Seven Ways to Enjoy Disney World Without Park Admission

One of the best things about Walt Disney World is that there are so many things to do around every corner; from theme parks, resorts, shopping, dining, entertainment and much more, you will never have to worry about boredem. And even if you’re not planning on visiting the theme parks, there is still so much Disney World has to offer.

Whether you want to shop, meet characters, visit a resort, or eat one of your favorite Disney snacks, you can in fact enjoy your favorite things at Disney World without visiting the theme parks and save a little money in the process. Below, I have a list of seven ways you can save money and enjoy Disney World without park admission:

Resort Hop

There are over 20 different Walt Disney World resorts and villas that are so beautiful and unique in their own way. Whether you plan on staying at the resort as a guest or if you want to visit and see what the resort is all about, you can make a whole day devoted to just staying at a resort or even resort hopping!

The Disney resorts are definitely a staple to the magic of Walt Disney World. You could spend a whole afternoon just sitting in the Grand Floridian listening to the pianist play beloved Disney songs, checking out the fun theming of Pop Century, Art of Animation or the All Star resorts, or taking a lap around the Epcot resorts that include the Yacht and Beach Club, Boardwalk and the Swan and Dolphin resorts.

Personally, resort hopping is one of my favorite things to do when I go to Disney World and I find it as a great way to relax!

Disney Springs

You don’t have to be in a Disney Park to cover all your Disney shopping! In fact, you could actually get all of your shopping covered just by visiting Disney Springs, Walt Disney World’s very own outdoor shopping and dining venue. There is a little bit of everything at Disney Springs and it’s a great mix of Disney - themed stores and other stores that you may see at the mall.

A few of the Disney stores you can find at Disney Springs include World of Disney (the world's largest Disney store), Once Upon a Toy, The Art of Disney, Disney Pin Traders, DisneyStyle, Marketplace Co-Op and Ever After Jewelry Co. and Accessories to name a few. Some of the non - Disney stores at Disney Springs include Pandora Jewelry, Sephora, Zara, Oakley, Levi's and more. You can also find unique stores like the Coca-Cola store, the LEGO® store and the M&M's store when visiting!

Dining

Disney Springs and the resorts have such a wide range of dining options from quick service locations to full restaurant experiences. On top of shopping, Disney Springs has a ton of great dining locations from restaurants, bakeries, candy shops and more. Some of the dining locations at Disney Springs include Chicken Guy (my husband's favorite!), D-Luxe Burger, The Boathouse, Amorette's Patisserie, Chef Art's Homecomin', The Ganachery, Gideon's Bakehouse, The Polite Pig and more.

Each resort has a quick service location and depending on the resort, there also may be a restaurant you can try. Usually, the deluxe resorts have one full service restaurant and if you’re planning on eating at one of the restaurants, I highly recommend making a reservation. If you have a reservation and you aren't staying on property or visiting a park beforehand, make sure to show the security guard at the resort gate your dining reservation on the My Disney Experience app.

Character Meet and Greets

If you're interested in meeting characters at Disney World without visiting the parks, you’re able to meet characters at a few of the resort restaurants across property. Some of the character dining experiences available at the resorts include Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary Resort, Ohana (for breakfast) at the Polynesian, Cape May Café at the Beach Club and Topolino’s Terrace (for breakfast) at the Riviera, to name a few. One of the great things about character dining is that you get to meet around three to five characters per dining experience and it really is so fun seeing the characters while you're enjoying your meal. Great food and character meet and greets, what could be more magical than that?!

Live Entertainment

Between Disney Springs and the resorts, you can find a lot of live entertainment throughout Disney property.

Disney Springs has a great selection of live music and shows including Drawn to Life presented by Cirque du Soleil® and the House of Blues. And some of the restaurants may even have live music so you have entertainment while you eat. And as you’re walking around, there’s a chance that you may hear a band play!

At the resorts, there may be some live entertainment you can find. For instance, The Grand Floridian usually has a pianist playing classical Disney songs on the piano in the lobby throughout the day. Personally, hearing the beloved Disney songs on the piano is so beautiful and is one of my favorite pastimes at Disney. I highly recommend just sitting in the Grand Floridian lobby and just taking in the view and sounds of the lobby!

The Pool

If you’re staying at a Disney resort, you’ll have access to the resort’s pool during your stay. A trip to Disney World can be very busy if you're planning on visiting the parks so taking an afternoon to relax by the pool will be so helpful in the long run. If you're not planning on visiting the parks, going to the pool will be a great way to relax regardless! One of my favorite things about the Disney World resorts is that they occasionally will have movie nights by the pool so you can relax by the pool while watching a Disney movie - another form of entertainment at the resorts!

Transportation

There are plenty of ways to ride on Disney World transportation without having park admission. If you’re planning on resort hopping, you can easily take Disney transportation to and from each resort. For example, if you want to resort hop to each of the Magic Kingdom resorts (the Contemporary, Polynesian and Grand Floridian), you can take the resort monorail. If you're not able to ride the skyliner, monorail or take boat transportation from one resort to another, the best way to travel would be to hop on a bus to a park and then catch that resort bus from whichever park you're at.

I hope these tips help you plan your trip to Disney World whether you're planning on visiting the parks or you're looking for things to do outside the parks!

There are so many ways to enjoy Walt Disney World that don't require park admission and I would definitely check out Walt Disney World's website to see other dining, shopping and live entertainment offerings available.

Photo credit goes to my amazing husband, Taylor!