Free Stuff at Disney World sounds like a misnomer, but I can assure you that there are quite a few free things at Disney World.
These freebie options can be found inside the parks and outside (so you donāt always need a ticket for them! woohoo!)
To get these freebies at Disney World, you do not have to be staying on property or have a park ticket for all of them, but several freebies first require the paid entrance. You can get these Free Disney World Items by speaking with Cast Members or Heading to Guest Relations.
Is Disney Still Free on your Birthday?
Disney is not Free on your Birthday (or kids birthdays!). This was from an old promotion Disney ran to increase Park attendance, and no longer applies to trips.
How do you get a free pickle at Disney World?
Free Pickles? No that’s not a thing. This is outdated trip advice for an offer that no longer exists at Disney World.
So let’s talk about buttons, stickers, cards, real life pixie dust, and my favorite… Disney World Holiday Freebies. (plus a bunch of other ones!) If you want a list of things to do, head over to this post about Free Things to Do at Disney World.
This post contains affiliate links at no extra cost to you, and I may earn commission on qualified sales, check out my affiliate disclosure for more information and all the legal mumbo jumbo.
The list of Free Stuff at Disney World updated for 2023
Most popular freebie? The Celebration Buttons
Where Can you Find This?: Guest Service at every park, Guest Service at Disney Springs, and Resort Concierge
The Buttons you can get at Guest Services for celebrating things like Honeymoons, Birthdays and your first visit.
You WANT these buttons as it leads to some extra pixie dust. Sometimes itās just a cast member saying ācongratsā but other times it could lead to other free things or upgrades!
Secret Disney Freebie? This Real Pixie Dust and a Blessing
Location: Sir Mickey’s Shop, right next to Princess Fairytale Hall. Just ask for the Cast Member for Pixie Dust.
You read that right! And not the proverbial kind. This is REAL pixie dust.
Head to the princess store on the backside of Cinderella’s castle and find your own personal wish maker. She will sprinkle you with REAL pixie dust as she says a wish over you.
Its SO cute! The Fairy Wand has been updated with the 50th Celebration Logo for the festivities!
Side note: It’s certainly a souvenir that comes home with you! š It took forever to wash out!
The free thing at Disney you didn’t know you needed… Electricity
Where can you find charging ports? Lots of places!
Magic Kingdom: go to the gift shop by TomorrowLand Speedway, the charging garden by Rapunzel’s Tower, and Cosmic Ray’s quick Serve.
Hollywood Studios: charging ports in Docking Bay 7 by the drink machines, and Star Wars Launch Bay.
EPCOT: The Land Pavilion outside of Soarin, and ones in American Adventure.
And you can charge your phone in most buses, plus you can always take it to guest services!
Obviously this is something we take for granted, until your in a theme park and your phone is about to die and you have all your plans on there with no paper back up (might be speaking from experience there!)
Thankful, Disney World has several charging areas where you can stop and plug your charger in. No charger? no prob, they sell them in most of their stores for Disney World markup prices!
Free Disney Springs Necklace (complimentary diamonds international pendant disney)
Run over to Disney Springs and enjoy all the free activities listed above, but also- get a FREE necklace!
Yep, International Diamonds Store in Disney Springs will give you a free Disney Heart Necklace (no coupon required like it was a few years ago!)
>>> Note: Several Reports that this necklace is no longer free. I did go in at the beginning of 2023 and get one with my young daughter- It is likely based on Jewelers discretion.
You can also sign up for Sprinkles Birthday Club and get a free cupcake on your birthday month. They are located in Disney Springs and have some good options (gluten free too- supposedly made in a gf facility. You can see all the gluten free options I’ve eaten at so far)
Lots of Freebie Coloring Books for the little kids
Not all resorts have them, but many have coloring books for the little ones (or the big kids- doesnt hurt to ask) the latest offerings are these wild about safety coloring books.
Brainwash em while their young is what I always say!
Free use of Photo Props
While you don’t get to take the actually prop home with you, you’ll find photoprops throughout the resorts and parks! These are particularly common when something new opens up (like a ride) or at the entrances of most resorts. You can always ask to take a picture with one- you don’t need to have photopass or being staying at the resort!
Holiday and Birthday Freebies
When we’ve gone to the resorts and parks on Holidays, particullary Christmas, the cast members almost always had something to give out to the guests. In the image below we got a rubber duckie and a bracelet at Typhoon Lagoon on Christmas Day in 2019. We also got to meet Rapunzel at The Coronado Resort Valentines Day 2020 and they had free stickers and books for the kids.
On Birthdays, at restaurants, specifically Character Meals, we’ve gotten signed cards!
Scavenger Hunt Booklets and Prizes
There are several free scavenger hunt type adventures at Disney.
Outside the park, You’ll find Scavenger Hunts at the Resorts. Some of these vary by season and holiday! Ask at the Front Desk for more information.
Inside Magic Kingdom there is one! This is more āadventuresā than scavenger hunt, and more appropriate for ages 6 and up.Ā
A Pirateās Adventure- is in Adventure land- and takes approximately 20 mins to complete. You are running around trying to find clues and then using your card or magic band to activate the experience once youāve found it!
Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom is another scavenger type hunt that goes along Main Street USA (this option has been canceled!)
Then over at Animal Kingdom you have the Wilderness Explorer Progam- which is kind of like scavenger hunt meets educational time.
You have a booklet and you have to find things inside the book while talking to the Wilderness Explorer Guides- you also get free stickers! This is something I recommend for the kids AND the adults because the guides can change what they tell you based on the age group.
Kidcot Stations
In Epcot they normally have paid scavenger hunts and food crawls during the festivals, but all around the world showcase, at all times of year, they have the kidcot stations.
These little areas give you a traveling suitcase, a card and some stickers. It is TOTALLY adorable for the kiddos, and anyone (i highly recommend this for the adults) can buy a passport to have it stamped.
This is one of my kids favorite things to do- plus it’s free! So why not ?!
These fun areas are for kids in the World Showcase. Each of them has their own unique activity depending on which country you stop in.
Most of the time itās coloring related. Plus, the cast members there will interact with the kids and teach them some of their native languages- itās a really fun way to entertain kids around the World Showcase.
There’s 11 spots around the world showcase. most of the kidcot spots are pretty obvious, but if you’re like me, you want to stop after the first 5!
They do take you into each land and it is a fun way to learn more about the culture.
Stickers and Transportation Cards
Do you have kids that are obsessed with stickers? Or maybe they love everything that moves?
Cast members have been known to give out stickers, weāve gotten several Mickey Mouse stickers on our last few visits in 2019.
Theyāve also started doing transportation cards for the Monorail, bus, boats and trams. My son is very excited to ask for them now! Itās a fun way to make travel (which is long and boring) more fun and exciting for the little ones!
Water (Iced and Filtered)
Disney has been playing around with their ice water options… and it had a lot to do with the Pandemic.
Before the shut down, Disney Starbucks moved to a water refill canister. And Disney installed many water fountains with a filter on them!
Now, you can get ice water at any of the quick serve and table service restaurants, for free. You can also get filtered water at any of the numerous locations throughout the parks. It is recommended to have your own refillable cup or bottle for both of these options.
See all of the Water Bottle Refill Stations here, and all of the places you can get a cup of water here.
Photos taken by Cast Members
The only downside to this is waiting in line, and during the busy seasons the lines can get really long!
All you need to do is ask. Yes, they normally take pictures for the Photopass, but they will also take one for you too. Plus, there are several āwanderingā photographers that can walk with you to get the shot of your dreams!Ā
Magic Bands (are no longer free starting in 2021- they are averaging between 10-50 dollars)
Magic bands used to be free for resort guests and annual passholders
You can order the ones that have characters too- those run around 30 dollars. Personally, I like to head over to the secret clearance store and scoop up some on serious discount. Highly recommend you check it out!
Since we’re passholders, we also got free little magic band holder on things, and we get free magnets! We get one each year upon renewal, then one at each of the festivals (or whenever Disney decides to be frisky and offer a passholder magnet!)
First Aid
I mean… when I said a complete list I meant a complete list.
So if you head over to First Aid, you’ll get free bandaids. And possibly other things like an ace wrap or an ice pack.
Conclusion
One Last Free thing- Pixie Dust!
This is what they call a cast member who has gone above and beyond- they have given you some Pixie Dust for your vacation!
We’ve had this before when my son spilled his ice cream, and they replaced it free of charge. Wonderful right? We’ve had so many other pixie dust moments that I can’t even begin to list them all- but Disney is wonderful about making things right.
When we went to Disney in 2019, my 11 year old son was wearing a hat that we purchased on property. We went into a show, and he took it off while watching and at the end got up and walked away without it. We ran back into the theatre immediately, but it was already gone! My kiddo was so sad. A cast member told us to go to the register and talk to the cashier. (We were totally prepared to buy another hat). They told us to grab another one, pulled the tag off and told him to enjoy the rest of the trip! It was such an amazing little gesture that made everything better, and showed that Disney really is magic!
Disney Magic is incredible! I remember when I was a teenager over at Hollywood Scoops and I dropped my ice cream right outside the window. The Cast Member was so sweet so even came around the building, gave me a hug and gave me a new ice cream cone. I was like 16 and this woman went out of her way to be so sweet to me when I was an angsty teen. That’s the best kind of vacation!
Its like you read my mind! You seem to grasp so much about this, like you wrote the e-book in it or something.
An excellent read. I’ll definitely be back when my trip is closer. Cheers from across the pond! janessa
Unfortunately, Luxury of Time is no longer offering the free necklacesā¦ š
This is as of 3/23/22
Thanks for sharing this! We got one a few weeks ago, I’ll add this to my list to check on (hoping it was a supply issue!)