Free Things to Do During your Disney World Vacation

You’ve been racing around the parks all day, hitting up as many rides and attractions as you can. Maybe you’ve even got a list of foods and souvenirs you want to check off as well. We all know how quickly these things add up, and if you’re taking a day off from the parks, it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg to keep everyone entertained! There’s plenty to do all around Disney property that won’t cost you a penny, so let’s jump in to find out all the free things you can do!

Ride the Monorail

Even if you aren’t staying at one of the monorail resorts, you can still take advantage of using that mode of transportation. Hop out at each resort along the way (Contemporary, Grand Floridian, and Polynesian Village) and check out everything they have to offer. You may find you want to stay at one of these resorts on your next trip! If you’re at Disney World during the Christmas season, be sure to go to Grand Floridian to check out the gingerbread house. It’s absolutely stunning! Just take the bus from your resort to Magic Kingdom and hop on there!

Ride the Skyliner

The Skyliner is an attraction in itself! It is a gondola-type ride that takes you from either Epcot or Hollywood Studios to Riviera, Caribbean Beach, as well as Art of Animation and Pop Century. Again, get off at each stop and check out all the resorts. The movie theme at Art of Animation and the decade theme at Pop Century is a must-see! You can also get off at Epcot, and head out the International Gateway to walk around Crescent Lake and go visit Boardwalk, Beach Club, Yacht Club, and the Swan and Dolphin Hotels. To get on the Skyliner, just take your resort bus to Hollywood Studios and enter there.

Ride the Boats

For even more resort-hopping, be sure to take one of the water launches from Magic Kingdom over to Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness Campground. There is also a water taxi that runs from Hollywood Studios to the Swan and Dolphin, Boardwalk, as well as Beach Club and Yacht Club. Finally, you can take a water taxi from Disney Springs to Saratoga Springs, Old Key West, Port Orleans Riverside, and Port Orleans French Quarter. Make it a challenge to see how many resorts you can visit in one day!

Window Shop at Disney Springs

Disney Springs is the shopping/dining/entertainment complex on Disney property. You can spend hours walking through shops, meet the bear at the Coca-Cola store, check out all the different Lego sets at the Lego store, and walk around the World of Disney store. Be sure to check out the Aerophile, the helium-filled balloon that will take guests 400 feet in the air (there is a fee for this). I have zero interest in this, so cannot say if it’s worth the cost, but it’s fun to watch! You can also watch guests ride the Amphicars around Lake Buena Vista. These are boats that look like vintage cars, and are operated by tour guides. In my opinion, fun to watch, but I won’t pay to do it!

Use your Magical Extras Card

When you check in to your resort, you will also receive a card for Magical Extras. It has free as well as discounted offers included on it, but since we’re going for a spend-free day, you will want to take advantage of the free entrance into ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex (if there are any events happening. Be sure to check the schedule) or go play a round of miniature golf at either Fantasia Gardens or Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Courses.

Spend the Day at your Resort

You don’t have to leave your resort to have a good time! There’s plenty to do at all of the Disney World Resort hotels. Relax at the pool while the kids swim the day away. Head to the playground to work off some more of their energy. And before bed, check the schedule for a movie under the stars.

You don’t have to spend exorbitant amounts of money to have fun while on your Disney vacation! Plenty of fun can be had without spending a dime. Leave us a comment below about how you spend your non-park days at Disney World, and if you are needing help planning your next trip, head to my form located here and we’ll get started!