Family Conferences
We hope you are planning on joining us in Orlando, FL, from December 19-21, 2024, for our 38th Annual Family & Scientific Conference, or for our SPIRIT Conference for adults with MPS and ML! Part of the magic of our conferences this year – aside from celebrating 50 years! – are their proximity to Walt Disney World. We truly hope that our attendees will take advantage of this fact, and spend some quality time with their families before or after sessions on Disney property.
Free Things to Do at Disney World
Disney World can be pricey, but there are still fun, free things that families can do in and around the parks to make their experience magical:
#1. Get a Free Button from your Resort or Guest Services
Sometimes you might see people walking around Disney World with a giant button that might say something like, “It’s my Birthday,” or “I’m Celebrating!”
If you want one of these buttons, all you have to do is let a cast member know at any guest services booth: just let them know if you’re here for a birthday, anniversary, or whatever it is you’re celebrating!
Note: Sometimes (not as much as they used to pre-Covid, but sometimes!) you will get a little extra magic because you’re wearing the button, like a free cupcake for your birthday.
Ride the Skyliner
The Disney Skyliner is a fan favorite at Disney World! It was added as a form of transportation in 2019, and can be fun to ride (unless you are afraid of heights, in which case you probably shouldn’t…).
You do not have to be staying at a Disney resort to take advantage of all their free transportation options. In fact, riding the free transportation options takes up a good portion of this list (because they’re so much fun!).
You can ride the Skyliner to EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, the Art of Animation & Pop Century Resorts, the Caribbean Beach Resort and the Riviera Resort. You can also access the Swan & Dolphin Resorts, Yacht and Beach Club Resorts and the Boardwalk Resort via the EPCOT Skyliner.
Pro Tip: Ride the Skyliner over EPCOT at night around 9 pm to see the fireworks!
Ride the Boats
The boats are a fun and relaxing way to spend an afternoon.
You can ride a boat from the Magic Kingdom entrance to several of the resorts across the lake, including the Polynesian, Grand Floridian, Fort Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge. You can also ride a boat from Hollywood Studios and the back entrance of EPCOT to the Boardwalk, Yacht & Beach Clubs and Swan & Dolphin Resorts.
If you’re hanging out at Disney Springs, you can take a boat across the lake to Saratoga Springs, or downriver to Old Key West or Port Orleans.
Good to Know: You do have to go through security to access most of the boats.
Pro Tip: Ride the boat from Polynesian or Grand Floridian Resort around 9 pm to see the fireworks from the water.
Ride the Monorail
Another fun form of transportation is the monorail. Perhaps not quite as fun as riding the boats or the Skyliners, it’s still free. It’s also super magical if you can time it just right to see the fireworks (but you only get the view for a second).
You can take a monorail from the Magic Kingdom entrance to the Contemporary, Polynesian and Grand Floridian resorts. You can also get a monorail from the entrance to EPCOT that goes to the Transportation and Ticket Center, where you can transfer to the resorts monorail.
Explore the Boardwalk
All Disney resorts are fun to visit, but the Boardwalk Resort is the best. On the back of Disney’s Boardwalk Resort is an actual boardwalk, full of restaurants, stores, games and entertainers. And it’s all situated on a picturesque lake!
There is so much to do at the Boardwalk. You can rent bikes, play the carnival games, visit the dancehall, or just enjoy the atmosphere. It’s also a great place from which to grab a boat or ride the Skyliner.
Visit All the Disney Resorts
The best thing to do on a free day at Disney World is to visit all of the Disney resorts, or in other words, go resort hopping.
Each resort has its own charm and style, with unique decorations, gift shops, and restaurants. The Animal Kingdom Lodge even has real animals wandering around the grounds (fenced in, of course!).
Besides just exploring the lobbies and shopping in the gift shops, there are a lot of other free things to do at Disney at the resorts, like pin trading, and other resort activities.
Pin Trade Around the Resorts
Pin trading is popular at Disney. Guests can buy souvenir pins in any gift shop on property. You can also find lots of pins online, which people like to do beforehand so that they have a lot to trade.
Every gift shop and front desk has a pin board you can ask to see. If you find any pins on the board you like, you can trade one of your pins for it! Some resorts even have secret pin boards, so you pick a number and get a surprise pin (but you don’t have to trade for it if you don’t like it).
Try Some of the Resort Activities
There is always a lot going on at any given Disney resort. You can find a list of activities at each resort posted by the pool.
Some of these activities are going to cost money and require advance registration, like an animation drawing class. Others will be free, like roasting marshmallows by the fire (though you can pay for chocolate and graham crackers).
Be sure to check out the posted activities, or ask at the front desk.
Tour a Disney Vacation Club Property
Another free thing you can do at Disney is to tour a Disney Vacation Club property. The Disney Vacation Club (DVC) is a program that lets you buy a timeshare in a Disney property, and then use points to stay at Disney year after year. You can sign up for a tour in the lobby of any hotel, or at any theme park. Disney will provide transportation to take you to the site you choose for the tour, and at the end you will get a free pin!
Note: don’t sign up for a DVC membership (that is NOT free!)
Visit Disney Springs
Disney Springs is the huge entertainment and shopping complex run by Disney. It is on the lake across from Saratoga Springs Resort, and it is HUGE! There is so much to do there!
It’s free to enter Disney Springs (but you will have to go through a security checkpoint). But then there are a lot of things to spend money on once you’re there! From sandwiches at Chef Mickey’s to a show by Cirque du Soleil, or fine dining on the water to a convertible boat ON the water, there are so many things to do at Disney Springs. You could easily fill up a whole day here.
Pro Tip: Don’t forget to bring pins to trade! A lot of shops will have pin boards, or cast members with pin lanyards.
Watch the Fireworks!
The best way to end your day after exploring all the free things to do at Disney is to watch the fireworks (for free, of course!). Here are some of the best free spots to watch the Disney fireworks:
About the Author: Julia Rexford is the cousin of Society board member Jason M., and daughter to Wayne, both of whom have MPS II. She (along with Wayne, Jason and the rest of their family) has been to Disney World countless times over the years, and has developed some content to help families attending the 38th Annual Family & Scientific Conference or SPIRIT Conference have the best Disney experience possible. Julia is also the author of a travel blog, where you can find more Disney insights and tips: Planned Wanderings.
