Disney Myths – Fact or Fiction: Find a paint brush on Tom Sawyer’s Island, get a FASTPass

One of the Walt Disney World myths that may not be known too much has to do with Tom Sawyer’s Island (TSI) over at the Magic Kingdom. It is a place that some people forget is even there, and they’re actually missing out on one of my favorite attractions.

Tom Sawyer’s Island has caves and a fort and the infamous barrel bridge and so much more to offer. Unfortunately, so much has changed there over the years and that includes the loss of Aunt Polly’s which had great peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

With that being said, the second Disney Myth to discuss is: Find a paint brush on Tom Sawyer’s Island, get a bonus FASTPass

Considering that many people think there isn’t a whole lot to do over on TSI, but there was and this little “myth” is indeed a FACT!

In days gone by, and as recently as back in 2012, you could head on over to Tom Sawyer’s Island and go on a hunt for paint brushes. People say different dates as to when it officially ended, but from what I’ve heard the most, Jan. 6, 2013, was the last official day it was done.

The way it happened was that you had to be one of the first people over onto Tom Sawyer’s Island when it opened – which is usually about an hour after park opening. From there, you simply went out and started searching for actual paint brushes that looked like this:

If you happened to find one of the hidden paint brushes, then you would first of all, get a message delivered to you. One that said:

“In order to complete his chores, Tom needs to whitewash Aunt Polly’s fence. Unfortunately, in his play time, he managed to lose the brushes all over the island. If you happen to pick up this brush, please return it to the raft driver. Remember, only one brush per family. Thank you.”

Once you brought the paint brush over to the raft driver, that Cast Member would hand you and your family over a bonus FASTPass. That FASTPass was normally for Splash Mountain or Thunder Mountain.

Had you found one of the paint brushes, then you had been successful in the “Tom Sawyer Scavenger Hunt.”

This is just one of the numerous things that is gone from Tom Sawyer’s Island, and it is honestly quite a shame that it was taken away. It was a lot of fun and made for some interesting times.

In the number of instances that I had found one of the paint brushes, there were never people fighting over one or causing a problem. Maybe that was the case though at other times.

None the less, this Disney Myth is indeed a fact, but it is also a part of “Lost Disney.”

... the trusted name in attraction tickets