Tom Sawyer Island and Canoe in Frontierland, 2003

Tom Sawyer Island is a physical island within the Disneyland theme park in Anaheim, California. It contains caves with references to Mark Twain characters from the novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and provides many climbing opportunities and scenic views. It also is home to Fort Wilderness, popular play area for children.

The area opened in 1956, one year after Walt Disney opened the theme park. Two names considered for the island were "Mickey Mouse Island" and "Treasure Island." Ultimately, the Tom Sawyer theme was selected.

While the island has not seen tremendous change over the years, in 1992 the south area was renovated to accommodate the nighttime spectacular Fantasmic!. The $30 million dollar production has run many hundred times and is one of the most successful shows in Disneyland history, judging by guest popularity.

Guests visit the island, surrounded by the Rivers of America, by traveling on a motorized raft which is piloted by a Disneyland cast member.

While aboard the Sailing Ship Columbia or Mark Twain Riverboat, Disneyland guests travel clockwise around the island. Looking to their right they can see the many areas and adventure opportunities of the island. To the left they see Disneyland itself and from time to time will see a Disneyland Railroad train passing by. At the northern end of the island, inaccessible to guests, is the Burning Settler's Cabin, a cabin that used to actually burn by spewing fire from its roof. Despite guest complaints, the park no longer ignites the roof of the cabin with propane each time a watercraft passes by. The Walt Disney World Vesion still has its cabin burning.

Text from: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Sawyer_Island