Walt Disney World With Kids (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [141]
The Scare Factor
Dragon Challenge is a very intense coaster with a height requirement of 54 inches. Coaster warriors love it, but it’s too much for most kids under 10. The swinging action of the cars make it a rougher ride than the Hulk, for example, and it’s not a good choice for anyone prone to motion sickness. Watch it make a few runs before you decide.
Money-Saving Tip
At this writing, only Dragon Challenge and Flight of the Hippogriff have Express Pass lines—not Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. It may be added later, as the initial surge of popularity passes; check before you purchase an Express Pass.
Seuss Landing
You’ll find nothing but pastel colors and curved lines—even the trees are bent!—on this dreamlike island, where everything looks like it popped out of a Dr. Seuss book. Almost everyone stops in their tracks at the sight of the amazing Caro-Seuss-el and the bright flying beasties of One Fish, Two Fish. But take your time strolling through—some of the best visual treats aren’t so obvious.
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
Map Location 20
One Fish, Two Fish is a circular thrill ride designed for young kids. Each fish has a joystick that controls the height of his flight, and throughout the ride you’re given instructions such as “Red Fish fly high.” If you opt to follow the instructions, that is, go “with the book,” you stay dry. But if you disobey and go “against the book,” one of the “bad fish” will spit on you. The idea is that this teaches kids to follow directions—I suspect it really shows them how much fun it can be to rebel—but either way it’s a terrific ride, and in the finale everyone aboard gets a spritz.
One Fish, Two Fish can draw long lines in the afternoon. Come in the morning if you can.
The Scare Factor
One Fish, Two Fish is OK for any age. The joystick lets you keep it low for kids who dislike heights. Everyone flies high at the end of the ride for a few seconds, but by that time nervous kids have been aboard long enough to get used to the idea. The two-fish cars are big enough to let family members ride together.
The Cat in the Hat
Map Location 21
This is a kiddie ride that’s not just for the kiddies. A surprising number of kids from age 7 to 15 ranked Cat in the Hat as one of their favorites.
The Scare Factor
Expect some bumping and a few fast tight spins of the car. Cat in the Hat is designed to appeal to any age, however, and most kids love it.
You board adorable couch-style cars to ride through 18 scenes taken straight from the well-loved book. The basic plot: Mom leaves, and the Cat in the Hat shows up with those well-known literary rowdies, Thing 1 and Thing 2. All sorts of mayhem results, sometimes enough to send your couch spinning wildly, and through it all the poor goldfish frantically tries to maintain order. The Cat in the Hat is like Spider-Man for the younger set. A lot goes on in a short time frame, and if you ride a second time you’ll notice even more clever details. The effects are so funny that any rider, no matter what the age, will exit with a grin on her face.
Helpful Hint
Preschoolers will enjoy the Cat in the Hat ride, as well as the other Seuss Landing attractions, much more if they’re familiar with the Dr. Seuss books. Read them on the trip to Orlando.
Caro-Seuss-el
Map Location 19
The 54 mounts of this ultimate merry-go-round are all lifted directly from the stories of Dr. Seuss. While the up-and-down and round-and-round motion is familiar to any kid who has ever been on a carousel, the real kick is that you can make the beasties blink, flick their tails, and turn their heads. Snapping the kids aboard the colorful Caro-Seuss-el is one of the best photo ops in the whole park.
High in the Sky Seuss Trolley
Map Location 17
Once purely decorative, the little cars that circle Seuss Landing were eventually put into motion and are now part of a slow, gentle