Free or cheap "add ons"?

[mouschievous]

Our next trip is in July - yay!! After spending all the money on our WDW trip last month, our plan is to do this one less extravagantly. Even so, I figure there must be some fun free or inexpensive things to do that we might not think of. For example, seeking out the Patrick Begorra House. What are your fun inexpensive "add ons" that you think people should do?

 

[BadPinkTink]

I have a whole list of them

Mainstreet
The Brick Wall
The Red and White Lights at Coke Corner
The Lamp Posts

Fantasyland
The 3 last original ticket booths from 1955

Frontierland
The petrified tree

Adventureland
The Dominguez Tree

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

You can create your list of Hidden Mickeys to look for. A good resource is: https://mickeyvisit.com/hidden-mickeys-disneyland/

Just scroll down for the areas and the Hidden Mickeys to look for.

 

[mdmost]

The Flag retreat ceremony is one of the best "free" things you can do.

Check out all the different weather vanes in Fantasyland on top of each ride.

Sadly, you can't spot the old Fantasyland Skyway booth anymore behind the Pin cart near the bathrooms just next to Red Rose Tavern. The stairs are still there though.

Provost Park Pass on YouTube has a lot of fun videos of all the things you can look at around Disneyland like the fire brigade signs in New Orleans Square. Lots of fun things that you can try to spot at both parks. Give his videos a look.

 

[DisneylandFan22]

On Main Street check out the Enchanted Windows at the Emporium Gift Shop. The scenes change to tell the stories.

At the Penny Arcade you can pay a quarter to make Pinocchio dance.

Also at the Penny Arcade every 7 minutes the Welte Orchestrion plays. Walt Disney bought it in 1953 and it opened with the park in 1955.

With the Disney Play App you can get a free fortune from Esmerelda at the Penny Arcade and Fortune Red at New Orleans Square. It is a fun interactive experience.

You can watch free classic animation at the Main Street Cinema.

Check out all of the displays at the Opera House by Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln including the bench Walt Disney was sitting on when he came up with the idea for Disneyland.

Do the Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough which is actually very impressive.

Pirates Lair on Tom Sawyer Island has cool caves with different interactive experiences. For example, try to touch the treasure in the cave.

At California Adventure at the bottom of Grizzly Creek Challenge Trail there is a cave where you can discover your spirit animal.

At Animation Academy you can draw a character and keep the drawing for free.

 

[chezcurrie]

Don’t forget to get pixie dusted at BBB - even for adults its fun to add some sparkle to your day.

 

[Pluto468]

Don’t forget to get pixie dusted at BBB - even for adults its fun to add some sparkle to your day.

This sounds fun! How do you do it?

 

[chezcurrie]

This sounds fun! How do you do it?

Just go to the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique and asked to be pixie dusted. they will take you outside and sprinkle “dust” (aka glitter) on you with a wand.

 

[chezcurrie]

Couple others I just thought of - stop by the gift shop outside of Jungle Cruise and ask for a “Citizens of Disneyland” pin. Also in the same gift shop, but closer to Bengal Barbeque you can get your fortune told by ”Trader Sam” - I believe is is 50cents.

Pressed Pennies are always a hit.

Snow White‘s wishing well - I love this spot at night, and you can hear her sing.

Autopia used to have an inexpensive “drivers license“ you could get. Not sure if that is still a thing or not.

Could also do some research on unique things to DL like the Julie Andrews horse on the carousel. If you are so organized an inclined you could do a scavenger hunt - pretty sure there are some online you could find if you google it.

Also in Galaxy’s edge you can do all the interactive things with your smart phone or tablet. My boys could spend all day there just deciphering things, etc.

One of my favourite things is to simply head to the Grand Californian and sit in the lobby soaking up the ambiance and piano player. If it is crazy busy head up to the 5th floor (I think it was 5th, might have been 3rd) and there is a nice area with seating.

(You‘re getting me excited about my upcoming trip, lol!)

 

[Pluto468]

Just go to the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique and asked to be pixie dusted. they will take you outside and sprinkle “dust” (aka glitter) on you with a wand.

Thank you! My daughter is too old for BBB now but I'm sure she (and I) would like pixie dust

 

[chezcurrie]

Thank you! My daughter is too old for BBB now but I'm sure she (and I) would like pixie dust

My sister and I (grown adults with kids of our own) may or may not pack our own spray glitter for our sister trips. We saw a grown man with a fantastic beard that was glittered on time and were like: oh yes!

 

[DLgal]

The Frontierland shooting arcade is still like 50 cents, I think.

Ride the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes. It's really fun and is more of an activity than a ride, but people always overlook this attraction that WDW doesn't have.

When you are inside the gift shops along Main street, look UP. They are all very well themed.

Walk through Sleeping Beauty castle.

Do the Amimation Academy at DCA. Lots of fun stuff in there.

The Boudin Bakery tour still exists at DCA. Free bread!

The midway games in Pixar Pier are fun and not too expensive.

The Redwood Creek challenge trail at DCA is fun to explore. There are some fun rope climbs and stuff.

Ride the Main street vehicles.

 

[dieumeye]

Aladdin's lamp at Adventureland Bazaar is 50 cents.

 

[gelatoni fan]

The Frontierland shooting arcade is still like 50 cents, I think.

Little known secret: The first game of the day on each of the guns is free. Sometimes right after my first ride or two at rope drop, I'll stop by to try out some of the guns. The free games will usually be gone by the latter half of the first hour.

 

[Becca1007]

Little known secret: The first game of the day on each of the guns is free. Sometimes right after my first ride or two at rope drop, I'll stop by to try out some of the guns. The free games will usually be gone by the latter half of the first hour.

Also ... the first family to hit the arcade games at Pixar Pier used to always get a free play on one of the games. We now EVERY prize from the Bullseye Race game lol!

 

[evilmommie]

So many of our Dis friends have given great ideas!

A few more to tack on:

• Someone mentioned the GCH lobby and piano player. Amazing! It's also free to tour the Disneyland hotel and see all of the fun towers and beautiful grounds Lot's of fun treasures to discover on the original hotel site.
• Both parks offer free maps. I mean, that's the best souvenir ever! I was at Dland and DCA on Thursday and saw kids using the maps. Heartwarming.
• Ask to be the honorary captain on the Mark Twain. They used to give out a certificate as well. Doesn't hurt to find out if they still do this?
• Many of the Cast Members carry free stickers. Last time my hubby and went together in Jan, we received thank you stickers with Minnie & Mickey on them. I saved them in my card drawer at home.
• If your Mickey balloon pops they will replace it for free!
• Hopefully, you won't have to use First Aid but the basics are free....antacids, pain reliever, cortisone cream...
• Free DLR resort WiFi
• Free cups of water at any quick service location.

 

[mouschievous]

Thanks for all the great ideas! We are staying at VGC (had a credit to use from a canceled 2020 trip), so we will definitely enjoy the lobby and piano player at GCH.

I don't think I've ever been to the Penny Arcade! Sounds like something we need to make time for this trip. I also haven't done the canoes. H has never been to Tom Sawyer's Island, and even though apparently I have been I don't remember it, so we need to make that a priority too. And I'm putting Snow White's Wishing Well at night on the list too!

How's Animation Academy for people who can't draw? I am the worst artist and get very frustrated when I try; will it be awful?

 

[RainyDayPixie]

How's Animation Academy for people who can't draw? I am the worst artist and get very frustrated when I try; will it be awful?

I am a terrible artist, but even my character was passable. And it is a fun activity, even for the art-averse.