Autism-Friendly Things to do at Disney World Without Rides

If you are preparing to visit Walt Disney World but aren’t really interested in rides, don’t worry there will still be plenty to do! We’ve found many autism-friendly things to do at Disney World without rides. The attractions, shows, food, shopping, character dining, character meets, photo ops, resort activities and the good ol’ Disney magic, just to name a few.

Even with services like the Disability Access Service (DAS), waiting in any line, the noise, the crowds and the rides themselves can be overwhelming for a person with autism. The DAS is designed for guests who, due to a developmental disability like autism or similar, are unable to wait in a conventional queue (line) for an extended period of time. On our first Disney trip when our son was five, we pretty much knew he was not likely to ride much, if anything (and he didn’t).

We weren’t disappointed, we just searched out alternative activities at Disney World. Thar first visit included a lot of character meets and watching live music shows. Since then, we’ve been to Disne several times and our autism-friendly ride-free Disney World experiences include new discoveries every time we visit.

Explore the Magic Kingdom

It’s hard to imagine a visit to Disney World without a visit to Magic Kingdom. Many of the classic rides like It’s a Small World and Dumbo the Flying Elephant are in Magic Kingdom and of course, Cinderella’s castle. While inside of Magic Kingdom if you aren’t ready to ride, you can:

1. Take pictures in front of the castle
2. Watch live musical performances and shows
3. Watch the Main Street U.S.A Parade
4. Take a ride on the Walt Disney World Railroad in a vintage narrow-gauge steam train around Magic Kingdom 
5. Meet various Disney characters around the park
6. Catch the nightly fireworks show
7. Shop on Main Street U.S.A
8. Emjoy Character Dining at a various Magic Kingdom restaurants

Years ago at Magic Kingdom a highlight for us was meeting Mickey Mouse at the Town Square. We were able to meet the talking Mickey and have a conversation with him! What was mind blowing was watching him speak multiuple languages to different families. Talking Mickey was unfortunately retired in 2018. 

Talking Mickey Mouse at the Town Square

Jump on the Monorail and go Resort Hopping

I discovered before our first ever Disney World trip that resort hopping was a thing! Disney World has a collection of over 25 different resort hotels. They range from value resorts for the budget conscience to the deluxe resorts for anyone that can afford to go all out!

Resort hoping can be a lower sensory experience because there are no lines and there are usually no crowds. Just wonder through at your own pace. During the holiday season, the deluxe level hotels have life-sized gingerbread houses!

While you can’t use the resort amenities if you are not a guest, it is completely free to walk around. You can explore the beautiful lobbies and soak in the details of design, or even book a meal at a restaurant in any resort without being a resort guest.

You do need to have a plan though; you can’t park at a resort that you are not a guest of (unless you have a dining reservation). This is a perfect opportunity to enjoy a ride on the Disney World monorail. The monorail stops at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Contemporary Resort and the Polynesian Village Resort.

Resorts we like to visit:

• Grand Floridian Resort & Spa: A five-star resort and one of the best at Disney and by some ranked one of the top resorts in the world
• Polynesian Village Resort: Polynesian themed resort with a beach and private villas
• Animal Kingdom Lodge: See over 30 species of wildlife like zebras and flamingos on the resort grounds

I also have to mention the boardwalk at the Disney World Boardwalk resort. It’s a classic waterfront boardwalk where guests are welcomed by live music, jugglers, dueling pianos and other classic boardwalk entertainment.  If you take the trip over to the Fort Wilderness Resort, you can enjoy 750 acres of trees and forest. You do not have to be a guest of the resort to participate in the Chip n’ Dale’s Campfire sing-a-long, book horseback riding or pony rides or rent a boat. 

We haven’t made it to every resort, but we plan to keep checking more off our list as we visit! There are always new things to discover.

Animal Kingdom Savannah

Fireworks on the Beach at Polynesian Resort

Polynesian Resort Photo credit: Disneyworld.com

Another autism-friendly thing to do at Disney without rides is to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks show, Happily Ever After! The beach at the Polynesian Resort is a great autism-friendly alternative location to watch the fireworks. I’m hesitant to venture into Magic Kingdom for the show due to the huge crowds and noise. There are however, disability access viewing areas within Magic Kingdom if you want to be in the mix.

There are a few alternative places outside of Magic Kingdom to watch the Happily Ever After! fireworks show including:

• Transportation and Ticket Center
• All of the monorail resorts
• Some restaurants within the monorail restaurants (reservations required)

With all of the options, our favorite option is the beach at the Polynesian Resort. Firstly, it’s free! I appreciate being able to spread a blanket on the beach, stick my toes in the sand, and watch the show without standing in a packed park. Leaving when the show is over is less hectic as well and, if ever we need to leave early we are not in the middle of Main Street U.S.A. pushing our way through a crowd to exit. If you choose to make a dinner reservation at Ohana in the Polynesian you can enjoy dinner while watching the fireworks. 

The hotel pipes in the music that goes with the fireworks display over speakers by the beach and pool so you can sing along. While you are at the Polynesian, grab a delicious Dole Whip – it’s like a pineapple smoothie. Prior to the start of the fireworks show, there is also an Electrical Water Pageant in the lagoon between Polynesian and the Grand Floridan resorts and can be seen from Fort Wilderness as well,

The KilImanjaro Safari at Animal Kingdom

The Kilimanjaro Safari at Animal Kingdom is technically a ride, but it doesn’t feel like it. It is actually the only ride in all of Disney World my son will get on. The experience is so unique! You get to ride in an open-air vehicle for a guided tour of an African savanna.

The Harambe Wildlife Reserve is home to over 30 species on 110 acres of land. This autism-friendly experience is great for a family of animal lovers like mines who loves to visit zoos.  Although a bit bumpy, the ride is pretty quiet. While you are at Animal Kingdom, you can also check out the Tree of Life and the awesome and intricate details and carvings of the tree.

Found a giraffe on the Safari Ride

Stay at an On-Site Disney Resort

We prefer to stay at an on-site Disney resort. In addition to austim-friendly non-ride activities, we find being on-site easier to navigate the parks and access the amenities. We have stayed at a few of the All-Star Resorts before, but our favorite is Port Orleans Riverside. Since we spend a lot of time at the resort, room size is also important to us. The value category hotel rooms are tighter now that the kids have gotten bigger.

Staying on-site makes it easier to get back to our room when we need a break, ideally before sensory overload. We usually drive to Disney World from NY so we always have a car. Although the bus transportation is free at Disney, there are times when driving to a theme park helps keep anxiety lower. Also, when half of our family is ready to go, the other half can use the bus or other Disney transport to get back to the resort.

Some families choose to stay in the parks and ride all day, we know that doesn’t work for us. Having a nice, close hotel gives us a piece of mind that we can find interesting things to do at the hotel if Disney is just too much of an overload. Also, there are dining rooms and restaraunts at all Disney resorts. The types of food available varies based on the theme of the hotel but there are kid friendly options. We never have to figure out where to eat, we can simply walk over to the food court. 

Pool days are a must for us and the moderate resort hotel class at Disney World all have pools with slides and other water features. Also, the Port Orleans hotel is so quiet and it feels like a park. There is an entire river that runs through the resort!

In addition to the pool, at Port Orleans Riverside there are:

• Outdoor movies
• Campfire activities
• Complimentary bus or water taxi transportation
• Horse Drawn Carriage Rides
• Bike Rentals
• Fishing
• Arcade
• Playgrounds
• Walking paths

Many of the resorts offer similar amenities, but they of course vary by resort. You don’t have to be a resort guest to take advantage of the ferry boat rides around Disney either. If you stay at Port Orleans, you have easy access to the Sassagoula River Cruise on a Disney water taxi. You can catch the boat over to Disney Springs. Disney World resort guests can also access one of the two-water parks for free, on the day of check-in!

Port Orelans Riverside Carriage Rides

Disney Springs

Disney Springs is an area outside of the parks that offers lots of shopping, music, food and movies. We usually spend an afternoon at Disney Springs and grab lunch or dinner. You can drive to Disney Springs, or use the free Disney shuttles buses or water taxi.

You can find fun kid-friendly restarunts like T-REX (which we found too loud) and our visit is never complete without huge slices of cake from Gideon’s Bakehouse.

Water taxi to Disney Springs

Explore the Walt Disney World Theme Parks

Walt Disney World is comprised of multiple theme parks to explore:

• Magic Kingdom
• Epcot
• Animal Kingdom
• Hollywood Studios

And two water parks:

• Blizzard Beach
• Typhoon Lagoon

Exploring the Walt Disney World theme parks and discovering all of the autism-friendly things to do without rides would take a very, very long time. There is always somehthing new to discover!

At Epcot you could check out the beautiful gardens and literally eat your way around the world at one of the many restaruants featuring foods from around the globe. Another low sensory experience would be to walk through the Journey of Water (inspired by the movie Moana) an interactive trail with water and nature.

In Hollywood Studios,  take lots of pictures, watch the MuppetVision 3D show film and catch live-action show(this attraction will close in June 2025) and for the little checkout the Disney Junior Play and Dance show.

In addition to rides and attractions, all of the theme parks provide food, shopping, character interactions and live entertainment. There are also two mini golf courses at Disney World. 

 Don’t Be Scared to Take the Trip

Traveling with child on the spectrum can seem overwhelming. Don’t be scared to take the trip!

Disney World could be a lot for a first trip, so I recommend starting our small. You could begin with day trips closer to home and then advance to an overnight experience a few hours away. We visited the state fair and other amusement parks first. On those outings, we discovered that riding rides wasn’t very fun but watching live musical shows was always a winner. So, when we planned for Disney World, we had an idea of how to maximize our experience with character meets and live shows.

For families that do want to experience the rides and attractions, Disney World has a lot of accommodations to make the parks accessible for families with special needs. From Rider Switch, to Break Rooms, wheelchair rentals, to the Disability Access Service (DAS), and Sensory Experience Guide, there are many resources to make your visit less stressful.

While it is not a disability service, families can benefit from using Lightning Lane Entrances and Genie and Genie+ services. There is an additional cost, but being able to shorten wait times might make the experience more enjoyable if you want to ride. If visiting Disney World is something you think your family will enjoy, you can for sure have an autism-friendly experience at Disney World that doesn’t include rides.

While I have listed a lot to do here, I haven’t even really scratched the surface of all there is to try! If you are not sure about the rides at Disney World, you will still have plenty of options when you visit.