• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 824 0

front of Star Tours but this may be changing; check with Guest Relations (a.k.a. Guest Services) as you enter to confirm. It’s a little extra effort but as a mom from Florida explains, it’s all worth it. “My daughter loves Star Tours. A lady in Guest Relations told us we’d have to rush over to get her signed up, and we barely got her on for the last show of the day. A bonus is that the PhotoPass photographer was there. He got some great up-close shots of her fighting Darth Vader. She still talks about the experience, and the photos are among her most prized possessions.”

Sounds Dangerous Starring Drew Carey

Map Location 16

In Drew Carey’s spy spoof, you wear headphones and listen as Drew upends a jar of killer bees, drives a car, has a haircut, and visits the circus. The effects are remarkably convincing, and the show is a crash course on behind-the-scenes sound production. Sounds Dangerous is a good choice for the afternoon. It’s rarely crowded and you can sit for a while.

The Scare Factor

For long periods of Sounds Dangerous you sit in total darkness to accentuate the sound effects, and this unnerves some young kids. At nearly every performance at least one toddler is shrieking, which obviously undercuts the enjoyment of everyone in the theater, not to mention the terrified child. For kids with no fear of the dark, the show is an entertaining introduction to the lost world of radio, where sound told the story.

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular

Map Location 17

This stunt show is loud, lively, and full of laughs. Audience volunteers are a key part of the action and your odds of being tapped improve if you show up early and are near the front of the line. Professional stunt people re-create daring scenes from the Indiana Jones movies, and this 30-minute show is a great chance to see how some of those difficult and dangerous stunts actually wind up on film.

Lines can look daunting, but the 2,200-seat theater is so huge that even people in the back are usually seated.

The Scare Factor

The gunfire and explosions in the Indiana Jones show startle some kids, but the fact that the theater is outdoors does dilute the intensity.

American Idol

Map Location 18

Fans of the TV show will love this attraction. A sign as you enter the park directs would-be superstars on where to audition, and the most promising performers are given a quick vocal lesson, a mini-makeover, and a slot to perform during one of the day’s scheduled shows. Theme-park guests—with the help of critiques by professional judges who humorously fill the shoes of the show’s celebrity judges—choose a winner from each show and these singers move on to the last show of the day. Whoever wins this Finale Show gets front-of-the-line access to audition for the real Idol judges.

Even if you’re too tone-deaf to audition, watching the shows and voting is a lot of fun, and the studio is an amazing mock-up of the Idol set. Showtimes are listed in your entertainment guide, and, needless to say, the Finale Show is the hardest to get into. Show up early to get a seat. For the sake of the understandably nervous amateur singers, kids need to be old enough to enjoy watching the “filming” of a mock TV show and sit in reasonable silence during a 35-minute presentation.

In Animation Courtyard

Voyage of the Little Mermaid

Map Location 7

Using puppets, animation, and live actors to retell the story of Ariel and Prince Eric, Voyage of the Little Mermaid remains one of the most popular shows at Hollywood.

The special effects in this 20-minute show are among the best Disney has to offer. You’ll feel as if you’re really underwater and the interplay between the animation, puppetry, and live actors is ingenious.

The Scare Factor

Voyage of the Little Mermaid does have some frightening elements. The storm scene is dark and loud, and Ursula the Sea Witch is one big ugly puppet. That said, most kids have seen the movie and know enough to expect a happy ending, so they usually make it through the dark scenes without becoming too upset.

The Magic of Disney