5. The Boneyard (Disney’s Animal Kingdom)

Image: Michael Gray, Flickr (license)

No one does hands-on play better than kids. One of Disney’s best playground exploration areas still stands strong at Disney’s Animal Kingdom—the Boneyard at Dinoland USA. What was once basically a giant sandpit has become one of parents’ favorite play zones on Walt Disney World property. This half-acre kids’ space includes plenty of tunnels, slides, rope bridges, and crevices for kids to get “lost” in. Little paleontologists can unearth hidden dinosaur bones (molded from real ones!) from beneath delightfully non-sticky Texas grit and hop into the seat of a full sized (non-operational) Jeep. The ground is soft and spongy to reduce risk of injuries, and the area even includes a splash zone for kids to cool off. Definitely make sure you and they drink lots of water since this area can get hot!

6. Wonders of Life (Epcot, 1989-2007)

Video: YouTube, TPRErik

Epcot’s Wonders of Life pavilion presented a different sort of playground from anything we’ve explored so far. It was a very easy place to spend hours if you loved hands-on exploring and learning. While it did house a few traditional attractions—Body Wars and Cranium Command come to mind—one of the most fun elements of this lost pavilion was its interactive exhibits—especially the Sensory Funhouse.

The Sensory Funhouse was a section of the Wonders of Life completely dedicated to exploring the mysteries of our senses—particularly how our senses can be tricked by illusions. At one station, guests could experience the oddity of touching a pipe that felt both hot and cold at the same time. At another, they had to reach into shielded boxes and try to guess what was inside using nothing but touch. A literal house of illusion played with guest perspective by showing how two people standing on a slanted floor could be made to look different sizes.

In other areas of the pavilion, guests could get tips on how to swing a baseball bat properly, take on exercise challenges, and even “ride” stationary exercise bikes through Disney parks or locations throughout the world (via a screen attached to the bike). It was a great experience, but dwindling sponsorship amidst other reasons ultimately led to the pavilion’s demise. It is currently being re-imagined as the new Disney Play Pavilion, set to open in 2021. 

7. Camp Discovery (Shanghai Disneyland)

Video: YouTube, Theme Park Family Worldwide

For fans who have only visited Disney’s North American parks, it’s easy to not realize the insane scale of Disney’s Asian parks. Some of the best Disney attractions in the world are found overseas, and that definitely applies in the area of hands-on fun. If you think the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail is cool, you may want to add a trip Camp Discovery at Shanghai Disneyland to your bucket list!

Camp Discovery in the Adventure Isle section of the park is an expansive exploration zone that includes adventure challenges, a kid’s relic excavation zone (similar to The Boneyard), and—get this-- a full-on high ropes course. The scope of these three courses alone is absolutely bonkers. One traverses a gem-lined cavern, even passing behind a waterfall. Another follows an underground river gorge, while the third explores archaeological ruins. In a style vaguely reminiscent of many obstacle courses, each of the challenge trails include obstacles of easy, medium, and high difficulty included rope ladders, suspension bridges, and more! Time to conquer that fear of heights!

8. ElecTRONica (Disney’s California Adventure, 2010-2012)

Video: YouTube, Inside the Magic

Hands on play isn’t just for kids. ElecTRONica was a limited-time night event at Disney’s California Adventure with primary appeal for adults and teens. It almost didn’t make our list since many categorized it as a dance party, but anyone who visited ElecTRONica during its 2010 to 2012 tenure would agree—while this stunning recreation of the world of TRON included plenty of blaring dubstep and dancing as well as a pretty cool show, by and large it felt like a hands-on exploration zone. Sentients of the Grid tossed light frisbees with visiting guests, and the zone’s replica of Flynn’s arcade made for plenty of uber-nostalgic fun. It was easily one of the most beloved limited time events in the park’s recent history, and we can only hope that perhaps the arrival of the TRON: Lightcycle Power Run at Walt Disney World might usher in a return of this otherworldly free-exploration experience.