tom sawyer island...

[minniegirl101]

i was watching a travel channel show and
it talked about a tom sawyer island in mk

i had never heard of this or been near it and
i was wondering if it is worth trying
it looked pretty cool but my one problem
is i really dont like rafts and it said on the
show that you have to go across on a raft

is it worth the raft trip??

TIA

 

[Donald23]

We just happened to visit it on one of our trips. We do not visit it every time. We tend to spend more time on other attractions.

You stand on the raft that takes you across the water. They take a lot of people at one time.

There are several things to look at while you are there. We walked through the caves and looked at some of the things.

There is a place to eat on the island. Some people rave about it but we were not impressed with it. We had sandwiches. DH and myself had to take our back because there was mold on the bread. It kinda made the whole things yucky for us.


Hope this helps.

 

[lentesta]

It's a nice visit if you have the time. The fort and barrel bridges are neat.

Len

 

[nowellsl]

If you go be sure to look for the hidden Paint brushes. Turn it in to the captain on the raft for a special surprise!! My daughter found one on a trip last year.

 

[monarchsfan16]

It's a nice place if you want a break from the crowds. It's much quieter on the island. It's nice to explore, and totally different from the rest of the mk.

 

[AKASnowWhite]

My kids LOVE Tom Sawyers Island! It's the one place that they get to run around, yell if they want to, play like the kids they are, and NO ONE (Mom included!) will be *bothered* by their behavior!!! They go thru the tunnels, over the bridges, in the fort, *shoot* from the gun turrets, and go thru the *Escape Tunnel*.....DH and I usually sit in the shade & play a game of checkers while they burn off steam.

Oh - and Aunt Polly's Dockside Restaurant was closed while we were there in December.....

 

[shafke]

If you are worried about the raft ride... stand toward the middle. The rafts are usually full and you will not even see the water.

The island is a nice, relaxing time away from the crowds.

 

[YourMajesty]

My boys (6 and almost 4) loved tom sawyer island too. The little one doesn't like the "caves" but he loved the shooting the guns in the "forts" and the playground area. It was a fun time for them but I wouldn't think I would go if it was just me and my DH. Aunt Polly's was closed...we were there in December also. The raft ride was short and and not too bad. I think they were training someone the day we rode over.

 

[CamColt]

To put your mind at ease the raft ride is 1 1/2 minutes. The only reason I know this is because we went over for the first time last week. We were surprised how fast we got there. DS was guessing how long it took (1 or 3 minutes ), so on our way back I timed it.

 

[ncbyrne]

I'm a grandma and I like going to Tom Sawyer's Island while my DGK go on Splash Mountain. There are some rocking chairs right on the river edge and it's a nice, shady relaxing spot to just sit and watch. In years past Polly's served great food, but they no longer serve lunch, just snacks.

 

[hockey mom]

If you are on the first boat over at 10 they announce that they have hidden paint brushes on the island. When you find one you turn it over to the CM and he gives you a front of the line pass for one of the mountain rides. My kids love this unfortunately we know all the hiding spots now.

 

[ncbyrne]

Hockey Mom: Would you care to share the whereabouts of those valuable paint brushes.

 

[pewing]

Being a '2 Boy Mom'...this is a MUST for us! My boys (6 and 8 on our last trip) love it.

It is a nice break from all the 'buzz' for awhile.

We will have to try to look for paintbrushes on our next visit! How long does it usually take for them to be 'found'? We usually don't make it to Frontierland until mid-day.

 

[kaylajr]

we've been to MK a few times and never been on the island but it sounds good to me so
i will be checking out the raft this nov

is the place for snacks open at all
anymore or did they close

 

[fangritter]

I'd love to know, too! We leave in a few days. This would be lots of fun for my kids. Please tell us if you know.
Thanks!

 

[nowellsl]

We found one on some steps leading to a boardwalk. We saw a lady find one on the ground at the entrance to the Fort. It was funny because you could tell she didn't know what it was for - our guide on the raft didn't say anything about them on the ride over. She picked it up and said "hey, I found something" We didn't say anything but I always wondered if she turned it in or just put it back down. We only knew about them because of this board. They don't seem to be hidden, just lying around in plain sight.

 

[perpetualplanner]

Does anyone know what time the island opens? We'd love to get a paintbrush and we're usually morning people so a paintbrush hunt might be great mid-morning. I can't seem to find any times on the disney site.

 

[hockey mom]

Tom Sawyers Island opens at 10 and the brushes are only hidden for the first boat over. If your guide doesn't mention them ask him. The brushes are in fairly obvious places like rain barrels and walkways.

 

[youthboy]

Tom Saywer Island is incredible! Everything is worth the ride on the raft. My children always have a blast! Just be careful not to get lost in the caves because my daughter did that one time and it freaked her out! After reading this i hope you go!

 

[hockey mom]

Just a bump for those who asked questions.