If you're weighing where the kids will burn off energy between park days, the Windsor Hills Resort playground and splash pad are two of the easiest answers: both sit inside the gated resort, cost nothing extra, and are ready whenever you are. Here's a parent's guide to what's there, who it suits, and how to plan around it.
Where to Find the Playground and Splash Pad
Both are part of the clubhouse recreation area, an easy walk or short golf-cart ride from most homes in the resort, and close enough to the Sir Windsor AquaVenture water park and lagoon pool that you can hop between all three without leaving the recreation area. No wristband or check-in is needed for the playground or splash pad the way there is for the water park.
What's at the Windsor Hills Playground
The playground mixes a few different play structures: a rock-climbing wall panel with hand holds and cutouts, a spring rocker for younger riders, a slide built into a small castle-style structure, and open climbing bars. It's shaded by mature palms and oak trees for parts of the day, and the whole area is fenced and set on soft mulch rather than bare concrete.
What's at the Splash Pad
The splash pad is a flat, open pad of spraying jets, a small dumping bucket feature, and a short slide that empties right onto the pad, all built for kids who are too small for the water park's bigger slides or who just want to run through water without swimming. There's no standing water to watch, which makes it an easier stop than the pool for parents keeping an eye on a toddler. Like the rest of the water park area, the splash pad is not heated, so it's most fun on a warm afternoon rather than a cool evening.
Best Ages for Each
- Toddlers and preschoolers: the splash pad and the spring rocker are sized right for them, with no deep water to worry about
- Elementary-age kids: the climbing wall, castle slide and monkey bars hold their attention longest
- Tweens and up: usually happier at the water park's bigger slides, though the splash pad is still a good way to cool off between rounds
What to Pack for a Playground and Splash Pad Day
- Swimsuits and a change of dry clothes, since the splash pad soaks kids just as much as the pool
- Water shoes or sandals with a back strap for the wet pad and the mulch under the playground
- Sunscreen and a refillable water bottle -- there's shade, but not everywhere
- A towel to leave at a nearby table or bench while the kids play
A Good Fit for a Disney Rest Day
The playground and splash pad are an easy way to fill a morning or afternoon on a day when nobody wants to deal with a park, a parking lot or another ticket. Pair a splash pad session with a quiet lunch back at your rental, and you've got a full rest day without much planning at all -- see our rest day ideas for more ways to fill in the gaps between park days.
Windsor Hills as Your Home Base
Windsor Hills is a gated resort about 5-10 minutes from Disney property and 10-12 minutes from Magic Kingdom, so a morning at the playground still leaves plenty of afternoon for a park if the family changes its mind. Beyond the playground and splash pad, the resort has a heated lagoon pool, a clubhouse with a games room, a gym and sports courts, plus private-pool homes, condos and townhouses with full kitchens for easy meals between activities. Booking direct with the owners keeps the whole trip simple.
Ready to plan a low-key day around the playground and splash pad? Browse Windsor Hills private rentals for a home base right inside the gates.
