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We Can’t Wait to Touch This on Our Next Walt Disney World Trip!

pandora
Credit: Disney

Are you one of those people who just has to touch everything to fully experience it? (Guilty.)  

It may seem strange to talk about touching things at Walt Disney World, especially in pandemic times. But tactile sensations are just as important as sight, taste, hearing, and smell when you’re creating memories and experiencing WDW to the fullest!

While hugging Disney characters – which would formerly have topped this list – isn’t currently possible on WDW property, there are still plenty of things you can touch on your vacation that will make you feel even closer to the magic. Here are a few things we can’t wait to touch again on our next Walt Disney World trip.

Tree of Life

I remember the magical Disney trip on which I was introduced to the Discovery Island Trails at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park.  

Not only are these serenely beautiful trails off the beaten path and a great way to escape the crowds, but they also take Guests as close as you can get to the iconic Tree of Life.

But did you know you can actually use the Discovery Island Trails to get close enough to the Tree of Life to touch the hundreds of creations in its synthetic bark? Surprise – they were actually sculpted from concrete! We can’t wait to touch this incredible work of art once more.

tree-of-life

Credit: Disney Dining

Jumping Water

If you’ve ever watched a child play in a splash pad, you’ll know the tactile allure of water. But of course, interacting with water isn’t just for kids, at least at Walt Disney World!

We love leaping to touch the Jumping Fountains at the Imagination! Pavilion at Disney’s EPCOT theme park (these are also an excellent surprise for any first-time visitors to WDW!).  

They’re perfect on a hot Orlando day. Of course, there’s no shortage of water fountains and splash pads for Guests to enjoy at Walt Disney World, so feel free to explore away!

epcot-disney

Credit: Disney

Shooter on Toy Story Mania

There aren’t many attractions at Walt Disney World as active as Toy Story Mania! in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  

This is not a “sit back and enjoy” ride – Guests use their spring-action shooters to shoot a variety of moving targets, cheered on by characters from Toy Story.

We can’t wait for the hands-on experience of this shooting arcade attraction. Let the best shooter win!

Baja Tickler

It’s one of the weirdest parts of Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park, which is saying something. The Baja Tickler, or Flaska Reclinata, is a massive, interactive, bioluminescent plant at the entrance to Pandora that spits water when Guests touch its side.

We miss this bizarre Imagineer creation – it’s fun to give it a try on a hot day, and maybe surprise a Guest or two when it starts spewing water.

pandora-avatar-animal-kingdom

Credit: Disney

LEGO

Let’s face it – LEGO was made to be touched!  

We can’t wait to get reacquainted with The LEGO Store in Disney Springs. If you haven’t yet had the pleasure, you should make a point of it on your next WDW trip – you’ll know it by the colossal Disney-themed scenes made entirely of LEGO outside (and inside) the store.

lego-mini-fig-16x9 lego disney

Credit: Disney

The newest experience here is the LEGO Minifigure Factory experience, during which you can mix and match pieces to make your own custom LEGO figure.

Interactive Queues

Every Guest knows there’s a lot of waiting at Walt Disney World, especially if you don’t purchase Genie+ to skip the standby line for certain popular attractions. Luckily, that’s where Disney’s brilliant interactive queues come in!

There are actually rides we choose to stand in line for, because the queues are so much fun, and you can touch everything.  

Magic Kingdom’s Haunted Mansion queue has lots of fun interactive experiences to enjoy, as do Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Journey of the Little Mermaid, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

Disney Stuffies

“DON’T TOUCH” is probably one of the most common commands given to children, and no doubt most of us remember many a childhood shopping trip during which these words were uttered by a parent.  

Luckily, we’re adults now, and the rules have changed! 

One of the things we enjoy touching at Walt Disney World is all the merchandise on property. Go ahead, find out exactly how fuzzy that Minnie sweater is, or pick up those Mickey Ears covered in glitter and give them a whirl.  

Most of all, we enjoy the tactile experience of picking up the impossibly soft Disney character stuffies at shops throughout WDW – there’s something incredibly comforting and nostalgic about it.

Buttons on Smugglers Run

Did you know that, unlike their counterparts in Mission: SPACE, the buttons on the attraction Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run actually have a function?  

The way you carry out your role as a pilot, gunner, or engineer has a bearing on your ride experience (there’s even a secret “Chewie Mode” you can unlock if you know which buttons to press in which sequence).

millennium-falcon

Credit: Disney

We can’t wait to finally get our hands on these magical Millennium Falcon buttons!

Bottom Line

At first, it might seem difficult to think about ways you use your sense of touch at Walt Disney World.  

After all, touching the Baja Tickler or a Mickey Mouse stuffie might not conjure up the same memories as the scent of Main Street, U.S.A. Popcorn, or hearing the chime of your MagicBand as it connects with a touchpoint.  

However, your skin is the largest organ in your body, and once you think about it, you’ll realize how often you use your sense of touch to explore during a WDW vacation. 

So grab that hand sanitizer, and touch away!

About Stacy Milford

Stacy has lived in 4 countries on 3 continents, and travels whenever humanly possible. Passionate about music theatre, dessert, and adventure in the great wide somewhere, she visits Walt Disney World every year, usually during Halloween! Stacy currently divides her time between writing and teaching English as a second language to children in China, and is pretty sure growing up is over-rated.