Heading to Walt Disney World for Spring Break? We’ve got a few ideas to help you plan your best family adventure yet and it doesn’t include a visit to the theme parks. In fact, you can spend your entire spring break at Disney and not step foot into the parks and still have a magical time.

My 8-year-old and I recently got a tour of some amazing things to do with the kids at Disney other than the parks and we’re dishing on all the details with you to help spark some ideas for your trip. We’ll talk fishing, Golf, FootGolf, pony rides, and MORE!

Yes, you can go fishing at Disney World and it’s awesome

Whether you’ve got a seasoned fisherman in the family or you’ve never been, a fishing trip at Disney is a must-experience. There are 9 resorts/marinas where you can go fishing on Disney property and you can either rent a pole and fish from the docks or go on a guided fishing trip which is what we did. This is catch and release.

The guides from Take Me Fishing lead the tours on either a pontoon boat which can fit up to 5 people or a bass boat for up to 3 people.

They supply everything you need including the rod and reel, tackle, bait, and drinks and water from Coca-Cola. Kids ages 12 and younger will need to wear a supplied life jacket too, so this policy is a bit stricter than the state law requires, but it is for your child’s safety.

Our guide was fantastic and not only put the bait on the hook for us but taught my son (and me) everything we needed to know about fishing. The lakes and lagoons are pretty well stocked, but we knew patience was still key.

I can’t tell you how exciting it was when my son made his first catch and it was a pretty big bass too! It was a smile I’ll never forget and a moment I know he’ll remember forever.

Among the fish you can catch at Disney: Large Mouth Bass, BlueGill, Catfish, SunFish. The bass were the ones biting the morning we went fishing with multiple people on our boat making a catch. It was pretty cool and a really magical experience to fish with Cinderella’s Castle in the background!

You can learn more and book your fishing adventure at Disney World here. We do recommend the first trips in the morning since that is apparently when the fish are biting a bit more.

Discover FootGolf at Disney World

I have to mention FootGolf before golf only because I had never heard of it before and it immediately became a favorite of my son. It’s basically a mashup of soccer and golf and is played on Disney’s 9-hole walking course, Oak Trail Golf Course.

This is a great activity for families with kids and adults of all ages. Even little ones will get a kick out of it…literally!

The goal is to kick the FootGolf ball (a regulation #5 soccer ball) into the 21-inch diameter holes in the course.

Disney’s FootGolf course is certified by the American FootGolf League.

Timeslots are available on Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoons. Golf and FootGolf on the Oak Trail course are not played at the same time, so there won’t be an overlap.

Like the 9-hole golf course, it takes about 90 minutes to play.

We tried and you can book same day if times are available, so it’s a great last-minute thing to do at Disney. Footgolf or a round of golf on the Oak Trail course are also included in the Water Park and Sports Option, so this is definitely worth the upgrade to your ticket!

Golfing at Disney World

It’s no secret you can golf at Disney World on one of its four beautiful golf courses. Walt was ahead of his time and knew golf was going to be an important part of the visitor experience, so golf has been around as long as the parks in Florida.

Walt Disney World Resort and Arnold Palmer Golf Management have a 20-year strategic alliance that has resulted in some pretty amazing upgrades at the courses with more to come. We love that Disney World makes golf approachable for everyone without offending the pros.

There are four golf courses you can play at Walt Disney World: Disney’s Palm, Magnolia, and Lake Buena Vista Golf Courses. There is also the 9-hole walking golf course where footgolf is played, Oak Trail Golf Course.

And let’s not forget the two miniature golf courses, Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf and Winter Summerland Miniature Golf!

My kiddo has never played golf, but that was no problem at all! He was able to work with one of the PGA golf pros for a quick lesson and, again…took to it right away.

You can book Golf Clinics at Lake Buena Vista Golf Course for as low as $20 for one hour. The Golf Clinics are offered to players of all skill levels on Mondays and Fridays from 2 pm-3 pm for short game and Wednesdays and Sundays from 2 pm-3 pm for full swing. You can also book half-day and full-day private and semi-private lessons with one of the PGA instructors.

Learn more about Golf at Disney World Resort here.

You can also experience The Greatest Green Ever Played and play the 18-hole putting course. You’ll find it next to the clubhouse for Magnolia, Palm and Oak Trail golf courses on the Shades of Green Resort property. They change the holes almost daily, so it’s a different challenge each time! It’s complimentary for guests who have their own putters and golf balls and you do not need a reservation to play.

Visit the home of Cinderella’s Horses at Tri-Circle D Ranch

I’ve been a Disney annual pass holder for years and had no idea you could visit the home of Cinderella’s ponies for free! This is such a cool thing to do with kids at Disney World and a nice quiet retreat from the crowds of the theme parks.

The Tri-Circle D Ranch is located inside Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and home is not only home to Cinderella’s ponies, but 90 of the happiest horses and ponies on Earth!

You’ll find the stable near the campground sites. It is open daily from 10 am-5 pm. Simply park and walk up to the stables where you can learn about the horses and ponies and even see a unique piece of Disney history, the Dragon Calliope. It’s a horse-drawn musical instrument Walt purchased for Disneyland in the 1950s.

There is also a mini museum you can explore and learn how Walt Disney made his first nickel drawing a picture of a horse when he was a child. At the ranch, they like to say it all didn’t start with a mouse, it started with a horse!

If you’re looking for a little more for the little ones, head over to Pioneer Hall near the Tri-Circle D Ranch to book a walk-up pony ride for $10 or wagon ride ($15 for ages 10 and. up and $10 for guests ages 3-9).

Kids 9 and older and adults can experience a Horseback trail ride too! The rides are $65 each and are 45 minutes long. Since they do require advanced reservations, you can book your Horseback trail ride at Disney here or through your My Disney Experience app.

Visit ESPN’s Wide World of Sports

The Water Park and Sports Option also includes ESPN’s Wide World of Sports which is an incredible complex.

There is usually always something going on, so depending on when you visit Disney World, you might be able to catch a soccer tournament or cheerleading competition this month.

More than 70 different sports have been played at Wide World of Sports which is pretty incredible when you think about it. It goes to show how diverse this facility is and the things they can do with the multi-sport playing fields.

You can go as a spectator if there is an event that piques your interest. You can check the line-up of events at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports here.

Note: The Department of Defense Warrior Games are being hosted June 21-30, 2024, and are free to watch as a spectator, so that’s something to plan for this summer break!

Wrapping it up

Overall, our long weekend experiencing all of these unique things to do at Disney that aren’t at the theme parks was an adventure we’ll never forget. We will also be back at it, bringing friends along with us next time.

My little guy is already excited about the idea of giving FootGolf another go Disney during our upcoming spring break!

*Walt Disney World hosted us for this trip, but our opinions are strictly our own. We wouldn’t write about it if we didn’t love it.

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