Walt Disney World With Kids (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [128]
Because you’re actually in a video game, it makes sense that video game rules apply—the more you play, the better you get. Can you spell addictive? Come early if you want to ride more than once.
Insider’s Secret
Want to max your Men in Black score? Near the end of the ride (when you face the mega-alien in Times Square), you will hear Zed instructing you to push the red button on your control panel “now!” Whoever hits the button at this crucial point gets a whopping 100,000 bonus points. Take that, space aliens!
The Simpsons
Map Location 9
The basic premise is that you and the Simpson family are inside Krusty the Clown’s vision of an amusement park and evil Sideshow Bob is, as usual, up to no good. You sit in a vehicle and watch the action on a giant screen—but since the vehicle in question is a motion simulator that pitches, leans, and rolls and the special effects on the screen are at times overwhelming, this is a wilder experience than it sounds like. The show is funny, hitting pretty hard on both Disney and SeaWorld, but also fairly gross; at one point you get put into Maggie’s mouth as if you were a pacifier.
The Scare Factor
The first moments of The Simpsons ride are by far the most jolting and it takes a minute or two to get used to the sensations of motion-simulation technology. If you feel yourself getting queasy, look away from the screen, either at something within your car or at the other cars riding alongside you. In terms of the story line, what’s there to say? Any kid who is used to the cartoon knows what to expect: it’s a little sinister, a little screwy, and more than a little tasteless.
Insider’s Secret
They’ve been having technical problems with Hollywood Rip, Ride, and Rockit far more frequently than was expected, even considering the complexity of the ride. There are rumors it may close down—at least until they can get the kinks worked out.
Hollywood Rip, Ride, and Rockit
Map Location 19
Universal’s newest coaster is both a nod to the success of Disney’s similarly themed Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster and a totally exciting thrill ride of its own. You begin with a straight shot into the sky, sailing 17 stories up at speeds of up to 65 mph. The action never stops as you zoom over to the CityWalk lagoon and back, with six near-miss moments and a record-breaking loop.
The technology is pretty nifty, too. You get to choose your own music for the ride: LED boards in the queue area display song choices or you can just let the coaster’s digital sound system choose for you.
The Scare Factor
With a height requirement of 51 inches, the Hollywood Rip, Ride, and Rockit is off-limits to many kids, and too intense for most kids under 8, even if they’re tall enough to ride. The coaster is really designed for the preteen and teen set.
Disaster!
Map Location 6
The “musion” technology of the preshow, which transforms two-dimensional images into what appear to be three-dimensional images, is quite effective, creating a hologram of actor Christopher Walken interacting with a person on stage. Audience volunteers are pulled into the preshow action, which is a lot of fun. The ride itself puts you in the middle of a San Francisco subway car, where you become victims of an earthquake, complete with fires, broken water mains, and near-misses with falling debris. During the ride, your experiences are taped—because you’re allegedly extras in a disaster movie—and played back to you in the form of a tongue-in-cheek preview.
The Scare Factor
Disaster! is dramatic, but most kids aren’t too frightened. The noise level may unnerve toddlers. And be aware that the show has a few adult innuendos that sail right over the heads of younger children but might be inappropriate for preteens.
Twister: Ride It Out
Map Location 3
After a taped intro based on the film, you’re led into the main show area. There, a five-story-high tornado is