Never been to Tom Sawyer Island

[DisneyDetective]

If you are only going to be at MK 1 day and do not go to Disney often I probably would not do Tom Sawyer Island. That said if you are at MK more than one day and/or you go to Disney often then yes it would be a great place for an active 4 yo.

I think looking back on the years we've been going to Magic Kingdom we've gone for the day and probably focused on the 'main' rides so never really bothered with Tom Sawyer Island.

 

[kbelle8995]

If you have an active child, why not give it a shot. Tom Sawyer island is a lot of fun. There are dark caves and other places to explore.

It's a nice respite from a crowded line filled park.

Give it a shot if it's not your thing, you can just head back to the other side and hit some rides.

 

[Iowajes]

It has the same 10 minutes of fun as the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse ... followed by another 40 soul crushingly boring minutes stuck on an island.

Is the raft infrequent? Why do you need to be there for 50 minutes?

 

[perdidochas]

A little off topic here, but I think it would be fantastic if they brought back a refreshment stand/spot to the island. I would LOVE to sit and relax there while kids ran around if we could have a lemonade or an ice cream or a pop and a soft pretzel. I feel like there's always enough people visiting the island to make it financial sense for Disney, but I'm probably wrong and that's why they got rid of it in the first place.

I'm sure Disney did the numbers, and it wasn't worth it. We carry our lunches to the parks. One of my favorite places to lunch in MK is at the dock/Gazebo that used to be where Aunt Pollie's (Aunt something) customers ate.

 

[Minnesota!]

A little off topic here, but I think it would be fantastic if they brought back a refreshment stand/spot to the island. I would LOVE to sit and relax there while kids ran around if we could have a lemonade or an ice cream or a pop and a soft pretzel. I feel like there's always enough people visiting the island to make it financial sense for Disney, but I'm probably wrong and that's why they got rid of it in the first place.

I agree - Aunt Polly's had the BEST turkey sandwiches. It was a part of our vacation that Dh and I always looked forward to - turkey sandwiches on the porch at Aunt Polly's.

We love TSI. So much to do over there - caves, fort, checkers, barrel bridges, etc. We all love it and could easily spend a chunk of our day there. It makes me sad that so many people think it is boring - I think it is a nice, calm place where you can do some fun family stuff!

Last time we went over there, we sat down and played checkers for an hour or so. Played in the fort, ran off some energy, etc. So much nicer than standing in line for something!

 

[bastos]

We love the island, too. Never very crowded. Easy place to relax. Kids can investigate. I never felt comfy with my littlest wandering. Except there.

 

[brennicksmom]

We've been to Disney 9 times and never went to Ton Sawyers Island. Maybe this year.

 

[Planogirl]

DS always loved the caves and fort and I personally loved the chance to get out of the crowds for a while. It's a great place to take pictures of the Haunted Mansion too.

 

[gorkt]

Love Tom Sawyer Island. It is a great break from the hustle and bustle of the parks. We went there mid-day for 30min or so on our last trip and let the kids just roam around while we sat in one of the rocking chairs.

 

[nansmama]

We are big fans of TSI. We love the caves and the fort, and it's the most relaxing place in the park to sit and eat.

 

[MrsDuck]

Cave to go through. Wilderness fort to explore. Barrel bridge and suspension bridges to cross. My boys (now 13 and 15, but we went there when they were younger) have always liked a chance to run around without lines to wait in.

Accurate!

It's fun to do once.