50 Ways to Experience Disney World Magic Without a Park Pass!
Enjoy Disney World without going in the Parks
Our family loves being at Disney World. From the moment we enter into the park everything seems more magical and we are all so happy to be there – together! But let’s be honest, the parks can be expensive – those tickets keep going up year-after-year. But did you know you can enjoy so much Disney without going into the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood studios, or the Animal Kingdom?
Our family enjoy spending time on property without park days. Sometimes it is a pre or post cruise stop, other times it is a destination all and of itself. Let me whare with you lots of fun ways to enjoy Disney, without the cost of park tickets!
Resort Hopping
You can visit the various Disney resosrts for free. Enjoy the lush landscapes and creative themeing in the 32 Disney hotels in Florida. This is especially fun during the holidays where you can see the life-size gingerbread house at the Grand Floridian, edible Carousel at the Beach Club, and other stunning Christmas decorations!
You can grab Disney transportation from Disney Springs to any hotel, or drive right onto property to park for free if you have a dining reservation. You can also stay at a Disney hotel and then spring off from there.
Free things to do at Disney World Resorts
While you cannot swim at a resort you aren’t staying at, there are some fun things you can do:
- Explore the beautiful grounds
- Play at the playground. All Disney hotels have a playground, although most are pretty similar and simple. Disney’s Art of Animation has a fun Lion King themed area with Scar and the Hyenas AND a Finding Nemo Reef area (although that one is close to the splash pad so ends up with kids sing it is swim suits and getting the slides wet). The Fort Wilderness Campground has a pretty good size playground right where you get off the boat from Magic Kingdom.
- Sit in a rocking chair at the Wilderness Lodge or Animal Kingdom Lodge to enjoy the rustic environment in the some air conditioning.
- Pin Trading! You can ask cast members at the check-in and gift shops if they have pin boards to trade.
- Watch giraffees, zebras, and other animals roam the grounds at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. There are binoculars and even a cast member to inform and answer questions.
- The deluxe hotels have more elaborate holiday decorations like massive Christmas trees, gingerbread creations (animals at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, house at Grand Floridian, Panels at Contemporary, and Carousel at the Beach Club), and even creative chocolate Easter Eggs at the Grand Floridian.
- Start a sticker collection! Many hotels have free stickers to collect. Ask the front desk, DVC desk, gift shop, or bell hop.
- Play the trivia game in the gift shop – there are small prizes to be had!
- Relax in a hammock at Caribbean Beach Club along the path at the beach.
Play lawn games like checkers, chess, or boccee ball at various resorts. My kids loved Coronado Springs and Saratoga Springs expecially.- Roasted Marshmallows around the campfire (Free for marshmallows, smores kit available for a fee)
Enjoy the water pageant parade at the Polynesian Resort or Fort Wilderness Campground at night on the beach.- Go jogging – all the resorts have paved paths that span the property, the moderate and deluxe properties have jogging trails listed with how far it is along the paths
Find some characters. Increasingly, Disney characters can be spotted mid-morning around various hotels – make a fun activity for kids and kids-at-heart.- Disney Movie under the stars (movie selections vary based on resort!)
- The Fort Wilderness Resort has a Chip and Dale sing along every night (weather permitting), the location is just off the main pool.
Watch Magic Kingdom Fireworks from the viewing area at the Contemporary Resort, Grand Floridian in front of food court, or Polynessian beach – they even pipe in the music! (Note: for major holidays they do require proof you are a hotel guest as these areas get really crowded)
things to do at Disney World Resorts (Fees Vary)
- Take a horse trail ride for adults (advance reservations recommended) or enjoy a pony ride for kids at Fort Wilderness Resort
- Go shoping! Each of the hotels has at least one gift shop and they all carry different merchandise based on the location.
- Explore the arcade (fee applies to play the games)
- Go Fishing – you can rent poles and get bait from the Fishin’ Hole at Port Orleans Riverside or Bike Barn at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground for an hour, or more, of catch and release fishing
- Take a guided fishing trip for up to 5 guests on a pontoon boat looking for bass at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney’s Old Key West Resort, Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, or Disney’s Yacht Club Resort (also catch and release)
- Horse Drawn Carriage rides at Port Orleans Riverside or French Quarter
- Rent bikes or a 2 or 4-person Surrey and enjoy the grounds at Disney’s Old Key West Resort, Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside, Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, or Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
- Grab a bite to eat! Each of the resorts has different themed food to explore. I love grabbing some Mickey beignets at Port Orleans French quarter, tacos at Coronado Springs, or Dole Whip at the Polynesian hotel.
- Sit down for a delicous meal like the buffet at Boma in the Animal Kingdom Lodge, Kona Cafe for island inspired favorites, or a Rootin Tootin fun time at Wilderness Lodge.
- Join some characters for a meal at the Contemporary Resort’s Chef Mickey’s, Stitch at Polynesian, Riviera’s Mickey and Friends Breakfast, Beach Club character breakfast, or Snow White meal at The Wilderness Lodge. (reservations are highly recommended)
Ride the Transportation
Disney has some fantastic free transportation – and you can ride it for free!
Boat
There are various boats you can ride! You can catch the larger ferry that goes from the Epcot transportation center to Magic Kingdom. You can get here for free from Magic Kingdom monorail or Disney Springs.
There are smaller boats that you can catch from:
- Back of Epcot and the Boardwalk, Beach Club, Yacht Club
- Magic Kingdom and The Wilderness Lodge, Fort Wilderness Campground
- Disney Springs to Saratoga Resort or French Quarter or Riverside.
- HINT: You will need to fold up strollers when getting on the smaller boats.
Monorail
Start at the Magic Kingdom entrance or anyone of the resorts on the loop to enjoy a ride around the lagoon. You can use this to visit the Contemporary Resort, Grand Floridian, or Polynessian Resort as well! (Note: If you go in the resorts, you will go through security to get back on the monorail, but it is quick and painless.)
I love that you can take your stoller right on the monorail, no need to fold it up!
HINT: If you ride during Magic Kingdom Fireworks, you will get a view of the spectacle!
Skyliner
Hop on the skliner from any of the resorts that feed into it and enjoy a free ride in the sky! Not only is this super fun, but you get a great bird’s-eye view of Epcot and Hollywood Studios too! The main hub is at the Caribbean Beach Resort with branches heading to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. You can pop on and off at Art of Animation, Pop Centruy, Caribbean Beach Resort, The Riviera, Beach Club, Boardwalk, and the Yacht Club.
Pre-Cov1d they use to pack each cab, but ever since they tend to limit it to one family unless there are long lines and you are a small party of 2 and they have another small party of two. As a family of 6-8 we’ve never shared our ride with anyone. I also love that you can roll the stroller right in, no folding required!
HINT: If you ride during Epcot fireworks, around 9-9:30 most nights, you should get a view of the fireworks!
Bus
While it may not be a thrill, you can always catch an air conditioned bus between all the parks, Disney Springs, waterparks, and Disney Resorts. The bus system has improved dramatically over the years. At the bus stop at each resort you will find a screen which gives an approximate time when the next bus is arriving for the various locations.
HINT: You can also access that information from your Disney World app!
Disney Springs (aka Downtown Disney)
Head to Disney Springs for a large variety of activities – both free and paid.
- Pin Trading
- Get Stickers
- Visit the Lego store to see amazing lego creations around in and around the store! Currently there is the iconic green loch ness creature in the river, Frozen, Star Wars, and more!
- Listen to live music and performances (we love the moving piano with singer)
- Unique sit down table service restaurants like the popular T-Rex Cafe
- Quick service meals like the yummy Polite Pig
Huge variety of yummy places to grab a quick snack like giant pretzels, Starbucks, yummy bubble waffle ice cream creations…- Gideon’s cookies is another fan favorite – get here early in the day as there is always a line. The huge puck size cookies are flavorful and fillling! The menu is ever changing!
- Amarette’s dessert creations offer delightful seasonal offerings and classics alike. We’ve had the Easter panna cotta dessert, Belle’s mouse rose, mickey and minnie themed mini-cakes, a fabulous creme brule, and so many more fabulous treats to satisfy your sweet tooth! Plus you can mobile order this location – which is handy because it gets a long line.
- Bowling
- Seasonal fun like themed holiday trees, pumpkins, Easter eggs, and more! Many times holiday offerings come with a scavenger hunt and reward pin.
- Cirque du Soleil – advanced reservations recommended
- Beautifully designed spaces with stunning fountains, places to sit, and all layed out along a lake
- Last summer they had an amazing free drone show you could watch nightly!
AMC Movie Theatre- Shop in the many Disney stories including ones dedicated to Star Wars, Marvel and the largest stores on Disney property- plus name brand retail locations if that’s your scene.
Mini Golf
Disney has some of the nicest putt putt golf courses out there! Check your package, you may have free tickets on your Disney App as part of a hotel package! These mini golf locations are popular, so visit early, or plan to wait for a while.
- Winter Summerland Winter Course – get ready for Christmas year-round with these whimsical courses! My kids love playing in the “snow” with features that spray, move, and do all sorts of fun, silly things! These courses are Disney cuteness at their best! This course has parking, but since it is adjacent to Blizzard Beach there is EVEN MORE available parking with just a short walk!
- Winter Summerland Summer Course – Santa’s on vacation in this holiday themed course filled with charm. Think Beach Boys meets Santa meets Disney! Equally as fun as the winter course, we pick whichever one has a shorter line! This is great for doing pre or post visit to the Blizzard Beach Water Park.
- Fantasia Gardens and Fairways Miniature Golf – Our least favorite course, but still a nice way to spend an afternoon. There is very little parking, so I think this is best if you are staying nearby at the Boardwalk, Beach Club, or Yacht Club where you can walk here. This course is themed after the movie Fantasia and has some fun background elements, but it is not nearly as engaging or interactive as the other courses. This is more like a smaller golf course with a little Disney magic thrown in.
Water Parks
Since this year Disney is giving guests a free day at the water park on hotel check-in day, I wanted to mention it here. Disney World has two fabulous waterparks. You can use your magic band to charge things, and the parks feel like very much like an extension of the Disney World property. The kids areas in particular are super cute with a Frozen themed area at Blizzard Beach and a wide variety of play structures at Typhoon Lagoon.
Depending on the time of year you visit, you many not have a choice as after 2019 Disney tends to only keep one waterpark open at a time. But in case you have a choice, or are choosing when to visit based on water park availability…
- Blizzard Beach – This winter themed waterpark is super cute. Think random snow storm meets waterpark. This park is slightly smaller, but was recently updated to include the Elsa, Anna, Olaf, and Snooglee friends into the kid park. My favorite part is the ski lift that whisks you to the top of Mount Gusher where you can ride the family raft ride or several other major waterslides without walking up all those stairs! Okay, who am I kidding – I love the chair lift ride in-and-of-itself! There is a wave pool, lazy river, various snack and food places, gift shops, and more slides. I also love that there are 2 kids areas: one for younger kids with Frozen theme, and one more for elementary age kids with more active elements and a zip line! My family also really enjoys the water slide where you race down on your stomach on a mat.
- Typhoon Lagoon – This more traditional themed waterpark is less whimsical in my opinion – no Disney theming or fun ski lift, but it has it’s selling points. Typhoon Lagoon boasts the largest wave pool in North America with waves that can reach up to six feet high! My family prefers the family raft ride, “Gang Plank Falls,” at this park as it is more thrilling. There is of course a lazy river (which goes in a cave), kid size play area, food options, souvenir shops, and a wide variety of other water slides to thrill your family!
Fireworks
I know I briefly mentioned this under resort hopping, but this desserves it’s own category. Disney World spends $50 million a year on fireworks alone. They put on an AMAZING show! While there is nothing like seeing fireworks going off around the iconic castle, there are some fantastic places to see the fireworks from outside the parks as well! And you will actually be amazed at the different show you get and how spread out the fireworks really are.
Resort Viewing
When viewing fireworks at a resort a lot will depend on if you are a guest or not. If you are not a guest you will need to allow ample time to get to the resort via public transportation and stake out your spot! Some options include:
- Contemporary Resort – If you head out towards the towe there is an outdoor seating area where they pipe in the music.
- Grand Floridian – One of my favorite spots to watch the fireworks without a reservation is at this hotel. Go to the outdoor plaza in front of the quick service, by the boats on the water. You will have great views of the castle and fireworks, with music piped in. There is some seating here too!
- Polynesian Resort – Great views and seating are at the Polynesian on the beach. Plus you can see the water pagean from here too. This area is popular and can get crowded. If it is a holiday, they may require proff of being a resort guests to watch from here.
- Fort Wilderness Campground – on the beach by the boat launch you will be able to see the water pageant perfectly, and some of the higher fireworks. It is not a full view! There are limited seats so plan to sit on the sand or bring a blanket to sit on.
I highly recommend getting a fireworks view room at the Contemporary resort for amazing views of the fireworks from your own private balcony. The center piece is Space Mountain from this angle, but the fireworks are tremendous! The TV plays the music to go with the show, but we couldn’t hear it from inside, and we were trying to keep the bugs outside.
Transportation Firework Viewing
We have never done this, but so many people swear by this location. They say it is the best fireworks view. The Transportation and Ticket Center is the easiest spot to reach. The ferry boat dock offers great views of Magic Kingdom, and you can enjoy the music while quickly heading back to your car without waiting for the monorail. It’s not a formal viewing area, but perfect for a quick glimpse while waiting for your family or commuting back.
Monorail / Skyliner Viewing
Viewing the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the monorail or the Epcot fireworks from the Skyliner is a fun view! This is not a sit and watch the whole show option, but it is a fun way to see the fireworks!
Fireworks Cruise
You can book a special fireworks cruise to see either the Magic Kingdom or Epcot’s show. Up to 10 guests get to board a private for a very special and memorable fireworks viewing. Your price includes a boat captain plus stocked drinks and snacks!
