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EXCERPTS - PART 3: WHERE TO STAY

HOW to CHILDPROOF a HOTEL ROOM

Small children up to 3 years old (and sometimes older) can wreak mayhem—if not outright disaster—in a hotel room. Chances are that you’re pretty experienced when it comes to spotting potential dangers, but just in case you need a refresher course, here’s what to look for.

Begin by checking for hazards that you can’t fix yourself: balconies, chipping paint, cracked walls, sharp surfaces, shag carpeting, and windows that can’t be secured shut. If you encounter anything that you don’t like or is too much of a hassle to fix, ask for another room.

If you use a crib supplied by the hotel, make sure that the mattress is firm and covers the entire bottom of the crib. The mattress cover, if there is one, should fit tightly. Slats should be 2-1/2 inches (about the width of a soda can) or less apart. Make sure the drop sides work properly. Check for sharp edges and potentially toxic substances. Wipe down surfaces with disinfectant. Finally, position the crib away from drapery cords, heaters, wall sockets, and air conditioners.

A Monteno, Illinois, mom offers this suggestion: You can request bed rails at the Disney resorts. Our 2-1/2-year-old was too big for the pack-and-play; the bed rails worked perfectly for us.

If your infant can turn over, we recommend changing him or her on a pad on the floor. Likewise, if you have a child seat of any sort, place it where it cannot be knocked over, and always strap your child in. If your child can roll, crawl, or walk, you should bring about eight electrical outlet covers and some cord to tie cabinets shut and to bind drape cords and the like out of reach. Check for appliances, lamps, ice buckets, and anything else that your child might pull down on him or herself. Have the hotel remove coffee tables with sharp edges, and both real and artificial plants that are within your child’s reach. Round up items from tables and countertops, such as courtesy toiletries and drinking glasses, and store them out of reach.

If the bathroom door can be accidentally locked, cover the locking mechanism with duct tape or a doorknob cover. Use the security chain or upper latch on the room’s entrance door to ensure that your child doesn’t open it without your knowledge.

Inspect the floor and remove pins, coins, and other foreign objects that your child might find. Don’t forget to check under beds and furniture. Tip: Crawl around the room on your hands and knees to see possible hazards from your child’s perspective.

If you rent a suite or a condo, you’ll have more territory to childproof and will have to deal with things such as cleaning supplies, a stove, a refrigerator, cooking utensils, and low cabinet doors, among other things. Sometimes the best option is to seal off the kitchen with a safety gate.

PART 5: KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Preparing Your Children to Meet the Characters

Almost all Disney characters are quite large; several, like Baloo, are huge! Young children don’t expect this and can be intimidated if not terrified. Discuss the characters with your children before you go. If there is a high school or college with a costumed mascot nearby, arrange to let your kids check it out. If not, then Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny will do.

On the first encounter at Walt Disney World, don’t thrust your child at the character. Allow the little one to deal with this big thing from whatever distance feels safe to him or her. If two adults are present, one should stay near the youngster while the other approaches the character and demonstrates that it’s safe and friendly. Some kids warm to the characters immediately; some never do. Most take a little time and several encounters.

There are two kinds of characters: “furs,” or those whose costumes include face covering headpieces (including animal characters and such humanlike characters as Captain Hook), and “face characters,” those for whom no mask or headpiece is necessary. These include Tiana, Anna, Elsa, Mary Poppins, Ariel, Jasmine, Aladdin, Cinderella, Belle, Snow White, Merida, and Prince Charming, among others.

Only face characters speak. Headpiece characters don’t make noises of any kind. Because cast members couldn’t possibly imitate the distinctive cinema voice of the character, Disney has determined that it’s more effective to keep them silent. Lack of speech notwithstanding, headpiece characters are very warm and responsive and communicate very effectively with gestures. Disney is currently testing new technology that will allow headpiece characters to speak. It is assumed that the technology is a portable version of that used in Turtle Talk with Crush at Epcot, where an animated turtle converses in real time with audience members. A less advanced option is a menu-driven selection of recorded phrases such as, “Hi, I’m Mickey,” or “What’s your name?”

Some character costumes are cumbersome and limit cast members’ ability to see and maneuver. (Eye holes frequently are in the mouth of the costume or even on the neck or chest.) Children who approach the character from the back or side may not be noticed, even if the child touches the character. It’s possible in this situation for the character to accidentally step on the child or knock him or her down. It’s best for a child to approach a character from the front, but occasionally not even this works. Duck characters (such as Donald, Daisy, and Uncle Scrooge), for example, have to peer around their bills.

It’s OK for your child to touch, pat, or hug the character. Understanding the unpredictability of children, the character will keep his feet very still, particularly refraining from moving backward or sideways. Most characters will sign autographs or pose for pictures.

Another great way to show young children how the characters appear in the parks is to rent or buy a Disney Sing-Along Songs DVD. These programs show Disney characters interacting with real kids. At a minimum, the videos will give your kids a sense of how big the characters are. The best two are Flik’s Musical Adventure Sing-Along Songs at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Campout Sing-Along Songs at Walt Disney World. It’s a Small World Sing-Along Songs—Disneyland Fun is a third offering . . . but then there’s THAT SONG. No sense turning your brain to mush before even leaving home.

PART 7: THE MAGIC KINGDOM

FANTASYLAND

Fantasyland is the heart of the Magic Kingdom—a truly enchanting place spread gracefully like a miniature alpine village beneath the steepled towers of Cinderella Castle.

Fantasyland is divided into three distinct sections. Directly behind Cinderella Castle and set on a snowcapped mountain is Beast’s Castle, part of a Beauty and the Beast–themed area. Most of this section holds dining and shopping. Outside Beast’s Castle is Belle’s Village. Nestled inside lush and beautifully decorated grounds, with gardens, meadows, and waterfalls, is Maurice’s Cottage, home of Enchanted Tales with Belle.

The far-right corner of Fantasyland—including Dumbo, The Barnstormer kiddie coaster, and the Fantasyland train station—is called Storybook Circus as an homage to Disney’s Dumbo film. These are low-capacity amusement park rides appropriate for younger children. Also located here is Pete’s Silly Sideshow, a character greeting venue.

The middle of Fantasyland holds the headliners, including Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. The original part of Fantasyland contains classic attractions such as Peter Pan’s Flight and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. It also hosts the incredibly popular Princess Fairytale Hall meet and greet, with waits of 4 hours or more to meet Frozen’s Anna and Elsa. (Lines for the other princesses are shorter.) Finally, when nature (or technology) calls, don’t miss the Tangled-themed restrooms and outdoor seating (with phone-charging stations), near Peter Pan’s Flight and It’s a Small World.

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND PARADES

It’ s impossible to take in all the many live-entertainment offerings at the Magic Kingdom in a single day. To experience both the attractions and the live entertainment, we recommend that you allocate at least two days to this park. In addition to parades, stage shows, and fireworks, check the daily entertainment schedule (Times Guide) or ask a cast member about concerts in Fantasyland, the Flag Retreat at Town Square, and the appearances of the various bands, singers, and street performers that roam the park daily. WDW live-entertainment guru Steve Soares usually posts the Magic Kingdom’s performance schedule about a week in advance at wdwent.com.

Parades at the Magic Kingdom are full-fledged spectaculars with dozens of Disney characters and amazing special effects. Remember that parades disrupt traffic, making it nearly impossible to move around the park when one is going on. Parades also draw thousands of guests away from the attractions, making parade time the perfect moment to catch your favorite attraction with a shorter line. Finally, be advised that the Walt Disney World Railroad shuts down during parades.

The best place to view a parade is the upper platform of the Walt Disney Railroad station, but you’ll have to stake out your position 30–45 minutes before the event. Try also, especially on rainy days, the covered walkway between Liberty Tree Tavern and The Diamond Horseshoe Saloon, on the border of Liberty Square and Frontierland.

Following is a short list of daily events with special appeal for families with children:

Character Shows and Appearances A number of characters are usually on hand to greet guests when the park opens. Because they snarl pedestrian traffic and stop most kids dead in their tracks, this is sort of a mixed blessing. Check your daily Times Guide for character shows and character greeting locations and times.

PART 8: EPCOT

KIDCOT Fun Stops

This program, designed to make Epcot more interesting for younger visitors, is basically a movable feast of simple arts-and-crafts projects. Tables are set up at some locations in Future World and at each pavilion in World Showcase. The tables are staffed by cast members who discuss their native country with the children and engage them in a craft project. Look for the brightly colored Kidcot signs. Participation is free. For a memento and to augment the experience, you can purchase a World Showcase Passport Kit for your children. The kits are sold for $10 at most stores throughout Epcot. As you visit the different lands, cast members at the Kidcot stations will stamp the passport. If your child is really interested in different lands, Guest Relations offers free fact sheets for each country.

Bob Tip Children as young as age 3 will enjoy the Kidcot Fun Stops. If you don’t want to spring for the passport, the Disney folks will be happy to stamp an autograph book or just about anything else, including your child’s forehead.

PART 9: DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM

THE OASIS

The Tree of Life / It’s Tough to Be a Bug! (FastPass+) ****

What it is 3D theater show. Scope and scale Major attraction. Fright potential Very intense and loud, with special effects that startle viewers of all ages and potentially terrify young children. Bottleneck rating 9. When to go Any time. Special comment The theater is inside the tree. Authors’ rating Zany and frenetic; ****. Duration of show Approximately 8 minutes. Probable waiting time 12–20 minutes.

Before entering the show, take a close look at The Tree of Life, the remarkable home of this 3D movie. The primary icon and focal point of Animal Kingdom, the tree features a trunk with high-relief carvings depicting 325 animals.

It’s Tough to Be a Bug! is cleverly conceived but very intense. For starters, the show is about bugs, and bugs always rank high on the ick-factor scale. That, coupled with some startling special effects and a very loud sound track, make It’s Tough to Be a Bug! a potential horror show for the age-7-and-under crowd, but you can prepare your kids by watching A Bug’s Life before you leave home—many of the characters are the same.

Liliane Tip The closing lines of the show tipped me off when it was announced that “honorary bugs [read: audience members] remain seated while all the lice, bedbugs, maggots, and cockroaches exit first.” In other words, if you don’t like bugs crawling on you, even simulated ones, keep your feet off the floor.

PART 11: UNIVERSAL ORLANDO AND SEAWORLD

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Diagon Alley

When Universal opened The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure, it created a paradigm shift in the Disney–Universal theme park rivalry. Not only did Universal trot out some groundbreaking ride technology, but it also demonstrated that it could trump Disney’s most distinctive competence: the creation of infinitely detailed and totally immersive themed areas. To say that The Wizarding World was a game-changer is an understatement of the first order.

It was immediately obvious that Universal would build on its Potter franchise success—but how and where? Universal’s not sitting on 27,000-plus acres like Disney, so real estate was at a premium. If Potterville was going to grow, something else had to go. Conventional wisdom suggested that the Wizarding World expansion would gobble up the Lost Continent section of Islands of Adventure, and that may happen yet. But looking at the ledger, it was clear that the older Universal Studios theme park could use a boost. Concurring, we remember sitting at the foot of the escalators monitoring traffic coming from the parking garages. For every guest who tacked right, toward the Studios, 15 made a beeline for IOA and Harry Potter.

It just so happened that a substantial chunk of turf at the Studios was occupied by the aging Jaws ride and its contiguous Amity-themed area. The space would allow for substantial development; plus, its isolated location—in the most remote corner of the park—was conducive to creating a totally self-contained area where Potter themes could be executed absent any distraction from neighboring attractions. In short, it was perfect.

So how would the new Potter area tie in to the original at IOA? And what Harry Potter literary icons could be exploited? It was pretty clear that a new suburb of Hogsmeade wasn’t going to cut it. Turns out that the answer was virtually shouting from the pages of the Harry Potter novels, which observe a clear dichotomy of place—plots originate in London and then unfold at distant Hogwarts.

Three London sites figure prominently in the Potter saga: the house where Harry once lived with his adoptive family; Diagon Alley, a secret part of London that is a sort of sorcerers’ shopping mall; and the King’s Cross railroad station, where wizarding students embark for the train trip to Hogwarts. There wasn’t much to milk from Harry’s house, but Diagon Alley and the train station brimmed with possibilities.

Following much deliberation and consultation with Warner Bros. and author J. K. Rowling, the final design called for a London waterfront street scene flanking Universal Studios Lagoon. The detailed facades, anchored by the King’s Cross railroad station on the left and including Grimmauld Place and Wyndham’s Theatre, recall West London scenes from the books and movies. Diagon Alley, secreted behind the London street scene, is accessed through a secluded entrance in the middle of the facade. Like Hogsmeade at IOA, Diagon Alley features shops and restaurants in addition to three attractions and live entertainment.

Diagon Alley covers 20 acres—about the same area as the Hogsmeade original—but offers about two-and-a-half times the pedestrian space, since it doesn’t have space (and people) eating outdoor roller coasters. With only one high-capacity ride (Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts), along with an enlarged version of the Ollivanders wandshop experience in Hogsmeade and the Hogwarts Express train connecting the two Wizarding Worlds, the new area’s increased elbow room is somewhat offset by a relatively reduced hourly attraction capacity, making Diagon Alley’s maximum capacity approximately 8,000, about double Hogsmeade’s occupancy limit.

In the attraction department, Universal once again came out swinging for the fences. As before with Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, the headliner attraction for the expansion is high-tech and cutting-edge— and once again a dark ride, but this time of the roller coaster genre. The labyrinthine passages and caverns of Gringotts Wizarding Bank, the financial institution of choice for the wizarding set, are the setting of this plot-driven 3D dark ride–coaster.

Though the Gringotts attraction is Diagon Alley’s headliner, the most creative element in the two-park Potter domain is the Hogwarts Express, which recreates the train trip from London to Hogwarts and vice versa. Serving as both an attraction and transportation between USF and IOA, the Express unifies the two disparately located Wizarding Worlds into a continuous whole.