All the Free Things at Walt Disney World That You Probably Never Knew About

Walt Disney World is often referred to as the Happiest Place on Earth, which is totally true. Unfortunately, it’s also very expensive.

By the time you travel to Orlando, book your lodging and pay for your park passes, you’ve been set back a pretty penny. This makes it pretty difficult to buy anything additional once you’re inside the park and having fun.

Good news! Disney is loaded with a bunch of free treats, collectibles and activities that aren’t really advertised. Whether you’re hoping for car decals, free food or something for your child to do, Walt Disney World has some options that come with zero cost.

Thanks to the good folks over at Guide2WDW, here is a list of the best free things that Walt Disney World has to offer.

Celebration Buttons

Have you ever seen people walking around Disney with large buttons on their shirts, saying they’re celebrating a birthday or anniversary?

These are known as Celebration Buttons, and they’re free to anyone who has come to the park to celebrate a milestone in their life. 

If you’re visiting Disney to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, engagement, honeymoon, graduation or anything else of that nature, head to one of the guest services desks at any of the parks and tell them what you’re celebrating. They’ll be sure to get you hooked up with one of the buttons.

The best part is, getting one of these buttons typically helps you out around the park. Most employees will tell you “Congratulations” or “Happy birthday” when they see you, but some will take things a step further, giving you free treats or allowing you into various events.

Coloring Materials for Kids

In places like Magic Kingdom, small children have plenty of great attractions and characters to keep them occupied. Epcot however, has much less for them to do.

Fortunately, the folks at Epcot know understand that kids can be difficult, so they are prepared. Any of the KidCOT stations located around the World Showcase will give you markers and cutouts of Duffy and Agent P so your kids have something to color. To make things even more fun, each country station has a different take on the characters.

Over in Animal Kingdom, kids can also collect Wilderness Explorer Badges. A scavenger hunt, themed after Pixar’s Up, leads children around the entire park, teaching about the various animals that live there. 

Custom Stick Figure Families

If you’re prepping for your trip to Disney, and you want a little flair for the back of the car to let people know where you’re heading, you can make a custom stick figure family decal online.

By visiting BuildYourDisneyFamily.com, you can put together your personal family with a Disney twist. These stick figure creations can include different kinds of Mickey ears, Disney t-shirts and treats like Dole Whip. 

If you live in the U.S., the site will send you your decal for free so you can put it on your car before your trip!

Free Food & Drinks

While you won’t be able to get full meals for free, there are plenty of samples and treats that you’ll be able to snag, free of charge.

Over in Club Cool, at Magic Kingdom’s Future World, you can get free samples of various Coke products from around the world, including their Frozen Coke beverages. In Disney Springs, the Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop offers free squares of various chocolates, which change from season to season.

If you’re into rewards programs, a few restaurants on the property offer free food and snacks on your birthday. Earl of Sandwich, Shula’s, Sprinkles, and the Starbucks in Disney Springs all give out free food to members of the rewards programs.

Collectible Safety & Transportation Cards

For the collectors who love picking up little trinkets and cards, Disney has you covered. 

The first type of collector card to look out for is of the transportation variety. Each type of Disney transportation (Bus, ferry, monorail) has its own collectible card, you just need to ask one of the cast members working at the transportation station.

In addition to the transportation cards, Disney also offers a set of free safety cards. The set of 22 cards feature Timon and Pumbaa demonstrating the various park safety tips for guests and they’re offered at guest services.

Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom Trading Cards

Collectible cards are cool. but interactive trading card games are even cooler.

Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom is just that, a game that you can play all around the park. Each of the 60 different cards features a different character or power from various Disney films. You can get a starter pack of five random cards each day.

Head over to the Fire Station or behind the Christmas Shop to get our game started!