Enjoy a Free Di$ney Day and Rest Your Wallet

Legend has it that the D in Disney doesn’t stand for discount.  That’s generally true, but we found free things at Disney.

We recently took an extended-family trip to Disney World that included three days of park admissions.  To get a break from the Disney park death march and let our adult children enjoy some free time, we volunteered to watch our three-year-old granddaughter for the day. We were torn between another paid park admission, hanging out at our condo pool or finding some other activities.  And that’s how we created our own “free” Disney Day and saved hundreds of dollars in admissions while enjoying a full day of activity, adventure, fun and rides.

Legend has it that the D in Disney doesn’t stand for discount.  And that’s generally true, unless you’re a Florida resident or a member of a group.  Otherwise, typical Disney park admissions are expensive for us commoners who typically purchase a three-or-four-day pass.  And while daily admission prices do decline with tickets for longer periods, who has time – or the patience and energy – to endure even more.

Chances are that if you’re in Orlando for the typical five-to-seven day visit, you’ll want a slower day without high-price tickets to rest your body and wallet. But the little ones will still be screaming for their “daily Disney fix,” especially if you’ve been building up their expectations for months in advance.

Let’s stipulate that this plan may not work with travel-and-activity-savvy tween-agers or older, but it’s a perfect idea for tired youngsters.  And grandparents and parents, the kids will still have a blast riding, playing, and enjoying a Disney experience when you use your creativity and these ideas.

Parking at Disney Springs is free. Take a picture of your row number in case you’re too Disney-dazed to remember where you parked.

Here are a few things we did, plus some other ideas for creating your own admissions-free Disney Day:

• Free Parking. For your admission-free Disney day, you’ll find plenty of free parking at Disney Springs. Despite the years-ago rebrand, we still alternate calling it by its previous names of Disney Village, Pleasure Island or Downtown Disney. There’s plentiful free garage and surface parking at this mixed-use shopping, dining and entertainment complex.  Just find a spot and take a picture of your row number just in case you’re too Disney-dazed to remember when you return later.
• Disney Transportation. The free Disney bus system covers the entire resort area very efficiently.  However, there is no bus transportation directly to any park from Disney Springs, likely because of the aforementioned free parking. You can get to any Disney resort, and transfer there to a park if you’re inclined.  Buses do run from parks back to Disney Springs after 4 pm. Except for times near park open and closing, most buses are not crowded. Unless your kids are regular riders of public transport, getting around the resort by bus is a treat for many youngsters. Our granddaughter was thoroughly entertained by the character-themed busses, and we made a game of picking our favorites to ride — to any destination that Minnie or Mickey were going!
• Lego Store and Once Upon a Toy. Lego fans love these stores, and this one features fantastic Disney character displays and plentiful merchandise.  And like many located around the US, the Lego Store at Disney Springs offers free play areas where you can let the little ones exercise their creativity while you rest your body. There are numerous building spaces for creating every imaginable shape.  In the center of the outdoor area, more experienced builders can create cars and other vehicles for racing.  We sat comfortably and peacefully sipping Starbuck’s from next door while our master builders worked. Similarly, at Once Upon a Toy offers a Mr. Potato Head building area, with no obligation to purchase.

Have your little ones wait for this special visit to select from every conceivable Disney choice.

• Disney Store. Not your local mall store, World of Disney is the largest Disney store on the planet, with plans for even more expansion. Hopefully, you’re reading this before starting your Disney trip.  If so, encourage your little ones to wait for this special visit to make their souvenir purchases from every conceivable Disney choice. That way, you won’t be stuck carrying things around all day at a park, or retrieving items held earlier for what seemed to be your convenience – until you saw the exit pick-up line! Shirts, hats, mugs, cups, characters and more – yes, they have it and everything else here.

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• Paleo Zone (and lunch) at T-Rex. OK, the food at T-Rex is not free, but it is a reasonable value for a Disney location. Plus, where else can you eat food with dinosaurs instead of being food for dinosaurs? The animatronic dinos weren’t too frightening for our little ones, and neither was the meteor shower. While you wait for a table or food, let the kids play (it’s free!) at the Paleo Zone or dig for fossils at Discovery Dig. You can make a reservation in advance on Open Table.
• Splash Pads. For a post-lunch or early afternoon cool-down, Disney Springs features two splash pads. On the upside, kids love getting drenched in the unpredictable streams of jumping water. Of course, the downside is if parents or grandparents don’t have a change of clothes handy for those soaked kids.
• Character Selfies and Hidden Mickeys. Walking through Disney Springs, resorts and elsewhere on property, you’ll come across countless opportunities for selfies with Disney character statues, sculptures, images and more. Posing for selfies with Stitch outside the Disney store,  we got a surprise shower and squealed with delight when he spit on us. We also made a game of finding and counting the “Hidden Mickeys” hiding in plain sight through the parks and property. One of the most famous and largest “hide” off I-4 just west of the parks: The Power Line Mickey. Thought you saw a Mickey head on an dick body swimming in the fountain by Muppets 3-D? No, that wasn’t an illusion.  And was that Mickey on a cookie press in the Norway pavilion in Epcot? Yep. The list goes on, as does the fun of the game.
• Free Boat Rides. Hop a free boat ride from one the Disney docks. We jumped on at Disney Springs for a 15-minute boat to the Old Key West Resort, gliding past beautiful golf courses, wild swamps and the ever-popular Disney Tree House accommodations. We also rode the Friendship boats from Epcot to the Boardwalk. And we hopped on a mini-steamer from Magic Kingdom to the Polynesian resort. You’ll find similar boat rides connecting Epcot and Disney Studios to nearby resorts, and more near Magic Kingdom’s Seven Seas Lagoon (covered separately below.)

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• Resort Play Areas. Most of the Disney resorts feature very nice kids’ play area, offering opportunities to tire your energetic Disney juniors with sliding, swinging, climbing, exploring and other physical activities. You can check a resort map to find them.  We’ve not encountered any that require ID or a resort key for entry.  By my calculation, when I bought that overpriced beverage and bland food at the snack outlet on resort property, I met the definition of “guest” if there is any such requirement.

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• Monorail Riding.  Because of the crowds at park open and close, we didn’t use the monorail on our paid admission days, so this was the highlight of the admission-free day for our grandkids.   We hopped a bus from Old Key West Resort to Magic Kingdom, then walked across to the monorail station, stopping to watch the steam train arrive at Main Street Station. We chose the direct monorail to the main ticket plaza, then transferred to the Epcot line. The smooth, air-conditioned ride to Epcot is 15 minutes, including a circle around Spaceship Earth and above Future World before entering the station.  Feel free to stay on board for the 15-minute return loop – or even make the full circle twice if the kiddies or grandpa has fallen asleep. On the route between the main ticket plaza and Magic Kingdom, you can choose an express train with direct service, or stops for the Polynesian, Grand Floridian or Contemporary Resort. We also like stopping at the Contemporary, so the kids can watch the monorail glide almost silently through the lobby — still amazing after all these years.

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• Get High on Skyliner. While the skyride inside of Magic Kingdom is long gone, Disney now offers another skyride that’s free to non-ticket holders. The Disney Skyliner provides convenient and scenic transportation and aerial views while traveling between Disney destinations. Gondolas are themed with various Disney characters and designs, adding to the fun. You can catch outside of Epcot or Hollywood Studios, are at one of several Disney resorts. Note that the Skyliners will shut down in high winds and frequent thunderstorms.

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• Seven Seas Lagoon Boat Rides and Ferry. Walt Disney was a master showman, and loved building anticipation of his guests. That was the inspiration of the steamboat-styled ferries that carry eager visitors across the lagoon. Because of crowd sizes today, many guests fail to appreciate this simple pleasure and, in fact, see the ferry as a nuisance. If you’ve followed our admission-free day path, take the ferry from the TTC to Magic Kingdom.  It won’t be crowded, so head upstairs and walk the top deck for the best views as the spires of Cinderella’s Castle rise slowly and grow magically taller. You’ll also have excellent views of the Polynesian and Contemporary, and likely will cross paths with resort launches and rental boats zipping across the lagoon.

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• Disney Water Parade. While the Main Street Electrical Light Parade has passed into history, the nightly Electrical Water Pageant parade continues on the Seven Seas Lagoon. And like everything else in our “free day,” no admission ticket is required. Check this link for the daily schedule. Some of the best viewing spots include any of the Seven Seas resort hotels, and the main plaza directly in front of the entrance to Magic Kingdom. The parade lasts approximately 15 minutes, and includes an abundance of sea creatures, flags and music.  Times vary based on sunset and other events, and the parade can be cancelled due to weather. We missed the full parade on our most recent visit, because our little ones pooped out on our “free” day. You can see the parade from the ferry, too, if you plan it just right.  The best viewing spot on the ferry is on the upper deck, but the floats will be distant and you won’t hear the music.

Our little ones pooped out before we could do all the free activities at Disney.

• Grab Free Disney Swag. Yes, there is such a thing. And though they are just little touches, the kiddies love it. Many Disney workers carry a variety of stickers, which they are happy to share with little ones. Our stroller was filled with Disney stickers offered by cast members. At the Port Orleans resort, cast members offered colorful free doubloons to throw into the fountains and slip into a pocket as a neat souvenir. And if you’re celebrating a special occasion, stop by Guest Relations and get a celebration pin. Our granddaughter’s “First Visit pin got her lots of extra attention from characters and cast members, which made her day extra special. You can get birthday pins, anniversary pins, and a more generic “I’m Celebrating” pin.

We didn’t enjoy ALL these free Disney adventures in one day. But on the day that we devoted to free activities, we explored the resorts over more than 10 hours with these free activities.  Turns out that our “free” Disney day — intended to be a rest day — was as enjoyable for our granddaughter as any of the paid days.

If you have other ideas or experiences for a Free Disney Day, please leave your comments.