There are many reasons guests will have a no park day during their Disney World vacation. Some guests do not want to use a park ticket on a half day, such as arrival or departure (sad) day. Others plan a rest day and skip the parks. No matter your reason for being at Disney World without a park ticket, there are many magical Disney moments to fill your day.
It is possible to even have a ticketless Disney World vacation, such as for short trips or if you are there for a sporting or youth event. For those traveling with an outside group, these ideas are perfect to squeeze in some Disney fun without the price of park tickets. Now onto how to spend a full day at Disney World without visiting the parks!
Start Your Morning With A Character Breakfast
Start your non park day by interacting with Disney characters at a Character Dining breakfast. There are various Disney Resorts that have character dining as an option. Start your morning with Lilo & Stitch at ‘Ohana. Dine with Princesses and Princes at Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast. Read more no park ticket to dine options. Plan for travel time and then up to 2 hours to dine.
Resort Hop
What is Resort hopping? It is when you travel to different Disney Resorts to explore. Guests can dine, walk around and shop at any Disney World Resort even if they are not staying there. The exclusion to activities is the pool, which is reserved for Resort guests only. Guests will find delicious dining options, fun photo opportunities and more while they are exploring various Resorts. A fun way to Resort Hop is to visit the locations around the monorail loop, the monorail is a bonus ride! Also, here are 10 reasons why you should visit Animal Kingdom Lodge. Plan for 2-3 hours to walk around and explore.
Holiday Bonus: for those traveling during the Christmas season, here are Must Visit Resorts during Christmastime.
Have Some Virtual Reality Fun
The VOID at Disney Springs is a virtual reality experience. The actual virtual reality lasts about 15 minutes, plus time for debriefing prior to starting. However, I have heard nothing but amazing reviews from past guests, saying it was well worth the cost to try.
Have Dinner & A Movie
Guests can have dinner and a movie at AMC 24 in Disney Springs with Dining with Fork & Screen. Make it a date night at Disney! Be sure to check movies and times on your non-park day as a possible activity. This is a great alternative to have in mind in case of bad weather.
PhotoPass Studio
What better time to grab some family photos than while at Disney World?! The weather is warm and everyone is happy to be on vacation. However, even in the rain the PhotoPass Studio is perfect for group photos. Even better, no appointment is necessary and all photos are included with your purchase of Memory Maker.
Go Shopping
Shopping is a favorite pastime of mine, or rather browsing. There are many fun shops to browse throughout Disney Springs. Such as at Basin stop in for a complimentary washing with luxurious hand scrub. At the Coca-Cola Store guests can meet & greet with the Coca-Cola Bear! Grab a personalized ornament at Days of Christmas. Disney Springs also contains the largest retail shop on Disney property, the World of Disney. This is just a sampling of the fun stores to find, happy shopping!
Have Your Cake & Eat It Too
Guests can partake in a Cake Decorating experience at Amorette’s Patisserie. This instructor led class allows guests to create and keep their own Character Dome cake. The class is 90 minutes long. While no park ticket is needed, this experience does cost an additional price. Refreshments will be served while you are working on your cake, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Guests at least 10 years of age are invited to come try their cake making skills and learn some new ones!
Get A Dole Whip
For Dole Whip fanatics, there are 2 locations at Disney World to satisfy your craving with no park ticket. Firstly, guests can head to Pineapple Lanai at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. Another option is at Disney Springs at Marketplace Snacks.
When Night Falls, See Fireworks & The Electrical Parade
After a day of non-park magical Disney experiences, end your evening with fireworks. There are various locations where guests can catch fireworks outside the parks. Al though you will miss the eye-level entertainment, the fireworks light up the sky from miles away. Here are 10 Walt Disney World resort locations with unexpected views. Another fun nighttime entertainment option, outside park entrances is the Electrical Water Pageant. This 15 minute parade of lighted floats can be easily seen on the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake from Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
Learn more tips and tricks for your next Walt Disney World vacation. Destinations in Florida can also help you add tips and tricks to your next vacation.
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