Jill