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dumbo ears
03-30-2007, 10:54 PM
personally I love tom sawyer island. I think it is great to go to in the middle of the day when the crowds are bad. also its just a fun place to me because I have read the book and seen most of the movies on Tom Sawyer. It has lots of cool things on it. The caves are so real to me and the fort is cool. I was wondering what other people thought on it. do you think it should stay or go? should it be refurbishes? anything on tom sawyer island would be great.

Sharon1026
03-30-2007, 10:56 PM
It's not that exciting to me, but it's a change of pace.

Have you ever found any paintbrushes there?

Christine
03-30-2007, 10:57 PM
I've done it once and it really didn't do a thing for me. To each their own. Do I think it should go? No, plenty of people enjoy it.

mttafire
03-30-2007, 11:02 PM
At least once per trip it is a must. The caves are great and it is sooo Disney!:mickey:

wrfd18
03-30-2007, 11:16 PM
I've been to disney 8 times and never been on the island. Going in July with my DD 9 and DS 7 what all is there to do on it? Would they have fun on it?

disneyholic2
03-30-2007, 11:34 PM
We DID Find it, handed it in to a Castmember, and we were rewarded a Fastpast certificate for either Thunder Mountain, or Splash Mountain. It was real cool. My Wife actually spotted, and gave it to my son. :mickey: Suggest you look for it, it is a Real Challenge.

Sean Riley Taylor's Mom
03-31-2007, 12:11 AM
In all of our trips we have never gone on it. We will have to in September.

JPL
03-31-2007, 12:23 AM
I've been to disney 8 times and never been on the island. Going in July with my DD 9 and DS 7 what all is there to do on it? Would they have fun on it?

There are caves to explore and trails to walk with a barrel bridge a fort and lookout area. I think you kids would have a fgreat time a good place for them to roam and burn up some energy:thumbsup:

alpro2
03-31-2007, 07:53 AM
There are caves to explore and trails to walk with a barrel bridge a fort and lookout area. I think you kids would have a fgreat time a good place for them to roam and burn up some energy:thumbsup:
And also a great time for moms and dads to sit and relax for 5 minutes. :D

cgriff
03-31-2007, 11:21 AM
Oh Tom Sawyer's Island is great. Lots of opportunities for exploration and play. It's like a themed Disney ride without the tracks, where you pick your own path through the "attraction". The caves and Fort Langhorn are lots of fun to poke through. In the Fort, be sure and peek through the cracks in some of the doors and the stables. You might find a snoring soldier inside one room, and some animals in another. Up in the rifle turrets are some fake guns that make firing noises that the kids seem to love to play with. When you get tired or hot, stop for a rest at Aunty Polly's Landing for a milkshake, and watch the paddlewheeler go by and look at Haunted Mansion across the way (you can hear the wolves baying around here too). Great place!

joonyer
03-31-2007, 05:13 PM
My family loves Tom Sawyer Island. My boys are old enough that we let them roam the Island while the Wife and I grab a couple of rocing chairs at Aunt Polly's and take a load off. The boys love the Island, you can stay as long as you like and once you get there there are no lines to wait in. It lets the kids really use their imaginations.

Sharon1026
04-01-2007, 04:30 PM
We DID Find it, handed it in to a Castmember, and we were rewarded a Fastpast certificate for either Thunder Mountain, or Splash Mountain. It was real cool. My Wife actually spotted, and gave it to my son. :mickey: Suggest you look for it, it is a Real Challenge.

Cool! Do they hide several on the island? I always wondered if they just hide one or many.

:stitch2:

battle beast
04-01-2007, 08:56 PM
It was fun the one time I did it, but every other time I went, no one would go with me... :(

AuntLaura
04-01-2007, 09:04 PM
RE: the paint brushes, not sure if it's the same number of brushes every morning, but when we've gone after them, it seems Huck and Tom left out at least 5. You really have to be on the first boat over and it helps if you have a bunch of kids with a lot of energy to go after them. Only one brush per party though. It's lots of fun to go looking for them. My nieces and nephews have a lot of fun with it.

LudwigVonDrake
04-01-2007, 09:15 PM
I have never gone over to Tom Sawyer's Island. Maybe on the next trip :mickey:

mickeys_princess_mom
04-01-2007, 10:09 PM
Haven't done this, and we were just talking about it today....Is it hot in the caves? (We're going in May......)

AwPhooey
04-01-2007, 10:29 PM
I love Tom Sawyer's Island! You can't beat sitting in a rocking chair near Aunt Polly's and just taking in the sites (especially if you're there during the rare times when Aunt Polly's is open).

I've taken some great photos from TSI... Big Thunder, Splash, Liberty Square, the riverboat, etc.

During my last trip, I went over to TSI shortly after it opened and found one of the paintbrushes!! I turned it in to the CM and received a certificate for a free fastpass for either Splash or Big Thunder. It wasn't a particularly busy day, so I decided not to use it and to keep it as a souvenior.

If you've never visited TSI, I highly recommend it. I hope the folks at Disney never decide to close this classic attraction!! :mickey:

Victor Kelly
04-01-2007, 11:51 PM
You know I have seen then dang paintbrusshes before and never knew what they were for. I thought they were just decoration.

chicade88
04-02-2007, 12:03 AM
What paintbrushes?

marlyn
04-02-2007, 12:26 AM
What paintbrushes?

From Info Central HERE (http://www.intercot.com/infocentral/park/hiddentreasures.asp) at INTERCOT:

"Aunt Polly’s Paintbrushes
Aunt Polly asked Tom and Huck to paint a few things on Tom Sawyer Island, but the mischievous adventurers rather went exploring and happened to leave the paintbrushes as the went along. If you should come across one of Aunt Polly’s paintbrushes pick it up and return it to one of the raft pilots (or other Cast Member in the area) and they will reward you with a front of the line pass to Splash Mountain or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad."

Victor Kelly
04-02-2007, 01:49 AM
No the caves are not hot, not even in summer.

Take your time going around the island, so much to see, so much that is hidden.

dolphinmickey9170
04-02-2007, 10:34 AM
My family likes it because you can get away from the crowds for a little while. However, last year we had encountered a family whose children were just running all over, pushing people and just being crazy. But it is a nice place to "Get away" for a bit. You also get anice view of BTMR that you would not normally see. Maybe a better snack place would be good though.....

mickeys_princess_mom
04-02-2007, 09:08 PM
No the caves are not hot, not even in summer.

Take your time going around the island, so much to see, so much that is hidden.

Thankyou, Victor Kelly!!:wave:

TheAdventurer
04-03-2007, 01:11 PM
It doesn't hold as much appeal for me these days as when I was a kid, but the kid in me still finds a little fun in walking through the caves and taking a few shots with the fort's guns!

mcjaco
04-03-2007, 01:19 PM
Is TSI even open at MK? I know it's closed at DL for the Pirate refurb/addition.

ravsluvdisney
04-03-2007, 04:53 PM
Just re-visited the ol' Island this past year with my older DS (7). Have not been on the Island for probably 30 years. Of course not as big as I remember as a kid but definately brought back memories. And my DS had a kick exporing, firing the rifles on unsuspecting BTMRR riders from the Fort, and getting a break from the heat and hustle bustle of the park. It's truly "old school" Disney - so might as well try it before it becomes another Mr. Toad. :(

Crow
04-03-2007, 11:30 PM
in all my trips ive only been there once...
so in May i need to go there again

Maleficent's Dad
04-04-2007, 07:55 PM
Two things:


Have you seen Aunt Polly's open recently? The last time we saw it opened was in 1992!!!

Does anyone else ever notice the incredible stench in the caves during the warmer months???

Clotho
04-05-2007, 01:52 AM
Chalk me up as another lover o' th' isle! I love TSI. It is a great break from the pace of the other parts of the parks. I love just strolling--there is lots of shade, and hidden places to just sit and relax.

Kids love to explore the caves (okay, I still do, too ;), and climb all around.

The fort at DLR has been closed forever, so the fort at WDW is a treat. I wish Aunt Polly's was open more often. The idea of having a frozen treat on TSI is incredibly appealing to me, who has never had such a luxury.

cgriff
04-05-2007, 08:21 AM
Is TSI even open at MK? I know it's closed at DL for the Pirate refurb/addition.

Yes, Tom Sawyer's Island at WDW's Magic Kingdom park is open. Only at the DLR have they decided to make over the island as "The Pirates Lair at Tom Sawyer's Island". To my knowledge, TSI at WDW MK is remaining as-is. Thank goodness! :cap: Of course, TSI at DLR needed something to be done: Fort Wilderness was collapsing from termite damage, and the caves were not up to California's draconian new safety codes (Keep in mind that TSI at DLR was built much earlier than TSI at WDW).

Aunt Polly's was open during the summer of 2003, when I last visited WDW. Its hours have always been posted as "seasonal". My presumption is that means summers only.

cgriff

dandersonjr
04-05-2007, 08:45 AM
Anyone in the park, when it's crowded, with a group of rowdy (aren't they all?) kids, Tom Sawyer Island is an absolute dream. It gives you a chance to slow down, NOT stand in a line for a while, and just have a little room to move your elbows. My kids love it. They run around, shooting the guns in the Fort, scaring each other in the caves, and playing TAG all over the island. All this while my wife and I nurse our throbbing feet.

Tom Sawyer Island, I believe, went through a 'clean up' if not a renovation in 2006. (It was closed for a while at any rate.) I'm not sure there's much they can do to improve the island, but, when it comes to Disney and the 'Imagineers', you never know.

Figgyluv03
04-05-2007, 12:22 PM
I love TSI. I've been there a few times on my trips, but never knew about the paint brushes. Even as a cast member I didn't know about it. Guess I'll have to keep my eye out on the next trip.

mdricks
04-05-2007, 12:27 PM
All my son wanted to do was to go to TSI and find a paintbrush. He wanted the "golden fastpass" (Charlie and the chocolate factory had just come out.)

We waited in line, got on the first boat and voila! he got a brush. Made the whole trip for him. We even kept the fastpass instead of using it and it is now in a prominent place on his wall with other Disney pictures.

TSI is old-fashioned but it definitely has its place.

Jasper
04-05-2007, 12:37 PM
Tom Sawyer Island can be fun but as our kids have gotten older they really don't want to do it because they don't want to miss any time on the attractions. We do insist that they humor us once a trip and go over to it.

Marker
04-05-2007, 12:39 PM
I've never gone there, but I think I should.

I love the fact that it sounds like a place for kids to actually play and use their imagination.... and that sounds like a lot of fun to me.

mcjaco
04-05-2007, 04:17 PM
Yes, Tom Sawyer's Island at WDW's Magic Kingdom park is open. Only at the DLR have they decided to make over the island as "The Pirates Lair at Tom Sawyer's Island". To my knowledge, TSI at WDW MK is remaining as-is. Thank goodness! :cap: Of course, TSI at DLR needed something to be done: Fort Wilderness was collapsing from termite damage, and the caves were not up to California's draconian new safety codes (Keep in mind that TSI at DLR was built much earlier than TSI at WDW).

Aunt Polly's was open during the summer of 2003, when I last visited WDW. Its hours have always been posted as "seasonal". My presumption is that means summers only.

cgriff

OK. I couldn't remember if they were doing the refurb to both.

It was finally explained to me by a DL fanboy that the refurb is for Mississippi River Pirates, not POTC. I guess it's a stretch since Huck and Tom really only had a small encounter with them, but at least it's keeping to the theme of the island.