Free Things to Do at Disney World – Some of These Would Be So Easy to Miss

It’s no surprise to anyone that Disney vacations aren’t cheap. However, it may come as a surprise to some that there are quite a few things that you can do, see, or even eat and drink at Walt Disney World for free. That’s right… FREE. Of course you have things that you come to expect with the price of your ticket. Attractions, rides, entertainment, etc. So what else is there that you could possibly do at Disney World without spending even more money? Let’s take a look at all the free things to do at Walt Disney World. 

As I mentioned, there are actually quite a few things you can do for free at Walt Disney World. To make things easier, I'm going to split them up into groups: Theme Parks, Transportation, Resorts, and Disney Springs. I’ll also let you know the exact locations where you can find these lesser-known free Disney World items. 

I am a frequent visitor to Walt Disney World and over the years have discovered the ins and outs of how to find free offerings inside and outside the theme parks. Take a look at my list below developed over many years of personally visiting the theme parks!

Free Things to Do at Walt Disney World Theme Parks

Now, let's get into the free things to do at Walt Disney World. First, let's talk about free things at the Walt Disney World parks. Walt Disney World has four theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and EPCOT. Across all of these theme parks, you'll be able to find many free things to do and experience.

• My Disney Experience App – Filled with many useful tools, this app is what’s going to help get you through your Disney World trip. Maps, wait times, mobile orders, Genie services, park tickets, room keys, and more can be found in this app.
  • Play Disney Parks App – For additional fun during your days at the park, try checking this app out! It’s a fun way to experience the parks differently and help pass the time.
• WiFi – In order to help those apps run smoothly, you’re going to need a stable internet connection. Luckily, Walt Disney World Resort offers it to Guests at no cost. Free WiFi is available all over the Disney property, not just the theme parks!
• Park Maps – If you’d rather take a look at a physical map to help get you around, or if you’re someone who likes to collect them, paper maps are available for free at the entrance of each park.
• Celebration Buttons – Whether it’s your first visit, birthday, honeymoon, anniversary, or any other celebration you can think of, Disney has a button for you! These buttons can be found at Guest Relations and merchandise shops. (You can also get your free Celebration Button at the front desk of your resort!)
  • Birthday / Anniversary / Celebration Desserts – At table service meals, it’s worth mentioning to the wait staff that you’re celebrating a special occasion. It’s not uncommon for them to treat you with a free dessert! Make sure that you make a reservation for your celebratory meal to guarantee you have a seat secured.
• Water – Florida can get HOT. It’s very important to make sure you stay hydrated! Head to any quick-service restaurant at all four theme parks and get a free cup of ice water.
  • Water fountains and water bottle refill stations are another way to get free water throughout the parks. Here’s where to find refill stations at all four parks!
    • Magic Kingdom – Pinocchio Village Haus Restaurant, Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café, and TRON Lightcycle / Run
    • Hollywood Studios – Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
    • Animal Kingdom – The queues for Expedition Everest, Na’vi River Journey, and Avatar Flight of Passage
    • EPCOT – Guest Relations, Connections Café, the Odyssey Building, and Canada Pavilion
• Soft Drinks – Try different flavors from around the world for free at Club Cool in EPCOT! How COOL is it that you can experience a simple yet fun cultural difference at no cost to you?!
• Splash Pads – Disney days can be long and hot. Give the kiddos (and yourself) a little break from the constant rush by letting them splash around in some water! Water areas can be found in both Magic Kingdom and EPCOT.
  • Magic Kingdom: Casey Jr. Splash ‘n’ Soak Station – Directly across from the Dumbo ride in Fantasyland.
  • EPCOT: Liquid Layer Splash Pad – Near Connections Café and Eatery. (Currently unavailable due to construction walls that have been put up around the area.)
• Pixie Dusting – “All you need is faith, trust, and a little bit of pixie dust!” Stop by Sir Mickey’s gift shop in Fantasyland for a truly magical experience! All of your wishes can come true when you get sprinkled with pixie dust straight from a magic wand.
• Pin Trading – Do you buy or collect pins from Disney Parks? Throughout the theme parks, you’ll find multiple shops and stations where you’ll have the opportunity to trade your pins!
• First Aid – We don’t always plan for the bad parts of our vacations. Sometimes we aren’t prepared for headaches, motion sickness, or scraped knees. If you’re not feeling well or need medical assistance, stop by and see one of the nurses at the first aid stations. They’ll help you get back on your feet and ready to have a good time again!
• Stickers – Many cast members have free stickers that they’re ready to hand out! Keep an eye out for these cast members and feel free to go up to them and ask for one! The ones you’ll normally see will have simple images of Mickey on them, but depending on the location, you may be able to find stickers with special designs on them.
• The Animation Experience at Conservation Station in Animal Kingdom – Learn how to draw a Disney character during a class taught by a Disney animator. Since this class is in Animal Kingdom, the character is usually a Disney animal!
• Kidcot Fun Stops – This is a fun activity for kids to do during their time at EPCOT. Fun Stops are located in every pavilion around the World Showcase. Kids can collect activity cards and small mementos at each stop. Oftentimes, cast members have fun ways of making their stop special for kids in ways that are unique to their country!
• A Pirate’s Adventure: Treasures of the Seven Seas – Ahoy, Mateys! Here ye find an adventure for all of the pirates in yer crew! Located in Adventureland, this is a fun, pirate-themed, interactive scavenger hunt.
• Photos and Props – Don’t pass up on Disney PhotoPass Photographers or other photo opportunities if you haven’t purchased Memory Maker. These photographers and many other cast members will take the same pictures for you on your own camera or phone! These pictures are in front of Disney landmarks, with characters, in front of attractions, and many other locations. Many times, the photographers will even have props for you to pose with!
  • If you’re meeting characters, don’t forget to take your autograph book! The characters will also sign your book (or other items) for free. If the characters aren’t able to sign, like Olaf who has sticks for hands, you’ll receive an autograph card to keep!
• Play Areas – You can find playgrounds as well as interactive and informative play areas for children across the theme parks. When you need to take a break and let the kids get some energy out, try stopping at these locations. (You can also find playgrounds at many of the Disney resorts!)
  • Magic Kingdom
    • In the queue for Dumbo the Flying Elephant, you’ll find an indoor playground for children.
    • At the exit of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (previously Splash Mountain), there is a small playground where you can let the little ones play.
    • Tom Sawyer’s Island has fun activities for kids to do such as a fort to explore and a scavenger hunt!
  • EPCOT
    • There are two playground areas in this park. One indoor playground at the exit of Mission:SPACE called Space Base and another outdoor location near Creations Shop called the Green Landing Family Play Zone.
    • You can also find fun interactive areas for kids to explore and learn. These areas are SeaBase and Bruce’s Shark World (located at the exit of The Seas with Nemo and Friends), the “What If” Labs (located at the exit of Journey Into Imagination with Figment), and Project Tomorrow (located at the exit of Spaceship Earth).
  • Animal Kingdom
    • The Boneyard is a fun playground area located in Dinoland U.S.A.
• Become a Wilderness Explorer – Collect Wilderness Badges by completing challenges throughout Animal Kingdom!
• Live Entertainment – Disney Parks are filled with a lot of live entertainment. Especially Hollywood Studios where you can find multiple stage shows such as “Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage” and “Frozen Sing-Along Celebration”. EPCOT is also home to a lot of live entertainment. Besides their full concert lineups, you can also find cultural entertainment within the different pavilions around World Showcase, such as the mariachi band in the Mexico Pavilion.
  • You may also see some street performers within the parks. Listen to the beats of the Green Army Drum Corps in Toy Story Land or catch the Dapper Dans harmonizing on Main Street!
    • Head down Main Street to Casey’s Corner and you may be able to hear their pianist playing magical tunes right outside!

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Free Transportation at Walt Disney World

Before moving on to the resorts and Disney Springs, we’d most certainly need to hop onto some Disney Transportation. This brings us to our next freebie: transportation! ALL Disney Transportation is free. This includes buses, boats, water taxis, the ferry, monorail, and Disney Skyliner. While on these different forms of transportation, ask a cast member for transportation trading cards! These are free collectible cards that are unique to each transportation system. 

When using Disney Transportation, you can enjoy the convenience of being dropped off directly at your desired location without having the hassle of driving and parking your own vehicle. Each transportation system is different and unique in its own way, making them beneficial for different travel. Let's take a closer look at each one.

• Buses – Bussing is available between Disney Resort hotels and the Disney Theme Parks. You can also use the buses as transportation between your Disney Resort hotel and Disney Springs.
  • From Animal Kingdom, the All-Star Resorts, and Coronado Springs, you can find bus transportation to Disney's Water Parks. (Currently, Typhoon Lagoon is closed, but Blizzard Beach is open for your enjoyment.)
• Water Transportation – There are multiple lakes as well as a lagoon on Disney World property. You can take boats, water taxis, or ferryboats as a fun transportation option to get to your desired destination. Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Disney Springs are all accessible via water transportation. Here are the destinations as well as the resorts you can access them from.
  • Magic Kingdom – Fort Wilderness, Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Polynesian Villas and Bungalows, and Wilderness Lodge.
    • Ferryboats are also available to take Guests from the Transportation and Ticket Center to Magic Kingdom park.
  • EPCOT and Hollywood Studios – BoardWalk Villas, Beach Club Villas, Yacht Club Resort, and Swan and Dolphin Resort.
  • Disney Springs – Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter
• Monorail – There are three monorail lines in total that provide transportation to EPCOT, Magic Kingdom, and select Disney Resort hotels. These are known as The Resort Monorail, The EPCOT Monorail, and The Express Monorail.
  • The Resort Monorail makes stops at the Contemporary Resort, Polynesian Village Resort, Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, Magic Kingdom, and the Transportation and Ticket Center.
  • The EPCOT Monorail and The Express Monorail both begin their journeys at the Transportation and Ticket Center. While the EPCOT Monorail provides round-trips to EPCOT, The Express Monorail provides round-trip transportation to Magic Kingdom.
• Skyliner – The Skyliner is Disney World's newest form of transportation. It's a system of gondolas that connect Hollywood Studios and EPCOT to each other as well as to these Disney World Resort hotels: Pop Century, Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach Resort, and Riviera Resort. 

With so many free forms of transportation at Walt Disney World, it's a breeze to take advantage of Disney's Park Hopper ticket option. Guests who have Park Hopper tickets (or annual passes) are able to visit more than one theme park during a single day. Currently, guests are able to start their day in one park and then switch over to a different park at 2 pm.

Starting on January 9th, Guests will be able to hop over into another park at any time of the day. With the free Disney transportation system, it's easy to get from one park to another. You may even have multiple transportation options depending on what your park hopping plans are!

Make sure that you get your Walt Disney World tickets at the best price possible. After all, we are talking about saving money at Disney World. That should include your tickets too!

Another freebie that ties transportation and resorts together is resort hopping. You can use Disney Transportation to head to multiple (or all) of the resorts. You may want to do this for a food or drink crawl, to shop at the gift shops, or to check out the different holiday decorations. The most popular time to do this is around Easter and Christmas to look at the famous Easter Eggs and Gingerbread Displays!

Free Things to Do at Walt Disney World Resorts

You don't even need to leave your resort to find free Disney magic. So what can you find at the resorts for free?

• Luggage Hold – If you arrive at the resort before your room is ready, or if you’re checking out before you’re ready to leave, you can leave your luggage with Bell Services at no cost to you.
• Character Wake-Up Call – You can schedule a wake-up call to have Mickey (or one of his pals) call you in the morning and give you a magical start to your day! You can do this directly through your room phone, by calling the front desk, or by using “Hey Disney!” if the new device is installed in your room.
• Movies Under the Stars – In the evening, you can watch a Disney movie outside at your resort! If you don’t see a sign with a posted movie schedule, you can check with the front desk for more information about what movie is showing and at what time.
• Bonfires – Multiple Disney resorts offer bonfires in the evening where you can roast marshmallows. The marshmallows are free too!
  • Head over to The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness resort for a bonfire and sing along with Chip and Dale! (Here you will need to purchase your own marshmallows or s’mores kit, but the singalong and bonfire with Chip and Dale are completely free, even if you aren’t a resort guest!)
• Hawaiian Lei – When you go to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, you can get a Hawaiian lei for free! Whether you’re a resort guest, checking out the gift shop, eating there, or just looking at the resort’s beauty, you can get a lei to commemorate your time there. If one isn’t offered to you, simply ask!
• Scavenger Hunts – Many of the resorts have scavenger hunts available. Ask the cast members at the front desk if your resort has any going on. If not, you can always head to another resort to participate!
• Animal Viewing – At Animal Kingdom Lodge, anyone can stop by their viewing areas to see the beautiful wildlife. While you’re there, you may see giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, and more!
• See a Geyser – Over at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, you can see a real geyser go off every hour, on the hour.
• Electrical Water Pageant – Enjoy a parade of sparkling light-up sea creatures as they go across the Seven Seas Lagoon to happy tunes. Stop by any of these resorts for great views of this fun, 15 minute, nighttime show: Polynesian Village Resort, Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Wilderness Lodge, Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, and Contemporary Resort.
• Disney BoardWalk – Enjoy a stroll on the Disney BoardWalk. While you’re there, you can visit multiple shopping and dining locations. There is also entertainment! Visit Atlantic Dance Hall for nightlife fun. Most nights you can enter for free and dance the night away! (Check ahead of time with a cast member. Certain nights may have a cover charge.)

Free Things to Do at Walt Disney World's Disney Springs

Last, but certainly not least, we have Disney Springs! Disney Springs is Disney World’s shopping, dining, and entertainment hub. The biggest perk is that it costs nothing to enter and nothing to park! Here are some things that you can get for free while you’re visiting Disney Springs.

• Window Shopping – Disney Springs has so many unique shops! Ranging from clothing and jewelry to the World's largest Disney store, to a store full of M&Ms, and even a LEGO store, you're sure to find something that interests you here. Even if you aren’t purchasing anything, it’s still fun to just look around!
• Chocolate – Looking for something sweet? Head over to the Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop! You can get a free Ghiradelli Chocolate Square sample.
• Live Entertainment – There’s always something going on at the waterfront stage in the Marketplace area of Disney Springs. Take a moment to rest while you sit back, relax, and enjoy the entertainment! A number of the restaurants at Disney Springs also have live entertainment for you to enjoy.
• Fun for Kids – Kids may not always be as entertained with Disney Springs as adults are, but don’t worry! There are some hidden gems that they’re sure to enjoy.
  • Splash Pads – Disney Springs has two splash pads. This is a great way for the kiddos to cool off on those hot days.
  • Legos – At the Lego Store, little ones have the opportunity to build and play with Legos.
  • Dino Dig – Over at T-Rex Café, kids can dig in a sand pit to find dinosaur fossils!
  • Watch a Volcano – Rainforest Café has a large volcano that “erupts” and is a hit with kids! (This experience is even more thrilling in the evening when it’s darker.)

Affordable Things to Do at Walt Disney World

Besides free things to do at Walt Disney World, there are also affordable things to do as well! These items can be found across the theme parks, resorts, and Disney Springs.

• Pressed Pennies – Pressed pennies come in MANY different designs and are fun to collect! You can select one penny design for $1 or all eight designs in the machine for $5.
• Arcade – You can find arcades at a number of Walt Disney World resorts. At these arcades, you pay for a card which is then loaded with game points. The cost will vary depending on how much you want to play! You will have the option to spend $1 – $25 to have 50 – 1,250 game points added to your card.
• Marketplace Carousel – A quaint carousel is located in the Marketplace area of Disney Springs. This carousel is available for all ages to ride. You can enjoy one ride for $5, two rides for $10, or 6 rides for $20. Adults are able to accompany their small children (Under 42 in.) at no additional cost.
• Wagon Ride – Enjoy a wagon ride at Fort Wilderness on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings. The cost is $15 for ages 10+, $10 for ages 3-9, and free for ages 2 and younger. This is a 25-minute ride that takes you across the beautiful resort grounds.
  • For more equine fun, stop at Tri-Circle-D Ranch! You can visit over 90 Disney horses for free. Small children can also enjoy pony rides here for $10 each.
• Canoe and Kayak Rentals – At Fort Wilderness Resort, you can rent either a canoe or kayak at only $15 per person.
• Bike Rentals – Rent bikes at multiple Disney World resorts for $5 – $20 per person. Adult bikes, children’s bikes, and even children’s bikes with training wheels are available to rent on a first come first-serve basis.
• Mini Golf – Disney World has two miniature golf courses: Fantasia Gardens and Winter Summerland. You can play at either one of these courses for $19 per adult and $12 per child.
• Dockside Fishing – Both Port Orleans Riverside and Fort Wilderness offer dockside fishing. Rods and live bait are available to rent for under $20!

What free things will you do at Walt Disney World?

Did you see something on this list that you weren’t aware of? Did you add something to your to-do list for your next visit? There’s so much to see, do, experience, and enjoy at Walt Disney World. With free and affordable options like these, there’s a little extra magic around every corner!

Plan Your Disney World Vacation!

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