Tom Sawyer Island vs. Redwood Creek

[DannyB]

If you are one of those who have no use for either Tom Sawyer Island or the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, then this thread is probably not for you. On the other hand, if you are the parent of a young child, or are an explorer-at-heart, then you may enjoy this.

How do you rank Tom Sawyer Island vs. Redwood Creek? Here's my ranking:

GETTING THERE:
TSI has rafts that make getting there half the fun, while RC you just walk into. Winner: TSI


ADVENTURE:
RC climbing walls are the only place where I don’t have to remind my kids to keep their feet on the ground, but TSI has dark pirate caves. Winner: TSI


FAMILY FUN:
As I pause to consider whether I can fit through the small cave opening on TSI, my kids have disappeared to the other side of the island. At RC, some of the experiences are “kids only,” but the trails are wide, the clearances are high, and keeping up is no problem. Winner: RC


AMENITIES:
Although I miss the days when you could buy a cold iced tea at Ft. Wilderness (or is my memory playing tricks on me?), TSI does have a restroom with the coolest hand air-dryer I’ve ever used. RC has no bathroom, but on the other hand, restrooms AND snacks are nearby. Winner: tie


LOCAL RESIDENTS:
The Brother Bear show is cute (the kids like it), while the pirates are cool, but totem poles don't belong in the redwoods, and pirates on Tom Sawyer Island seem a bit out of place. No points.


ATMOSPHERE:
RC has redwood trees, but the towers and bridges seem a little, well, Disneyfied. Plus, they overlook a hotel swimming pool. TSI has dirt trails, and a view of a river with canoes and a steamboat. Winner: TSI.

Final tally: TSI 4, RC 2.

What's your comparison?

[vannie<3]

GETTING THERE:
I would have to agree the rafts do make it exciting and its like a little ride. However sometimes thats the problem. Do i really want to take the raft to go to TSI for twenty min.? Redwood is readily accesible(sp?) So I say its a tie.

ADVENTURE:
I feel that Trails is more adventurous it has a lot more to do and i really don't like the pirate theme at TSI. My son likes Trails better so it wins!

FAMILY FUN:
Trails wins i don't like the fact that at TSI some areas are only built for kids. Mayby if my child was old enough i wouldn't worry about him ending up across the island without me. So Trails wins.

AMENITIES:
Based on the fact that TSI has restrooms it wins!!!!

LOCAL RESIDENTS:
If you are speaking of charecters and theming i would say Trails wins Bears= woods to me and native americans lived in the forest too. (think mytery lodge at knotts) If TSI was still TSI NOT pirates lair then we would have a tie or even TSI might win because it is an island with boats passing by and tree houses but as it stands now nope. I dont buy the whole pirates thing.


ATMOSPHERE:
TSI wins here because of the surrounding views. The mark twain sailing by and the columbia. The stinky green water, the tree house, dirt paths caves. You really feel like you are living out the tom sawyer hucklberry finn stories.

Final tally: TSI 3, RC 4. (counting ties)

I would like to add one other thing
Nostalgia:
TSI wins!!! 'Nough Said!

[Robert Cook]

It's no contest, please--Tom Sawyer Island (pirate-themed or not) wins easily. It's more like something out of a child's imagination that stimulates one's own imagination, while Redwood Creek is more like...a playground made for children in a park. The fact that guests need to take a raft to get there only enhances the theming, and as if that weren't enough already, there's a steam-powered sternwheeler named "Mark Twain," a sailing ship, and canoes circling the island.

[RegionsBeyond]

I go for TSI, even with the pirates...getting there is no contest and the landscaping and spread of it is much more impressive. Plus, I like the added "spooky" things in the cave system...the skeletons, the pop up head and eyeball, and the animatronic changing pirate in the dungeon. TSI has it beat for atmosphere and having show scenes as well in the caves.

[DannyB]

My son is home from school now, and he says: "I like the Redwood Creek Trail better, but I'd be sadder if they took Tom Sawyer Island out than if they took out Redwood Creek Trail. Redwood Creek is more fun, but Tom Sawyer Island was there on opening day."

11 years old, and nostalgia wins out.

He also adds, "I was sad when they changed Tom Sawyer Island to Pirates' Lair. Why'd they do that? Pirates have their own ride."

[IzzyInWonderland]

TSI is fun if you have the patience to wait for a raft and float over there. Redwood Creek is never crowded and I really enjoy those giant nets you can walk on. Running on those is a real trip and if you're wearing flip flops, BE CAREFUL.

[techskip]

While they are two seperate experiences I will say TSI for a very specific reason. Little kids can do TSI. RC has a variety of net bridges which have large holes. There is a safety net underneath but the point remains... for little kids the holes are too big and their feet go right through them. This renders the majority of the bridges inaccessible. The "zip line" and "climbing wall" are great for older kids, but again if you have toddlers then it's a no go. This leaves you with the Brother Bear show and a variety of paths both upstairs and down. By comparison, a little one can explore all of TSI, in fact there are areas a little one can get to that are actually hard for their parents to follow!

[BFJen]

All I have to say, is my kids spend a whole lot more time at Redwood Creek than they do at TSI. They made the skeleton come up and down, ran over the bridge, went through a cave and were pretty much done on TSI. At Redwook Creek, they could ride those tire swings for hours. The slides and the climbing walls - who know how many times they played on the them. I usually end up dragging them out of Redwood Creek, and they usually beg me to leave TSI.

[techskip]

All I have to say, is my kids spend a whole lot more time at Redwood Creek than they do at TSI. They made the skeleton come up and down, ran over the bridge, went through a cave and were pretty much done on TSI. At Redwook Creek, they could ride those tire swings for hours. The slides and the climbing walls - who know how many times they played on the them. I usually end up dragging them out of Redwood Creek, and they usually beg me to leave TSI.

I really think it is an age specific thing, because my little ones are the exact opposite (since they can't do the majority of the bridges or the climbing wall). We have to literally track them through caves and practically drag them down to the dock to leave... but at RC they walk around a couple times, go up stairs or through the tree tunnels, then they're ready to leave. I think that if the majority of the bridges in RC had gone with a wood plank floor then the kids would enjoy it a lot more. It isn't the height that bothers them so much as falling through the floor!

[Robert Cook]

Oh, I forgot to mention that Tom Sawyer Island hosts a spectacular show at night--it's got a fire-breathing dragon and everything. Does this count?

[Steve DeGaetano]

Oh, I forgot to mention that Tom Sawyer Island hosts a spectacular show at night--it's got a fire-breathing dragon and everything. Does this count?

Yeah, it counts--against it.

[mycroft16]

Yeah, it counts--against it.

Steve suffers from a lamentable condition known as Fantasmic!itis... a severe reaction to fire-breathing dragons living on islands at Disneyland. I believe it involves a rash of some sort.

[Dopey's Girl]

All I know is that on our last trip into DCA we managed to bypass Redwood Creek and when I realised it, 450 miles later, I was really ticked.

[Robert Cook]

Steve suffers from a lamentable condition known as Fantasmic!itis... a severe reaction to fire-breathing dragons living on islands at Disneyland. I believe it involves a rash of some sort.

Yes, I've noticed. While I can understand the serious tradeoffs involved in the atmosphere of this area during nights on which the show is playing, to me it's relatable to the concept I mentioned earlier of Tom Sawyer Island being a place of imagination as opposed to just a themed children's playground, which is a big point on its side. Personally, I think it's really cool that Mickey's imagination (so we're supposed to believe) can take over and transform major elements of the park like this on a temporary basis. Fortunately, it only runs for part of the year and not always on consecutive nights so that this area (as well as Disneyland as a whole) can be its normal self at night sometimes.

[vfire]

Both are very good, but the edge goes to TSI for its immersive environment. I just wish they'd rotate the rafts with greater due diligence; it takes too long to get back and forth.