The Wishes fireworks show at the Magic Kingdom is a great fun and free offering at Disney World

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Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

Disney's BoardWalk Villas

Walt Disney World is notorious for sucking money out of its guests’ wallets. But there are some really nice, free, or very inexpensive activities a family can enjoy during a Disney vacation.

The best fun and free offering at Disney World is watching the Magic Kingdom’s nightly fireworks show, Wishes, from the beach of one of the hotels on the monorail. The best beach to watch Wishes from is the beach at Disney’s Polynesian Resort. You can grab a pool chair and relax. The music is piped right on to the beach. It’s a great experience. (For more info on places to watch the fireworks, check out this post.)

Step outside the Disney Boardwalk Villas and you’re in area called, simply enough, the Disney Boardwalk. When the lights come on, this area comes alive — you’ll find jugglers, comedians, fire-eating dragons (oops, I mean “fire-eaters”), and much more. You can hear the music from the restaurants that line the Boardwalk. For a small fee, you can play some of the carnival games or rent a bicycle built for four (yes, four people).

Want to see a classic Disney movie and sing around a campfire? For free? This is one great fun and free activity that’s often overlooked. Almost every night (weather permitting) at the Fort Wilderness Campground there is a sing along with Chip and Dale followed by a classic Disney movie shown on a large outdoor screen. Before the movie there is a marshmallow roast. (Food is available for purchase, but you can bring also your own.)

– Carl Trent of Dad’s Guide to WDW and the Dad’s Guide to WDW blog