Howdy, Gwendolyn, and thank ya kindly for stopping by planDisney! I could use a little help whitewashing this-here fence, and you look like you'd do a bang-up job. What d'ya say? Now that I've channeled my inner Huckleberry Finn, let's look at making your upcoming
Walt Disney World Resort visit a real adventure.
I vividly remember taking my son to Tom Sawyer Island at Magic Kingdom Park when he was a toddler. It was the perfect spot to let him run off some wiggles and explore. I recently rode the raft to the island and enjoyed reminiscing about those bygone days. I was also pleasantly surprised to have a unique vantage point to watch the
Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade as it made its way through Frontierland. Magic is around every corner!
You can check operating hours for
Tom Sawyer Island on the attraction's landing page. According to the calendar, it closes at 4:30 p.m. most days this time of year. This means the last raft out to the island will probably run around 4:00 p.m.
Guests with
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party tickets can enter the park as early as 4:00 PM, so I fear you might not make that last raft. Your best bet is to check out Tom and Huck's hideout on a day you have
regular admission to Magic Kingdom.
A friend told me that about an hour before the island closes, Cast Members start blocking access to certain areas in preparation for getting all guests to the "mainland." I think you'll have a true adventure if you go earlier on another day. And I hate to be the bearer of sad news, but Tom Sawyer Island will be closing permanently sometime next year to make way for a
brand-new land of adventure. I hope you can wander the paths and caves one final time.
Gwendolyn, I know you'll have a fantastic time at the holiday party! Enjoy every second of that Mickey magic. And if you visit Tom Sawyer Island, see if you can imagine a chubby little towhead running off some energy...and me trying to keep up! Thank you for stopping by
planDisney.
Magic awaits,
Elaine