Walt Disney World With Kids (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [71]
Helpful Hint
Don’t be overwhelmed by the options at Innoventions—just wander over to a kiosk and start playing. Cast members can answer questions or help you get the hang of the games and experiments. Exhibits change frequently, keeping things fresh, and many of the stations are kid friendly. Even preschoolers will find plenty to do.
One of Innovention’s exhibits, the “Sum of All Thrills” lets theme-park guests play the role of Imagineer and build their own ride. The experience begins with a tutorial in a design room. A few lessons on math and engineering are snuck in along the way as participants use a touch-screen computer to pick a vehicle shape and determine how fast the ride can and should go. The information is saved on a magnetized card which is fed into a simulator; visitors then get to experience the track they just created. Kids get to take the cards home where they can be used at a Web site sponsored by attraction developer Raytheon to access more fun math and science games.
Innoventions
Innoventions is the arcade of the future, where you can try out new video games before they hit the market, experience virtual reality, and play with beyond-state-of-the-art technology. The wizards at Innoventions have even found ways to make fire safety, recycling, and personal finance into fun interactive games.
World Showcase
Pretty by day and gorgeous by night, the World Showcase comprises the pavilions of 11 nations: Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, America, Japan, Morocco, France, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The countries are like links in a chain that stretch around a large lagoon. Really large. Making a full circle is a 1.2-mile trek.
Some of the pavilions have full-scale attractions while others have only shops and restaurants. Wonderful live entertainment is also available; check your entertainment schedule for showtimes.
Each pavilion is staffed by citizens of the country it represents. Disney goes to great pains to recruit, relocate, and if necessary, teach English to the shopkeepers and waiters here, bringing them to Orlando for a year and housing them with representatives from the other World Showcase nations. It’s a cultural exchange program on the highest level. These young men and women save the World Showcase from being merely touristy and provide your kids with the chance to rub elbows, however briefly, with folks from other cultures.
World Showcase Attractions
O Canada!
This 20-minute Circle-Vision 360 film, starring Martin Short, is gorgeous, stirring, and difficult to view with kids under 6. To enjoy the effect of the circular screen, you must stand during the presentation, and no strollers are allowed in the theater. This means babies and toddlers must be held, and preschoolers, who can’t see anything in a room full of standing adults, often clamor to be lifted up as well.
Impressions de France
What a difference a seat makes! Like all the Epcot films, Impressions de France is exceedingly well done, with lush music and a 200-degree wide-screen feel. It’s easy to get in, even in the afternoon, and no one minds if babies take a little nap. The 20-minute film shows on the hour and half hour and there is rarely a wait to get in.
Insider’s Secret
One of the best ways to get kids involved in the World Showcase experience is by visiting the Kidcot Fun Stops. Children begin a craft project (at present it’s a mask but sometimes you can make musical instruments as well) at the first booth they visit and as they move to the next country, they receive another element to add to their project. It’s a great icebreaker and gets them interacting with people from other countries.
The American Adventure
This multimedia presentation, combining Audio-Animatronics figures with film, is popular with all age groups. The technological highlight comes when the Ben Franklin robot walks up the stairs to visit Thomas Jefferson, but the entire 30-minute presentation is packed with elaborate sets that rise from