things to do near walt disney world

Headed to Disney World for Spring Break this year? Maybe you’re counting down until summer vacation at the most magical place on earth? One of the great things about visiting the Disney Parks resort is that you don’t always need a park ticket to enjoy the magic! Maybe you have a half-day waiting on your plane flight home or you just need a day of downtime. Our family always plans around a couple of days in the park and a couple of days finding ways to bond as a family outside of the parks by doing fun activities that keep us on Disney property. Read on for things to do near Walt Disney World.

things to do near walt disney world

Fun at Disney Springs

• Take the ferryboat around Disney Springs. Visit Old Key West Resort, Saratoga Springs Resort, or Port Orleans Resort on a leisurely cruise. Or take the ferryboat from The Marketplace to the Landing at Disney Springs. The best part? It’s FREE!
• Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique – The location outside the parks is at Once Upon a Toy in Disney Springs. Let your little prince or princess get dolled up and ready for the Royal Ball.
• Try face painting, train rides, and dance parties at Disney Springs. Disney Springs has all kinds of activities to engage the little ones and the parents, without stepping foot inside a restaurant or store!
• STRIKE! Grab the family, and your favorite bowling shoes and head on over to Splitsville for bowling, food, drinks, and great atmosphere! We always make this activity a priority!

Resort Hopping

• Resort hop on the monorail. This is our favorite activity after we’ve completed our days in the parks. We usually spend the most time relaxing in the sand at the Polynesian with a Dole Whip!
• Speaking of fun things to do off the monorail, hit up Trader Sam’s Grotto and Tiki Bar for a refreshing Tiki-inspired drink. This is an exclusive bar inside the Polynesian Resort – in fact, you need to be in line a while before they open to get a seat. But once you are in, this will quickly become one of your favorite spots to enjoy unique eats and drinks!
• Visit the Boardwalk. Day or night, this is one of our favorite places to go. During the day you can rent tandem bicycles or hop on the boat to ride across to Beach & Yacht Club (and grab our favorite desserts at Beaches and Cream!). At night, hit up Jellyrolls for some dueling piano action or grab a late-night treat at Boardwalk Bakery. This is a great place for a date night during your Disney vacation! Is your favorite sports team playing? Check ‘em out on the big screen at the ESPN Club.
• Tri-Circle-D Ranch at Wilderness Lodge. Remember the horses you see on Main Street, U.S.A.? With a reservation, you can ride the horses (or ponies for the littles!), visit the stables, and ride in horse-drawn carriages. During the holidays they even have Sleigh Rides!

Other Magical Options

• Golfing. For those of you who need to keep your swing in tune, Disney has two golf courses for the adults and Putt Putt courses for the entire family!
• Make dining reservations outside of the parks (even with character meet and greets!). One of the best things we’ve found is that meeting Characters at dining experiences can be a lot of fun, especially if you are saving your meet-and-greets for dining time instead of missing out on a magical ride or show at the parks.

As always, we love sharing our tips and tricks for visiting Walt Disney World with loved ones! Follow our Disney adventures on Instagram @DisneyRents!

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By Guest Blogger Kristin Rusbolt

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