Disney Dining Serving up the latest Disney Eats, Treats, News, and More!
It’s a well known fact that Walt Disney World Resort is pretty expensive. In fact, it might just be one of the most expensive vacation destinations in the country. However, the experiences offered at the amazing Walt Disney World resort are well worth the high price tag, meaning we don’t actually mind spending the extra money for the opportunity to vacation here.
That said, it is nice to get a freebie once in a while. Fortunately, not everything at Walt Disney World costs money, meaning we can enjoy occasional Disney World freebies.
Below are some of the best Disney World freebies. Be sure to take advantage of these free things next time you find yourself on a Walt Disney World vacation so you can add a little more Disney magic to your vacation without spending any extra money.
Ice Water
Florida is hot, and it’s incredibly easy to get dehydrated while walking around the parks. Sure, you could lug several full water bottles around, or you could spend a small fortune buying bottled water in the parks. However, we think the much smarter way to go is to grab free ice water from any quick-service location in any Disney park whenever the need strikes.
This might just be our favorite Disney freebie!
Celebration Buttons
Every day is a celebration when you’re on a Walt Disney World vacation. Tell the world what you’re celebrating by picking up a free celebration button from any park customer service desk. They have birthday buttons, anniversary buttons, “first visit” buttons, and celebration buttons that you can fill in with whatever you’re celebrating. Best of all, a button is a fantastic free souvenir and wearing it really adds to the Disney experience.
Exciting Transportation
Most people use the Disney transportation purely to get from their Disney resort to a theme park and back. That said, the monorail and skyliner are actually super cool forms of transportation that could be a fun adventure in and of themselves.
If you’re planning to take a day to relax and hang around the hotel instead of adding another day to your park ticket, consider a ride on the monorail loop or Skyliner as a fun way to get out of your Disney Resort hotel and see something new for a bit.
Another option? Take a boat ride on the Seven Seas Lagoon. This is especially cool if you can plan to be on the boat during a fireworks show.
Resort-Hopping Fun
While you’re taking that joy ride, you might also do some Disney resort hopping. All of Disney’s onsite hotels are fantastic, featuring excellent theming and fun dining options.
Just spending some time exploring the various Disney resort hotel locations and enjoying the different foods each one offers can make for a super fun afternoon that costs only what you decide to spend on snacks.
One of the best ways to do this is to explore the Disney resort hotel locations around the monorail loop. This allows you to hop on and off easily, and each of these resorts is beautiful.
The Wilderness Explorer Program
One of our absolute favorite Disney World freebies is the Wilderness Explorers program in Animal Kingdom. This program starts with a free Wilderness Explorers handbook. Once you’ve grabbed your book, watch for Wilderness Explorers stations throughout Animal Kingdom park, where you can enjoy free activities and earn free sticker badges.
Related: Disney World Must-Dos for Pixar Fans
Art Classes
Believe it or not, you can also take a free art class while in Walt Disney World Resort. This is doubly good because you’ll learn something new and finish the class with a unique drawing of a Disney character to take home as a souvenir. Free art classes can be found at Animal Kingdom and the Art of Animation Resort. They are also taught at Epcot during some special events.
Concerts
Did you know that full-fledged concerts are often included with admission at Epcot? While these don’t happen every night, they do happen fairly regularly throughout the year, and a quick peek at the theme park schedule will allow you to plan your visit so you can catch one of these fabulous performances in the World Showcase during your visit.
This is a great way to maximize the value of your ticket, getting a full Epcot park day plus an evening concert, all for the price of a single ticket.
Disney Springs and Disney’s Boardwalk
Want to fill a whole day with Disney fun without buying a ticket? We highly recommend a visit to Disney Springs or Disney’s BoardWalk. Both offer shopping, dining, and entertainment that the whole family can enjoy together. Street performers are often found on the Boardwalk, and a stage often plays hosts to dancers and musicians in Disney Springs.
Nightly Entertainment
Yes, you’ll get to enjoy nightly entertainment while in the parks, but what if we told you that you can actually enjoy some fantastic nighttime shows without ever stepping foot in a theme park?
The fireworks at Magic Kingdom can be seen from a number of locations, including the Transportation and Ticket Center and the beaches surrounding Bay Lake. Meanwhile, Epcot fireworks can be seen from a number of places, including the bridge between the BoardWalk and Beach Club resorts.
On top of all that, you can also catch the Electrical Water Pageant light parade from all around Bay Lake.
Birthday Rewards
Finally, we must include the many birthday rewards that guests can take advantage of while on Disney property. If you’re visiting during your birthday month, be sure to sign up for the various loyalty programs to take advantage of these birthday freebie gifts during your vacation.
These include, but aren’t limited to the following:
- A free cupcake from Sprinkles in Disney Springs
- A free Starbucks drink from the location in Disney Springs
- A free sandwich from Earl of Sandwich in Disney Springs
- A $25 reward from the Landry’s Select Club to be used at Rainforest Cafe, Yak and Yeti, or T-Rex
Be sure to wear your birthday button souvenir when picking up these freebies for an extra fun time!
Related: 10 Ways to Celebrate Your Birthday at Walt Disney World
There you have it folks. While a Disney vacation is sure to cost you a pretty penny-we doubt anyone would argue with that-there is also a lot to enjoy at Walt Disney World Resort that won’t require you to open your pocketbook. Why not add some of these awesome things to your Disney to-do list and sprinkle your travel party with some freebie pixie dust?
