Parents, you’ll want to hit pause on your theme park plans once you discover the kid-friendly spaces hiding at Disney World’s resorts.
When you’re planning a trip to Walt Disney World with kids, it’s easy to focus almost entirely on the theme parks. After all, that’s where you’ll find rides, character meet-and-greets, and so much more fun — but over time, I’ve learned Disney World’s very own resorts can be just as magical for kids.
In fact, some of the coolest, most memorable spots for kids aren’t in the theme parks at all. They’re the places at resorts where kids can run, explore, and just be kids without waiting in line. So, if you’re visiting Disney World, make sure to plan to spend some time outside of Magic Kingdom at the various resorts. From playgrounds to awesome pools, the following are the coolest, can’t-miss places for kids at Disney World Resorts.
1. The Cars Themed Section of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
If you have a kid who loves Cars, this well-themed area of Art of Animation is an absolute must-see. You’ll feel like you’ve stepped into Radiator Springs when you see this Cars courtyard, complete with life-size versions of Lightning McQueen and Mater. Kids can get up close to their favorite characters and even see famous sights like the Cozy Cone Motel in person.
Art of Animation Cars section. Photo by Laurie Sapp
Plus, there’s an added perk: This space isn’t just for looking, it’s designed for exploring. There’s plenty of room for kids to run around, check out the details, and interact with the environment in a way that feels totally unstructured. After a long park day, that freedom will be a huge benefit regardless of their age.
2. The Savanna at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
You don’t have to book a room at Animal Kingdom Lodge in order to experience its awe-inspiring savanna, complete with real animals grazing and meandering. Anyone can stop by the resort and explore its grounds, which are filled with spaces indoors and outdoors where you can pause to see what the animals are up to.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
It’s like getting a zoo experience — or even a sneak peek at Animal Kingdom itself — right at a hotel. I recommend heading to this Disney World Resort at dusk when animals tend to get active so you can hopefully catch multiple species out and moving around.
3. Stormalong Bay at Disney’s Beach and Yacht Club Resorts
Once you’ve experienced Stormalong Bay, you’ll know why it’s consistently rated Disney World’s best resort pool. This massive, sprawling pool and lazy river area can be accessed at either the Beach Club Resort or Yacht Club Resort, and there’s a lot of fun for kids of every age (and parents, too — if your kids will let you kick back and relax, that is).
Photo by Danny McBride
Between the sand-bottom pool, lazy river, and shipwreck designed for play, there’s so much for kids to explore. They’ll easily want to spend hours, if not multiple days, splashing around here. And it’s enough of an attraction in its own right that you just might want to skip the theme parks altogether in favor of this one-of-a-kind resort pool.
4. The Wide-Open Spaces at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
After waiting in lines and being patient, your kids are likely going to need some downtime where they can run, touch, and well, act like kids. Fort Wilderness is the perfect place to do that — it’s a resort (and campground) where wide open space is the name of the game. Here, there are playgrounds, trails, and wide-open areas where kids can run, bike, and just burn off energy.Â
Photo by Andy Jerzewski
As an added perk, Fort Wilderness tends to be noticeably quieter than most other Disney World Resorts, which makes a big difference if your kids are feeling overstimulated. I like to think of this as a reset spot where everyone can slow down for a bit.
5. The Grounds of Disney’s Riviera Resort
Speaking of open spaces to run and play in, Riviera Resort offers exactly that, although in a somewhat more compact design. The resort’s ground floor features a courtyard that’s essentially a haven for kids — home to a giant chess set, bocce ball court, and other games like Connect Four, this pretty resort’s outdoor spaces offer views for parents to soak up and plenty for kids to play with.
Disney’s Riviera Resort
Plus, there’s another cool spot right next to this kid-approved courtyard: a Skyliner station. The Skyliner is perhaps kids’ favorite thing in all of Disney World (especially if you have very young kids), so being able to play and watch the gondolas fly by is a fun extra perk of spending time in this cool spot. When your kids are done playing, you can easily hop right on a gondola of your own, too.
