Disney World Rest Day Ideas: Best Things to Do Besides the Parks

Why You Should Plan a Disney World Rest Day

If you are spending a week at Disney one of my best Disney World tips is to plan a day off. This will prevent burnout and keep everyone’s energy up for the trip.

Our park days are jam packed, so a rest day is helpful. Having a day to sleep in (especially when visiting Disney World with teens), rest our legs, and a break from the fast paced park days should not be underestimated.

On these days we will take advantage of the many fun things to do at Disney World that are not in a theme park, like resort dining and Disney Springs, as well as other activities around the Walt Disney World resort.

Disney World Rest Day Ideas

Disney World is always adding new and exciting things to do across the resort. Below is a collection of my favorites that you can include in your upcoming Disney World trip.

Resort Dining & Character Meals

My go-to thing to do on a nonpark day during our Disney vacation is to make a dining reservation at a resort. We always make reservations for a late breakfast, usually around 10:45-11:00. This can count as breakfast and lunch. We sleep a bit later and then head over to our reservation.

After our meal we will spend time exploring the resort and then head back to our resort for pool time, often laundry if needed, and just relax a bit around our resort. It makes our day a little special and helps us avoid long meals inside the parks.

Booking a character meal on your rest day is a great way to see characters and have a great meal without taking away from your time in the parks.

A few favorites:

• Boma- Flavors of Africa at Animal Kingdom Lodge → Read my Boma review (no characters)
• ‘Ohana at the Polynesian → Read my ‘Ohana review (characters at breakfast, not dinner)
• Topolino’s Terrace at Riviera Resort- character breakfast with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy
• Chef Mickey’s at Contemporary- classic character meal
• 1900 Park Fare at Grand Floridian- character breakfast with Mirabel, Princess Tiana, Aladdin, Cinderella

Explore a Resort that You are Not Staying At

If you don’t want to spend a lot on dining reservations you can still visit a resort and walk around. You can eat at the quick service on-site or just grab a coffee and explore.

Some resorts are easier to access than others. The easiest way to access the resorts is to use Disney transportation. This might mean you have to take a bus to a park and then a bus to a resort. While it is not ideal it can be a fun way to spend the day.

Transportation Rules:

• Guests staying at a Disney World resort can use any bus, monorail, boat, or skyliner transportation to get around the Walt Disney World resort.
• Guests at Disney Springs NOT staying at any Disney World resort need to have a dining or experience reservation to use the bus transportation.

Not sure if staying on-site is worth it? Read our Should You Stay On-Site at Disney World guide- resort hopping, free transportation, and everything you get when you stay on Disney property.

We took time during our stay at Pop Century to walk over to Art of Animation. Art of Animation has a very immersive Disney animation theme and it was fun to take photos and walk around.

Animal Kingdom Lodge is another great resort to explore, even if you are not staying there. It overlooks a Savannah and you may get to see giraffe’s or zebras.

They have a great theme throughout the resort and a small playground for kids. If you have time consider making reservations at Boma for the breakfast brunch. We really enjoyed it during our recent day away from the parks. I explain how to get from a Disney resort to Animal Kingdom resort in my Boma post.

Enjoy Disney’s Transportation

I know the buses are not very glamourous but taking a Boat, Monorail or Skyliner ride can be a fun afternoon. If you are staying at a resort that offers this transportation you may want to use it on a nonpark day to visit other resorts or just take a ride.

The Monorail hotels are all unique and worth walking around if you are nearby. Young children usually enjoy riding the monorail and this might be a fun way to spend the day. The Contemporary Resort along the monorail has a Mary Blair(Disney Artist) 90 ft artwork to see.

They Skyliner has 4 resorts along its route and allows guests to explore. It is free and open to any guests, not just resort guests. There is a Joffrey’s Coffee at the Caribbean Beach station and you should stop at the Riviera Resort to take a look at the Murals of Peter Pan and Tangled.

This can be a fun and free activity to do when you don’t want to plan much during your day off.

Disney Springs

Disney Springs is Walt Disney Worlds dining, shopping, and entertainment complex. Guests staying at any Disney World resort have access to complimentary transportation to Disney Springs.

There are many different things to do at Disney Springs. The best way to plan your day is to make a dining reservation, plan for some shopping and exploring, and include a special activity. If you are short on time you can do as little or as much as you would like.

A few of my favorites at Disney Springs:

• Chicken Guy- great option for quick service dining
• Disney Style Store- unique fun items and a Mad Hatter Tea Cup photo-op
• World of Disney- largest Disney store on property
• Gideon’s Bakehouse- delicious cookies, expect long wait times
• LEGO store- during busy days has a line to get in
• Splitsville- bowling
• Cirque du Soleil: Drawn to Life- show, tickets required
• Coca-Cola store
• Aerophile Balloon ride
• Level 99- we are most excited to experience this because it was not open during our last visit. It recently opened and is an interactive, obstacle course type entertainment center. It will be on our list next time we visit. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time on the Level 99 website.
• AMC Movie Theater
• Daily entertainment- street performers

Guests can spend a full day at Disney Springs depending on how little or how much you want to do. Be sure to make a dining reservation for any table service restaurants at Disney Springs.

Disney Water Park Day

I am including a water park day in this post because Disney includes a free ticket for your check-in day. Yes it is a theme park and it is the first day of your trip but some visitors may want to consider this.

All guests receive a complimentary ticket to Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon on check-in day. There are pros and cons to this and I probably need to write a full post about it but consider all the logistics of heading to a water park the day you arrive at your resort.

Many guests are taking advantage of this and it is making the water parks really busy. If you’ve never been this may be a good plan for your trip but it is not for everyone.

Mini-Golf

There are two mini-golf courses located at Walt Disney World. Often free tickets are included with vacation packages so be sure to check on that.

Fantasia Gardens is located at the Walt Disney World Swan Hotel. If you are staying at a Skyliner resort you can take the Skyliner to Epcot and walk to the Swan. All other guests will have to ask a cast member at their resort the best way to get there.

Winter Summerland is located at Blizzard Beach. Guests can take the bus to Blizzard Beach and then walk over to mini-golf. This is a great activity to do during a rest day. The mini-golf courses are open to the public, not only Disney resort guests.

Pool Day/Daily Activities at Your Resort

As a family we love spending time at our resort. Disney resorts are some of the best resorts we have ever stayed at and enjoying a resort day can be a great use of your time.

My husband and I will go for a morning walk around the resort with our coffee and then spend time at the pool. The kids can sleep in and we can have breakfast at the resort.

There are also daily activities at the resorts that range from Mickey Tie-Dye T-shirt making, pool side trivia, and nightly movies by the pool. At check-in you will receive your daily activity guide for your stay.

After a resort day you may want to head over to Disney Springs or a resort for dinner reservations or order a pizza and watch a movie by the pool. Disney resorts are magic and it is worth spending a bit of your vacation soaking it all in.

Electrical Water Pageant Parade

This is one that you don’t have to plan too much if you are in the right place! The parade runs nightly on Seven Seas Lagoon that is around the Magic Kingdom park. Guests staying at a Magic Kingdom resort will be able to see this.

The best place to see it is outside the Magic Kingdom or at one of the resorts that surround the lake.  It starts at the Polynesian Resort every evening. We have always caught pieces of it as we exit the Magic Kingdom and it is a magical end to our evening.

Visit ESPN Sports Complex

ESPN Sports complex is something you might not think of visiting when it comes to your Disney vacation, but if you have a sports fan in your house it is worth the visit.

ESPN hosts many youth sports teams from around the world and is a neat place to visit. Ticket prices vary depending on the event. Read my full ESPN Sports Complex review.

Tri-Circle-D Ranch at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort

Guests can go on wagon rides, pony rides, and explore trails at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort. Guests can also book Horseback Trail rides, advanced reservations is recommended.

Extra Magical Experiences

The Disney resort is always adding new extra experiences guests can book. These range from fishing excursions, pirate adventure cruise, cake decoration, spa treatments, private safari tours, and painting classes. There is something for everyone if you are looking for an enhanced experience outside the park.

How to Plan Your Disney World Rest Day

There are a couple different ways you can approach planning a Disney World rest day. The first is to plan nothing. Leave the day open and do what you and your family feel up to. This may be a resort day or some time at Disney Springs.

You may want a non-park day but still want to do some activities. This is when you should make dining reservations (60 days in advance) and book tickets for experiences.

How many rest days should you plan? I think 1 rest day after 2-3 park days is best if you are staying for a week. If you are staying longer I would plan 2 days. Consider what activities you are doing the day before and after to plan the best rest day itinerary.

Final Thoughts

Your Disney World vacation will be busy but it should be a vacation. A well-timed rest day makes the park days better. The non-park side of Disney World is genuinely wonderful and underutilized by most guests.

Not only do you get to experience the theme parks but also appreciate your resort and everything Disney World has to offer.

Planning your full Walt Disney World vacation? Our Walt Disney World Guide covers everything. Park guides, Lightning Lane strategy, dining, and resort tips.

Want to make the most of your Disney trip? Read our Disney World with Teens Guide for tips on planning a trip that works for the whole family.

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