Experience Disney On A Budget Without Purchasing Theme Park Tickets

Let’s face it, times are tough and a Walt Disney World vacation can break the bank. There are ways your family can experience Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida without paying the hefty cost for theme park tickets. Look no further, I have compiled the links so you do not have to spend hours researching Disney activities outside of the theme parks.

Character dining experiences allow you to get up close and personal with some of your favorite Disney pals. You will be able to capture kodak moments and the memories will last a lifetime! Various resorts inside the gates of Disney offer character dining experiences and DO NOT require a park ticket.

  • Cape May Cafe at Disney’s Beach Club Resort: serves all-you-care-to-eat breakfast and dinner buffets in a seaside setting. Meet Goofy and friends in the morning for Character Dining or come back for a clambake and other delectable dishes in the evening.
  • Ohana’s Best Friend Breakfast With Lilo & Stitch at Disney’s Polynesian Resort:  serves all-you-care-to-eat breakfast served family style to your table. The entertainment includes characters dressed in Hawaiian attire (Mickey, Pluto, Lilo and Stitch), parades, and hula hooping.
  • Garden View Tea Room at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa: offers a princess dining lunch (all-you-care-to-eat) as well as a la carte ordering. Note: only afternoon tea can be booked online.
  • 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa: offers all-you-care-to-eat Supercalifragilistic breakfast buffet which has Alice in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter, Mary Poppins and some of your favorite Winnie the Pooh friends. Cinderella’s Happily Ever After dinner buffet showcases Cinderella, Prince Charming and other storybook Characters.
  • Garden Grove at Disney’s Swan Hotel: offers an all-you-care-to-eat dinner buffet that features Timon and Rafiki from the Lion King on Mondays & Fridays, and Goofy and Pluto all other days.
  • Chef Mickey’s at Disney’s Contemporary Resort: Meet Chef Mickey and friends (Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Pluto) at all-you-care-to-eat buffet-style breakfasts and dinners.

Note that character line-ups are subject to change. To make reservations, book online or call (407) WDW-DINE or (407) 939-3463 up to 180 days prior to your visit. Reservations are highly recommended, character dining fills up quickly.

Downtown Disney is a fantastic place to stroll around, shop and eat. Downtown Disney Westside has top-notch restaurants, a 24 – screen AMC Pleasure Island movie theater, Cirque du Soleil La Nouba, DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive theme park and Characters-in-Flight takes you up in a giant tethered balloon 400 feet above Downtown Disney Area so you can experience a breathtaking, 360–degree view of Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

Tucked inside the World of Disney store (the largest Disney store in the world) at the Downtown Disney Marketplace is the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique where girls (ages 3 and older) can be magically made-up into princesses, and boys (ages 3 and older) can get the Cool Dudes Package. To make reservations, call (407) WDW-STYLE or (407) 939-7895.

Disney’s BoardWalk contains more than 90,000 square feet of shops, restaurants and nightclubs. It encompasses Crescent Lake and is “a village on the water” near many Disney Resort hotels in Walt Disney World Resort. Stroll along Disney’s BoardWalk during the day to explore the unusual shops and restaurants. When the sun cools down, the nightlife heats up with street performers, food vendors, midway games and lots of live entertainment.

Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage: If you love pirates and want an amazing view of the fireworks display from the Magic Kingdom, this voyage may be for you!  Sail the Seven Seas Lagoon and enjoy songs, adventure, and Never Land pirates.

Another fun activity to do is ride the Resort Monorail and visit the various Magic Kingdom resorts. You can park for free with a resort dining reservation and then catch the monorail.

Also, if you are looking for ways to save on Disney parking make sure to visit here.

If you have any other ideas, please leave them in the comments below!

 

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