Disneyland’s Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island

We’ve been annual passholders to Disneyland for several months now and I love it. I was worried that the expense was a frivolous luxury (and I won’t deny that it is), but Disneyland has served my motherhood in ways I didn’t anticipate. We took Alina out of Pre-K in the middle of the year and abruptly changed her life (although for the better). It hasn’t always been easy, but knowing we can run away to Disneyland for a day (or a few hours!) has somehow made the transition a little more… oh, shall we say, magical.

We got the most affordable annual pass (the SoCal Select Annual Pass), but we still aim to get the most out of our Disneyland experience this year. So when I take the kids to Disneyland, we always have an agenda…

I feel fortunate to be able to take our time through this park; I can’t image getting to everything Disneyland offers in just one day. When we go, we focus on one land per visit, certainly only one park, and aim to explore and experience it to the fullest.

But, on this particular day, my kids and I needed some serious, hands-on fun. I was stressed over the closing of our first California home and the kids felt it. They wanted their Disney fix, but I also thought it would be the perfect time to explore Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island.

Disneyland’s Tom Sawyer Island

Tom Sawyer Island is a kid’s fantasy adventure surrounded by Disney’s Rivers of America. The best part? You have to take a log raft to get there! The line to board the log raft is in front of New Orleans Square (not far from The Haunted Mansion). I’ve not noticed it ever being super long, but on this particular day we walked right onto the raft as it docked. The log ride is only about 2 minutes, but feels like it’s taken you to a different world.

The island’s theme is centered around Mark Twain’s vision of Tom Sawyer’s carefree adventures living on an island with Huck Finn, pretending to be pirates. As you get off the log raft, adventure awaits and there’s no wrong way to take it in… the dusty dirt roads wind you around the island, inviting you summon your inner pirate!

Dead Man’s Grotto is a winding maze of rock tunnels that my kids loved spending time in. Their imagination came alive as they weaved through the haunted cavern. Finding the treasure chest after all that exploring was the best part!

The suspension bridge heading towards Smuggler’s Cove was a favorite, too. It bounced and wiggled just enough to make the kids happy. But their absolute favorite was Tom and Huck’s Tree House, where you could overlook the island below you. The kids also really loved finding her loot at the Treasure Dig.

The island itself is gorgeous. Lined with huge sycamore and oak trees, it was nice to just unwind for a few hours (yes, I said hours!). Although you certainly don’t need that much time to take Tom Sawyer Island in, we were in no rush to leave.

As we walked around the island looking for a spot to eat our snack, we saw lots of “wildfire” by the riverbanks. From afar, even my skeptical 5 year old thought we had witnessed deer and moose drinking water in the river. She had been playing for so long, deep in imagination, that she really thought they were animals. We ate our snacks in the shade and she was happy; full with the magic that happens when your imagination takes hold, without worry.

Disneyland for the win.

Tom Sawyer Island was designed entirely by Walt Disney and renamed Pirate Lair at Tom Sawyer’s Island in 2007. I had to look up that fact because I never remembered it being named Pirate’s Lair when I was a kid. Maybe they renamed it because this new generation of kids aren’t familiar with Mark Twain’s novel? Seems like such a shame. I’m excited to read the classic with kids to put this fun experience in a new context. Check out a few details from Disneyland’s site here, if you’re interested.

Do I Recommend Tom Sawyer Island?

Yes! This is a great way for kids to run off some steam after standing in long lines all day. However, if I only had one day at Disneyland, I can see the reasoning to skip this small part of Disneyland. After all, it’s really more of a self-service, magical experience. But if you at all have a bit of time to wander – to explore, imagine and gawk at fake wildlife – please do catch that log raft over to Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer’s Island.

For us, this day been one of our best Disneyland days so far.