Just like the free fun for the holidays at Disneyland, Walt Disney World has FREE things to do for the holidays too! so if you’re hoping to stay within your Disney Vacation budget this year check out our list!
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Free Things at Christmas at Walt Disney World
While Disneyland offers a bunch of Christmas things at no cost, including a Christmas Parade, Main Street Snow, and a Holiday Fireworks, Walt Disney World reserves these shows specifically for those who are attending Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party or Disney’s Very Merriest After Hours Christmas Party. The fact that the tickets start at $99 per person for the party and start at $129 dollars for the After Hours events, means quite the investment. Especially if you’re traveling as a family. And if you’re a broke college student or even if you’re just a regular person trying to get through the holidays without taking out a second mortgage, good luck!
Free Fun at Hollywood Studios for Christmas
The Hollywood Holiday Tower at Hollywood Studios
This Flurry of Fun at Hollywood Studios includes three elements of the holidays right on Sunset Boulevard. Sunset Seasons Greetings is a digital show on the Tower of Terror featuring festive holiday projections like the building of a gingerbread house, or tumbling Christmas gifts. Featuring snowy Arendelle, a Muppets gingerbread masterpiece, a Toy Story toy hotel, and a Dickensian village inspired by “Mickey’s Christmas Carol.” You can also grab some cocoa and watch the street side billboards showcase new holiday stories. From classic holiday Mickey cartoons to the Muppets these gigantic billboard televisions will transport you to the good old days. And we couldn’t call it a flurry without a little bit of snow. Snow falls nightly on Sunset Boulevard to set the holiday mood.
Christmas in Toy Story Land
And if you’re already heading to Hollywood Studios, which you should be, be sure to stop by Toy Story Land to see the cute holiday overlay they’ve created there this year. We love Toy Story Land anyway! and with Woody’s BBQ Rodeo Roundup Restaurant coming to this new land, there will be even more things to do in this part of the park.
Free Fun at EPCOT for Christmas
International Festival of the Holidays at Epcot
We love Epcot and all of its festivals and the International Festival of Holidays is no different. The Festival of Holidays runs from November 26- December 30, 2021. Enjoy lots of festive foods, fun traditions from around the world, and get into the true spirit of the holiday with the performances, Christmas music, and more. Plus be sure to tackle the Cookie Stroll challenge and check out the Festival of Holidays Menus, so you can be prepared before you go.
Free Fun at Disney Resorts for Christmas
Disney Resorts Christmas Decorations Tour
From elaborate Gingerbread houses to Gingerbread Carousels to beautifully decorated lobbies, there is no shortage of Christmas magic to be seen at the Walt Disney World Resorts. Plan a Disney Resorts Christmas Tour here and use our post as a guide. Know that every Walt Disney World Resort is decorated beautifully for the holiday and they are all FREE to visit. You can also head to the Disney Boardwalk to see all the Gingerbread displays there. Here’s where you can find even more Gingerbread at Walt Disney World for the holidays.
Free Fun at Disney Springs for Christmas
Visit Disney Springs for the Holidays
Not only does Disney Springs feature a Christmas Tree Stroll but they also have several large, beautifully decorated trees, a fun scavenger hunt for the holidays, the chance to see Santa, holiday entertainment, and lots of fun, festive treats. And other than anything you want to purchase, visiting there won’t cost you a thing! You can see Disney Spring’s calendar of events here. And don’t forget to grab the NEW Scavenger Hunt game at the Welcome Center for a shopping challenge, coupons, and stickers so you can hunt down all the Disney character trees.
Free Fun at Magic Kingdom for Christmas
Holiday Magic at Magic Kingdom
So maybe Magic Kingdom won’t give you a Christmas Parade and Christmas Fireworks for FREE, but there is still plenty of holiday magic to be had there! Check out the classic and beautiful décor of Main Street USA, or take a ride on the punniest holiday overlay around on the Jingle Cruise. Grab one of the amazing festive treats from the Confectionery or Main Street Bakery, and watch the lighting of Cinderella Castle or the holiday trolley show on Main Street. You can even interact with characters in their winter best across the park!
Once Upon a Christmas Time Digital Castle Show
Cinderella’s Castle comes alive at night with a kaleidoscope of colors that will make the perfect backdrop for your holiday photos at Magic Kingdom. These start at nightfall and have several scenes to watch. Be sure to capture them all!
Main Street Philharmonic and Toy Soldier March
Check out the Magic Kingdom Toy Soldiers as they join the Main Street Philharmonic marching through the park! Perfect to help you get in the holiday spirit.
Disney Christmas Character Cavalcades
Magic Kingdom welcomes our favorite Disney characters in their holiday best on float cavalcades in 2020. Be sure to catch a glimpse of your favorite characters throughout the day in the parks!
- Santa’s Christmas Cavalcade
- Keep an eye out for Santa Claus and his reindeer as part of the Once Upon a Christmastime merriment!
- A Royal Christmas Processional
- Get read for the Princess float! Gliding along on a beautiful crystal castle float our favorite Disney Princesses are dressed for the season.
- Mickey’s Holiday Cavalcade
- Check out Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse on top of a Christmas Tree float as they sail through the park with friends for the holidays.
- Goofy’s Scrumptious Cavalcade
- Goofy and friends wave and have fun along to the music as this cavalcade rolls through the park from Frontierland to Main Street USA.
Holiday Trolley
Check out the Dapper Dans barbershop quartet cruising down Main Street, U.S.A. on a horse-drawn trolley, singing all your favorite holiday tunes.
Character Interactions from a Distance
Head to Crystal Palace for some distanced fun with Pooh Bear and Friends dressed up in their winter gear! Check out everywhere you can find Characters at Walt Disney World.
Free Fun at Animal Kingdom for Christmas
Festive Floatillas at Animal Kingdom
Featuring Disney Characters in their holiday best keep an eye out for Festive Flotillas. These floats will appear throughout the day for festive fun to look forward to.
- Santa Claus Festive Flotilla
- The big man himself will be floating on a Festival Flotilla down Discovery River as part of the Animal Kingdom Celebrations.
- Donald’s Dino-Bash Festive Flotilla
- See Donald Duck, Daisy, and Launchpad from Ducktales happy with holiday cheer while sailing Discovery River.
- Chip & Dale’s Festive Flotilla
- Don’t miss Chip ‘n’ Dale grooving to the holiday music as they float down Discovery River for the festive season.
- Mickey and Friends Festive Flotilla
- Mickey and Friends, in their best safari holiday gear, can be seen from bridges, and alongside Discovery River throughout the day!
- Discovery Island Drummers Festive Flotilla
- Listen for the Island drummers cruising along the river playing fun and festive tunes.
Merry Menagerie at Animal Kingdom
The merry menagerie at Animal Kingdom is back for 2021! And we are so excited about it! This was one of our favorite offerings at Animal Kingdom when it debuted in 2019. Interact with the sweetest little interactive puppets. The animals change throughout the day and can be found at Discovery Island near the Tree of Life.
Fun and Festive Free Things at Walt Disney World for Christmas
So there you have it, so many places to see free holiday additions at Walt Disney World without having to give up your grocery budget for the week! What are some of your favorite free things to do at Walt Disney World during the holiday season? Let us know, we’d love to check them out!
Love the blog post! We did a lot of these this year. Flurry of Fun was my favorite
Thank you! Flurry of Fun was definitely at the top of our list too. It was really fun to see how its grown since last year. The treats were really impressive!