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Universal Studio Orlando Florida
Children of grade-school age will get the most
out of Universal Studios , which excels
at turning their favorite thrill movies
into their favorite thrill rides.
Children less than 48 inches tall
must be accompanied by a parent on
all rides. Special lands and attractions
throughout the park cater to both
the younger and the older sets. ‘Tweens
and teenagers love scary, extreme
stuff, and Universal seizes the opportunity.
Pre-Schooler
Favorites
With little kids, head first to “Woody
Woodpecker’s KidZone.”
Here, they feel downsized to mouse
proportions in “Fievel’s
Playland,” which includes a
fun little water
slide where you get moderately wet.
Get wetter still at “Curious
George Goes To Town,” an interactive
playground with a sponge ball arena.
For “Woody Woodpecker’s
Nuthouse Coaster,” kids must
be at least 36 inches tall.
To
get out of the weather, sit in on
“A Day in the Park with Barney.”
At 25 minutes long, the sing-a-long
is just right for short attention
spans and a special play area is customized
to the short-stuff crowd.
“Animal
Planet Live!” stars feathered
and furred celebrities and appeals
equally to pre-schoolers and older
children. |
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Grade-School
Winners
One of the newest attractions, the
“Jimmy Neutron Nicktoon Blast,”
stars all your grade-schooler’s
favorite Nickelodeon characters including
SpongeBob SquarePants, the Rugrats
and the Wild Thornberrys. Like the
“Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera”
ride that it replaced, the jerkiness
of the simulator may be too intense
for small children. Also new, “Shrek
4-D” is mildly frightening with
dungeons, ghosts, and not always pleasant
surprises.
“E.T.
Adventure” is a kinder, gentler
attraction, but it is dark, which
can frighten the youngest in the age
group. Older children may want to
tackle some of the “juicier”
rides. They love “Men in Black:
Alien Attack” (42-inch height
requirement) because they get to score
points by laser-shooting extraterrestrial
villains. “Jaws,” “Earthquake
– The Big One” and “Back
to the Future… The Ride”
(40-inch height requirement) are hairier,
scarier.
“Back
to the Future” involves a motion
simulator that tosses you around a
good bit and offers some frightening
special effects.
Showtime,
see “The Blue Brothers”
and “Beetlejuice’s Graveyard
Revue,” which is just the right
amount of blood-curdling.
To
feed their love of the silly and macabre,
dine at Monsters Café. Don’t
miss the Nickelodeon Studios tour
and game show participation.
Terrific
for ‘Tweens, Teens and Upwards
Save the really scary rides for kids’
middle school and teen years. Attractions
such as “Twister… Ride
It” and “Terminator 2:
3D Battle Across Time” contain
mature content and so are rated PG-13.
“Revenge
of the Mummy,” unveiled in 2004,
has been called the world’s
first psychological thrill ride and
is compared to the flash and teeth-chatter
of Islands of Adventure’s “Spider-Man.”
Teens
particularly go for the “Universal
Horror Make-Up Show,” also rated
PG-13.
Adults
will welcome the nostalgia of “Lucy
– A Tribute”; and “The
Blue Brothers” or simply strolling,
nibbling and shopping their way through
the set streets. For leisurely sit-down
fare, try Lombard’s Landing
for seafood and Finnegan’s for
an Irish pub setting. Adjacent CityWalk
provides additional venues for fine
dining and lively entertainment such
as Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville,
Emeril’s and Hard Rock Café.
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