Catch a sporting competition

Image: DisneyThe ESPN Wide World of Sports complex is one of the hidden gems of Walt Disney World. Generally, the only people who pay attention to the activities here are the ones who are either participants or the loved ones of said competitors. When you’re looking for something to do at Disney, however, it’s a terrific place to spend some time.

Disney hosts a multitude of academic competitions at ESPN Wide World of Sports, most of them involving children, teenagers, and college students. Through 2019, you can also watch Atlanta Braves baseball here during Spring Training in February and March. For most of the year, however, the entertainment involves the 21-and-under crowd, as they compete in soccer, volleyball, baseball, dancing, and cheerleading events.

Image: DisneyYou’ll find an updated schedule of events at ESPN Wide World of Sports on the official site. By perusing this page, you can see which competitions Disney’s hosting on the days you’ll be in town. You should also understand that you’ll likely have to pay…something to see the events. The current fee at time of publication is $19.50 for adults and $13.50 for children aged 3-9, but some competitions have individual admission fees, too.

Movie night!

Image: DisneyMany Disney Resorts them have outdoor exhibitions of Disney movie classics. For example, we watched The Lion King the last time we were at Walt Disney World.

Notably, Disney sometimes shows brand new movies, too. For example, they had a Moana showing at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort weeks before the film came out on in theaters. You could feasibly kill two birds with one stone by watching a Disney movie that you haven’t seen for free at a Disney resort!

Image: DisneyOn a personal note, I love the atmosphere of these outdoor screenings. Families bring blankets and chairs and sometimes even picnic baskets. Strangers interact with one another as everyone celebrates their childhood love of Disney movies. It’s a magical way to spend the evening.

To participate, you should check the individual Disney resorts to research their daily schedules. These pages list movie screening information. Alternately, our friends at Build a Better Mousetrap have compiled a full list.