Walt Disney World With Kids (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [129]
The Scare Factor
Twister is extremely loud—at 110 decibels, that’s twice the volume of a rock concert. Some families routinely bring earplugs to theme parks, but if you don’t have them, try placing your hands over your kids’ ears. The experience is too frightening for small children, but most kids 6 and up will be fine.
Terminator 2: 3-D
Map Location 17
Universal’s most high-tech action show combines 3-D effects, live action, and movie clips. The best special effect is the way the actors seem to emerge from the screen and then later run back “into” the movie. The show is fast and dramatic, just like the film series it’s based on, and the ending is explosive.
Because of the size of the theater, Terminator 2: 3-D is relatively easy to get into and is best saved for the afternoon.
The Scare Factor
Although not as violent as the film series, Terminator 2: 3-D has some startling effects that may be too much for kids under 7. Again, it is extremely loud.
E.T. Adventure
Map Location 15
This charming ride begins with a brief preshow featuring Steven Spielberg and E.T. Next you move on to the queue area, which winds through the deep, dark woods—it even smells and sounds like a forest. (As a rule, Universal does a bang-up job of setting the mood in queue areas; E.T. is designed to make you feel small and childlike.)
After handing “passports” to the attendant, children under 40 inches tall and anyone elderly, heavy, pregnant, or otherwise unsteady are loaded into flying gondolas. Others ride bicycles, and the lead bike in each group has E.T. in the front basket. You rise up and fly over the forest in an effective simulation of the escape scene in E.T. the movie. After narrowly missing being captured by the police, you manage to return E.T. to his home planet, a magical place populated by dozens of cuddly aliens.
Helpful Hint
All the attractions for very young children are in the same area of Universal. If you have preschoolers, hang an immediate right on Rodeo Drive after you enter the park and follow the signs to E.T. Adventure.
As you sail past E.T. for the final time, he bids you farewell by name. Magic? Not quite. When you give your name to the attendant before you enter the queue area, it’s computer coded onto your plastic passport. As you give up the passport and join your group of bicycles, the cards are fed into the computer, which enables E.T. to say, “Good-bye, Jordan. Good-bye, Leigh. Good-bye, Kim …” and so on, as your family flies past.
Unfortunately, E.T.’s “personal good-bye” system frequently malfunctions, so I wouldn’t mention it to the kids at all. That way, if it works, everyone is extra delighted, and if it doesn’t, the ride is still an upbeat experience.
Jaws
Map Location 7
As the people of Amity Beach learned, that darn shark just won’t stay away.
The Scare Factor
Kids 7 to 11 give Jaws a strong thumbs-up, and the ride is popular with many kids under 7. The fact that you’re outdoors in the daylight dilutes the intensity. The really brave should wait until evening, when the “shark in the dark” effects are much scarier.
The ride carries you via boat through a big outdoor set. The shark rises from the water several times quite suddenly, the unseen boat before you “gets it” in a gruesome way, and there are also grenade launches, explosions, and a fuel spill. There’s tremendous splashing, especially on the left side of the boat, and most of the boat captains throw themselves totally into the experience by shrieking, shouting, and firing guns on cue. It all adds up to one action-packed boat ride.
Insider’s Secret
With all the excitement next door at Islands of Adventure, where the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has drawn a tremendous amount of media attention, this can be a great time