Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-24273207-20140304144444/@comment-24145588-20140304203316

Yes, much the stuff you normally do -- baking, removing obstacles, expanding castles, placing decorations -- will get you experience. Oh, and of course placing monsters, too. You can get a boatload of experienced by placing the expensive decorations on Ethereal Island, and that way you don't have to spend gold to do it.