Freebies in the parks?

[cindybasket]

Does anyone know if there are any "freebies" in the parks?

I haven't encountered any before (except for all the wonderful memories) so I would love to know if there are things out there.

 

[cleo]

What sort of 'freebies' do you mean?

Ice Station Cool has (had) free samples of Coke products from around the world, but it's in rehab for the next 6 months. Miyuki in Japan does the most astonishing free candy creations for children. Is that the sort of 'freebie' you mean?

 

[oogieboogie]

In the Land at Epcot, there is the Junior Chef program for kids 3-12. It's done on hourly from 12:30pm to 4:30pm. The kids get a chef's hat, line up to put ingredients to make a cookie batter, the cookies then get sent to a magic oven and each kid then gets to take home their chef's hat and 2 Nestle chocolate chip cookies. Come early... it get's filled up fast since they can only do 20 kids at a time.

At World Showcase in Epcot, kids can do the Kidcot Stations, where they can decorate their very own mask and have it embellished with different charms from each country they visit.

 

[matt&jakesmom]

I was just there last week and my "freebies" were the pictures of my family that I asked people to take, seeing my boys face light up when they see their favorite character or going on their favorite ride,and seeing the castle "dressed" in gold.

 

[michaelwilliammidd]

I got an American Flag pin a couple of years ago on the fourth of July.

 

[cindybasket]

Those freebies are neat! I found out about the Epcot masks when we were there but didn't know about them before we left a couple years ago. The kids now have a few masks from different years...pretty cool freebie if you ask me!

I am going to make sure that we get to do the kids cooking one where you bake cookies too - my girl who's 11 loves to cook and bake.

Keep the freebies coming in....and yes these were the sort of things I was looking for. Oh - one I do know about is the free cup of ice water from counter service.

 

[Stimpy]

In Innoventions, you can make and take home a plastic robot. Also, you can make and take home your own paper from wood pulp. Both IBM and Kodak have areas where you can send free pictures of your family through email.

AK has booklets that kids do certain tasks in each land and they get a stamp each time they complete it.

Some of the resorts, like BC/YC and Poly have arts and crafts by the pools sometimes.

 

[CanadianPaco]

I found that a number of the shops would hand out Mickey stickers to my daughter. SHe still has a few of them 10 months later.

20 days to POP!!!

 

[indigoxtreme]

Here is a list that I gleened from several post hope they help


FREEBIES AT WDW

AK I got buttons at AK, and at the Living Seas for donating a dollar for the animals.
AK Cup Same thing at AK. I posted a picture a few pages back...Mickey is dressed in a Safari outfit.
AK We got lemonade, frozen I think, at AK when we got off of Kali River Rapids and it had a hard plastic Mickey straw/spoon in it. It isn't exactly free but comes with the treat.
All Every Park popcorn in each park comes in a cup/pail thing to go with each park
All BUS• Honorary Bus Driver card from one of the bus drivers for "helping" drive the bus.
All At Guest Services of each park and Downtown Disney you can pick up a free "It's My Birthday" button to wear.
ALL If you have little ones that are too short for a thrill ride, the CM's have cute little cards to give them that basically say "you can ride when you're tall enough"
DTD I know we did some kind of contest (kids activity) at the pin store in DTD. I think it was answer a question. If the child did they got a great certificate with a pin on it!
DTD Disney Store had a hula hoop contest and DD got a certificate and a choice of a pin.
DTD In the toy store in DTD there is a computer where you can design your own Mr. Potato Head. The picture prints out on a cute little postcard you can keep.
Epcot the kids can make a face mask for free by collecting things around the world.
Epcot when we asked for water for the kids, they came in plastic souveneir cups that said Epcot on them. make cookies for free in the "Land" pavillion in Epcot. each kid gets two cookies to take. It was fun! Look downstairs near the food court area.... it is off to the left.... a yellow blding front sponsored by Nestle
Epcot Then there's always the kidcot masks.
Epcot Ice Station Cool at Epcot - free drinks!!!
Epcot World Showcase Candy Lady in Japan makes free candy/sucker creations.
Epcot When you enter EPCOT, whether at the main entrance or International Gateway, look for a free children's booklet where the maps and schedules are located.
Epcot and Inoventions East I think ( I cant remember what side we were on) in the plastics exhibit where you make a robot and race him, once that's done you go and make your own plastic robot that you can take home.
Epcot At the end of Mission: Space attraction, you can send free e-mail postcards at the Postcards from Space booths in the Advanced Training Lab.
Epcot Free postcards at the end of Journey to the Imagination ride.
Epcot World Showcase• KidCot fun stops, and each country (usually in a store in the country) has a desk and someone working it who gives that countries tags, the mask, and materials to color. Look on your guide map at epcot to find out where they are. In Mexico the kids could sit at a table to make stick masks and the CM who was there was giving out rolls of Spree candy when we were there. When you are done your mask take in to each country and ask a CM for a tag for your mask. Each country has die cut paper tags that will attach to the mask. In the end your kids have a nice souvenier of their 'trip around the world'. DD made it all the way around and gave her a cute 8 1/2 x 11" colorful poster as a reward for completing her journey
Epcot • Buy a Passport in Epcot.• Make a stop in to each park Guest Relations and ask if they have any type of "freebie" for the kids.
EPCOT I got buttons at AK, and at the Living Seas for donating a dollar for the animals.
EPCOT If you finish the KIDCOT fun guide in EPCOT they give you a small poster with the characters and the Epcot ball and "signed" by Goofy saying something about a great job, hope to see you again.
Epcot. Most restaurants give you a plastic cup. They used to be nice hard plastic with a cover and a straw but the last few times I ate at PSB it was a cheaper plastic cup that says Epcot on it with the characters.
MGM Backlot lunch place next to Indiana Jones kids lunch comes with a blue lunch box
MGM • The free drawing you make yourself and take home from the Magic of Disney Animation.
MK Copilot the monorail (which is a treat in itself) and they (usually) give you a co-pilots license for each of the little ones. have to ask for the "co-pilot" license from the monorail driver.
MK Cosmic Ray's serves it's kids meals in these cute little mickey plates. Pinocchio Haus serves kids meals on these plates as well.
MK A popcorn bucket at the exit to the magic kingdom that had a lid
MK the cart in front of the castle, you will get a great plastic souvenir MK cup with Mickey and Minnie on it (no cover) when you order a soda.
MK I was taking a picture of my train-obsessed 4-year old when we got off the train at MK and one of the conductors happened to be getting off. He stopped to say hello to my DS and gave him a really cute card with Mickey and a train on the front. On the back it says "Walt Disney World Railroad Guest Conductor".
MK One last thing after riding on Buzz Lightyear, make sure to request your photo number, and get a separate card for each child. We didn't get the photo, but the back of the card has a great logo of the ride for their scrapbooks
In your room, they provide stationery and/or postcards from the resort. These are also great souvenirs. And don't forget the Disney Resort Pen!
WDW resort the mouskeeping staff will put cute little Mickey coasters with the water glasses.
On our last trip when I was checking out, I had the resort (All Star Movies) make a key for each of my kids. They put the kids' name on it then put "See ya real soon. Your pal, Mickey". My kids thought that was really neat.
POR We got some cute stickers from a security guard that say Junior Security on them (with Mickey, of course
WL Stickers at WL, along with a coloring book, and more stickers at World of Disney in the jewelry department

 

[Dancemom03]

Andy-Mation's trivia and Disney Character Balloon Characters are right up there at the top of our list with Miyuki's Candy creations in Japan.
Both are fantastic, couldn't buy if you wanted to, artistic souveniers.
Andy is dressed in bright colors (read screaming loud suit here...) and hangs out in the animation courtyard or inside the animation building on really hot days.

He is not listed on the show schedules because Disney also sends him traveling for special promotional work around the country. Andy's trivia and stories are fascinating and entertaining. The child chosen to suggest a character usually gets to keep it. As he makes the balloon sculpture he shares with his audience a vast knowledge about the character under construction. Our girls will plan extra hours in the mid afternoon specifically to watch Andy Mation from one show until the next until they get a turn.

DD16 has a really super pluto and had an unbelieveably detailed Stitch (before mom left it in the room by mistake when we checked out but that's a long sad story... we won't go there again - I still haven't been forgiven...)

Last year we also had my 5 yr old grandson with us. For him the show seemed an eternity and Andy only does one balloon per show which my teen had already laid claim to as the "balloon-junkie-vetran" that she is.
Now DGS is nothing if not persistent and pointed out that his name is Andrew too. Before we left he had been totally outfitted in balloon apparel - a vest, hat, sword and even a parrot to sit on his shoulder and had sworn an oath with Andy Mation in front of everyone watching to protect the kingdom from mean old Captain Hook and his cohorts.

It was terrific! The kind of thing you just couldn't pay enough for if there were a charge so it's even more of a surprise to discover Andy talking trivia in that loud outfit handing them out free!

Perfectly magical, Absolutely priceless...

 

[Dancemom03]

oops, forgot to mention that DD16 still got her Mushu he'd been making. The time he took with DGS was part of his scheduled break time. After he finished Mushu he stayed out longer to spread a little more magic with 5 yr old GS who, quite possibly, has never walked taller in his small sneakers...

 

[katebeth]

I know that this is not 100% free (I think that it costs 5 or 6 dollars for the book) But my kids love getting autographs from the characters. It is a great and "free" way to make memories

 

[meb]

The passport thing is fun to I still have mine

 

[InstImpres]

We love to bring home extra Mickey napkins (some places have different napkins). We use them sparingly upon return home and it makes the magic last

 

[cindybasket]

I love these ideas...we are leaving for WDW in just 9 days and I plan on printing all the helpful hints for "freebies" for the kids to read on the way down.

So - keep them coming!

 

[bigmac5]

Yes keep them coming. It's our first trip the end of Aug. It's funny no matter how small, we remember the freebies!