Ways to Save

Ways to Save One Hour FREE at Disneyland Here's a little-known bit of information about Disneyland in California: you can enter the park for FREE for one hour or less with a "shopping pass." The intended purpose of this program is to allow someone who forgot to purchase a souvenir the opportunity to go into the park and buy it. A shopping pass may be obtained by visiting the Guest Services Window next to the Main Entrance of Disneyland. The shopping pass provides 60 minutes of park admission at no charge. To obtain a pass, you will need to provide a valid credit card or cash in the amount of a 1-Day Ticket for deposit. You will then be given a ticket with a specified return time. When you return to Guest Services within the specified time, you will not be charged for a 1-Day Ticket. The shopping pass is not available after 4 pm. They are very strict about the one-hour time limit, and only one person in your party will be allowed to do this. Some people have been asked to show a receipt when returning to Guest Services -- others have not. Tips from Mousesavers.com FREE and Cheap Stuff to Do at Walt Disney World Here's a list of fun things you can do at Walt Disney World (and nearby) that don't require park admission. All of them can be accomplished for about $10 per person or less -- and many of them are FREE! Be sure to check the Walt Disney World Special Events page as well. It lists seasonal experiences you may want to consider. Some do not require park admission, and some are also FREE. Places to Visit Disney's Boardwalk Disney's Boardwalk is built around a lake and is beautifully themed to be reminiscent of Cape May or Coney Island in the 1940s. It's fun just walking around and enjoying the atmosphere! If you are staying on Disney property, you can use Disney transportation to get to the Boardwalk. If you drive to the Boardwalk, you can get a FREE 3-hour parking permit from the lot attendant. Some of the FREE and inexpensive things you can do at Disney's Boardwalk: • Often there are street performers (jugglers, comedians, fire-eaters, jazz ensembles, etc.) -- stroll around and watch them! • There are lots of vendors selling inexpensive food treats. • You can try your luck at a carnival-style game (small cost). • Sit and watch the Friendship Boats come and go. • For a small cover charge you can visit Jellyroll's (a dueling piano bar featuring sing-a-longs to your favorite pop tunes). • Check out Atlantic Dance Hall, which often has live bands ranging from top-40 to Latin -- and no cover charge. Downtown Disney If you like to shop (or window shop), you'll enjoy this attractive shopping and restaurant zone, which also offers some great FREE entertainment. If you are staying on Disney property, you can use Disney transportation to get to Downtown Disney. If you are staying at a Downtown Disney hotel, you can take the bus or walk. Otherwise you'll probably need to drive or take a taxi. Parking is FREE. Some of the FREE and inexpensive things you can do at Downtown Disney: • Check out the wonderful interactive fountains where children (and adults who have the guts) may enjoy playing and getting wet. • The Lego Imagination Center has a FREE 3,000-square-foot outdoor play area filled with thousands of LEGO blocks, plus some absolutely amazing and huge Lego sculptures for you to admire! • Check out the FREE magic demonstrations at the Magic Masters shop - - learn a card trick! • Most of the restaurants are quite expensive, but you can get a light meal from the Wolfgang Puck Express, Planet Hollywood or House of Blues. • Visit the Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop and enjoy a sundae (about $6.25) or shake (about $3.95). • In the evenings, Downtown Disney Pleasure Island is now an un-gated area, allowing guests to free-flow through Pleasure Island during evening operations without purchasing a Pleasure Island admission. That means anyone can enjoy Pleasure Island shops and restaurants at no charge. • Admission is still required for entry into the Pleasure Island nightclubs, but if you have a ticket with the Water Park Fun & More add- on, you can use one of your "plus" options for one night's admission to all of Pleasure Island's clubs at no additional cost. If you have a valid Premium Annual Pass, you can use it to get into the clubs for no additional charge. Inside the clubs you can listen to live music, see comedians perform, dance, and if you choose, buy a drink or two (there is no minimum on drinks and if you don't want alcohol, you can get a soda for a couple of bucks). Disney's Resort Hotels Every one of the Disney hotels is themed and some of them are literally breathtaking. All of the Moderate and Deluxe resorts, especially, have extraordinary theming and are well worth a visit. You can take Disney transportation from any of the four theme parks to any of the resort hotels. If you drive to one of the resorts, you can get a FREE 3-hour parking permit from the gate attendant. • The pools are amazing: at Coronado Springs the pool looks like a Mayan ruin; the Stormalong Bay pool at the Yacht/Beach Club includes a huge "shipwreck" that contains a slide; the pool at the Wilderness Lodge starts as a "spring" in the lobby, passes under a bridge, then cascades down a waterfall into the pool and ends in a geyser that goes off once an hour! (Note that use of the pools is for the hotel's guests only, but you can certainly walk around and "ooh and ahh" for a few minutes.) • The Deluxe resort lobbies also have amazing elements and displays that fit with the theme, and a few (including the Grand Floridian) sometimes have a pianist performing. • If you're looking for a fun photo opportunity, consider visiting the All Star resorts or Pop Century. These hotels feature enormous "pop culture" icons. Take a family photo in front of a 35-foot Buzz Lightyear! • Several of the resorts, including Animal Kingdom Lodge, Wilderness Lodge, Grand Floridian, and Yacht Club, offer FREE tours that are open to any Disney resort guest (whether you are staying at that particular hotel or not). Some of the tours require a reservation, so inquire in advance. • See the Activities section below for many more Disney resort ideas. Celebration Just a ten-minute drive from Disney World you can travel back in time to find the town of Celebration, a planned community developed by the Walt Disney Company. This is a pedestrian-friendly, wonderful small town (think Mayberry!) You can have a great time exploring the old-fashioned downtown area called Market Street. Here are some ideas to take advantage of during your tour, that will cost you little or nothing (as well as a couple of splurges to consider)! • Tour the Celebration Hotel. Sit in one of the oversized wicker chairs, people-watch, and have a drink or coffee at the lobby bar. • Explore the Lakeside Promenade or the miles of walking paths and nature trails. • Window-shop on Market Street, which has wonderful specialty stores, boutiques and galleries. • Market Street often has different events scheduled each month, such as craft festivals, antique car shows, etc. During the winter holidays, Market Street hosts an event called "Now Snowing Nightly" -- it "snows" on Celebration's main street four times a night and the town provides entertainment and a visit to Santa in his lakeside chalet, all for FREE! Click here to see what's going on at Market Street. • Catch a movie at AMC Celebration, a state-of-the-art cinema complex with stadium seating. • Tour the model homes. • Take a peek at the Celebration Fitness Centre & Day Spa or Celebration Golf Club. • Have an appetizer or dessert at one of the varied restaurants including award-winning Spanish and Cuban cuisine! • Pick up some picnic items and head over to the Interactive Fountain to let the kids (or you) have a splash! • Treat yourself to an ice-cream or lemonade from Herman's Ice Cream and then enjoy it relaxing in one of the rocking chairs by the lake. • Scenic tour Carriage Rides are offered every weekend, September - June, Friday and Saturday evenings from 6 - 10 pm. Call (407) 414-1981 for information. Depending on the size of your party, this can work out to less than $10 per person. • Rent a bicycle from NEVrland and cruise around town for around $10 per half-day. Call (407) 566-0911 for info. The Disney Wilderness Preserve About 20 miles south of Orlando, at the headwaters of the Everglades ecosystem, is The Nature Conservancy's Disney Wilderness Preserve. Here you can observe native plants and animals by hiking a 3-mile trail or taking an offroad buggy tour. The Preserve is open year-round from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, but closed on Saturdays and Sundays in the summer (June through September). Admission is $3/adult, $2/youth (ages 6-17). Buggy tours are offered on Sundays at 1:30 pm from October-May for $12/adult, $6/youth (ages 6-17). Transportation Fun Ride the Monorail • Did you know you can ride up front with the monorail driver? Just let the Cast Member at the gate know that you want to do this.

Load more