15+ Exciting Things to do on Your “Day Off” from Disney Parks

Maybe you have some extra time on your arrival day. Or maybe you have a chill “day off” from the parks. Maybe, on your departure day, you have a few hours where you can squeeze in a little more fun.

There are so many things to do at Disney in addition to the parks! Here are a few of our favorites:

1. Relax and Chill at Your Resort

There are so many things you can do at your resort – or you can do absolutely nothing! Resorts have pools, restaurants, campfires, movies, arcades, and some even have spas.

• Sleep Late
• Take a Nap
• Pool Day– My kiddos could stay at the pool all day! We did a few other things in the morning and headed to the pool after lunch. The resort had trivia, movies, and s’ mores at/or near the pool. We even ordered pizza and ate it at the pool. (See below)
• Order Pizza by the Pool – Most resorts have restaurants and outdoor patios (and some have bars) near the pool.
• Movies by the pool – Our hotel showed Disney Movies on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights. Check at the front desk of your resort or call to find out when movies at the pool are available.
• Movies Under the Stars- Many resorts offer Disney Movies at their resort out on a lawn. If your resort doesn’t offer this, you can “resort hop” to another resort that is having Movies Under the Stars.
• Arcade
• Jogging & Walking Trails
• Playgrounds
• Spas – There are many resorts and places where you can get pampered at the spa. The Yacht Club, The Grand Floridian, Coronado Springs, Saratoga Springs, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and the Dolphin Hotel all have spas and salons. If you aren’t staying at these resorts, you can make the trip over to one of these salons – just call ahead 407-WDW-SPAS (you might want to call ahead even if you are staying at the resort).

2. Hitch a Ride

These rides may not be as exciting as the roller coasters in the parks, but they are still a lot of fun. We enjoyed taking some leisurely rides around all of the Disney Properties and checking everything out. We are excited to ride the Skyliner on our next trip.

• Buses – My favorite thing about staying on Disney property is parking my car and not having to drive around the rest of our vacation. We could just hop on a bus to get to other resorts, the parks, and Disney Springs.
• Boats – These ferry boats are a very relaxing way to get around the Disney World Resort. They sail to and from Magic Kingdom Park, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney Springs. The boats run every 15-30 minutes.
• Monorail- Disney World has two monorails. One monorail serves Disney’s Polynesian Resort, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and The Grand Floridian – the hotels on the Magic Kingdom monorail loop. This monorail connects at the Transportation Center to the second monorail that travels to Epcot. See more info on the Monorail HERE
• Disney Skyliner – Aerial Gondola Coming Fall 2019. Read more about the Skyliner HERE.

3. Art Class at Art of Animation (and Resort Tour)

*** Please call ahead and double-check about the Art Class. It had been canceled/modified on our last visit.

When we were at Disney, we heard about a FREE art class at the Art of Animation. I called ahead and was told that we could attend the next classes, and we didn’t have to be staying at the Art of Animation to participate.

The Art Classes were being held at 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 5 p.m. on the day we were visiting. The kids learned how to draw Stitch. The whole class only lasts about 15 minutes, but we also toured this resort (It is so cool!), and had some lunch at Landscape of Flavors. We also checked out the gift shop here to see what goodies they had.

This whole experience was a great way to “stretch” the Disney experience without spending any money (well, except for paying for lunch).

4. Disney Springs

Things to do with Kids at Disney Springs:

• Shopping –High-end & Boutique shopping, Retail shopping, Kids/Toys Shopping, Marvel shopping, Star Wars shopping, etc.
• Movies – AMC Theatre on the West Side of Disney Springs
• Restaurants – T-Rex Restaurant, Rainforest Cafe, Planet Hollywood, etc. There are also several places to get candy, ice cream, candied apples, cupcakes, etc.
• Bowling – Splitsville Bowling Alley is a two-floor bowling alley. It includes food, bowling, and live music. The bowling alley is open until 1 AM See more from our visit to Splitsville HERE.
• Star Wars Secrets Of The Empire – A hyper-reality Star Wars experience
• Characters in Flight – Disney-themed hot air balloon rises 400 feet above Disney Springs
• Splash Pad (free)
• Build Race Cars at the Lego Store (free)
• Marketplace Carousel- Small for little kids ($3 per ride)
• Small Train Ride –This is a small train, but adults can ride also ($3 per ride).
• Take pictures with Disney Toy Statues or large LEGO Figurines (located in Marketplace – FREE)
• Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique – Kids ages 3-12 can get pampered and have a royal makeover to become a princess or a knight. It is located in the Marketplace area near Once Upon A Toy. You can call 407-WDW-STYLE to make reservations.

See my post about things to do at Disney Springs with kids HERE.

5. Disney Warehouse Outlet

When we finally arrived at Orlando, we headed to the Disney Warehouse Outlet (address below). This is a great place to get Disney shirts, Princess dresses, and souvenirs. And, the prices are so much less expensive than the Disney Parks & Resort souvenir shops.

We got some Cars Mickey Ears for 5.99 and several shirts. I got a Mickey shirt for 1.99! I think the most we spent on a shirt was 12.99, and the t-shirts in the parks can run up to 39.99.

This is a great spot to check out for souvenirs and clothing. They carry dresses, toys, hats, coffee mugs, etc. Keep in mind that this huge outdoor mall is very popular and crowded. And parking is crazy!

Address:

Disney Warehouse Character Outlet // 4951 International Drive // Orlando, FL 32819

6. Disney Boardwalk

• Rent a Surrey bike – The whole family can bike all the way around the water in the Epcot-area resorts (In addition to renting Surrey Bikes at the Boardwalk, you can also rent them at Wilderness Lodge, Saratoga Springs, Old Key West, Port Orleans Riverside, and Caribbean Beach resorts at Walt Disney World.)
  
• Enjoy Weekend Boardwalk entertainment – Visit the Boardwalk in the evenings Thursday – Saturday to see midway games, jugglers, and magic shows
  
• Get Your Eat On – Enjoy some delicious food at the Boardwalk. Options include Trattoria al Forno, Boardwalk Bakery, Flying Fish, Big River Grill & Brewing Works, and ESPN Club.
  
• Ice Cream -Cool off with some ice cream at Ample Hills Creamery

Read more about Disney’s Boardwalk HERE.

7. Mini Golf

My son is obsessed with mini golf, so this was the perfect activity for him. We took the bus from our resort over to Hollywood Studios and from there we took a boat over to the Dolphin & Swan Hotels. From there, it was just a short walk to Fantasia Mini Golf.

We were staying on property at a Disney Resort so we were given a “gift” of 4 free rounds of Mini Golf at either Fantasia Gardens or Winter Summerland.

8. Chip ‘N Dales Campfire Sing A Long (w/ Movie & S’ mores)

When I first visited Disney World as a kid, we camped at The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort. One of my favorite memories was the nightly sing-a-long with s’ mores and a movie.

Even if you’re not staying at the campground, you can still visit and enjoy the sing-a-long and movie. You can bring your own s’ mores fixin’s or purchase them at the campsite.

For more activities at Fort Wilderness Resorts, scroll down to #10 & #11. This resort offers tours, pony rides, horseback riding, and wagon & carriage rides.

Read more about Chip ‘N Dales Campfire Sing A Long HERE.

9. Tour Resorts

Disney World allows you to visit their resorts – many call it “resort hopping”. Each resort is unique with its own themes, decor, restaurants, and activities. The only thing you can’t do at other resorts is to swim in the pool. You can only swim in the pool where you are staying. 

Best Resorts to Tour:

• Art of Animation – Art of Animation is over-the-top Disney-themed and young kids will love it. The kiddos will enjoy seeing the huge Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, Cars, and Lion King areas. The resort also offers free art classes (see #3 for more info). You can also hop a ride on a bus or the new Disney Skyliner from this resort.
• Animal Kingdom Lodge – The gorgeous lobby is worth the trip to this resort. You can also (maybe) see some of the 100 animals in the 3 surrounding savannas. Ask for a daily schedule at the Front Desk and pick your favorite activities – from animal feedings to cookie decorating at BOMA.
• Contemporary – The kids will love that the monorail goes right through the middle of the building. At night, you can also watch Magic Kingdom fireworks and/or the Electrical Water Pageant Parade.

Many resorts host Movies Under the Stars. These movies are free/complimentary to all those staying at a Disney World Resort. See more information for locations and times HERE.

10. Carriage Rides

Kids will love pretending to be Anna, Hans, and/or Cinderella in a fun carriage ride. A family of four (or less) can ride in style in a horse-drawn carriage (or sleigh rides at Christmas time) while at Disney World. Carriage rides are twenty-five minutes and are available at Fort Wilderness and Port Orleans Riverside Resorts. Advanced reservations are recommended.

Read more about Disney World Carriage Rides HERE.

11. Tri-Circle D Ranch

While we’re on the subject of buggy rides, I want to let you know about Disney’s Tri-Circle D Ranch. This Ranch is located at The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort.

• Pony Rides (about $8)
• Horseback Rides- (About $55)
• Carriage Rides & Holiday Sleigh Rides (Each horse-drawn carriage ride costs $55.)
• Wagon Rides- (Adults $12, Kids 3-12 $8, Kids 2 and under free)
• Ranch Tour – See the horses from Main Street, USA, and Cinderella’s horses. You can also watch a blacksmith make horseshoes. The whole family will enjoy seeing Appaloosas, Arabians, Belgians, Clydesdales, paint horses, Percherons and quarter horses, and Shetland ponies.

Read More about Tri-Circle D Ranch HERE.

14. ESPN Wide World of Sports

The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is a huge sports facility. 
Admission fees vary depending on the event. We were given free tickets to ESPN since we were staying on Disney Property.

See upcoming sports events at ESPN Wide World of Sports HERE.

15. Explore Orlando & Surrounding Areas

Here are a few fun things you can do with kiddos in the city of Orlando:

• Crayola Experience
• Orlando Science Museum
• Sea Life Aquarium
• iDrive Nascar Indoor Race Car Driving
• Blue Man Group
• Gatorland
• Titanic Artifact Exhibition
• Paddle Boarding and Kayaking
• Dolphin Tours
• Cirque du Soleil

Day Trips From Orlando:

If you actually want to get out of Orlando for a fun day trip, check out this post 11 Great Day Trips from Orlando, Florida.

***Bonus:

Get Your EAT on – Disney Food Crawl

Some of my favorite parts of our Disney trip was the food! I did feel that we were so rushed in the parks. We enjoyed our meals, but we still felt like we needed to rush off to the next fun thing.

If you have a day off from the parks, you can have a relaxing character breakfast (not in a park), have a pastry at The Boardwalk Bakery, eat lunch at Sanaa at the Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village, eat a cupcake at Sprinkles at Disney Springs, and have dinner at a fun all-you-can-eat Dinner Show.

Here are some Character Meals outside of the Disney Parks:

• 1900 Park Fare – Located at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. Character Meals at Breakfast & Dinner. See Mary Poppins, Alice, Mad Hatter, Tigger, Winnie the Pooh
• Cape May Cafe – is located at Disney’s Beach Club Resort and has a Character Meal at Breakfast. Minnie’s Beach Bash Breakfast with Minnie Mouse and some of her friends – Minnie, Daisy, Donald, and Goofy.
• Chef Mickey’s – is located at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Character Meals for Breakfast, Brunch, and Dinner. Meet Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald, and Goofy.
• Garden Grove – Located at the Swan Hotel. Character meals at Dinner. Meet Goofy & Pluto
• O’hana – Located at Disney’s Polynesian Resort. Character Meals at Breakfast. Meet Lilo & Stitch.
• Trattoria al Forno – is located at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort. Character Meals at Breakfast. Meet Rapunzel, Flynn Rider, Ariel, and Prince Eric.
  

Dinner Shows

• Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue – Located at Fort Wilderness Resort. All-you-can-eat BBQ, Fried Chicken, Sides, and Strawberry Shortcake with a 2-hour comedy/musical show.

Drawn to Life – Disney’s Cirque du Soleil Show

• Drawn to Life – “Cirque du Soleil’s inventive design, acrobatic performances, stunning choreography, and varied costuming reimagine the art of classic Disney animation. All of the mind-blowing exuberance and high-flying stunts for which Cirque du Soleil is renowned are present in the performance.” – Drawn to Life Website

What do you like to do on your “day off” from the Disney Parks?

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