Playgrounds in the parks....

[Luvmyfam3]

Since we'll have both thrill-seeking teenagers and a 3 1/2 yr. old with us (no plans to split up) we know we'll have to use the Parent Swap pretty often. Can y'all help me with the playgrounds/water fountains/distractions near the "big" rides? I know of the one near Splash Mountain and TMR, but what about others?? Like:

Space Mountain
TT
Soarin'
Mission Space
RnR
ToT
Star Tours
EE

Thanks for your help!!

 

[jstbcuz]

We just got back with our kids ages 15, 12 and 2. The first day we were there was my DD15 bday and we went to AK. Im not the thrill rider so I stayed with DS while they rode a couple rides. The Boneyard is great!! We spent probably an hour or so there............just up and down the stairs going on the same slide.

The next day we went to MK so DS could do some rides. The girls had fun riding with him on Dumbo, The Carousel, Winnie the Pooh, Small WOrld, etc. But then you could tell they started to get bored. So we let them go off on their own as long as they stayed together and didnt leave the park. They also had to call and check in, and periodically check their phone to see if we had called them. They did great and checked in after every ride or they'd call and say were going to eat lunch.

We were there for 8 days, and this worked out great for them, as well as DS. Less waiting around for both, and it gave them a little independence. However, we were together ALOT too. Parades, Wishes, etc. If they did something with dad, I took DS to the playground.

The only playgrounds I can think of tho are:

MK

Poohs Thoughtful Spot in Fantasyland
Donalds Boat in Toon Town (tho it wasnt working when we were there)
Playgroud right across from Minnie and Mickeys house in Toon Town
Tom Sawyers Island tho not what I would consider a playground
Ariels Grotto is great if it is hot...........not a playground, but lots of water

AK

The Boneyard in Dinoland

These are the only ones we went too. Im sure others will be able to help out with this.

 

[Luvmyfam3]

Jstbcuz - thanks for your reply! Unfortunately, we are ALL thrill-seekers in our group except for the 3 1/2 year old! None of us wants to miss out on the big stuff, but we also want to make sure that the little one has an awesome time while we Parent Swap. Luckily, my teenage daughters love the "little" rides as well. I'm just trying to create a delicate balance to keep everyone happy. Wish me luck!!!

 

[Not so Dumbo]

At DHS there is the Honey, I Shrunk the kids playground.
In Epcot, there is a playground between TT and Inoventions and also a splash pad right around the same area.

 

[Ducky4Disney]

Hey don't forget to maximize your fastpasses and ride swap tickets! If all of you get FP's and you arrive and tell them that you are going to babyswap they will give you a swap ticket that is good for you and up to 3 more riders. So, send 2 people to ride, then have them come back and you can ride with them again (plus one more person). Try it out when you get there, you can really stretch those puppies a long way.

DS liked Pooh's area and Toon Town in MK. He liked the Boneyard at AK and there is a play area at the exit of M:S in Epcot. Of course, there's ALL of Innoventions too! While in the World Showcase, you can go to all of the Kidcot stations where they can color and make a face mask with tags from all the countries.

DHS is a bit tricky, Honey I Shrunk the Kids play area is there, but I don't know of anything around ToT and RnR. We just play in the gift shops


D4D

 

[Luvmyfam3]

Hey don't forget to maximize your fastpasses and ride swap tickets! If all of you get FP's and you arrive and tell them that you are going to babyswap they will give you a swap ticket that is good for you and up to 3 more riders. So, send 2 people to ride, then have them come back and you can ride with them again (plus one more person). Try it out when you get there, you can really stretch those puppies a long way.

Ducky4Disney - Would you mind clearing something up for me? If we get a FP for everyone and then get a child swap ticket when we return for the ride, does that mean that my kids could go with me once on the child swap ticket and then again on the FP? If you have a FP, do they just let the second person go through the FP line?

Also, thanks for the heads-up about the playground near M:S! I didn't know about that one!!

Thanks!

 

[labdogs42]

Ducky4Disney - Would you mind clearing something up for me? If we get a FP for everyone and then get a child swap ticket when we return for the ride, does that mean that my kids could go with me once on the child swap ticket and then again on the FP? If you have a FP, do they just let the second person go through the FP line?

!

In my experience, they haven't let me combine FP and child swap (I have been to Disney 5x with and under 3 year old and not once have I been able to combine them). You just get FP's for everyone in your party (get one with 3.5 yo's ticket, too) and then half the group rides with their FP's and then the other half goes (draw straws for who gets to go twice!). Fp's work better for me than Child Swap, because I hate waiting in the standby line at all!!

You say you aren't going to split up, but you sort of have to. Rather than people standing and waiting for you to come off Space Mountain, they can take the little one on TTA or Indy Speedway, or Astro Orbiter, or buzz, then everyone is having fun!

 

[scjo68]

My 3 1/2 yo ds loves the GM car display at the end of Test Track. It's like a car show- he climbs in them and pretends to drive. I don't knoe if your little one is a girl or boy - my dd, now 10, wouldn't have been so into it at 3. But some girls might.

 

[Deffenm]

My dd had fun playing in the cars at the end of Test Track, "playing" in the arcade attached to Space Mt (I didn't give her money to play the games but she didn't notice), the play area outside Mission Space, and any water play area. She also loved to "smash" pennies. So while DH took the boys on the big rides her and I would go look for the press penny machines. She was so excited because it was something that just her and I would do.

 

[Luvmyfam3]

My dd had fun playing in the cars at the end of Test Track, "playing" in the arcade attached to Space Mt (I didn't give her money to play the games but she didn't notice), the play area outside Mission Space, and any water play area. She also loved to "smash" pennies. So while DH took the boys on the big rides her and I would go look for the press penny machines. She was so excited because it was something that just her and I would do.

Great ideas! Thanks!! Our 3 1/2 year old is a girl too. But, she LOVES the movie "Cars" so she'll probably really enjoy these great ideas that have to do with cars!

 

[iheartdisney]

Ducky4Disney - Would you mind clearing something up for me? If we get a FP for everyone and then get a child swap ticket when we return for the ride, does that mean that my kids could go with me once on the child swap ticket and then again on the FP? If you have a FP, do they just let the second person go through the FP line?

Also, thanks for the heads-up about the playground near M:S! I didn't know about that one!!

Thanks!

We do this every trip. Both to DL and WDW. No problems yet.
Say you have 4 big enough to ride. Use person 1&2 tickets to obtain FPs for attraction A. As person 1&2 enter the line for attraction A, they get a child swap ticket while persons 3&4 wait with little one. Once person 1&2 get off the ride, the rider swap ticket will allow person 3&4 (and one more, so take turns! The passes will allow up to 3 people board) to board through the fastpass line while extra person waits with the little one.
Then you can use person 3&4s tickets to obtain fastpasses to attraction B, thus letting you hold double the fastpasses all day.

 

[Ducky4Disney]

iheartdisney - that's a pretty good description of the process. When I went I didn't have a problem using the child swap ticket without having to give up another FP. Sometimes they give the child swap pass to the persons entering the ride so you can't use it until they get off, but you can still have up to 3 people board with you.

I didn't think about using it to hold double FP all day! Brilliant!

D4D