Hello, Gordon! Tom Sawyer Island is an excellent place to explore if you and your family need a little bit of downtime at Magic Kingdom Park. The other theme parks do not have such expansive places to escape to and recharge, but there are several fairly quiet places that you may wish to visit. I'm happy to share a few of my favorite spots below.
At Disney's Animal Kingdom Park, you can unwind at these locations:
- The animal exploration trails are all self-paced and offer some shade. Check out the Discovery Island Trails, Pangani Forest Exploration Trail, and Maharajah Jungle Trek.
- Take the Wildlife Express Train to Rafiki's Planet Watch. You and your family can explore Conservation Station, Habitat Habit!, and Affection Section at your own, leisurely pace, plus you can visit with a number of rare and domesticated breeds of animals -- and even pet some!
- You may also enjoy cooling off in The Boneyard, an interactive play area with a small archaeological "dig" site that allows children to excavate replica dinosaur bones.
At Epcot, my favorite places to enjoy a little downtime are:
- Inside of the Morocco-Village Corridors. My daughter and I like to plop down by the water fountain to rest for a bit before exploring the other countries in World Showcase.
- The United Kingdom has a nice garden area at the back of the pavilion that is a great spot to relax (when shows are not running in the gazebo).
- Depending on the time of day that you are visiting, Sea Base can be a wonderful and quiet place to relax and explore.
You will find many other quiet spots at each of the theme parks, but these are a few of my family's favorites. I hope that you and your family have a very magical Walt Disney World vacation, Gordon! If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to stop back by the Moms Panel. Happy planning!