A Parent’s Guide to the Playgrounds at Disney’s Resort Hotels

If you’re planning a Walt Disney World vacation, you likely know you’ll spend considerable time waiting in line for attractions. It’s part of it. We all know that waiting in line can be challenging for anyone, especially children. That’s why we love the numerous play spaces at the parks and resorts. They are an excellent resource for anyone with children who might need to burn off a little extra energy.

However, a few of the playgrounds at the Disney Resorts are challenging to find, and not every resort offers one. So below, we’ve listed every resort with a playground and those without. Then, further down, we’ve provided a photo of each playground with a map of its location. This guide is designed to help you determine if your hotel has a playground, what it looks like, and where to find it.

List of Disney Resorts with Playgrounds

Here is the list of resorts with playgrounds. Further down, we’ll preview photos of each one.

• Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
• Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
• Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
• Disney’s Pop Century Resort
• Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
• Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
• Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter Resort
• Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort
• Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
• Disney’s BoardWalk Resort
• Disney’s Swan and Dolphin Resort
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
• Disney’s Old Key West Resort
• Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort

The following resorts do not have playgrounds: Disney’s Grand Floridian, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Disney’s Beach and Yacht Club, and Disney’s Riviera Resort.

Disney’s All-Star Movies Playground

All three of Disney’s All-Star Resorts have playgrounds. The play areas are separately fenced and have a cork or sand surface.

Disney’s All-Star Movies playground is between Toy Story (building 9) and Fantasia (building 8).

Disney’s All-Star Music Playground

Here is the playground at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort.

This one is a little off-the-beaten-path. It sits on a walkway between Jazz Inn (building 9) and Calypso (building 10).

Disney’s All-Star Sports Playground

Each All-Star Resort playground is similar in style, with a few nuances. Here is the one at Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort.

This playground is between Surf’s Up (Building 6) and Touchdown! (Building 7). You would likely never know it existed unless you stayed in this area. I found it the most difficult one to locate.

Disney’s Pop Century Resort Playground

Disney’s Pop Century playground features rubber-like flooring mixed with wood chips. This one seems a little more messy than others, but the wood chips probably aren’t much different from sand.

This is another obscure playground. It’s behind building 10 in the 70s section of the resort.

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Playground

Squirt’s Righteous Reef is a play area designed for younger children. It is close to the Skyliner and sits directly behind the splash pad in the Finding Nemo section of the resort.

The Elephant Graveyard is also available at Art of Animation. This play area is between the two main buildings in The Lion King area.

Here’s the map.

Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort Playground

Caribbean Beach’s playground is on the resort’s island, Caribbean Cay. This island sits between Old Port Royale (the lobby area) and Jamaica. It’s also where the nightly Movies Under the Stars are held.

Here’s the map with the resort’s sections and playground highlighted.

Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort Playground

The Explorer’s playground is at The Dig Site at Disney’s Coronado Springs, the resort’s primary recreation area. It has two play areas, one for younger children and another for those who are a little older. Below is a photo of the smaller playground.

The adjacent play area sits directly in front of it. You can tell this apparatus is a little higher off the ground.

Here is a map. The children’s play area is at the back of the Dig Site, almost behind the pyramid.

Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter Resort Playground

The Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter playground is easy to find. It’s a small play area with a rubber surface.

It sits directly behind the resort’s lobby, and the Doubloon Lagoon Pool is opposite.

Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort Playground

Port Orleans Riverside’s playground is on Ol’ Man Island, directly behind the Muddy Rivers Pool Bar.

Here’s the map.

Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort Playground

If you’re visiting Fort Wilderness, the resort’s primary playground is at the Settlement. When you arrive at the resort by boat, it’s one of the first things you’ll encounter when leaving the dock. Another playground is available at The Meadow near the swimming pool, and several smaller play areas are scattered around the resort.

Disney’s BoardWalk Playground

At Disney’s Boardwalk, you’ll find a small playground adjacent to the Luna Park Pool. If you’re looking for a larger play area, you might walk next door to the Swan and Dolphin, which we discuss next.

You’ll want to remember the play area is by the resort’s feature pool.

Disney’s Swan and Dolphin Resorts

Disney’s Swan and Dolphin Hotels have one of the best playgrounds. This is also an incredible place to relax on the white sand beach and enjoy the surrounding views.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Playgrounds

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is home to the Hakuna Matata playground. This playground is almost hidden. It sits behind the Uzima Springs Pool and offers plenty of shade.

You can also use the Uwanja Camp play area at Kidani Village. However, this area is part playground and part aquatic play area, so splashing could quickly occur. If you want to stay dry, take the shuttle to Jambo House for the Hakuna Matata option.

Here’s the map with both options.

Disney’s Old Key West Playground

Disney’s Old Key West has four playgrounds scattered across the resort. The resort’s large playground has a tremendous sand area and a giant sand pail. It’s located near the Sandcastle Pool at Hospitality House.

These four sections all have a separate playground adjacent to the pool: Miller’s Road, South Point Road, Old Turtle Pond Road, and Hospitality House (central lobby area).

Disney’s Saratoga Springs Playground

Disney’s Saratoga has three splash pads and one regular playground. The playground is at Congress Park and offers views of Disney Springs in the distance.

Saratoga Springs is a big resort. You might want to take a bus to Congress Park and walk to the playground. It’s next to the Congress Park Pool and along the walkway to Disney Springs.

Final Thoughts

I hope you found this information helpful to your planning process. For more of our parent’s guides, you might enjoy the following:

• Disney World Rides with Height Requirements
• How to use Rider Switch at Disney World
• The Parent’s Guide to Splash Pads at Disney World
• Where to Find Everything Frozen at Disney World
• The Single Parent’s Guide to Visiting Disney World

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