For any number of reasons, you might be planning a vacation at Disney minus the rides.
And if you ask me, the rides are only a third of the things to enjoy at the parks, because there are so many other things to do and explore!
What is there to do at Disney if you don’t like rides?
There’s a number of great options to do at Disney if you don’t like rides! You can meet Characters, Catch Broadway Style shows, Watch the Famous parades, Indulge in pressed penny or pin collections, Dine at world famous restaurants, explore Disney history, meet Animals and Shop! There’s also unique items depending on which park you visit (which we’ll cover below!)
Let’s break down what attractions you can do, what food places you shouldn’t skip, some characters you can meet, and more at each Disney Park (minus the rides!). IF this is your first time to Disney World, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how much you can do without getting on a ride!
What can you do at Disney World if you don’t like rides or won’t be able to enjoy rides?
You or your party can enjoy:
- Attractions that are not considered rides (like Shows, or very slow moving options like Trains)
- Meet Characters at Meet and Greet locations, through Character Meals or Special Events
- Dine at Themed Locations or Unique options
- Watch Nighttime Shows
- Participate with Interactive elements throughout the parks
Below you’ll find more information in detail by each park. This does not include the resorts, which often have unique elements like their own Character Greets, Rentals, Scavenger Hunts, and Entertainment Cast.
You should also note that will the parks have Characters that you can meet in line, you can also go to Character Dining (both inside and outside the parks) to meet Character. Some Characters are only found at Character Dining. See the best and worst Character Dining locations at Disney World.
Pressed Penny hunting and Pin trading are fun past times that are quite popular still. There can be done all over the parks and resorts and require very little planning.
For the kids and kids at heart, there are several playgrounds in the Disney World Parks to play and let some steam out.
If you have a Service Animal, you can find all of the Service Animal Relief locations here with photos.
Park by Park breakdown of options that are not rides :
Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom is the Flagship Disney World park, the number one theme park in the World! It has the Famous Cinderella Castle and the 3 o’clock Parade.
At Magic Kingdom, you’ll find a lot of attractions that aren’t rides, even if the front does look like a ride entrance. It helps to look at the guide maps and use the key to look for attractions that don’t have a Height Limit. You can also ask a Cast Member at the front of the attraction to confirm that you are in the right place (i.e. an attraction that isn’t a ride).
Attractions you can enjoy that aren’t rides:
- Mickey’s Philharmagic
- Tom Sawyer’s Island (requires a short boat ride)
- The Hall of Presidents
- Liberty Square Riverboat (boat that goes slow on a hidden track)
- Swiss Family Treehouse (it’s a lot of walking FYI!)
- Railroad (a train that goes around the park)
- Enchanted Tiki Room
- Enchanted Tales with Belle
Some of the Characters you can meet at Magic Kingdom:
- Aladdin
- Anastasia
- Captain Jack Sparrow
- Cinderella
- Elena
- L***r L**s McGrowl, Shaker and Wendell from Country Bear Jamboree
- Merida
- Mickey Mouse
- Peter Pan
- Princess Jasmine
- Princess Tiana
- Rapunzel
- Tigger
- Winnie the Pooh
Notable Restaurants and Eateries to try:
- Character Dining inside Cinderella’s Castle at Cinderella’s Royal Table
- Character Dining inside the Beast’s Castle at Be Our Guest
- Italian Inspired options at the Lady and the Tramp inspired Restaurant, Tony’s Town Square
- Jungle Skipper inspired resturant Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen
- Main Street Confectionery
- Pinocchio Village Haus and Columbia Harbour House have upstairs seating great for people watching
Memorable options that aren’t rides or attractions:
- Nighttime Castle FireWorks Show
- Daytime Castle Stage Shows
- Parades and Calvalades down Main Street
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Disney’s newest park in Florida is Animal Kingdom! Filled to the brim with so many creatures from the past, present and future, Animal Kingdom feels like a different world. Inside you can travel to the World of Pandora, meet animals that almost went extinct, and hang out with fossils.
Attractions you can enjoy that aren’t rides:
- Rafiki Planet Watch (train ride, animal petting zoo, animation experience)
- Discovery Island trails
- Gorilla Falls Exploration Trails
- It’s Tough to be a Bug Theater Show with special effects
- Maharajah Jungle Trek
Some Characters you can meet at Animal Kingdom:
- Mickey and Minnie together in the same picture, the only location to consistently meet them together
- Chip and Dale together in the same picture, the only location to consistently meet them together
- Daisy
- Donald
- Kevin from UP
Notable Restaurants and Eateries to try:
- Resturantasaurus
- Pongu Pongu
- Yak and Yeti
Memorable options that aren’t rides or attractions:
- Wilderness Explorers Club, a map and stickers around the park similar to a scavenger hunt
- Nighttime Tree of Life Show
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Go back in time to the Golden Era of Hollywood at Disney’s Hollywood Studios! With lots of rides and attractions reminiscent of popular Movies and Media, Hollywood Studios is the place to enjoy Characters and the Movie Stars we know and love.
Attractions you can enjoy that aren’t rides:
- Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy
- For the First Time in Forever: Frozen Sing Along
- Indian Jones
- Beauty and The Beast Live on Stage
- Disney Junior Dance and Play
Some Characters you can meet at Hollywood Studios:
- Mickey
- Minnie
- Olaf
- Darth Vader
- BB-8
- Buzz Lightyear, Woody and Jessie
- Fancy Nancy, Doc McStuffins, and Vampirina
- Batuu Characters Chewbacca, Vi Moradi, Rey, Kylo Ren
- Joy and Vanellope
Notable Restaurants and Eateries to try:
- 50’s Prime Time Cafe
- Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo
- The Hollywood Brown Derby
- Woody’s Lunch Box
- Oga’s Cantina
Memorable options that aren’t rides or attractions:
- Wonderful World of Animation Courtyard Nighttime Show
- Fantasmic Nighttime Fireworks Show
EPCOT
As a dedication to the amazing places around the World, EPCOT brings together the countries, the inspirations, the Discoveries and the Unknown into one park! You’ll find so much here that isn’t rides, and so many of the rides are easy enough that most folks enjoy them.
Attractions you can enjoy that aren’t rides:
- Awesome Planet (show inside The Land Pavillion)
- Beauty in the Beast Sing Along
- Canada Far and Wide 360
- Reflections of China
- Image Works- What if Lab
- Kidcot Fun Stops
- Mexico Folk Art Gallery
- SeaBase
- Turtle Talk with Crush
Some Characters you can meet at Epcot:
- Alice
- Anna and Elsa
- Belle
- Donald Duck
- Daisy Duck
- Mickey
- Minnie
- Joy
- Mary Poppins
- Mulan
- Aurora
- Snow White
- Vanellope von Schweetz
- Winnie the Pooh
Notable Restaurants and Eateries to try:
- Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
- Biergarten Resturant
- Coral Reef Restaurant
- Le Cellier Steakhouse
- Katsura Grill
- Spice Road Table
- Via Napoli
Memorable options that aren’t rides or attractions:
- Food Festival (four seasonal options)
- EPCOT’s nighttime show
- Live Bands/Entertainment in France, UK, Morocco, Japan, Mexico
- Walking around World Showcase/participate in the KidCot World Showcase activities
There is a lot to do at Disney World that isn’t a ride, and rides are only a small portion of the trip!
Overall, Disney is a place with more than just rides. While the rides get a lot of attention, you can go to Disney World and have several full days of attractions and events that are not rides. You can meet Characters, explore the parks to find lesser known spots, talk to Cast Members from around the World, eat at Great and Unique locations and enjoy Nighttime Shows and Events.