When most people think of Disney World, they usually think of one of the theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom. And for good reason. These theme parks all provide incredible experiences through rides, shows and dining. But they’re also pretty expensive to visit. (And can be pretty exhausting with long days, long lines and hot temperatures!) Many of you may be wondering if there are any free things to do at Disney World.
The good news is there’s plenty of fun things to do outside of the parks throughout the Disney World resort area. The better news? A lot of these things are cheap, and even FREE! When we go on a Disney vacation, we always plan at least one day off from the park. This allows us to get some physical rest, a mental break from crowds and save some money. Below are some of our favorite things to do at Disney World outside of the parks and activities you may consider for your own trip. Also, please note that many of these are easier to do or get to if you are staying on-property at a Disney hotel.
- Resort hop along the monorail. Some of Disney’s best hotels are along the monorail: the Grand Floridian, the Polynesian and the Contemporary. They offer some of the best theming and restaurants among the Disney hotels and are always worth a sightseeing or dining visit. If you are not already staying at one of these resorts, take a bus to the Magic Kingdom, go through security and head to the monorail station. If you have kids, the monorail can be a fun attraction in itself, especially as you ride it to the Contemporary, which is the only hotel that the monorail actually goes through!
- Watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from a monorail resort. Our favorite place to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks outside of the park is the beach at the Polynesian. Before heading to the beach, stop by Pineapple Lanai and grab some Dole Whip to enjoy during the show! The music from the show is piped through the speakers so you get a great viewing experience of the fireworks. (Obviously, you can’t see the castle projections from here, but otherwise a great free place to watch!) Another good place to watch from a different angle is the balcony at the Contemporary. Get off at the monorail stop and head towards the balcony on the north end of the building. There are a limited number of chairs available (so get here early!) and again, the music is played through the speakers.
- Take a free boat ride. There are several places you can go for a free boat ride (which can be another fun option for kids). Boat transportation is available in many areas. These include between the Magic Kingdom and Wilderness Lodge, several routes to and from Disney Springs and more. But our favorite ride is taking the Friendship Boat from Hollywood Studios to the BoardWalk. It will drop you off right by the Dolphin and Swan hotels, which is walking distance to the BoardWalk area. Keep reading to see why this is one of our favorite spots outside the parks!
- Resort hop along the BoardWalk hotels. The BoardWalk also has a great collection of resorts with great sightseeing and dining. These include the BoardWalk Inn, Yacht Club and Beach Club. Yacht and Beach Club also share Stormalong Bay, one of the best pools in the whole area. While you won’t be able to enter unless you’re a guest of either of those resorts, the shipwreck replica is definitely worth seeing. On a hot day, the common areas in these hotels can provide a nice air-conditioned break as well!
- Indulge in some ice cream. Speaking of hot days, be sure to stop by Beaches & Cream for amazing ice cream concoctions. If you have a large party with you (or extremely hungry for ice cream), check out the gigantic Kitchen Sink! Located at the Beach Club Resort, Beaches & Cream features a full restaurant. But if you’re just looking for dessert, you can just walk up to the window for quick service.
Another great option for ice cream is Salt & Straw in Disney Springs. They have a wide menu of unique flavors that you won’t find anywhere else!
- Drink some beer at Big River Grille. If you are a craft beer fan, stop by Big River Grille and Brewing Works on the BoardWalk, the only working brewpub throughout the Walt Disney World resort. This family-friendly restaurant offers a decent selection of beer and food. While we didn’t find the beer to be as good as our local neighborhood craft brewery, it’s still a nice refreshing stop.
- Get a bird’s-eye view from the Skyliner. Another fun and free transportation option that’s available is the Skyliner. We loved getting an aerial view of Disney World from these gondolas. They were very smooth and surprisingly well-ventilated. In other words, you get a nice breeze for those of you that were nervous about them not being air-conditioned. It may be a little high for those afraid of heights, but we felt secure the whole time. The Skyliner also connects hotels that are great to visit and check out, such as the Riviera and Art of Animation. Speaking of which…
- Check out the giant characters at Art of Animation and All-Star Movies. The Art of Animation is a great hotel to stay at if you have kids. It has excellent theming based around several classic Disney and Pixar movies. Even if you’re not a guest, you can have a great time walking around the hotel grounds and taking pictures with the huge characters! Choose your favorites from The Lion King, Finding Nemo, the Little Mermaid and Cars. Similarly, you can see oversized giant characters at All-Star Movies, including those from Toy Story and 101 Dalmatians. This hotel is not as easy to get to (you will need to take a bus from a theme park or Disney Springs). But if you are staying at any of the other All-Star resorts, it is an easy and short walk over.
- See live animals at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Our final recommendation for resort hopping is the Animal Kingdom Lodge. It’s a bit removed from the other resorts, but it’s the only one that has savannas filled with live animals! And the best part is, you don’t need to be a hotel guest there to see the animals for free. Take a bus from a theme park or Disney Springs to get here, and after checking out the lobby, head to the back towards the path leading to the animal areas. You may see giraffes, zebras, gazelles and more! Obviously a fun stop especially if you have kids that love animals.
- Swim at your resort pool or play at the arcade. Take advantage of your hotel pool and arcade when you’re not at a park, especially if it’s a hot and humid Orlando day. Whether it’s a fancier pool with slides at a deluxe resort or a simple pool at a value resort, this is a great way to relax and take a break from standing in long lines. Some hotels have arcades too if you need an indoor option.
- Take advantage of resort activities. Disney resorts offer a variety of activities during the day and in the evenings. While deluxe resorts will have more options, be sure to check out the activity schedule even if you are staying at a value resort. Depending on where you stay, you’ll have a great selection of movies under the stars, crafts, games, tours and many other activities to do on non-park days.
- Go for a bike ride or walk. Maybe you don’t want to walk a lot on your days away from the parks to give your feet some rest. But if you enjoy walking, there are plenty of jogging trails around the entire resort to choose from. If you want to stay off your feet but still want some exercise or physical activity, go for a bike ride! There are several places to rent bikes throughout Disney World. If you’re looking for more of a group activity, try a 2 or 4 person Surrey bike!
- Fish or go boating on the waterfront. Did you know you can go fishing in Disney World? There are several fishing options available from pricier guided excursions to more budget-friendly dockside fishing at Port Orleans Riverside. If you’re yearning for more time at the waterfront but not into fishing, Disney also offers several boat rental options. Whether you want to paddle in a canoe, zip around in a Sea Raycer or cruise along in a pontoon boat, you’ll be able to find a boat that fits your budget and preference.
- Check out the shops and attractions at Disney Springs. To be honest, we are not huge shoppers. Which is probably a good thing for our wallets since Disney Springs is a fantastic outdoor shopping center. So while there are plenty of high-end stores available here, we will continue to focus on cheap or free things to do. Two of our favorite stores to browse here include the LEGO store and World of Disney. The LEGO store is always fun to stop by and check out the huge models and sculptures. They also have some interactive building stations set up for kids if they want to hang out and create.
The World of Disney is also a great place to walk through. This massive Disney store has all sorts of great apparel, souvenirs, toys and Disney-branded items. This is definitely a store that you’ll need to set some ground rules before entering on how much you’re going to spend, if anything. Also, don’t forget to swing by the Ghirardelli chocolate store for a free sample, or head to the Marketplace Snacks kiosk for some Dole Whip! There are also plenty of photo opportunities at various displays and seasonal attractions through Disney Springs.
- Go off-campus for a meal. Ok, so we’re cheating a little for this last one since it’s technically not in Disney World. But sometimes, if you want a break from Disney food (and prices!), consider a nearby restaurant. If you’re traveling with kids, a familiar chain restaurant could be a good dining option. If you didn’t rent a car, there are several options near Disney Springs that would be a short Uber or Lyft ride away.
Our favorite restaurant outside of Disney was Sweet Tomatoes, a buffet restaurant with a huge salad bar. There were also soups, pastas, baked potatoes, desserts and more. It provided us a nice healthy break from theme park food. Unfortunately, this entire restaurant chain closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
So as you can see, you don’t need to go to the parks to have a great time. There are plenty of cheap things to do around the resorts and surrounding areas. You can easily make a day of free things to do at Disney World. These were just some of our favorite options. What are yours? Share your ideas in the comments below.
Be sure to check out our other posts on Disney World!