Most Disney World experiences are carefully timed and presented in the same way to every visitor. Whether you’re riding a mine train, a pirate ship, or a magic carpet, your experience will be identical to everyone else’s. This is, of course, a big part of what makes the Disney experience so impressive: the perfect alignment of sight, sound, motion, and special effects.
But every now and then – especially when you’re under a certain age – the “wait and then sit” experience gets a little old. You want to stretch your legs, and, just as importantly, you want to chance to explore on your own.
Luckily, Disney has thought ahead for folks who want a hands-on, bodies-on experience that’s neither preprogrammed nor identical for each visitor. Many of these experiences come in the form of uniquely creative “playgrounds” where kids and adults alike can climb, slide, explore, teeter, and otherwise follow their own imaginations.
1. Tom Sawyer Island
Tom Sawyer Island is a unique part of the Magic Kingdom, because it’s a fairly large piece of real estate set aside for at-your-own-pace exploration and discovery.
You arrive at the pier aboard a Mark Twain-style “wooden raft,” and, unlike other spots in the Magic Kingdom, you’re set loose to explore as you wish, where you wish, at your own pace. If you take the time to wander the entire island, you’ll encounter two old mills, two creepy caves (one of them inhabited by the ghost of Injun Joe), both a suspension bridge and a barrel bridge, and happen upon an abandoned fort. There’s even a mini-fort playground for younger kids.
When you’ve exhausted the island’s delights (or your feet), take a few minutes to relax on a rocker, play a game of checkers on the porch, or just enjoy watching the Liberty Belle as it passes by.
2. Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse
For anyone who’s read the book or seen (and loved) the movie, the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse is literally a dream come true. It’s also one of the very few attractions at the Magic Kingdom that is rarely crowded – so it’s a great destination for frustrated kids (and parents) who have had it with long lines and crowds.
A full-scale reproduction of the movie set, the treehouse is made up of a giant tree with branches and “rooms” accessed by “hand-made” stairs. You can take as long as you like to explore (and there’s no one stopping you from going back for a second look once you’ve finished). Some people do rush through, but it’s worth your while to stop and really look for some of the less obvious details –
- A clamshell sink in the kitchen
- The Robinson boys’ scattered clothes and books
- A “working” waterwheel that brings fresh water from a stream below to the kitchen
3. The Boneyard
Toward the back of the Animal Kingdom is an amazing, engaging structure called “The Boneyard.” This is a playground like no other. Not only is it a great place for climbing, sliding, and generally having physical fun, but it’s also a highly themed paleontological dig where kids and parents can discover and learn a little bit about dinosaur fossils. Some of the cooler features:
- Caves and rope bridges
- A “dig” where you can find the bones of a wooly mammoth
- T-Rex and Tyrannosaurus “fossils”
Kids will love the spiral slides and netted areas for climbing; adults will enjoy exploring the amazing Imagineered details.
4. Honey I Shrunk the Kids Play Space
The “I Shrunk” movies have long since faded into memory, but the idea of a world in which people are the size of bugs has always been fascinating. Perhaps that’s why the Honey I Shrunk the Kids attractions at Hollywood Studios are still open – and still fun.
The Honey I Shrunk the Kids play space is one of the coolest playgrounds ever conceived – and it was designed to be big enough for teens and adults to join in the fun. Enter the space, and you become a teeny tiny human, wandering among 30-foot-tall blades of grass, giant plant-root mazes, huge scary spiders and a terrifyingly enormous sniffing dog.
Like all playgrounds, this one also incorporates several fun, themed slides and plenty of opportunities to climb and scramble around.
5. The Laughing Place
This small but highly immersive playground for younger children is themed around the characters and locations of Splash Mountain (the B’rer Rabbit stories). It may not be Disney’s greatest achievement, but it’s low-key, fun, and rarely crowded.
6. Casey Jr. Splash n’ Soak Station
On a hot day, it’s amazing how refreshing a little water can be. Of course, a lot of water is even better! The Casey Jr. Splash n’ Soak Station is a playground area in Fantasyland themed around the circus and steam engines. Kids (and adults) can cool down with Casey’s “steam” (misted water spray) or get squirted by various critters throughout the area.
7. Dumbo the Flying Elephant Playground
Here’s a great idea: a themed playground built right into the queue at one of Fantasyland’s most popular kiddie rides. Not only can families take a break from standing and waiting to explore the features, but they can do so without losing their place in line through a “virtual” placeholder that pages folks when they reach the front of the queue. The playground is Imagineered in the style of Dumbo’s Big Top, where kids can perform feats while parents applaud (or, of course, vice versa!).
