Resort Hopping

Hi to anyone who has stumbled towards my page!
This is my first proper post so here goes...

To anyone whose visited Orlando on 'vacation' you know how important those quiet, more laid back days are. There's nothing better than relaxing by the pool all day after having the previous day milling around Magic Kingdom for hours on end in the unbearable heat. Now, whether you've visited or not, the Disney hotels, in my opinion, are fantastic, they manage to provide the most amazing kids areas as well as plenty of quieter and more adult friendly zones to relax in. So my question to you is why stick to one hotel?!
Whether your staying on Disney property or not, resort hopping is perfectly do able and is a simple day out to see some different sites. If your not staying on Disney then simply get yourself to the entrance of a Disney Resort and tell the very happy cast member on the gates that you've come for a look around, this is completely allowed and is a brilliant idea for a relaxing and budgeted day out! (Do remember some ID as they usually ask for photo identification upon entry). This is made ten times simpler for anyone staying in a Disney hotel as there are buses between the resorts - just hop on the free Disney busses!
Now this is Disney remember so you aren't just going to end up in any old hotel, its obviously going to be DISNEYFIED! There's music, entertainment, fantastic restaurants, beaches and characters if you're lucky. There really are so many things to see at the resorts that many people miss out on due to sticking their own hotel! A few of my personal favourites are:

Bike riding around Riverside and the French Quarter,
Watching a film on the beach at the Polynesian Resort,
Watching the 'Wishes' fireworks across the lake at the Polynesian,
Visit the Art of Animation to wonder into the film sets of Cars, Nemo and the Lion King
Visit the animals at the Animal Kingdom lodge, where you can get within touching distance of a giraffe and get to see the animals feeding.
As well as all this there are some shops at the resort with themed merchandise made just for that particular hotel, so if your a keen Disney shopper its worth a visit.

There are some amazing restaurants in the resorts to visit too, which I will touch on more in a later post but do remember to book these in advance as they are in high demand.
Unfortunately Disney does not encourage the use of other resorts pools by outside guests, (quite understandably I suppose), however the only pool that is patrolled by life guards checking wrist bands upon entry is the Yacht and Beach Club Resort at Boardwalk. This is very strictly for use of the guests who are fortunate enough (and rich enough) to be able to stay at this hotel. So at the other resorts, in my opinion - whose going to know!? ;) 
This is all the exact same for those of you wanting to venture around the resorts at Universal Studios, I would recommend a visit to the Hard Rock resort for any keen music fans. I hear the pool there has an underwater music system too that can only be heard under water in the pool!
Another simple way to get around the resorts is by boat, many resorts at Disney and most Universal hotels have the luxury of boat transportation. This is a lovely relaxing ride and often the cast member driving the boat has some interesting facts to tell you along the way.

So there it is my first blog post that means anything to anybody!
Thanks for reading!

FloridaGirl :)