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Hey howdy hey, it’s blog post day! Today I’m sharing 16 Things to do at Disney Without a Ticket! After all those long days in the sun from park open to park close, it’s crucial to plan time to rest outside of the parks during your Walt Disney World Vacation. The last thing you want to do is feel exhausted and burnt out on vacation, plus there are so many exciting activities you can try that don’t even include a park ticket. While some of these activities are free and others have costs associated with them, you’re sure to make memories either way! Without further ado, here’s 16 Things to do at Disney World Without a Ticket.
Visit Disney Springs
There are so many fun things to try at Disney Springs without a ticket, that I’ll have to dedicate a blog post just for this in the future! It makes me sad to hear so many people skip this on their vacation. Here, you can check out a movie at AMC Disney Springs, try your hand at bowling at Splitsville Luxury Lanes, take a ride on the hot air balloon, and take in all the incredible food, drink, and shopping Disney Springs has to offer.
Rent a Bike at the Boardwalk
Here, you can rent old-fashioned surrey bikes built for 4 people, perfect for families or double dates! My husband has some extremely vivid family memories on the surrey bikes at Disney’s Boardwalk! He recalls fondly of the time he and his stepmother were peddling like crazy, while his father and little sister were relaxing and hardly peddling. You’ll be certain to make great memories, but don’t blame me if some bickering is involved too!
Go for a Walk or Run
There are numerous walking trails across Disney Property. Take a leisurely stroll or work in a run on your rest day! If your body isn’t physically exhausted from the park days, the trails are a great way to spend a morning at Disney without a ticket. Plus, many of these trails offer stunning views, so you won’t want to miss it. Your Resort Front Desk can help guide you toward the closest trail. My husband’s favorite place to run is through Fort Wilderness Resort, if you need an idea to get started!
Watch the Fireworks at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
Did you know you can watch Magic Kingdom’s Fireworks from Polynesian Village Resort? This is one of my personal favorite ways to spend an evening at Disney World without a ticket. Take free transportation to Magic Kingdom Park, then hop on the Resort Monorail to the Polynesian. Once there, you can grab a Dole Whip and head down to the beach area to watch the fireworks.
I recommend arriving about 30 minutes prior to the fireworks so you can grab a great view. The Polynesian even plays the music that goes along with the fireworks, so you’re sure to have a magical experience! Simply keep in mind this area is closed off to Polynesian Resort guests only on New Year’s Eve and the 4th of July.
Try a Carriage Ride at Port Orleans Resort
You can take a private carriage ride around Disney’s Port Orleans Resort. I can’t think of anything more magical to do at Disney! Be sure to check with the front desk at these resorts for times and cost.
Take a Dip in the Pool
Disney pools are some of the most beautiful pools, I promise! Who knew even pools could be themed?! Disney Resorts offer both quiet and main pools (with the exception of Animal Kingdom Lodge, which has only one main pool), with plenty of seating, jacuzzi hot tubs, water slides (excluding value resorts), and plenty of snacks and beverages poolside.
Go for an Ice Cream
After a long day in the sun at the pool, an afternoon ice cream just hits different! Disney has so many places to buy all kinds of delicious ice cream. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort for Dole Whip Soft Serves at Pineapple Lanai
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort’s Beaches and Cream Soda Shop for the Kitchen Sink (dining reservation recommended)
- Disney Springs at Salt & Straw for unique ice cream flavors
- BoardWalk Ice Cream for classic flavors and sundaes
Visit the Horses at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
Did you know that you can go horseback riding at Disney World? Talk about a memorable activity at Disney without a ticket! Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort is located around the Magic Kingdom area and has a stable, Tri-Circle-D Ranch, where you can visit the animals that pull Cinderella’s Carriage and go for a round of horseback riding!
Listen to the Dueling Pianos at Jellyrolls
Jellyrolls is located at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn Resort and is beloved by many College Program participants! These are some of the most talented pianists I have ever heard, and they’re also amazing entertainers too! You’ll be sure to hear popular favorites, Disney classics, and more, and you might even be invited to participate too!
Rent a Boat
You can rent a boat at both the Magic Kingdom Resort area and the EPCOT Resort area. The boats can be very affordable (especially if you split the cost amongst multiple people) and a unique experience for your party to take part in. Pack some pub subs and beverages for a fun time on the water!
Visit the Water Parks
This is one of the most refreshing activities you can do at Disney World without a ticket. There are two water parks on property, Disney’s Blizzard Beach and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon. It’s the adventure that you love in a water park, blended with what Disney does best – incredible theming! Depending on the time of year you visit, there might only be one water park available, so be sure to check Disneyworld.com for planning purposes. Either way, you’re sure to have a wet time!
Try a Hidden Mickey Hunt
Did you know there are hidden Mickeys all across property? Try to see how many you can find at your resort! Or, if you prefer a guided experience, you can grab a Hidden Mickey Hunt guide at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge’s front desk.
Visit the Animals at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
Did you know there’s a real savanna with some of the same animals you can see on the Safari at Animal Kingdom Theme Park, at a Disney Resort? Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is my favorite resort, and visiting the animals here is my favorite activity to do at Disney without a ticket! I honeymooned at this resort, and still love to visit for the day too! Check out zebras, giraffes, springbok, and more on a trip to Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Animal Kingdom Lodge also has some amazing Table Service Restaurants to check out during your visit too, such as Boma, Jiko, and Sanaa. Be sure to make an advanced dining reservation for these restaurants. Oh, and don’t forget to try the famous Zebra Dome desserts too; you can find these at The Mara.
Resort Hop
My two favorite ways to resort hop include visiting the resorts attached to the Monorail and the resorts attached to the Skyliner. These transportation options are so fun and unique, plus the resorts attached to these transportation options have some of the coolest theming! To top it all off, you get a free attraction experience in the transportation too!
While some do shopping sprees while they resort hop, others go on snacking adventures, grabbing a fun snack at every stop. Still, others try a bar crawl, visiting each of the bars and lounges at each resort. Whatever you do, it’s sure to be a fun time!
See the Electrical Water Pageant
The Electrical Water Pageant is one of the most unique, free offerings at Disney. It’s a water parade of sorts that takes place on Seven Seas Lagoon. Check out these uniquely themed floats full of lights at night at any of the following resorts: Grand Floridian, Polynesian Village, Contemporary, Wilderness Lodge, and Fort Wilderness. Once you arrive, simply head to the Lagoon to check it out!
Watch a Movie Under the Stars
Did you know that each Resort offers a complimentary movie under the stars, along with roasting marshmallows each night? This is such an unknown way to enjoy Disney World without a ticket, despite the fact that it’s offered at every single Resort on property. Check at the front desk for times!
Summary
This wraps up 16 Things to do at Disney Without a Ticket! What’s your favorite activity to try at Disney World without a ticket? Let me know in the comments below! If this was helpful for you, check out my other post on how to manage Disney Crowds! Stay magical, and I’ll see ya real soon for another blog post!
Expert Walt Disney World Vacation Planning Tips
Former Disney Cast Member and Disney Vacation Planner
WDW Annual Passholder
Disney Adult, Disney Couple Date Ideas
DAS Disability Access Service Disney DAS Expert
This is amazing! As someone who is literally thousands of miles away, it’s amazing having so much information for when we do visit! Is Disney Springs one of the parks? I always hear of Animal Kingdom, Epcot etc but never sure if Disney Springs is also a park or something different? Love the Disney content!!
Disney Springs is its own beast entirely! It’s maybe a little bit less to do than there is in the parks, as there aren’t any attractions. Instead, it’s more of a shopping, dining, entertainment experience! There’s bowling, a movie theater, and TONS of shopping and dining options! I love to recommend it on a rest day where you might be taking a break from the parks but still want something fun to do. Plus, it’s completely free to enter! Hope this helps 🙂
Oh that makes sense! So absolutely worth going to if already there but not worth a trip over specifically for! Had always wondered! Thank you!
Exactly! If you have some free time, it’s worth a visit! But I wouldn’t necessarily plan a full day like at the other parks!
Thanks for sharing, my daughter is visiting in July from England with her school. I’ll share this with her class teachers. 🙂
Oh my goodness, she’s going to have so much fun! I can’t wait to hear all about it!
This is an amazing resource for a Disney trip! Great suggestions on things to do without a ticket! I love pools and waterparks – I’ve wanted to try some of the Disney waterslides!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I love how even the pools are themed at Disney, they truly make EVERY experience magical!
Such great tips! I didn’t realize there was so much to do other than rides. I remember the fireworks as a kid scaring me because of the sound 🙂
I get that, it’s a pretty loud noise! We live nearby and my dog sometimes gets nervous hearing Disney’s fireworks!
So many great ideas. I love all of the fun tidbits you share. Just sent your Encanto post to my girls because I thought they would have fun reading it too.
Aww, that’s so sweet, thank you! I hope they enjoy reading it!
Really great post packed full of information on things you can do at Disney World without a ticket. Honestly, resort hopping is one of my favorite activities, especially when it comes to the monorail resorts specifically. I love Animal Kingdom Lodge too! One of my favorite places to eat at Disney. Thanks for sharing!
I think visiting the resorts can be so overrated! I love spending time at the resorts too 🙂 Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Disney Springs was one of my favorite hangouts when we use to visit Disney. Thanks for sharing all the places we can visit for free.
There’s a lot of fun activities and SO many food items too 🙂
These are all great options! I did not know many of these were even available! Thanks!
Thanks for taking the time to read!
I love reading your posts, been a dream since childhood to visit Disney world and one day that shall become a reality.
Thanks so much for your sweet comment! I hope you get to make that dream come true!!
This a wonderful set of tips and recommendations of places to visit without needing a ticket or if you need a break from the rides. Being at Disney land all day can get tiering and packed with people so these 16 alternatives help deal with that. Seeing the horses sounds wonderful! Thank you for sharing!
I agree completely, I cannot get through a Disney trip without taking some time to get away from the parks and crowds to just relax! Thanks for reading!
Great post for new ideas and things to try at Disney!
Thank you so much, I hope it’s helpful!
I didn’t realise there was so much to do without a ticket, this is a really awesome list. I’ll be using this when we visit 🙂
Thank you so much for reading! I hope you get to visit soon!
I really want to go to Disney as an adult! Maybe I should!
I highly recommend it; it’s so fun even as an adult!
This is great, is good to watch the fireworks tbh. I will save this list to try it with my partner.
I love that the fireworks are synced to music; it makes it so much more immersive!
How cool! I didn’t realize there were things you can do at the park without a ticket. Sounds like so much fun!!
Thanks so much for taking the time to read!
Thanks for sharing these great ideas. So many things to do!
Thanks for taking the time to read!
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