Are you seeking a nice respite within the Magic Kingdom? Well, Tom Sawyer Island, located in the Rivers of America, will likely suit your needs! The Island is only accessible via raft, from Frontierland proper, and includes numerous trails and structures based on Mark Twain’s classic novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Disney recently shared that Tom Sawyer Island would be closing in the near future to make way for two new Cars themed attractions. The Rivers of America will also be closing. No closing date has been announced. Find out more information here.
Ride Information Restrictions Location Fun Facts Top 5 Tips
Ride Information
Opening Day: May 20, 1973
Type of Ride: Elaborate playground
Age Recommendation: Older children and preteens
Duration of Ride: Unlimited, until the Island closes at dusk
Typical Queue Time: Short
Single Rider Line: No
Chicken Exit Available: No
Baby Swap Available: No
Type of Vehicle: Playground, so no actual vehicle, but guests are transported to the Island by raft.
Type of Restraint: None
Attraction Open During Early Theme Park Entry: No. See our Early Theme Park Entry page for more information.
Ride Photo Available For Purchase: No
Ride Restrictions
Height Requirements: None. Guests must be ambulatory; no wheelchairs or ECVs are allowed on the rafts
Flash Photography or Video Allowed: Yes
Location
Park Map of Magic Kingdom:
Other Rides/Attractions In the Area:
This attraction is located in the Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland.
Shopping: There are no shopping opportunities on Tom Sawyer Island
Dining/Refreshment: Aside from beverage vending machines, no regular food service is offered on Tom Sawyer Island. “Aunt Polly’s Dockside Inn” formerly served counter service meals of fried chicken, sandwiches, and ice cream on the island, but it is highly unlikely that it will be operating during your visit. Aunt Polly’s, which had not operated since 2007, reopened temporarily to serve Spring Break crowds in March and April 2015.
Restroom: There are two restrooms on Tom Sawyer Island, one at the raft launch and the other inside Fort Langhorn
Smoking Location: Smoking is permitted in designated smoking areas only. Disney parks are smoke free.
Tom Sawyer Island Fun Facts
Did you know?
- Walt Disney, a lover of American history and folklore, personally designed the original Tom Sawyer Island at Disneyland, which opened on June 16, 1956.
- Tom Sawyer Island is actually two islands connected by a suspension bridge. Guests must cross this bridge to experience one of the Island’s highlights, Fort Langhorn.
- Fort Langhorn, which includes a blacksmith shop, audio animatronics, a watch tower, fake cannon, fake rifles, stables, and an escape tunnel, was known as “Fort Sam Clemens” until 1996, when the name was altered as a tie in to Disney’s 1995 film Tom and Huck. The middle name of Sam Clemens, the real name of Mark Twain, was “Langhorne,” with the e.
- The “Liberty Square Riverboat” sails around Tom Sawyer Island.
- Inside Harper’s Mill, a small nested bird is situated on a grain-grinding gear. The bird is a reference to Walt Disney’s Academy Award-winning 1937 Silly Symphony short “The Old Mill.”
- Old Scratch’s Mine incorporates audible wind, dripping water, and bat chirps. Glowing gems can be found in the Mine.
- In 2007, Disneyland’s Tom Sawyer Island incorporated a pirate overlay and was renamed “Pirates Lair on Tom Sawyer Island.”
- Since 1992, Disneyland’s Tom Sawyer Island has staged “Fantasmic,” the park’s awe-inspiring nighttime spectacular. Walt Disney World’s version of Fantasmic is housed in an amphitheater at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
- A third version of Tom Sawyer Island debuted at Tokyo Disneyland Park on that park’s opening day, April 15, 1983.
- Disneyland Park Paris has an island in its Frontierland, but that mass hosts the bulk of Big Thunder Mountain, which reaches the island via a tunnel.
Top 5 Tips for Tom Sawyer Island
- Plan to eat lunch either before or after you visit Tom Sawyer Island, as there is no food service.
- Take your time exploring the Island and admire the details.
- The porch at Aunt Polly’s is a great place to relax.
- Keep an eye on your children.
- Tom Sawyer Island closes at dusk, so do not wait until late afternoon to experience it.