Veteran Disney guests know that for the most relaxing vacation, you need to take a few days off from the parks during your stay. You may have a room or condo for a week, but three or four days in Epcot and Magic Kingdom are enough to get your Disney kick for the year. There are dozens of ways to extend your cheap Disney vacation by staying out of the parks but still enjoying the Disney magic. You'll still be in vacation mode, but your wallet will be much thicker at the end of the day.
Spend an afternoon walking around Disney's Boardwalk. This stroll around the lake reminds you of Coney Island in the 1940s. You'll be entertained by street performers like jugglers, fire-eaters and live bands. Grab an inexpensive snack at one of the many stands and try your luck at a carnival game. Stop in at the Atlantic Dance Hall and hop around with your family to Top 40 hits. Or simply relax and watch the boats floating by on the lake.
Grab your kids and let them ride some of the many forms of transportation that Walt Disney World has to offer. Spend an afternoon seeing how many different vehicles you can ride in. Begin with the classic, the monorail. Stop at Magic Kingdom, Contemporary or Polynesian and get on the boat that ferries you all around the lake to different resort hotels. Ride one of the Mouse buses out to Ticket and Transportation Center, then grab another one back to your resort. If your transportation extravaganza extends into the evening, grab a wagon ride around Fort Wilderness Campground for a fun finish to the day.
Go fishing. Both Port Orleans Riverside and Fort Wilderness both offer catch-and-release fishing. The cost is under per pole for the day and the cane poles come with a steady supply of worms for bait.
Visit some of the big resort hotel lobbies and have a hidden Mickey hunt. All over Walt Disney World, cast members have created and installed hidden silhouettes of Mickey Mouse's head. Look everywhere for the HMs, from carpeting and wallpaper to the ceiling in rides and the sand on the beach. Keep track of who finds the most hidden Mickeys in the day, but beware... hidden Mickey hunting can be addictive and might carry on for years to come.
Create a collection and see how many items you can find in all the resorts. Get a pressed penny from as many machines as you can find, collect napkins or pins from each resort or snap a picture of yourself in front of as many Disney characters, live or statues, as you can.
If you have a car available, spend the afternoon at The Nature Conservancy's Disney Wilderness Preserve. The preserve is about 20 miles south of Walt Disney World. You can see native plants and animals on a 3-mile nature hike or have fun with an offroad buggy experience.
Don't ever think that you have to spend all of your days in the Disney parks in order to have fun. A good part of the enjoyment of a cheap Disney vacation is having magical moments throughout your week, no matter how much you spend.
