Where is the very best play area for toddler?

[Skroops]

This is our first Disney World trip with our toddler. Where do you think toddlers have the most fun? Our trip is rather short (3 days) because we don't know if he'll love it, so we want to be sure to hit the best play areas! We heard that Toon Town is great, and the water play area at Epcot, and the Boneyard at A.K., do you have any other ideas? We are staying the Fort Wilderness Cabins, and the pictures of the playground there looks only ok. Thank you for any suggestions you may have!

 

[MrsPete]

When my girls were that age, they enjoyed the hotel pool more than anything else. Toddlers aren't as impressed as we are by the fancy details, and my girls enjoyed the less-crowded pools much, much more than any of the rides.

A second-runner up would be the water parks; however, the afternoon crowds can be a problem.

As toddlers, they did not particularly enjoy any of the kid-play areas in the major parks.

 

[LLagow]

When my kids were 2 they loved the play area in toon town at MK and the sand dig area in the boneyard at AK. It's a little hard to find, you have to go into the boneyard and then go over the bridge to the other side. My DD and DS would dig there as long as I would let them and the sand ( actually little tiny rocks ) brushes right off. I would love to have some for the sand box at home!
LLagow

 

[swilphil]

My kids like the MGM Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground the best. It has all sorts of oversized things to climb on, and my kids loved the little stems that played musical notes. AK's Boneyard dig area is fun for the older one (4 years old), but the 2 year old wasn't able to do a lot of the stuff in that play area. So don't go to AK just for that since that park doesn't have very many rides for toddlers.

 

[the kabuki]

MGM-Honey I shrunk the kids, MK-Toon Town & Under the bridge by the Splash Mtn & Thunder Railroad entrances, Epcot-Viking ship in Norway, jumping water by Imagination, AK-Dinosaur Dig.

Blizzard Beach is awesome for that age.

 

[Skroops]

Great information! I didn't pay much attention to these areas on our adult visits. After reading all of the advice for families, I have lowered my expectations for my toddlers' enthusiasm for the parks. Hopefully he'll get a kick out of the play areas, but you are all right about how toddlers will enjoy the pool and water play! This will be fun!
Thanks for the help,

 

[stacy6552]

The dinosaur dig inside the bone yard is the very best!!!! My very favorite picture of our son (who is 5 now) is of him around 1 in the dig pit.

 

[GADISNEYGIRL]

Don't totally give up on park fun! DS' first trip was at 18 mos, and we leave next week for his 6th trip (he will turn 3 while we're there). He LOVES the parks (even Epcot), and the rides. He is much less interested in the pool than in being in a park. So I think it just depends on your child's personality!

 

[flagirl]

I also agree that there are alot of rides your little one may like. My daughter is 21 months.......we leave in a couple of days for her 5th trip to disney - first trip was at 6 months old. Some of the rides she likes are the safari and Lion King show at Animal kingdom, the teacups, dumbo, Wininie the Pooh, Buzz Lightyear, Small World at Magic Kingdom, the Bear in the Big Blue house show at MGM....... Also if you are staying on disney property the pools are awesome We stay at the Pop Century. The baby pool is really nice. And they have a goofy play area where water shoots out of the sidewalk. Kids LOVE it. She has a wonderful time every time we go to disney. We just take th park at her pace and take nap and pool breaks.

 

[MelAnderson]

My DS who was 23 months at the time LOVED the little playground across from Mickey's house in Toontown (Magic Kingdom). We will be visiting again this year.

Is the HISTK playground in MGM for kids under 4? I read on allearsnet that it was for children 4 and over? My son will be under 3 when we return this year.

 

[the kabuki]

My daughter was three and she had a blast there. Don't recall seeing any signs that it was 4 and older, and there was surely kids in there under 4 yr old. Be prepared to spend lots of time in here with a 3 yr old. They love it.

 

[swilphil]

We took our youngest to the MGM play area when he was 2, and he loved it. There may have been one area that he couldn't do.

He also LOVED the parks, but you can't go commando style. Just let the toddlers go at their own pace and try to see Disney through their eyes. We can go to the pool at home, so our pool time is limited at WDW. Our toddlers love exploring in Epcot's World Showcase. There's a train village that they love and a Hedge Maze in UK that they can run through. It's a nice break from the theme park atmosphere.

 

[TSirgey]

I vote for the HISTK play area at MGM, but the Boneyard at AK was the biggest hit when we took our dd (then 3) and she did not want to leave!!! She would have played in the dinosaur dig all day if we let her! It was great! My husband and I took turns riding Dinosaur while she played. It is much bigger than it first appears.

I wasn't a big fan of Toon Town. It was always crowded and I was nervous that I was going to lose sight of our dd.