You don’t actually have to spend a dime to bring home a souvenir from Disney World. From collectible cards to sticker badges, here are eight free keepsakes that most guests don’t even know about.

Between spirit jerseys, Minnie ears, toys, and everything else Disney can fit inside their shops, it’s easy to end up spending hundreds on souvenirs. And, a lot of the souvenirs are entirely worth that cost. However, a lot of guests don’t realize that there’s a way to commemorate your trip without spending a dime. So, whether you’re traveling on a budget or just want to save a little extra on your upcoming trip, here are eight Disney World souvenirs that you can get for free!

Key To The World Cards

MagicBands have become the go-to accessory for navigating the theme parks, and it’s understandable why – they’re very convenient! But, before MagicBands existed, Disney gave every guest a Key To The World Card to use as their park ticket and hotel room key, and what a lot of people don’t know is that you can still get these and they make a great keepsake from your trip. The cards themselves are decorated with fan-favorite Disney characters and you never know which one you’re going to get. So, if you go on multiple trips, you can try to collect all the characters.

If you’re not planning to use a MagicBand, then you’ll need one of these to get around. But, even if you do have MagicBands, you can still get one! All you have to do is head to the front desk at your Disney Resort and request a physical card. You can also get them at any guest relations location or ticketing office if you’d prefer to grab them at the parks. The Cast Member will provide you with one card per person, and you don’t have to return them at the end of your trip – they’re yours to take home! 

Luggage Tags

Years ago, Disney used to send a welcome packet to your home before your trip, and luggage tags were included. Unfortunately, Disney has since discontinued this and, while it is possible that you’ll receive something in the mail a few weeks before your vacation, it’s not always guaranteed. Luckily, you can still pick up a free luggage tag!

Photo Courtesy of Disney

To get yours, you’ll need to head to the front desk at your Disney Resort and ask a Cast Member (remember to ask for your Key To The World Cards while you’re there!). You’ll receive one per person in your room, and then you can use it on the way home and all your future vacations!

Celebration Buttons

If you’re celebrating something during your trip, a celebration button is a must! These circle buttons are available at Guest Relations locations and most resort lobbies and come in designs for different special celebrations. For example, you can get a birthday button, a first visit button, an anniversary button, and even a generic “celebrating” button. Plus, there are sometimes even seasonal versions, so you can really celebrate anything! If you ask, some Cast Members will even personalize your button with a Sharpie, which makes it extra special.

These are my favorite free souvenirs to pick up because you can hang them around your house and always be reminded of your special trip. 

Park Maps

It’s easy to think that Disney’s park maps are just there to help you get around (which is definitely true!), but this is actually one of the best free souvenirs around. Disney updates these park maps often enough that there’s a good chance you can find a new one every time you visit, depending on how often you travel. Plus, with how much the parks are changing lately and all the new expansions coming, an old park map is now a kind of time capsule from your trip. 

Photo by Trisha Daab

You can find them at the front of each theme park near the entrance, and Guest Services locations and Guest Experience tents will usually have them too. Grab a Times Guide while you’re at it so you can remember exactly which shows and parades were running when you visited. I often use these in scrapbooks or to play search-and-find games with my kids once we’re back at home.

Wilderness Explorer Badges

If you’ve seen the movie Up, you know all about the Wilderness Explorers, and there’s a way to become one at Disney’s Animal Kingdom! Wilderness Explorers is a free program inside the park where kids (and adults, no judgment here!) complete activities around the park to earn sticker badges in their very own Wilderness Explorers handbook. There are over 20 badges to earn, and the Cast Members are stationed all over the park to help you and your kids have a blast learning all about the animals and conservation programs Disney offers.

Photo by Cliff Wang

Whether you earn all 20+ badges or none at all, the handbook is yours to keep, and it doubles as a fun souvenir to keep your kids busy during the day and then play with at home after your trip. I still read through ours with my kids at least once a week, talking about the animals and practicing our Wilderness Explorer call at home!

Check the My Disney Experience app for a full list of Wilderness Explorer locations.

Kidcot Cards

There’s a similar kind of program over at EPCOT called Kidcot Fun Stops. For this kid- and adult-friendly activity, you’ll stop at every World Showcase pavilion and find the Kidcot station. These are usually tucked into one of the shops in each pavilion and are a great place to hang out on a hot day. When you arrive at one, a Cast Member will give you an activity card that has facts, activities, and traditions from that country. You can grab it and head to the next, or you can stick around and do an activity they have available at the station (it’s usually coloring).

Photo by Brett Svenson

Collect one at each pavilion and by the end of the day you’ll have a full set of cards from around the world (well, EPCOT’s world). It’s a fun way to keep your kids excited about walking the World Showcase loop, and the cards are a unique way to remember the countries you “visited” together.

Here’s where you can find each station in EPCOT:

• Mexico Pavilion (near Mexico Folk Art Gallery) 
• Norway Pavilion (at The Puffin’s Roost) 
• China Pavilion (near the exit of Reflections of China) 
• Germany Pavilion (at Volkunst) 
• Italy Pavilion (outside, near La Bottega Italiana) 
• American Adventure Pavilion (outside, near Art of Disney) 
• Japan Pavilion (in the Bijutsu-kan Gallery) 
• Morocco Pavilion (at the Marketplace in the Medina) 
• France Pavilion (at Souvenirs de France) 
• United Kingdom Pavilion (at The Toy Soldier) 
• Canada Pavilion (at the exit of Canada Far and Wide in Circle-Vision 360)

Transportation Collection Cards

Transportation collection cards are a hidden gem that even a lot of longtime Disney fans don’t know about. Cast Members who drive Disney’s buses, boats, monorails, and Skyliner sometimes carry collectible cards featuring whatever mode of transportation you’re using, including fun facts and even hidden Mickeys on the back. 

To get one, you’ll need to ask your bus driver, monorail pilot, boat captain, tram driver, or Skyliner operator if they have any. It’s important to know that not every Cast Member will have them, and some won’t even know about them, but that’s part of what makes finding one feel special. There are dozens of different cards, so you can keep collecting trip after trip.

Cast Member Stickers

Last but certainly not least, keep an eye out for stickers! Many Cast Members carry small circular stickers in their pockets to hand out to guests, and they especially love handing them out to kids. Like the transportation cards, not all Cast Members will have them on hand, but it never hurts to ask.

The stickers come in all different characters and designs, so collecting them throughout your trip can end up being a fun little game to play with your family. Plus, decorating scrapbooks or coloring books with them is a great car or plane activity for your travels back home.

So, before you head to the register with an armful of souvenirs, remember that some of the best keepsakes at Disney World don’t cost a thing! A customized celebration button or a stack of Kidcot cards will surely bring back memories of your trip just as well as anything from the gift shop, and you just might be able to splurge on more Dole Whip because of it.