10 Ways To Have Free Family Fun At Disney World
Walt Disney World can be expensive. You know that, I know that. But what if I were to tell you that there are lots of ways to add some magic to your Disney World vacation for absolutely free? That’s right folks, I’m going to share with you 10 of my favorite ways to have family fun around the resort without spending an extra penny.
So without further ado, let’s enjoy some free family fun and save some money!
Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom
Location: Magic Kingdom
The Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom is an enchanting interactive game where you use spell cards at magic portals to defeat Disney villains. Kids and gamers alike love this experience, especially because they can collect and keep the spell cards.
A Pirate’s Adventure ~ Treasures of the Seven Seas
Location: Magic Kingdom
During A Pirate’s Adventure join Captain Jack Sparrow on an interactive adventure raiding hidden treasures throughout Adventureland. There are five different missions, each taking about 20 minutes to complete. There is no time limit on the missions, so they can be started and stopped at your leisure. This is a lot of fun for the whole family and each adventure sets off some exciting special effects scattered throughout Adventureland; especially great at night.
Captain Jack Sparrow’s Pirate Tutorial
Location: Magic Kingdom
During Captain Jack Sparrow’s Pirate Tutorial, join Captain Jack for some important pirate training where a few children in the audience are selected to learn basic sword fighting and then join the crew.
Kidcot Fun Stops
Location: Epcot
At the Kidcot Fun Stops, kids can color their own Duffy the Disney Bear souvenir and have it stamped in each country around World Showcase. Cast Members from the host country will even write a message in their native language on the Duffy souvenir to add to its uniqueness.
Disney Phineas and Ferb: Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure
Location: Epcot
To enjoy the Disney Phineas and Ferb: Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure, pick up a special handheld device and become a member of the team in a quest to stop the evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz. There are several entertaining missions to be completed throughout World Showcase, each lasting about a half hour. This is tons of fun for the kiddos and helps to keep them engaged as adults tour the country pavilions.
Jedi Training Academy: Trials of the Temple
Location: Hollywood Studios
In the Jedi Training Academy, kids ages 4 – 12 years old volunteer to train as a Jedi and then try to defeat Darth Vader or another villain. First thing in the morning, stop by the ABC Sound Studio to reserve your spot. Only 12 guests are selected for each show and spots fill up quickly. Participants must be present to register.
Wilderness Explorers
Location: Animal Kingdom
Wilderness Explorers is sure to be a hit with the little ones in your group. Travel around the park earning Wilderness Explorer Badges (stickers) just like Russell from Up. This is a perfect way to keep young kids going while adults enjoy the beauty and education Animal Kingdom has to offer.
DJ Kids Dance Party at Waterside Stage
Location: Disney Springs
The DJ Kids Dance Party is a great spot for the entire family to join in the action and show off their favorite dance moves!
Chip ‘N Dale’s Campfire Sing-A-Long
Location: Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
The Chip ‘N Dale’s Campfire Sing-A-Long is perfect for families that love the great outdoors. Every evening join the famous duo over at Fort Wilderness for a fun-filled marshmallow roast and old-fashioned campfire sing-a-long.
Movies Under The Stars
Location: Disney Resort Hotels
Grab the whole family and head to your resort’s pool or beach area to watch a Movie Under The Stars. Most evenings around dusk, the Disney resort hotels bring out giant inflatable movie screens and show Disney animated and live-action classic films.
More Tips
Looking for more helpful tips to save time and money during your next Walt World Vacation? Please check out my latest book “501 Ways To Make The Most Of Your Walt Disney World Vacation“; the Mike Wazowski to the Sulleys of all guide books – “The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2016“!
What are your favorite ways to enjoy
free family fun in Walt Disney World?
Please leave a comment!
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Could you tell me if the activities such as the Movies under the Stars and the Chip n Dale singalong are available to everyone or just to guests staying at any of the Disney Resorts? We usually staff off site and I have often wondered if we would be allowed to take part in these activities or not. Because there is a “clampdown” on who can use the parking lots at the resorts, would we have difficulty parking if we could take part?
Hi Ruth – All of the activities listed above including Movies Under The Stars and Chip ‘N Dale’s Campfire Sing-A-Long are available for everyone to enjoy. You don’t need to be staying at that resort or any onsite resort to take part in those activities. You are correct that during certain times of the year, parking may not be permitted at certain resorts if you are not a registered guest. If you happen to run into that problem, the easiest way to get around it is to park at the nearest theme park to the resort you are trying to visit, and then use Disney transportation or walk to the resort. Here’s a couple of examples…If you were trying to go to Chip ‘N Dale’s Campfire Sing-A-Long at Fort Wilderness, park at Magic Kingdom (Transportation & Ticket Center) and then take a boat from Magic Kingdom over to Fort Wilderness. Or if you were trying to see the Movie Under The Stars at Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, just park your car at Disney Springs and walk over to the resort. Hope this helps! 🙂
Hi Darren, Melinda, and Nicole – I love the additional suggestions you made of playing with Legos in Disney Springs, resort hopping, free tours, and viewing the animals at Animal Kingdom Lodge. My family and I have enjoyed many of those activities during our trips. With all of those awesome additions to my list, it sounds like you guys are true Disney World vets! You’re correct, I did include a few items that are located inside the parks that some might call attractions/experiences. They made my Top Ten for a couple of reasons…first, I wanted to cover the entire resort both inside and outside the parks and second, many of my friends that are Disney World rookies, were not aware that these Free Family Fun opportunities existed inside the parks. They were so busy zipping from one Fastpass+ attraction to the next, they missed out on some of the other entertaining options that were available for them to enjoy as a family. Thanks for taking the time to read my post and comment, we always love to hear from our readers! 🙂
Thanks for your reply, Kristi! I will put in a plug for the Wilderness Explorers at Animal Kingdom. My two boys (3 and 7 years old) are obsessed with their books and badges and even play with them at home and can’t wait to finish off their badges this trip!
Hi Nicole – I completely agree about the Wilderness Explorers. My youngest son tried it for the first time in October and absolutely loved it. I hope you and your family have a wonderful trip! 🙂
“many of my friends that are Disney World rookies, were not aware that these Free Family Fun opportunities existed inside the parks. ”
The fact remains that these are, by definition, not “free”, as they require park admission if they are inside the parks. To call them “free” is a misnomer, as Darren indicated above.
I agree with the other comments- I have a “day off” from parks in January and thought this was going to be a great list for stuff to do that day- that would be a good article for the future for sure.
Nice article and good suggestions for activities outside the parks towards the end. I do have to say that the activities listed in the parks are attractions and are included in admission like anything else. They certainly fall more into the “value added” kind of category rather than a major core attraction, but if we’re including shows and interactive games in the parks as free activities, we might as well say to go on Pirates of the Caribbean as it’s free once you’re in the park. It’s as free as any of the other activities on the list, once you’ve paid park admission of course.
I think the activities outside the parks like those you’ve highlighted at Fort Wilderness, Disney Springs and other locations outside the parks are great subject matter for the topic. You could include playing with Lego outside the Disney Springs Lego store as a free activity, taking a multiple mode of transportation tour around the Magic Kingdom resort area, viewing animal savannahs from publicly accessible areas at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and Villas as well.
I agree completely. I don’t consider things inside the park as “free”. Those are park attractions. I also like the last three suggestions in the article as well as Darren’s suggestions. The other suggestions in the article could be on a list of: things to do INSIDE the parks besides ride rides, or attractions with little to no waits, or underrated attractions, or even non-ride attractions for the whole family to enjoy together.
Checking out the Art of Animation and other resorts, going on the free tours at Animal Kingdom Lodge, Wilderness Lodge, Grand Floridian, and Yacht Club and spending time on the boardwalk would be some of my suggestions. I also enjoy the boat rides to and from Disney Springs.