Disney Travel Tips from Mouseketrips
About the Column
Is it possible to have too many Disney tips? Well, yes, if they're from your crazy uncle Louie, but not if they're straight from the experts, the folks who plan perfect trips for others day-in, day-out: Disney travel agents! Keith Anderson, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner and co-owner of Mouseketrips, has been doing that for years. He's learned a lot about Disney, especially how to save money on a Disney vacation without skimping on the frills or the thrills. Every week, in Disney Travel Tips from Mouseketrips, Keith will distill new Disney wisdom - just for you! Don't tell Uncle Louie...
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Doing It for Free at Disney World
Keith Anderson shows how to have Disney fun for free
Every once in a while we need a break from the Disney World parks - and prices! Maybe it's the night you arrive, maybe it's a few hours or even a day of down-time during your stay.
Disney World offers quite a few things you can do that won't cost you anything.
Ride the Monorail
One of my favorite activities to do upon arrival at WDW is to ride the monorail. It's a great way to introduce your kids or first-time visitors to Disney.
The Magic Kingdom loop will give you a good view of the Magic Kingdom and neighboring hotels, while the Epcot loop actually goes well into the park and provides great views of the World Showcase and Future World.
Riding a monorail is always a fun activity but it's especially enjoyable at night during the fireworks shows in the park because you get the best view in the house.
Ride the Boats
There are many different boat rides you can take outside of the parks. Whether it is across the Seven Seas Lagoon, around Crescent Lake in the BoardWalk area, into Bay Lake from the Magic Kingdom, or from the Port Orleans resorts to Downtown Disney, these boat rides are fun for kids of all ages, and they're a great way to see some of the areas of Disney World not easily accessible by other means.
Pair your monorail adventure with a ferry ride across the Seven Seas Lagoon!
Enjoy the BoardWalk Buskers
My favorite area of Disney World is the BoardWalk at night. It is just magical. Great restaurants, relaxing places to walk and relax, even the surrey bikes are fun (though they require a bit more exercise than you might imagine).
During most nights on the BoardWalk, Disney provides 'buskers' - street entertainers whose acts range from magic to crazy comedy routines. I could sit for hours and watch the shows. They just never seem to get boring.
Explore the Deluxe Resorts
Whether as part of your monorail tour, or just going to a resort to check it out, exploring the deluxe resorts is a great way to plan for your next Disney World trip.
Each deluxe resort has fantastic theming, wonderful grounds, and pools. Resorts such as the Animal Kingdom Lodge even have night tours for kids where animals can be seen through night vision goggles.
Your resort may offer free tours or other activities, too. Ask at the front desk.
Watch the Electrical Water Pageant
Viewable from the Grand Floridian, Polynesian, Contemporary, Wilderness Lodge, and Fort Wilderness, the nightly water parade is a bit hokey but still fun.
It starts nightly at 9:00 PM at the Polynesian (probably the best place to see it) and ends around 10:00 PM at the Contemporary.
These are just a few of the fun free events you can do around Walt Disney World. Sometimes, it's the free things are what make your vacation memorable. Take your time exploring, ask your front desk about any special events, or guest services in the parks.
Disney is much more than theme parks. Enjoy it!
While you're waiting for Keith's next Disney tip, why not ask him to plan your next Disney trip? Mouseketrips does nothing but Disney - and they're really good at it! Hook up with them at their website, through Twitter, or on Facebook.
Don't stop there! Check out more Disney Travel Tips from Mouseketrips...