Be a detective at the most magical place on earth
Welcome to the next part of our ongoing series. In this installment, we will look at Walt’s love of puzzles. Specifically the Disney scavenger hunt. The theme parks and the resorts have a variety of short adventures to entertain both children and adults alike, and for the most part, they are free to guests.
When people think of a trip to a Disney theme park, they picture Disney’s famous attractions. But hop off the beaten track and find a diamond in the rough. Here are a few of the unique experiences the parks have to offer.
The Pirate’s Adventure — Treasure of the Seven Seas
If you are looking for some family fun with a pirate theme. Head over to Adventureland at Magic Kingdom Park. There, look for the Crow’s Nest, grab your map, and start your journey to become a member of Captain Jack’s crew.
Your map will lead you around Adventureland to several locations where interactive fun awaits. Each mission, there are five, takes around 20 minutes.
It’s a great way to rest from the busy lines and shows in the Magic Kingdom and is a favorite break for the kids. If you complete all the missions, return the map for a collectible card themed after the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.
Kidcot Fun Stops
While not so much a scavenger hunt as a people search. The Kidcot fun stop provides kids with an activity in each of the 11 countries in Epcot’s World Showcase. In each country, you will need to locate the Kidcot station and the Cast member working there.
Once found, you will receive an information card for the current country. Ziploc now sponsors these stops, and as such, on your first stop, you get a clever-looking Ziploc bag that resembles a briefcase.
Cast members typically draw a picture related to their country or print a note in the native language on each card. The stops provide a change of pace for families and even give parents a chance to sample some native cuisine.
Wilderness Explorers
The Wilderness Explorers stations at Animal Kingdom provide another pastime at Disney’s largest park. This scavenger hunt takes you on an adventure across the entire park. Set against the Boy Scout-like organization from the movie Up, friends and family will find this trek through the park quite the expedition.
Find one of the many kiosks situated in the park to start your journey.
You will receive your book and instructions on how to continue. You will collect a marker at each station and learn about the animals near you.
When complete, snake on back to one of the Clubhouses to present yourself, take the pledge and join the Wilderness Explorers.
Epcot Festival scavenger hunts
A few times a year, Epcot hosts festivals that delight and amaze its guests. As part of the festivities, there are one or more Disney-themed scavenger hunts to accompany the fun.
For instance, Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak has you finding small statuettes of Remy throughout the world showcase. The figure of Remy models with a food that he needs to complete his dish.
You’ll pay a small price for a map that includes stickers to place once you locate Remy in each country. Returning the completed map to the festival center will reward you with a small prize.
In addition to these scavenger hunts, the festivals have free passport books to check your progress as you eat your way around the world. Each book contains the festival foods for each country and allows you to see what each country has to sample.
Epcot DuckTales World Showcase Adventure
First off, Disney hasn’t released this game at Epcot yet. It’s replacing the retired Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure. The new DuckTales Adventure had been scheduled to open in the Fall of 2020; COVID pushed that release back to next year, 2022.
The game will work the same as Agent P’s. You use the Play Disney Parks app to follow the adventure through various world showcases. There are points in each showcase you locate and, once in place, activate an event in the real world by using the app.
It’s typically a cute animatronic skit just off the path or in stores and shops. They are fun pastimes that kids of all ages can enjoy.
Disney Resort Scavenger Hunts
If you are visiting one of Disney’s 25 Resort, there is a good chance there may be a scavenger hunt on site. These are free diversions for guests while waiting for their rooms to be ready, that table to open at the resort restaurant, or even as the last activity while waiting for the airport shuttle.
Ask at Guest relations to see what is available.
In the past, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach, Polynesian Village, Pop Century, Port Orleans, and Wilderness Lodge offered these games. But the great thing about Disney scavenger hunts is they are continually updating and innovating, so if you don’t see your favorite resort on the list, be sure to ask at the front desk.
Hidden Mickeys
I would be hard-pressed to write this article without a brief mention of the ultimate Disney scavenger hunt. That of the Hidden Mickey. Since the early days of the parks, Disney Imagineers have been sneaking the iconic Mickey symbol into every area of their work, but they do it in such a manner that you have to look closely to spot it. If you study almost any ride, attraction, or venue, there will most certainly be a Mickey hidden in plain sight for you to find.
The most common one is of Mickey’s head represented in three circles that resemble the silhouette of his famous head and ears. There are entire books and websites devoted to finding them within Disney’s property.
Family Magic Tour in Disney’s Magic Kingdom
And finally, I’ll end with a tour that will set you back a few dollars. The Family Magic Tour is a 2-hour romp through several areas of The Magic Kingdom. You will be mainly in the Main Street and Fantasyland areas.
Your group will meet at the Town Square Theater near the front of the park, where your Disney tour guide will welcome you. I can’t say enough good things about the cast members that lead these tours. They are all so energetic and fun, and it’s hard not to be excited after being with them for a few minutes.
After introductions, you get the first clue by playing a game they have set up, and the guides quickly get the group involved and thinking.
You spend the next 2 hours on your guided tour walking around solving riddles and finding clues they have scattered throughout areas of the park.
The tour includes VIP access on a popular “flight” themed ride, plus a meet and greet with two characters. Keep in mind the tour does require daily admission to the park and advanced reservations.
Conclusion
One of the things about Walt Disney World is there are free things to do that many people don’t know. So often, visitors assume that paying your admission gets you a day’s worth of fun, which is true. But if you know where to look, it can also offer you a peek into the secret behind the park and provide you with extra unexpected magic.
Doing a little research ahead of a trip can offer you an experience outside the traditional rides and attractions. So take a few minutes and plan a little extra adventure into your next trip.
A very big thank you to my wife for graciously going through years of Disney photos to provide many of the images for this article. She also pointed out that I forgot several scavenger hunts Disney offers. This goes to show how much they are constantly updating offerings in the parks.
Matt Inman is a columnist for Boardwalk Times
