Walt Disney World With Kids (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [136]
This simple spinning ride—the cups spin individually and the discs that they’re mounted on also move—is a cranked-up version of the Mad Tea Party at Disney World. It’s a good way to entertain younger siblings while older kids tackle the nearby Hulk.
The Scare Factor
Storm Force Accelatron isn’t scary, but the double spinning action makes some riders queasy.
Toon Lagoon
Like Marvel Super Hero Island, Toon Lagoon is also devoted to comic strip characters, but these are the stars of the Sunday funnies—such as Beetle Bailey, Betty Boop, Dagwood, and the kids of the Family Circus. Young kids have no idea who any of these characters are, but the true focus of the island isn’t the toon, it’s the lagoon; the attractions here are designed to splash you silly.
Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls
Map Location 5
This log flume ride, in which you’re helping Dudley and Horse save the perpetually pitiful Nell from Snidely Whiplash, culminates in a breathtaking 75-foot drop. The ride facade is so enormous that it serves as a park icon, and hardly anyone can walk by without stopping to gawk. The actual fall is even more dramatic than it looks; there’s an explosion of light when the log enters the TNT shack at the bottom of the flume, followed by a second descent, in which you drop an additional 15 feet below the water level.
Insider’s Secret
Dudley Do-Right’s facade spoofs Mount Rushmore, but also keep your eye out for a clever jab at Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean just before you disembark.
Needless to say, a descent of this magnitude isn’t accomplished without a lot of splash. The water not only flies back in your face, but also sloshes into the log, puddling around your hips and feet. You’ll enjoy the ride a lot more when you’re ready to get wet—in other words, in the hottest part of the afternoon.
The Scare Factor
Kids ages 7 and up name Dudley Do-Right as one of their favorite rides. The last drop is a definite squealer, so anyone with a fear of heights should think twice before getting in line. The height requirement is 44 inches.
Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges
Map Location 6
If Dudley Do-Right is all about splashing, Popeye is about getting drenched straight through to your underwear. Parties of eight are loaded into circular rafts and sent on a wild and winding water journey. If through some miracle you manage to avoid the waves, the boat wash at the end of the ride spares no one. To add insult to injury, you’re squirted with water guns by the kids aboard the nearby play area, Me Ship, the Olive.
For this reason, riding Popeye requires a bit of planning. Families in the know wear lightweight soccer-style shorts, don ponchos or plastic bags, or perhaps even bring a whole change of clothes. (If you were planning on buying a souvenir T-shirt anyway, hold off until after you ride when fresh dry clothes are bound to feel great.) Leave cameras and valuables inside the nearby lockers and stow everything else that you can in the central pouch, including shoes and socks.
The Scare Factor
Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges is one of the best big-deal rides for young kids, and parents with kids as young as age 5 report that they loved it. The height requirement is 42 inches. “Our 6-year-old daughter freaked out when she first saw Dudley Do-Right,” wrote one father, “and that big drop does look pretty intimidating, even to an adult. But after she’d gone on the Popeye boat ride—three times—she was totally over her fear and willing to go on Dudley Do-Right.”
Although there are some sizable dips and drops along the way, the fact that the whole family rides together in a circular raft somewhat dilutes the intensity, making this ride a good choice for kids who are not quite up to Dudley Do-Right’s megadrop but still want to try a water ride. And because the rafts hold a fair number of people and load quickly, Popeye never seems to have the daunting lines that are standard at Dudley. All in all, it’s a good choice for the afternoon.
Insider’s Secret
The three major water rides—Dudley Do-Right