1-Day No Parks Disney World Itinerary
Wondering what to do outside of the parks with your free day at Walt Disney World? You could relax around the pool, decompressing after a long day in Magic Kingdom. Or, you could have a day jam-packed with fun and the multitude of other entertainment beyond the theme parks in the Vacation Kingdom of the World.
In this touring plan, we take a look at how you can fill that free day from morning until night, exploring parts of Walt Disney World you might not otherwise see. Unlike our other 1-Day Disney Parks Itineraries, here we have a “choose your own adventure” element as some of the options here may not appeal to everyone.
So, we have an alternative path: Adventure B. This path is geared more towards families, but when you don’t see it as an option, it’s because the recommendation is the same for all. (Except Trader Sam’s…that’s for adult playtime after the kiddies are in bed.)
While this touring plan will work year round, if you’re visiting during Christmas season, I highly recommend following our Self-Guided Yuletide Tour of Walt Disney World plan instead of this one. Check out our Ultimate Guide to Christmas at Walt Disney World for additional ideas to fill out the day if you want more to do.
It’s also worth noting that you could literally fill a week or more enjoying the non-park side of things at Walt Disney World. There’s a lot to do in the parks, but it’s much easier to narrow each of the parks–even the Magic Kingdom and Epcot–down to a single day.
If this full day schedule is too ambitious for your “relaxation day,” feel free to cut elements and slow things down. You could also use the second half of the touring plan for your arrival day at Walt Disney World if you’re not heading into the parks! Even with the full day, a lot of possibilities have to be cut, so I’m hoping those of you Walt Disney World veterans who read the blog make additional suggestions in the comments to help the first-timers out.
Alright, let’s get started with our day…
Trail Start for Breakfast – Our tour begins here, on this haunted trail. Well, I’m not sure Trail’s End is actually haunted, but it’s where I recommend starting for breakfast, with a 7 am reservation (no sleeping in on this “relaxation” day!).
Not only is breakfast at Trail’s End cheap, delicious, and quiet, but an early morning stroll in Fort Wilderness will have you saying to yourself, “I’m at Walt Disney World?!” The overgrown woods, the morning light illuminating the Spanish Moss, and the secluded, underdeveloped nature of it all makes it feel unlike anywhere else at Walt Disney World. I often say Fort Wilderness is one of the overlooked gems at Walt Disney World, and this is a great chance to take it in. Next, take a boat to Wilderness Lodge…
Adventure B: Breakfast at Cape May Cafe at Disney’s Beach Club Resort. This is a character breakfast, so it might be a better option for those with kids.
Wonders of Wilderness Lodge – In our Free Things at Walt Disney World post, we cover some of the free tours at Walt Disney World. One such tour is the Wonders of Wilderness Lodge tour, which is held at 9 am Wednesday through Saturday.
The tour covers everything from Walt Disney’s love of trains to the materials used in building Wilderness Lodge to its backstory and inspiration from Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone National Park, among other National Park Lodges. As this review accurately states, the content on this free tour rivals many of the paid tours.
Adventure B: Swan-shaped paddleboat rental at the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resorts, spending an hour on the water.
Head to the Springs – This blog used to rag on Downtown Disney as being a waste of time. With Disney Springs, this is no longer the case. If anything, you need days (plural) to try all of the exceptional restaurants at Disney Springs. The shopping is good, too–but we’re all about the food.
The new shopping and entertainment district also has a great vibe to it, and there are some interesting stores and entertainment options. Plan to spend 2-3 hours here, doing whatever interests you.
If you want to grab snacks at Disney Springs, our top recommendation is Amorette’s Patisserie, which serves some of the best and most beautiful desserts at Walt Disney World. For a full meal, there’s no shortage of options, so consult our Disney Springs Restaurant Rankings.
Savanna Fun – Much like Fort Wilderness, Animal Kingdom Lodge is another out-of-the-way place many Walt Disney World guests never visit. This is a shame, as I consider it the best and thematically-richest of all the resorts. Don’t worry (were you getting worried?), we are going to spend a decent amount of time there.
Start by heading to Sanaa in Kidani Village, which is another of my hidden dining gems at Walt Disney World (request a window table) for a late, light lunch (or do The Mara counter service in Jambo House if you really aren’t hungry). This can be a culinary adventure, but there are safe options for picky eaters in your party.
After this, head to Jambo House for more fun. You can start by heading out behind the building to the trails that allow you an up close view of the savanna. Here, there are Cast Members who are incredibly knowledgeable, and can teach you about the animals and life on the savanna (some nice “edutainment,” so you don’t feel as guilty about pulling the kids out of school for the week! 😉 ).
After this, at 4 pm, head to the Boma restaurant podium. No, we aren’t going to eat again already! This is for another free tour, this one the Culinary Tour of Animal Kingdom Lodge. This is a 30-minute tour covers the art and culinary inspirations of Boma and Jiko (plus free samples!), and is fascinating even if you aren’t a foodie.
Adventure B: Play a round of miniature golf at Winter Summerland, located near Blizzard Beach water park.
Transportation Fun – Once finished at Animal Kingdom Lodge, catch a bus to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. From there, catch a boat to the BoardWalk to enjoy a pleasant afternoon (perhaps sunset, depending upon the time of year) stroll there, perhaps stopping to split a snack at Boardwalk Bakery (one of the best bakeries at Walt Disney World) if you’re at all hungry.
Walk around the full loop that goes past Yacht & Beach Club and the Swan & Dolphin, and then take the walking path back to Disney’s Hollywood Studios (or take a boat). From the Studios, catch a bus to the Magic Kingdom and then take a monorail to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. Walt Disney World transportation is a means of getting from point A to point B, but if you slow down and enjoy it, boat and monorail transportation can be attractions unto themselves.
Adventure B: Take a bus directly to the Magic Kingdom, then a boat to Wilderness Lodge.
Polynesian Dinner Delights – There are a lot of great places to eat dinner at the Magic Kingdom area resorts, but I’m going to suggest dining at either ‘Ohana or Kona Cafe at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort because of the way it sets up the rest of the evening.
Both of these restaurants are delicious, family-friendly places. If you want something more romantic, try Artist Point at Wilderness Lodge or The Wave at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, both of which I consider hidden gems. After dinner, you can enjoy the Electrical Water Pageant from the Poly.
Adventure B: Head to Wilderness Lodge for a hijinks-filled meal at Whispering Canyon Cafe, and then head to Fort Wilderness for the free Chip ‘N Dale’s Campfire Sing-A-Long.
Free-irworks – There is no better way to end a day at Walt Disney World than with fireworks. Fortunately, with fireworks being so high in the sky, it’s pretty easy to watch them for free.
The beach of the Polynesian offers a nice view, and the new Sunset Pointe is another good spot, but my favorite location for watching and photographing the Magic Kingdom fireworks is at the Ticket & Transportation Center, to the right of the ferry dock. This is a short walk from the Poly.
Nightcap – Since you’re only a stone’s throw away from the #2 bar in all of the worldwide Disney Parks, it would be a crime not to go to it, right?! (Yes, yes it would be.) From here, take the walking trail back to the Poly, which makes for a delightful nighttime stroll. Once there, end your night with drinks and kitschy fun at Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto.
After this, stumble back to your room and you’ve just completed quite the jam-packed “rest day” outside of the Walt Disney World parks!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? If you’re interested in learning more about hotels, our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page is a good place to start. 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…
What do you like to do outside of the parks at Walt Disney World? Do you typically plan a “rest day” outside of the parks? Anything on this plan you’d change? If you have any thoughts or questions, please post them in the comments!
Hey Tom my wife and I will spending four nights down there in April. We will be staying at Bay Lake Tower and have an idea of how to cramp the four parks into three days (Saturday, Sunday And Monday, checking out Tuesday) Being that we can’t check in on Friday until 4pm, I was wondering if you thought spending that evening in Disney Springs, and maybe bouncing around the resorts was a good use of time? And then we have to figure out how to jam Rockin Roller Coaster, TOT, and perhaps Star Tours into the equation for those days as well. We will be drinking around the world whichever day we choose for Epcot! ANy suggestions?
Does anyone know if off-site guests are able to go to the chip and dales campfire sing along? I’m taking my kids for the second time in May and this is something I thought might be fun to do the night we arrive since we won’t be going to the parks.
Info from:
http://www.themouseforless.com/tripplanning/resorts/wdw/pdf/FWCalendar.pdf
Admission is free and open to all Disney guests whether staying at Fort Wilderness or not.
Off-site is not included 🙁 Sorry. Not sure if you’re required to present room key, but it could ruin your night to show up & not gain access.
Fort Wilderness Campfire Sing-Along & Movie Schedule during Feb 2016:
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Dumbo, A Bug’s Life, Pocahontas, Brave, Hercules, Finding Nemo, Ratatouille, Up, The Princess and the Frog, The Incredibles, Cars, Inside Out, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
We did a 3 day No-park trip this Spring. On arrival day we did Beaches & Cream, walked Boardwalk, back to B&C for dessert. (It was raining/pouring so Fantasia Gardens didn’t happen and no strolling entertainment on the Boardwalk that day.)
Day 2: Winter Summerland, Caribbean Beach hammock time, Hoop Dee Do, smores at Wilderness Lodge, tail end of movie, Dole Whip, Electric Light parade & Wishes from Poly beach.
Day 3 afternoon: (Nothing special that morning) Boat from Riverside to Downtown Disney, dinner, shopping, Cirque de Soleil, YeeHaa Bob back at Riverside.
Departure morning: beignets at French Quarter before boarding Magical Express.
(We did split stay between CBR & POR)
It was an awesome trip! Relaxing and we felt like we did so many things you wouldn’t normally sacrifice your park time to fit in on ‘regular’ trip.
Another fun thing to do for those who want to enjoy the wildlife of Wilderness Lodge – take a trail ride at Tri-Circle-D Ranch. We did that on our last trip, and saw a variety of animals. You can also just check out the ranch and animals at the ranch, even if you don’t want to trail ride.
We are staying at Beach Club Villas in May, how long would you say the walk is to the Boardwalk bakery?
Around 10-15 minutes, tops.
We’ve been to WDW many times now… and have yet to have a no-park day. We’ve had days where we slept in and planned on relaxing around the hotel, but we always end up in a park anyway! 🙂
With Annual Passes, we usually end up in the parks, too. Especially when there are evening Extra Magic Hours in the Magic Kingdom.
And they say everything at Disney World is sooo expensive. Well, you just proved them wrong Tom.
Our favorite hotel is Riverside. The boat ride to DD is our river cruise, the destination, secondary. Since we’re older now, we’ve added a hotel day, utilizing many amenities, including the arcade. Then there’s miniature golf. The winner responsible for drinks, of course. If more exercise is in the wind, we hop on a bus Gus (sorry, couldn’t help it) and hotel hop. Especially in December. We also ride the monorails, with no destination in mind. An upside of this is we get to speak with guests as they travel to and from their destinations. We’ve even been able to help a few first timers.
It’s a good thing I’m not rich (think Bill Gates), as I’d move into WDW. Not Orlando, not the Golden Gate mansions (or whatever they’re called), but Disney World itself. (Heavy sigh).
You know what, I didn’t even think about the boat ride from Riverside to Downtown Disney when putting this list together. Going from Downtown Disney to Riverside via boat is a great idea. Don’t know how to add it to this plan, but I love doing that.
Love this article. Disneyland is my “home park” and I can scarcely hope to make it back to FL in the coming years, but I could easily spend 2 out of every 3 days outside the parks there.
Agreed, there’s so much to do outside of the parks in Florida. That’s perhaps the biggest downside to Disneyland Resort. Yeah, there’s Downtown Disney and the hotels, but they don’t even approach the non-park entertainment in the swamps.
Thank you for reminding us of some of the items to experience outside of the park. This is the tip of the iceberg. You mostly covered free items, but there is lots more to do without spending much more. For example, you can take a horse-drawn carriage, rent a boat, have a smore’s bonfire, movie night (if you stay at the resorts), etc.
I have to agree the tour is amazing at the Wilderness Lodge. Its free and covers a ton of American history when on it.
Also if you are staying at the Wilderness and when walking to the bus area take a small break and look to the woods on the left (right at the spot were the two resort paths meet). Many people miss it but it in the morning hours the deer feed in the woods right outside the path. They can be as close as 20 feet and people rushing to the buses never see them. They might not be there that morning but would still be cool to see if it is not the norm for you.
Another great article – – Thank you Tom.
So what you’re saying is this itinerary is basically the equivalent of a day at school for kids in terms of educational value! 😉
I’ve seen deer at both Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness. I’ve also seen turkey, of all things, on the road in front of Fort Wilderness. That was unexpected!
These are all great suggestions!
If you’re traveling with a very little kid (we did a Poly trip when our daughter was 8 weeks old), you could spend the whole time at resorts and just skip the parks entirely. The key there is knowing what resort clusters are walkable and don’t require folding a stroller or getting on a bus. For example:
– Grand Floridian/Wedding Pavillion/Poly/TTC is a nice walk around Bay Lake (and you can board the MK boat or Epcot monorail at TTC for a free ride somewhere and keep your stroller built)
– The Crescent Lake area (Boardwalk, Beach Club, Yacht Club, Swan/Dolphin)
– Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter for theme, good eating, and a nice walk along the river
Head to one of these resorts and spend a good half day walking between the others, spending as much time as you want eating, checking out gift shops, or just relaxing, especially when you’re little one is napping in the stroller.
Great tips, and excellent point about the folding of the stroller. Not having kids, that’s something I didn’t consider when writing this, but I’ve seen many families struggle with strollers on the buses, so I can only imagine what a hassle they can be sometimes.
Jellyrolls on the Boardwalk is a must-visit if you have babysitters. This pianists are just superb.
My AP just expired yesterday, with a record 7.7 weeks inside the parks! I have a week at the beginning of December with plans to do many of your Christmas and outside the parks ideas. Love the blog, enjoyed it for some time now. 🙂
That’s a lot of park time! 🙂 Glad you enjoy the blog.
This is awesome! We plan to spend one day off during our Honeymoon. Although, I will probably mainly use your guide to touring the hotels at Christmastime 🙂
I can think of a different itinerary for a honeymoon off day, but touring the hotels at Christmas is a good one, too. 😉
Did you ever write up for a honeymooners off day at Disney? My fiancé and I are taking our first time ever trip in about a month and I’m guessing we’d be interested in a lot of things on that list.
Putt Putt Golf at “Fantasia Gardens” near the Swan and Dolphin.
Instead of Disney Quest..get card for video games at the Poly.
Tea at the Grand Floridian.
Re: Paddle Boats…paddle anything. This was on the boardwalk with their “surry’ type carts and it was NOT worth it, unless you normally do bikes, stationary bikes etc. Because that’s basically what it is…30 mins of “Stair Master” made worse if you have kids in the cart that give up peddling.
Great suggestions and nice tip on the paddle-things. I regularly bike, so I don’t mind that sort of thing, but the surrey bikes just look scary to me because of that big hill between Beach Club and Boardwalk. I always see people flying down that thing!
Some of our best memories are made doing things outside of the parks… We are sports fans and like hanging out at the ESPN Club on the Boardwalk. Sometimes they do live radio shows there and have trivia nights. We also enjoy the mini-golf courses near the Swan & Dolphin resorts—Fantasia Gardens. On our next trip we’re looking forward to Trader Sam’s and watching a movie under the stars at our resort!
As a kid, I loved ESPN Club and All Star Cafe (it was part owned by Ken Griffey Jr!!!) at Wide World of Sports. One of my fondest memories was watching a Braves game, and later seeing Tom Glavine at Downtown Disney.
Great post! I’ve never heard of some of these options. We are planning to try a couple of break days on our upcoming trip.
If you have the Water Park Fun & More option on your tickets, I’d also highly recommend Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach on a break day. The water parks are great ways to decompress after busy days in the 4 main parks.
We will have park hoppers for the first time on our upcoming trip (free dining stipulation), so our park days will probably be a bit more hectic than usual. I will definitely consider the water parks and more option for future trips. I didn’t do it this time (instead of park hopper), because none of the options looked amazing but the water parks, and it will be late November. Thanks for the suggestion!
I love this blog. Wish I was at Trader Sam’s right now. 🙂
Don’t we all…don’t we all. 🙂
Hi Tom! I Google mapped the TTC and there appear to be two docks. Can you provide a little more clarity as to the best vantage point? We plan to watch the Electric Water Parade from the Poly and walk over to the TTC for the MNSSHP fireworks. Thank you!
It’ll be directly to the right of the ferry boat passenger exit. Unless you want photos, you might consider just staying at the Poly for the fireworks, too.
Do one for Disneyland next! I have to attend a conference at the Disneyland Hotel, but will have a lot of downtime before my Twilight Tickets are active at the park.
Ohhh, that’s a tougher one. That is, unless you head off property, in which case it becomes super easy. Lots to do in Los Angeles and Orange County!