While we know most people take a Walt Disney World vacation to spend time in the riding rides and enjoying the parks, Walt Disney World is so much more than Park Hopping! Disney Resort guests have countless other activities that they can participate in and guess what… they’re FREE! Yes, trust us there are FREE activities at Walt Disney World that you can participate in.
Upon arriving at your Resort, we highly recommend checking out the “scheduled activities” that you will more often than not find on a board in the resort's lobby and also near the pool. This will outline all of the activities going on during your stay. On this board, you’ll find a location and time for nightly campfires which last for about an hour at each resort, where guests can roast and enjoy complimentary marshmallows (and yep, they're unlimited!) with the option to purchase a s'mores making kit if they would like to do so.
All Disney Resorts also host Movies Under the Stars. Some Resorts may offer them on specific nights, while others have them nightly. We recommend checking with the front desk or posted signs for what your resort has scheduled. Cast Members will set up a giant projector screen to feature a Disney Movie Under the Stars once the sun goes down and some resorts like the Disney's Beach Club, have a back up plan in the event of rain where they then play a movie in the Atrium. Other Resorts also may move theirs inside to a Community Hall or cancel the movie for the night due to inclement weather. And Pro Tip: make sure you stop by the pool and grab some towels to sit on for the movie!
Every Disney Resort has a feature pool. At moderate and deluxe resorts it will be the pool with a slide, while at the value resorts the feature pool is often located near the resort's lobby and dining hall. Weather permitting there will be daily Cast Member lead activities that are fun for the whole family. These activities can include Disney Trivia, chalk art, relay races, dance parties and if you're lucky they may even break out some hula hoops for a competition. You don’t have to be a kid to participate either! One of our travel experts' husband looks forward to Disney trivia more than most kids do! Plus, when the daily activities are over the Cast Members may just have a special prize for you to take home.
Disney's Boardwalk Resort is the perfect destination for an evening without plans! You never know who or what you may encounter when visiting the Boardwalk. There are nightly performers and entertainers who show off their areas of expertise, you may learn some new tricks from a magician..hold on to your pins… you might find some entertainers juggling or even acrobatics and a silly sideshow. This is also a great place to watch the sunset and take some photos! The Boardwalk is also conveniently located at the EPCOT stop on the Skyliner.
Speaking of the Skyliner - Taking a ride on the Skyliner or Monorail and resort hopping is always a fun and exciting way to experience new resorts and check out where you may want to stay for your next Walt Disney World vacation. Just keep in mind while it doesn’t require park admission to ride the monorail you will have to go through security. Also, while you are on your adventure around different Walt Disney World Resorts, keep your eyes peeled for hidden mickeys! You’ll be shocked by how many you'll see when you look for them!
Located at select Disney Deluxe Resorts, The Community Hall is a room full of arts and crafts, video games, toddler friendly activities like blocks and even an extensive selection of board games. Any art work that you make, you are more than welcome to bring home with you as a souvenir from your vacation! They may even have magnets to create! Community Halls are generally open from mid morning to late evening depending on the location and are full of complimentary activities, but they may also have some activities available for purchase like tie dye kits and pottery to paint. When visiting a Community Hall make sure you ask the Cast Members working if they have any scavenger hunts planned!
Here’s a list of the different Resorts with Community Halls:
Bay Lake Tower
Animal Kingdom Lodge
Boardwalk Villas
Old Key West
Riviera
Saratoga Springs
Comments