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The Tom Sawyer Island Paintbrush Hunt

Before our most recent trip to Walt Disney World, I decided to check out some of the other Disney World websites about the “secret” Disney things to look for. I found one website that described a once a day contest for children only at the Magic Kingdom.  According to the website, the one who finds a hidden paintbrush on Tom Sawyer Island first will receive a FastPass for the day. We decided to give this “game” a try on our upcoming trip.

Tom Sawyer Island Paintbrush Hunt Magic Kingdom Walt Disney World

We were one of the first people through the gate that morning, and ran straight to the loading dock for Tom Sawyer Island. Once we got there we discovered that the Island does not open until 10 so we had 2 hours to spend in Frontierland. While we waited, we rode Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, and greeted a few characters.

10 o’clock seemed to come pretty fast, and we ended up being the second boat over the island. While on the boat we asked our Captain if anyone had found the hidden paintbrush yet. He informed us that no one had yet and in fact there was more than one hidden on the island. There are actually between 5-7 paintbrushes hidden on a daily basis. There are only 2 rules for finding the paintbrushes.

Paint Brush Hunt TomSawyer Island Magic Kingdom Walt Disney WorldFirst rule: 1 paintbrush per a family per a day can be found/used!

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Second rule: once all paintbrushes are found, game over!

Score! We were going to be the ones!!!

The minute we docked at the island, my husband and I split up each taking one of our daughters with us in order to cover more ground. My oldest daughter and I went to the left while my husband and youngest daughter went to the right. We looked on the ground and in the rafters of the dock… nothing. After about 15 minutes we met back up where we started and looked at the beginning again.  My youngest spotted something in the bushes near one of the caves and there it was!!! A Paintbrush!!! She was so excited to find it!!!!

Paintbrush Hunt Tom Sawyer Island Magic Kingdom Walt Disney World FoundOnce we went back to the dock and took the boat ride back to mainland, we met up with a Cast Member, Justin, who we turned the paintbrush in to. He then asked us which ride we would want the FastPass for – Thunder Mountain or Splash Mountain.

Just FYI- This is different then what the websites say. The rumor on the web is: you get a fast pass for the day for ALL RIDES. NOT TRUE!! You get to choose a FastPass for 1 ride between Splash Mountain OR Thunder Mountain.

All-in-all, it was a great  way to spend a morning at the Magic Kingdom and a fun opportunity for some family bonding!  And when you stop and think about it, isn’t that what Walt Disney World is supposed to be about?

Paintbrush Hunt Tom Sawyer Island Magic Kingdom Walt Disney World Cast Member

So the next time you are visiting Walt Disney World, get up a little early and head to the Magic Kingdom and see if YOU can find Tom Sawyer’s paint brush and win a FastPass!  Happy Hunting!!


Jennifer Casler WDW Parkhoppers ContributorWritten By WDW Parkhopper Contributor Jennifer
Jennifer is Wife, Mom and High School Literature Teacher and Budding Walt Disney World Enthusiast!

Follow Jennifer on Twitter.

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2 Comments

    • admin

      A great blogging friend encouraged us to be much more consistent and we’ve been working really hard to get that to happen. We’ve pulled all the Parkhoppers together and planned out a month in advance and everyone has their marking orders… I (John) just need to lead and make sure everyone has the materials they need! So…thank you for the advice!!