Free Things at Disney World
There are a lot of free things to do at Walt Disney World. This post offers tips for finding and taking advantage of freebies, all of which require no money and have no strings attached. Some are relatively unknown, being under-promoted offerings at hotels. Others are worthwhile experiences that won’t cost you a dime but are worth your time. (Updated February 5, 2023.)
Most souvenirs, gifts, and experiences at Walt Disney World are expensive. Fortunately, some things are totally, no strings attached free. No, I’m not talking about the “Free” Disney Dining Plan, which is likely unavailable until 2024. I mean experiences and stuff that’s actually free. Or at least, won’t cost you any extra.
The existence of such free things and experiences might come as a surprise since sometimes it feels like Mickey Mouse is reaching into your pockets when you’re at Walt Disney World. From the many attractions that end in gift shops to the sticker shock you’re likely to have when you see the price, it might seem like there is no respite from spending on a Walt Disney World vacation.
This list covers things that we feel most reasonable people might feel are “free vacation add-ons,” and are a little less obvious. If you do Disney on a budget, this list is a great way to give yourself some added fun without breaking the bank!
Here’s the list, broken down into souvenirs, food, entertainment, and the catch-all “other” category…
Entertainment
- Resort Performers – There are a variety of resorts, particularly at the Moderate and Deluxe levels, that feature lounge entertainment acts. From Yehaa Bob at Port Orleans Riverside to performers Rix Lounge, there are several no cover options. Alternatively, if you go late enough or on a slow night, Jellyrolls on the BoardWalk might not be charging cover.
- Caravanning ‘Round the World – These colorful RVs travel around to all of the various Disney Resort hotels bringing characters for spontaneous meet & greets and fun inside and outside the resorts. It’s a great way to meet and play with Mickey and friends, but there’s no set schedule.
- Disney Chase Visa Cardholder Perks – We discuss these in depth in our Disney Chase Visa Review, but the biggest one of these is the private meet and greet location in Epcot near Journey into Imagination, which includes a free PhotoPass photo download.
- Concerts – The America Gardens Theatre near Epcot’s American Adventure pavilion has concerts in the spring, summer, and fall, with mostly cover bands. Some of these shows are quite good. Then, in the winter, it’s used for the Candlelight Processional Christmas story. Check here to see if there is any entertainment available during your trip.
- Campfires – Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Campfire Sing-Along is a nightly campfire show at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground that occurs at 7 or 8 p.m., depending upon the season. A great way to interact with characters outside the parks! Most other resorts have nightly campfires, but nothing that’s as elaborate of a production as this.
- Animal Viewing – At Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, guests can walk outside and watch the animals. There aren’t as many species here as there are in the park, but it’s still cool, and there are knowledgeable Cast Members nearby to tell you about the animals. If you’re a hotel guest, there’s a special nighttime viewing available!
- Movies Under the Stars – Most of the Walt Disney World resort hotels play a Disney film each night that is free to attend if you’re a hotel guest. Many of these are outdoors on large screens. For more information and specific details, click here.
Souvenirs
- Celebration Buttons – Starting as soon as you arrive, this is the first free thing you should get (if applicable). As discussed in our Celebrating at Walt Disney World post, celebration buttons are sort of a “gateway” to other freebies. The buttons are a freebie themselves, but your likelihood of receiving random “other” freebies when wearing these dramatically increases. Just don’t abuse the buttons.
- Park Maps & Assorted Ephemera – This is probably a “duh” one, but it’s worth mentioning that you can collect all sorts of ephemera from your stays at Walt Disney World. On each of our stays, I collect all of the various paper-goods I can, put them in our hotel folio, and then box them up. It’s fun looking back at park maps, entertainment schedules, and hotel maps from the past.
- Driver and Pilot Licenses – That’s right, get licensed to drive and fly for free at Walt Disney World! Regardless of age or experience, Disney will grant you these licenses! (The Mouse is basically a rogue state that answers to no government…besides the RCID…and the State of Florida…and the federal government.) The Tomorrowland Speedway and Dumbo have “license” cards they will give to kids (or adults, if you ask) certifying that they are licensed to drive or pilot those attractions. As far as I know, these licenses have no legal weight outside of Walt Disney World.
- Trading Cards – Cast Members on the various forms of Disney transportation should have transportation trading cards available if you ask. Sometimes they are out of stock, so if you strike out with one Cast Member, just ask another.
- World Showcase Crafts – There are “Kidcot” stations throughout Epcot where they can color crafts and have them for the rest of the day.
- Passports – Available during the various Epcot festivals, these passports that each kiosk will stamp can be a fun thing for the kids, or a good way to remember what you had if you’re Drinking Around the World! 😉
Transportation
- Monorail – Everyone knows that transportation inside Walt Disney World is free (and if you didn’t, you do now!), but the monorail is worth pointing out as free entertainment. For us, the monorail is a great “attraction,” and riding it around the resort loop is a relaxing and fun activity.
- Skyliner – Walt Disney World’s newest form of transportation is the Skyliner, which connects Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot to a handful of resorts. Anywhere else in the world, a gondola ride will cost you money (we paid a pretty penny in Switzerland…but it also took us to the top of a gorgeous mountain!) but there’s no charge at Walt Disney World. If you’re willing to spend some money, we highly recommend the Disney Skyliner Sip & Snack Stroll. It’s a great way to spend a day outside the parks!
- Boat Rides – Same goes for the many boats on Walt Disney World property. If you don’t have park tickets for a day and need something to do, relaxing on the boats can’t be beat. Highly recommend taking one out to Wilderness Lodge and wandering its gorgeous grounds.
- Buses – Resort to resort bus transportation is also free, but we wouldn’t recommend “joyriding” on the buses like we do with the Skyliner, monorail, or boats.
- Theme Park & Resort Parking – Guests of Walt Disney World resort hotels park for free the theme parks and at the resorts (once again) as of 2023.
Food
- Club Cool – This free soda spot is back in a new location in World Celebration at Epcot, right around the corner from Creations Shop! Sponsored by Coca-Cola, Club Cool in Epcot offers 8 drinks here from around the world. For those also looking for a quick jolt, this is a great option as every drink has copious amount of sugar. If you’re a Club Cool newbie, make sure to try the delicious Beverly.
- Cookie, Cotton Candy, or Ice Cream Samples – As you’re heading down Main Street in the Magic Kingdom, stop by the Confectionary. If it’s not too busy, there will likely be a Cast Member with samples of cookies, cotton candy, or some other sweet. Likewise, anywhere that serves ice cream will let you sample a flavor before you order. Standard practice here is to actually order ice cream after you take the sample, so it’s not entirely “free,” unless you don’t mind breaking custom.
- Water – No, not the drinking fountains! Walt Disney World counter service restaurants will give you a free cup of ice water. (With that said, we highly recommend bringing your own water bottle with filter–Florida water is gross!)
- Ice Cream – This is actually multiple “freebies” all in one. If you take the free Disney Vacation Club tour/pitch, you get free ice cream at the end. Each person who takes the tour is also likely to get a ‘token of appreciation’ for attending. Unlike most timeshare presentations, this isn’t high pressure, but it is highly persuasive. Just remember not to buy into Disney Vacation Club on the spot. (Read our Disney Vacation Club Buying Guide to see why that’s a bad idea.) The tour lasts around 2 hours, which is a lot of time to take away from your vacation just for some “free” ice cream; if you’re not actually interested in owning Disney Vacation Club, you might want to just pay for the ice cream elsewhere.
- Chocolate – If you do go to Disney Springs, the consolation is that Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop offers free chocolate samples.
- Refills – Sunshine Seasons and Regal Eagle Smokehouse at Epcot, Backlot Express in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Restaurantosaurus & Satu’li Canteen in Disney’s Animal Kingdom all have free, self-service drink refill stations. At all other restaurants, you are given your cup with the soda already in it. Just remember to follow the refillable mug rules! 😉
- Dining Under Age 3 – At Walt Disney World buffets and family-style restaurants, kids under age 3 eat for free off of a parents’ plate.
Nighttime Spectaculars
- Magic Kingdom Fireworks – The absolute best free spot to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks is from the Ticket & Transportation Center, just to the right of the entrance to the Ferry to the Magic Kingdom. Since the hard ticket parties are expensive, this is a great way to watch those shows for free (or a second time).
- Epcot Fireworks – You can also watch Epcot’s fireworks from most places around the Yacht & Beach Club or BoardWalk. I’d recommend the bridge between the two (nearer the Swan & Dolphin).
- Electrical Water Pageant – A Walt Disney World classic. This is a cute little light parade on Bay Lake outside the Magic Kingdom. Approximate show times are: 9 p.m. at Disney’s Polynesian Resort, 9:15 p.m. at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, 9:30 p.m. at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, 9:45 p.m. at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground, and 10 p.m. at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. This is a “Vacation Kingdom of the World” classic that we LOVE. So much, in fact, that it was one of our Top 101 Walt Disney World Tips!
Tours
- Christmas Decorations – Visiting resorts year-round is free (and probably such common knowledge that I don’t think it’s worth mentioning here…I’m not going to list every drinking fountain in the parks that offers “free water” or every restroom that has “free toilet paper”), but at Christmas it’s something worth mentioning. Then, you can take our “Self-Guided Yuletide Tour,” which is a great way to spend a non-parks day during the holiday season.
- Restaurant Tours – This is one we’ve never done, but apparently, the restaurants at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge offer free 30-minute tours focusing on the culinary selections and architecture. (Temporarily suspended.)
- Resort Tours – Here’s another one that we just learned about and haven’t had a chance to try. Called “The Wonders of Wilderness Lodge” tour, it’s open to any Disney resort-hotel guest. With the richness of Wilderness Lodge, I’m betting this tour is great. We’ve also heard that a few other Deluxe Resorts offer tours. Check with your hotel concierge for which ones and specific times. (Temporarily suspended.)
- Art Classes – Disney’s Art of Animation Resort offers free drawing classes that are open to any Walt Disney World resort hotel guests. The Animation Academy in Animal Kingdom also has drawing classes.
Other
- Hair Confetti – The Harmony Barber Shop on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom will sprinkle confetti and “pixie dust” on your kid’s hair for free. We’ve never done this ourselves, but we have friends who have, and it can really make the kid’s day. Our recommendation here would be to actually have their hair actually gelled and colored, as it’s less than $10, quick, and will really make your child’s day. Castle Couture (Fantasyland) also has “pixie dust.”
- Photography – Many guests assume PhotoPass is not useful for them if they’re not going to purchase the service. That’s not true at all–any PhotoPass Cast Member will take photos of you with your camera. Same goes for character attendants.
- First Aid – Dogs barking from walking too many miles at Walt Disney World? First Aid can give you some free Band-Aids if you get blisters. They also have things like Aspirin and other common medicines, but for anything more thorough, you’ll need to visit an urgent care center.
- WiFi – All of the Walt Disney World parks and all of the hotels have free WiFi available. Cell service can be spotty in the parks, causing a serious drain on your phone battery. To save battery life, I often put my phone into Airplane Mode and just turn on the WiFi if I’m not expecting any calls.
- Shopping Delivery – If you’re staying at a Walt Disney World resort hotel, anything you purchase in the parks can be delivered to your hotel for free. This is not available on the last day of your trip, but for all other days, this free service sure beats carrying around what you bought all day! Similarly, each park has a package storage service for items purchased. (Temporarily unavailable.)
- Wake Up Call – Guests of Walt Disney World resort hotels can request a free wake up call from Mickey or Stitch on their hotel phone. Soon, the “Hey, Disney” Alexa service will be able to do even more than that.
- Luggage Storage & Transfer – If you’re staying at multiple hotels, Bell Services at your Walt Disney World resort hotel will transfer your bags. If your flight isn’t until late in the day on your day of departure, Bell Services will hold your bags. Tips are customary in both of these situations.
- Disney Vacation Club Member Perks – From “Welcome Home Wednesdays” to complimentary DVD rental, Disney Vacation Club members receive many unpublicized freebies, plus discounts and more. Check out our list of the Top 10 DVC Member Perks for the best benefits of being a DVC Member.
That wraps up our list of “free” things at Walt Disney World. In reality, much of this is likely built into the cost of a trip, so you’re technically paying for it one way or the other. However, these enhancements would normally cost money in other circumstances (even in some locations at Walt Disney World), so we’re considering them free–or “no added cost” offerings.
As mentioned above, depending upon your definition of free, there are many more (or far fewer?) things that are free at Walt Disney World. We’ve left off most of the regular park entertainment and standard hotel perks off the list as those are normal and to be expected. Ultimately, with all we spend on Walt Disney World vacations, it’s nice to see a list with so many things that are basically added bonuses. We think it really shows the way Disney goes above and beyond, and exemplifies one of the reasons we love traveling to Walt Disney World so much!
For where to eat, try out our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews page. If you want to save money on tickets or determine which type you should get, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at unconventional things you should take on your trip. Once you arrive at the parks, our Walt Disney World “Ride Guides”are great for determining what to do and when to do it. For overviews of all of these topics and so much more, the best place to start is our comprehensive Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide to make the most of your experience!
Your Thoughts
So that’s our list, what’s on YOUR list of the best free things at Walt Disney World? Any other tips or lost-cost options? Any questions about taking advantage of these Walt Disney World freebies? Hearing from you is half the fun–even when you disagree with us–so please share your thoughts in the comments!
You mentioned going to other resorts to see decorations. We are looking to go in December and that was something we liked before. Our favorite was the Wilderness Lodge where we were not staying.
I have read that you cannot go to another resort unless you have a dining reservation. Is that true?
I am so glad to hear Beverly will be available. I cannot wait to watch my kids experience it for the first time! Yes, yes, I’m a terrible mother.
You mentioned the best free experience won’t be back until 2022. I curious, what experience is it? Sorry, if I missed it.
In reality, most of these aren’t “free” items. They are things that are included as part of your stay that you paid to get there. They just aren’t out of pocket expenses to put it another way. It’s nice to know about them, I just wouldn’t classify them that way. Walking down Main St. and a cast member offers you a free mug or shirt, something out of the blue, that is what I would call free.
I loved your Club Cool tip and just Googled the location – to find out it is now closed!
Great picture of Sarah, though!
Is there a credit card that has a respite room at Disney world like the one amex has at universal
Are the first visit buttons the same at all the parks and the resort or is each indicative of the particular location?
They are the same.
We are traveling to Walt Disney Disney World in January 2019. Y’all are the only site that mentions getting free HOT water at counter service restaurants. Could you possibly list a few of these restaurants offering the free hot water!?!
Most coffee places, like Joffreys and stuff, will give you a cup of free hot water.
We signed up for a DVC pitch when we went in July. It was actually a really great pitch. We were picked up and bright to Saratoga springs … had breakfast .. met with a really nice DVC salesman and walked out with three $100 gift cards (3 adults with different addresses so we all got one) and 4 fast passes for our whole party (including the kids and adult at the hotel). Fast passes had some ride restrictions but you didn’t have to book the fast passes, you could just walk up to a ride and use it. It was awesome! Honestly, if we didn’t get amazing military discounts then we probably would have purchased a vacation club membership but the pitch was actually really interesting and gave us some good info for future trips. Not only was it free but probably one of the few experiences that Disney paid is haha!
My twin and I just celebrated our 50th birthday at WDW and Disney Cruise. Wearing our buttons we got free Mickey luggage tags, a free dessert, free wooden nickel, and a million happy birthday wishes. We spent our 24 pre-cruise hours exploring Disney Springs, doing the monorail resorts hop ending at the Contemporary with fireworks (water pageant didn’t go on due to lightening) and the only cost was the chef salads we had for late dinner. The next morning we ran around Pop Century and Art of Animation taking tons of pictures with the cute icons and statues. Didn’t cost much- just the salads- but we laughed and had a blast. Fun and mostly free!
The Wilderness Explorer program in Animal Kingdom is FANTASTIC. A little cheesy for grown-ups but the cast members will gamely play along even if you don’t have any kids in your group. There are 29 badges (stickers) to collect from WE cast members throughout the park, and if you get all of them, you get a prize! There is no fee to play. It is kind of exhausting to try for all of them – even spread over two days and sometimes actively looking for the stations, we wore ourselves out.
I can’t recommend the celebration buttons highly enough, but note that they aren’t an automatic “give me free stuff” trick. We found that there was a lot more “extra magic” in Animal Kingdom and at Sanaa than at Epcot and Magic Kingdom – not sure if that correlates with crowds (both of the latter parks felt pretty busy). The “congratulations!” and “happy birthday!” throughout our stay were wonderful, and made the extra little “extra magic” things even more extraordinary.
Oh! If you’re staying at a Disney resort, they will ask during check-in if you’d like to skip daily housekeeping. If so, it’s a $10/night (minus the first night) e-gift card that’s emailed to you right away; you can still request things (“I’m out of soap” or “could I have a spare set of towels”), so you’re not condemning yourself to a week of the same towel if that’s a concern.
Disney Resorts have started charging to park at the resorts (I booked a vacation for June a month ago at Port Orleans Riverside) and it says I have to pay $18 a night to park my car there which I think is COMPLETE bs… but yeah, just an unfortunate update… :/
Hi, does anyone know if we can use the monorail and boats without being resort guests and without a park ticket? Hoping to take my little kids to Disney Springs and then on the boats. Thank you!!
Yes, you can.
The Disney hotels all charge $5 now for any packages you have delivered to the hotel during your stay. Just an update.
We read that we would be charged. But when we travelled in September 2018 POP we had 8 packages containing shirts arrive and were not charged.
It may have been mentioned before, but the Treasure of the Seven Seas was a great diversion and provided my daughter and me with at least ten free items. In Adventure Land, check in at the Crows Nest (I think) and get your first treasure map. Follow the clues, find each checkpoint, complete the challenge and return to the crows nest for a free “trading card”. Now you have a free treasure map and card. If you wish to continue, there are four other quests / maps / trading cards. Once you complete all five quests, you will be given a sixth card to signify you successfully completed the entire quest. This will give you five maps and six cards. If the cards are arranged in a specific pattern they will form a picture. We have displayed the maps and cards in a picture frame, along with some other Disney pirate souvenirs and they make very fun piece of art.
The entire quest process took us about one hour to complete, but it is extremely fun and well worth the time.
I thought they started charging for kidcot/ passport crafts at epcot during F&W festival? I hope that was simply a rumor 🙂
I can’t believe I know one that is not on the list! (Maybe it no longer exists?) On our June 2016 trip, we hunted high and low for a Tomorrowland pin like the one in the movie. A cast member let us in on a secret deal. At that time you could get a free Tomorrowland pin by visiting the showroom at the end of Test Track in Epcot and asking the workers there. The only catch was signing up to receive emails. One pin per email.
Are you sure Art of Animation still offers art classes? Elsewhere online says these have been discontinued.
Just come back 2 days ago and stayed in AOA. Art classes were available
Stayed in late May until early june and they were also still going on
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Florida tap water tastes a bit different than what my friends and I are used to but the heat was unbearable and we weren’t going to pay almost 3 dollars for a bottle of water so we went to a quick service and asked for a cup of water (no cost) but we didn’t like it! So next time we asked for a cup of ICE and waited for it to melt and the taste was different but in a much better way. So if you don’t like FL tap water ask for a cup of ice instead.
I always travel with a brita water bottle for this very reason. I’ve taken it all over the country and it helps no matter the taste. When at Disney, I’ll just ask for a glass of water(sometimes 2 depending on the size) and then poor it into my bottle.