Playgrounds

[Here for Moana]

It's been over 5 years since my last trip to Disney and this is the first one I will be taking with our child (she'll be 2 when we travel). I figure she'll need some breaks from waiting in lines and need some places to just be free and run around. I've heard there are playgrounds/play areas inside each park but was hoping for suggestions on which ones are good and where they are located. I have heard some are kind of hidden and you would walk right by if you didn't know about them.

 

[sponica]

My daughter liked walking around the trails in Animal Kingdom, and climbing on and off of park benches everywhere. Seriously, her goal was to sit on EVERY bench she saw...

ETA: I vaguely recall a play area in Dinoland from previous visits. We didn't make it there this time though. Also Tom Sawyer Island in Magic Kingdom is fun to explore

 

[CAS239]

There's a playground in AK in Dinoland, and in MK there's Tom Sawyer island which is basically a playground.

At Epcot I only ever see them put up a playground during festival times, and at HS the only playground was Honey We Shrunk the Kids and they tore that down for Toy Story/Star Wars lands

 

[yulilin3]

It's been over 5 years since my last trip to Disney and this is the first one I will be taking with our child (she'll be 2 when we travel). I figure she'll need some breaks from waiting in lines and need some places to just be free and run around. I've heard there are playgrounds/play areas inside each park but was hoping for suggestions on which ones are good and where they are located. I have heard some are kind of hidden and you would walk right by if you didn't know about them.

MK: very small play area by Splash Mountain (really small), Storybook Circus has the splash area with Casey Jr and inside Dumbo's queue there's a playground like the ones in chick fil a or McD. That one is very cute and it's a/c. Tom Sawyer Island is another good placce to burn some energy
Epcot: no playground unless you are going during flower and garden. Good place to run around would be inside Nemo and Friends and there's a small maze in the back of the UK pavilion. Inside Mission Space there's a small play area
DHS: No playground at all. Place to run around would be inside Walt Disney Presents and Launch Bay
AK: Dinoland has a very large playground and dig site. For an a/c place that is empty and good place to run head to Rafiki's Planet Watch

 

[yulilin3]

some pics for you:
Splash Mountain playground

Dumbo playground

Epcot Mission Space play area

AK Dinoland

 

[Hoodie]

A word of warning about the Dinoland one - there are "roaring" dinosaurs. It terrified my kids when they were younger and they HATED it. I don't think we've been back to that one.

 

[Lilsia]

There is also a water splash zone by Dumbo if you do not mind her getting wet.

 

[loutoo]

Not a play area, but my kids have always loved running and playing in the dancing fountain area in front of the imagination pavilion in epcot

 

[yulilin3]

Not a play area, but my kids have always loved running and playing in the dancing fountain area in front of the imagination pavilion in epcot

totally forgot about this one, also inside the Imagination pavilion

 

[disneydreamer1980]

Not a playground, but the Pooh ride has a toddler friendly interactive queue that your little one should like. And all of Tom Sawyer is a play area, but there is also a small playground on it. (If that makes sense)

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Speaking of Tom Sawyer Island... it has caves and several nooks and crannies that are perfect spots to lose your kids....and SCARE YOU TO DEATH!

Not that I know anything about that.

 

[SuperPreparo]

My granddaughter is two, and she enjoyed running around Tom Sawyer Island in MK and Rafiki's Planet Watch in AK.