Chapter 3: Pockets of Sanity
As surprising as it may seem, there are pockets of sanity among the general melee that is a day at the Parks.
If you are feeling overstimulated and would benefit from an oasis of calm amongst the storm, there may actually be one very close to where you are. The problem, of course, is knowing where they are!
Thankfully, we’ve got you covered here. These are small portions of the Parks where, even if there are many, many people around you, you can go if you need to pretend those crowds aren’t there. While there will still be some noise in these places, they are tucked away so that there is a bit of privacy. Often, they will have an obstructing feature that blocks the view of the Park at large, making it much easier to rest there.
Let’s start with the Disney Park.
Videopolis
This is Videopolis. It is in Discoveryland. It is also inside, making it a prime choice if the weather turns nasty. It is essentially a large theatre which sometimes houses shows. If a show is on, then this is NOT a good place to rest. However, shows are not often held here, making it a pretty reliable choice. The lighting is low in here, and there is lots of seating available. Additionally, there are often kid-appropriate shows being played with low volume (but subtitles) on the two large screens in the area. This can be a distraction, which can be both good and bad. When we were there, they were playing “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” (at Christmas) and “Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” (not at Christmas).
The Mandalorian’s Retreat
This one is pretty simple, but simple isn’t a bad thing! Located exactly where the Mandalorian spends his time (more on this in the Character’s Circle), it is a nice and quiet location where other people don’t walk by all the time. The only potential difficulty with this location is that, sometimes, the Mandalorian is there. Which, ok, he is probably allowed to be there. But if he isn’t, it is a great place to get away from the press of people in Discoveryland.
A Hyperspace Side Route
If the Mandalorian is, unhelpfully, at home, then we need to keep on walking. Thankfully, we don’t have far to go to the next quieter spot.
As you can see, this is a big area! There is very little that would attract other guests between Les Mystères du Nautilus and the Mandalorian. Hyperspace mountain exits into this area, but guests often leave quickly once they are done with the ride. Unless, of course, they are like me and need a few minutes to let the world stop spinning first. This spot of sanity is extremely reliable, and is often quite deserted even on days where there are many people in the Parks.
Hyperspace Mountain Cove
The last of the Discoveryland spots is also located near Hyperspace Mountain. I suppose that, being a mountain, there are naturally many nooks and crannies that would appear over time. Hyperspace Mountain is a real mountain, right? Right?
Nevertheless, there is a small pocket tucked away right at the base of the Ride. If you have the extra time, I would recommend walking to either The Manadlorian’s Retreat or a Hyperspace Side Route, simply because they are much larger. That said, sometimes you just need to duck out of the crowd as fast as you can, and this is where Hyperspace Mountain Cove comes in. The entrance to this space is to the right of the statue of Wall-E and Eve, if you are facing towards the direction of Star Tours. You may think that, being located between the main path of Discoveryland and the line for Hyperspace Mountain, this area would be both noisy and visually stimulating. Pleasantly, however, there is a rock formation that blocks the view of much of the rest of Discoveryland while you are here. While the rock formation also blocks much of the noise, it can still get fairly loud in here, so that is something else to be aware of.
Big Thunder Hideaway
Moving away from Discoveryland, Big Thunder Hideaway is located, somewhat obviously, near Big Thunder Mountain in Frontierland. Because the only attractions down this side path are the Frontierland railway station (which is often closed) and the Frontierland Theatre (which has shows at set times), there are usually not many guests down here.
There is also a playground near here (you can find it on the app map), which can be a good option. It can be quite busy at different times of the day, so I’m not actually going to recommend going there. You might want to check in and see if it is something you want to do, though.
It’s a Small Wonder
The last of the Disney Park spots of sanity is located in Fantasyland, near the entrance to It’s a Small World. This one also comes with a bit of a warning: it is far less of a break from the crowds if there is a parade happening.
Seeing as the parades go in and out of The Path of Mystery, which is very close to the entrance to the ride, it can get fairly busy during those times. Especailly considering that this is where one of the prioirty viewing areas for the parades is located.
At other times, it is one of the least busy locations in Fantasyland, and a reliable place to get some distance from other people when that is needed.