9. Fortress Explorations (Tokyo DisneySea)

Video: YouTube, Keith Lapinig

Once again, Disney’s Asian parks hop onto the list with a present attraction famous for its interactivity. Similar to Camp Discovery, Fortress Explorations is another enormous free-exploration zone for guests of all ages. The setting, as the name implies, is a mysterious fortress perched beneath the island’s volcano. The inside feels like something out of a giant escape game carrying strong renaissance / Da Vinci / steampunk themes. A visit here is like getting to try your hand at the sort of puzzles that show up in every popular adventure video game ever (think Prince of Persia, Tomb Raider, or Uncharted). You can even take part in a Leonardo challenge that leads you on an adventure throughout the fortress or several scavenger hunts.

Some of the exhibits inside Fortress Explorations include a pendulum that stretches from the upper story to the lower ones, an illusion room, a navigation chamber where guests can control explorer ships in a miniaturized sea (complete with trippy painted sea monsters that appear out of the water), and even a giant planetarium where guests can turn cranks to align and control individual planets. Outside of the fortress you can also visit the docked ship Renaissance, which sometimes hosts character meet-and-greets (apparently Jack Sparrow has been to Tokyo as well as Singapore). This expansive attraction brings to mind a far more advanced version of Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom or even the Unicorn Maze side of the Beastly Kingdom land that never came to be at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

10. Imageworks (in its glory days)

Journey Into Imagination has one of the most complicated histories of any of Epcot’s attractions. While the original attraction was extremely beloved, later incarnations are often ranked among Disney’s most loathed failures.  While the ImageWorks “What If” Labs still remains active outside of the current attraction, many don’t realize that its current form is a shadow of its former self.

ImageWorks used to be far more expansive, filling the upper story of the Journey Into Imagination building. For kids, no visit to Epcot was complete without a stop at this incredible celebration of the imagination. While the “stepping tones” feature from the original still remains in the current labs, other activities included a rainbow corridor (which gained particular fame after Michael Jackson took photos here), giant kaleidoscopes, a collaborative electronic philharmonic orchestra game, bubble projectors, a huge pin table, and a coloring book attraction where guests could paint figment using paintbrush guns.

Video: YouTube, Lee davidt

One of the coolest features, one that seemed mind-blowing for its time, was Dreamfinder’s School of Drama. In this experience, guests (mostly kids) would stand in front of a bluescreen and participate in a film directed by Dreamfinder himself. The film themes included science fiction, a Western, or a fantasy film. You could even pay to get a video copy of the film you were in to take home as a souvenir. While bluescreen is pretty common these days, being able to step into a movie was an unique experience for guests at the time, especially for kids.

When Journey Into Imagination was refurbished, ImageWorks was officially moved downstairs and renamed the What If labs. Most of the area’s best features were lost for good. Kodak stepping away as a sponsor confirmed the doom of this once incredible play zone. The upstairs space lingered in Disney oblivion for a time but has since been converted to a DVC lounge. An eagle-eyed guest managed to catch a glimpse of the old rainbow tunnel through a vent, revealing that sadly, it has finally been dismantled. Supposedly, it has reappeared as part of the meet and greet area with Wreck It Ralph.

11. DisneyQuest (Disney Springs, 1998-2017)

Image: Loren Javier, Flickr (license)

Similar to ElecTRONica, we almost didn’t include DisneyQuest on this list, but the truth is, any exploration of hands-on Disney magic wouldn’t be complete without a nod to Disney’s incredible attempt at a multi-story digital theme park.

It is true that DisneyQuest wasn’t located in a Disney park proper. Indeed, it was technically considered a park-like experience in and of itself. It also relied heavily on virtual reality and video games for its interactivity elements. However, there is no doubt that at its inception, DisneyQuest was one of the most ambitious projects of its time for hands-on play.

You didn’t just go to DisneyQuest to play video games—you went for larger than life experiences you could see, feel, and touch. A rafting journey down the Jungle Cruise river was just as jostling and exhausting as you’d expect it to be. A Pirates of the Caribbean digital experience teamed guests together to control cannons and the ship’s helm in a physical mini-pirate ship. Guests could design a freaky toy in Sid’s Workshop then take that little monster home. The Mighty Ducks Pinball Slam turned guests into human joysticks to control a giant pinball game, and even the hilariously cheesy Into The Comix virtual reality experience stood as a spiritual predecessor to popular lightsaber-reenactment games like The Force Unleashed and Jedi Challenges. These were just the tip of the iceberg of the dozens of hands-on activities DisneyQuest had to offer.

Image: Sam Howzit, Flickr (license)

To top it all, DisneyQuest’s most ambitious attraction took the familiar concept of roller coasters and put the design entirely in guest’s hands. CyberSpace Mountain allowed guests to design their own digital roller coaster—as tame or utterly bonkers as they liked—and then ride it in a simulator. The possibilities included elements of insanity totally impossible in a real coaster, like flying off the tracks or literally blasting through space and time. The simulator was extremely fun and made for some next-level hilarious reaction videos (since your family could watch your face on a video screen through the entire simulation). It was the ultimate marriage of a classic attraction and guest interactivity.

There are so many honorable mentions we could add to this list, like the amazing play spaces for kids at Splash Mountain and Mission: Space or the play-zone queues for Dumbo or The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. How many kids found a secret getaway in the fun mazes of The Polynesian’s Neverland Club (while mom and dad had a much-needed date!) or loved getting lost trying new technology at Innoventions (heavy-handed sponsorships or not)? The lifeblood of Disney magic isn’t just to see wonders but to get to explore and experience them with all our senses.

These are just a few of Disney’s best interactive attractions and hands-on play areas. What are some of your favorites?