A lot of people think we’re crazy when we say this, but our favorite fuss-free Disney hack is to spend more time outside of the parks! Our most recent trip was a short one, and we were trying to save money, so we only bought park tickets for one day. Here’s what we did with two tweens and a teen to not lose out on the magic on a non-park Disney day.
Disney Resort Hopping
We love checking out other resorts near the resort where we’re staying. A quick Skyliner ride from Rivera got us to Art of Animation, which was a great resort to walk around with kids, checking out all the different characters.
Swim!
Our kids start begging to go to the pool as soon as we check in to any hotel, and Disney resort pools do not skip out on the Disney magic. Bonus: there’s always a pool bar nearby, so mom and dad are happy to! Bar Riva is one of our favorite spots at Riviera.
Recreation Room
Most DVC resorts have a recreation room with crafts and other games and activities. Ours even offered a scavenger hunt across several resorts.
Ride Disney Transportation
I know a lot of people complain about Disney’s free transportation system, but sometimes just riding around on the Skyliner, boats, or monorail is like a bonus ride outside of the parks.
Watch Disney Nighttime Shows
There are lots of places where you can see the fireworks shows outside the parks! On our most recent trip we saw the EPCOT fireworks from the front gates of EPCOT, the Magic Kingdom Halloween fireworks from O’hana, and EPCOT and Hollywood Studios fireworks from Toppolino’s Terrace.
This was just one day for us! We’ve done so many more things outside the Disney parks, so be sure to check out our upcoming articles on Disney Springs and the monorail loop. And for more easy planning ideas, check out our Fuss Free 101 !
