How to Take a Workation at Walt Disney World
If you're spending a week at Disney with the family anyway, you might as well get some real work done. Here's how my wife and I made it work, from the resort pick to the wifi.
Of all the places I’ve traveled, Walt Disney World is one of the better ones to unplug, unwind, and decompress. So why not head down for a workation?
What is a workation?
First things first. A workation, as I’d define it, is a trip where you head somewhere away from the daily grind to actually get work done. People assume that means a beach or somewhere exotic. It doesn’t have to.
My wife and I recently took a trip to Walt Disney World in Florida. We met up with my sister-in-law for a short vacation, but while the girls were having a shopping and lounging-by-the-pool day, I decided to get some work done while hanging out in one of the most magical places on earth. What follows is what I learned.
When to go
Properly planning the trip is by far the most important part. Without it, the experience is going to fall apart. In my opinion, the only time to go to Walt Disney World is the off-season. Here’s how I’d rank it.
Lowest attendance
- Most of January, after New Year’s Day, through the week before Presidents’ Day in February.
- The week after Labor Day in September through the weekend before Thanksgiving week.
- The week after Thanksgiving through the week before Christmas.
Moderate attendance
- The window after Presidents’ Day week in February through early March (this overlaps some school spring breaks).
- Late April through early June, and the early part of Thanksgiving week.
Highest attendance — the no-go list
- New Year’s weekend
- Walt Disney Marathon weekend in early January
- Martin Luther King Jr. weekend
- Presidents’ week in February
- Mid-March through late April (spring break)
- Easter
- Memorial Day weekend
- Mid-June through Labor Day
- Columbus Day
- Thanksgiving Day and the weekend after
- Christmas week through New Year’s Day
Travel on Sunday afternoon
Sunday afternoon at first seems like a strange time to fly. Plenty of sites will tell you the fares and airport traffic run a little higher then. But flying Sunday lets you catch the Disney Magical Express, get to the hotel in time for dinner (you might even land a late reservation at Downtown Disney), and start work bright and early Monday morning.
Choosing your workation office
Where you stay is up to you. On-property or off, you can be productive either way. I prefer staying on Disney property, and here’s why: a Walt Disney World Resort hotel gets you unlimited access to Disney Transportation, which connects you and your family to every theme park, water park, hotel, and shopping area without a rental car or a parking lot.
Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter
There are plenty of Disney resorts to choose from, but for my money the Port Orleans French Quarter is the top pick. It’s Disney’s smallest resort, which means fewer people milling around making noise in your temporary office. If you do bring the family along, French Quarter is usually the last bus stop before the theme parks, so you board with seats still open. There’s also a 20-minute water taxi to Downtown Disney if you want to break away for a long lunch or grab dinner. The two best places I found to sit down and work were Scat Cat’s Lounge and the pool area.
Scat Cat’s Lounge
Scat Cat’s Lounge is in the main building, decorated with classic jazz memorabilia. It’s a comfortable spot to work for a few hours. It doesn’t open until 4 p.m., so you won’t be trying to type next to a loud bar. Once it does open, try one of the signature drinks along with the Chicken Alfredo Flatbread or the Buffalo wings. They were two of the better menu items I’ve had at any Disney dining spot.
The pool area
Port Orleans has only one pool, but there are plenty of tables where you can set up. The smaller resort size means the pool isn’t overrun with kids running around — not that that’s a problem, given you are, in fact, trying to work at a Disney pool. There’s a pool bar open daily from 11:30 a.m. to about 9:45 p.m., depending on the season.
WiFi
Every Walt Disney World Resort hotel guest room has complimentary wifi. Outside the room, you can also get on the network in the main lobbies, full-service and quick-service restaurants, food courts, retail stores, arcades, concierge and Disney Vacation Club lounges, Community Halls (except at Disney’s BoardWalk Resort), the main feature pool areas, and the Disney Convention Center lobbies and hallways. The same network is available throughout the theme parks and at Downtown Disney. If your device doesn’t have a wireless card, you can buy one at any Walt Disney World Resort business center.
Connecting
- Find and select the “Disney-Guest” network in your wireless settings.
- A terms-and-conditions page should appear automatically. If it doesn’t, open any web page.
- Read the Walt Disney World internet usage terms.
- Accept, and you’ll be on the Disney-Guest network.
If you’ve connected before in any Disney public space, you won’t have to accept again. If you run into trouble, the Walt Disney World Telecom Group is at 407-827-2732.
Pack your discipline
A workation is about balance between work and play, and it isn’t for everyone. Being honest with yourself is the important part. If you know you’ll be pulled away by every passing parade and dessert cart, treat the trip as a vacation and don’t pretend otherwise. If you’re going to do it, head in with specific goals broken into daily tasks. That way, when you close the laptop and head to the park in the afternoon, you’ve earned it.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time to take a workation at Walt Disney World? The off-season is the only real answer. Most of January after New Year’s, the stretch from Labor Day through the week before Thanksgiving, and the week after Thanksgiving through mid-December all give you manageable crowds and room to actually think.
What is the best Disney resort for a workation? Port Orleans French Quarter. It’s Disney’s smallest resort, which keeps the noise down and the pool from turning into a circus. Scat Cat’s Lounge doesn’t open until 4 p.m., so you get quiet morning hours, and the water taxi to Downtown Disney makes a long lunch easy to pull off.
Do Disney resort hotels have reliable WiFi for working remotely? Every Walt Disney World resort hotel includes WiFi. On-property stays also get you Disney Transportation, so your family can move between parks without a rental car while you stay put and work.