8 Fun Things to Do at Walt Disney World Besides Rides
Disney World can be very overwhelming, especially if you have a smaller child in tow. There is so much to do it is sometimes hard to know where to start. So I gathered up some ideas for you to cover 10 fantastic not-to-miss aspects of the park.
Meet the Mouse – I am talking Mickey Mouse, be sure and greet the guy who launched this huge enterprise (well actually that was Mr. Walt Disney ) but Mickey is how Walt lives on. You can see Mickey at Town Square Theater in Main Street, U.S.A.
Buy Mouse Ears – While Disney still offers the traditional Mickey and Minnie ears there are a head spinning variety of ears available all over the park. Big fan of Goofy? Wear his ears! Visiting on your honeymoon or anniversary? They sell Mickey and Minnie ears with top hats and wedding veils attached. You can find Maleficent, R2D2, cheetah print, and much more at stores in every section. Don’t forget to have your name stitched on!
Character Dining – Sit down, rest and recharge from the day while you and your kids enjoy the atmosphere and interaction with your favorite Disney characters. There are several places to choose from
Cinderella’s Royal Table( Magic Kingdom)
Akershus Royal Banquet (Epcot)
The Crystal Palace (Magic Kingdom)
JEDI Mickey’ Star Wars Dine at Hollywood & Vine (Disney Hollywood Studios)
Make reservations in advance for character dining!
Behind the Scenes Tour – Keys to the Kingdom Tour, this is a 5 hour event that takes includes history of the park, little known facts, urban legends, park tips, lunch, and a keepsake.
Trade Pins – Cast Members are wearing pins on lanyards that are available for trade, bring some Disney Pins you have from home or pick up some new ones in the gift shop. Start a collection
Photo in front of THE castle – I think it is almost a requirement of visiting the Magic Kingdom. There are several place you can stand and have the famous castle looking magnificent in the background, this makes for an amazing keepsake. Just look for another friendly family looming buy and offer to take their entire parties picture if they will do the same for you.
Catch a show – Here is just a sampling of the fun shows you can catch in all throughout the park from beginning to end.
Captain Jack Sparrows Pirate Tutorial-Adventureland
Casey’s Corner Pianist- Main Street, U.S.A
Dream Along with Mickey- Main Street, U.S.A
Incredibles Super Dance Party-Tomorrowland
Magic Kingdom Welcome Show-Main Street, U.S.A
Main Street Trolley Show- Main Street, U.S.A
Mad Tea Party- Fantasyland
Night Parade and Fireworks – You must end your park experiences by watching the night parade and fireworks. Even if you have seen night parades and fireworks there is nothing like a Disney Style celebration!
I would add the Tomorrowland Dessert party to your list. It’s AMAZING!
These are a lot of the same things we do. We love to meet characters, have character dining experiences, trade pins, watch the parades and take tons of photos!
Robyn – What a fun article – I’ve grown up going to Disneyland – we love the specialty restaurants and shows – never yet have gone behind the scenes – hmmm…we really would love that!!!
I am so glad you posted this. My Hubs has been trying to get me to go to Disney for years. I don’t do rides any longer and wondered what I would or could possibly do. Now I know!!! Thanks!
I always had to make sure to catch the fireworks and at least one show. The fireworks are so impressive compared to the ones at home.
Great list! All of these are perfect for any age too, we love Disney!
Lots of fun stuff to do without riding rides. Sometimes we never even go on the rides. The sights and experiences are just as fun!
I have never been. Anywhere let alone Disney, and I am just dying to go! This post isn’t helping! So much fun!
Eating with characters is a must for grown ups and kids! So many fun memories can be created.
If we ever make it back to Disney, we have to do a character breakfast. It sounds like so much fun.
Disney never fails to amaze me. I’ve heard the food there is fantastic too! Great post
It’s so good to know that there are so many diverse things to do at Disney World. It just means that there is something for everyone in the family.
There are so many things to do, I am sure! Wow, not enough hours in a day!
We love Disney. My husband and I and our kids have all gone separately but never together. Since we all have different interests this is helpful.
This is a great list of activities for family members like myself who no longer enjoy the rides but want to join in on the fun. I love going to the shows when we go to the major theme parks.
Awesome activities to do. Yes, its not all about the rides, there are so many things we could enjoy!
We just got back from Orlando (we went to Universal) and we had to stop by Downtown Disney and grab some new pins to trade! We love pin trading!
Those are awesome ideas. My daughter and I absolutely love the mouse ears
There are so many great things to do at Disney besides the rides. I would love to go walk around and look at all the great sites.
I love this article. Your website is amazing. We are just starting a family blog, so a learning curve. Keep up the good work.
If I ever make it to Disney than I will certainly remember these tips. Thanks for sharing.
I really love this post. All these are great tips. Disney is one of my favorite picnic spot. Your ideas would definitely help to enjoy our next trip. Thanks a lot for sharing this.
These are all great ideas and a lot of fun for the little kids! Also little girls can get dressed like Princesses too, I want to try that out when we go this year with my Daughter 🙂
Great suggestions. I don’t think I can handle the rides anymore! I need to go there soon