Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
288
and the water is
c-c-cold,
a blessing on hot summer days but less so in January. The
12-passenger rafts bump, churn, and dip (14 ft. at one point) along a white-water course
lined with Bluto, Sea Hag, and other villains. You will get
s-s-soaked.
Note:
Yes, once
again, expectant mothers and people with heart, neck, or back problems shouldn't ride
this one. Riders must be at least 42 inches tall.
JURASSIC PARK
All of the basics and some of the high-tech wizardry from Steven Spielberg's wildly suc-
cessful films are incorporated in this lushly landscaped tropical locale that includes a
replica of the visitor center from the movie. Expect long lines at the River Adventure and
pleasant surprises at the Discovery Center.
Camp Jurassic
Kids
Frommer's Rating:
A+ for young children
Recommended Ages:
2-12
This play area, similar in theme but even better than the Boneyard at Animal Kingdom
(p. 250), has everything from lava pits with dinosaur bones to a rainforest. Watch out for
the spitters that lurk in dark caves. The multilevel play area has plenty of places for kids
to crawl, explore, and spend energy. Young kids need close supervision, though. It's easy
to get turned around inside the caverns, and some of the areas enhanced with sound
effects may be a bit too frightening for the very young. Be prepared for your kids to get
soaked—you will be too if you have to retrieve them (very likely).
Jurassic Park Discovery Center
Frommer's Rating:
B+
Recommended Ages:
All ages
Here's an amusing, educational pit stop that has life-size dinosaur replicas and some
interactive games, including a sequencer that pretends to combine your DNA with a
dinosaur's. The “Beasaur” exhibit allows you to see and hear as the huge reptiles did. You
can play the game show
You Bet Jurassic
(grin) and scan the walls for fossils. The highlight
is watching a Velociraptor “hatch” in the lab. Because there are a limited number of
interactive stations, this can consume a lot of time on busy days. Be sure to enter from
the lower level—the view is spectacular and there's an elaborate stone plaza—which is far
more impressive than the doors upstairs. Also come equipped with a camera—if you
want your photo snapped with a dinosaur, this spot is a great place to do it.
Jurassic Park River Adventure
Frommer's Rating:
A
Recommended Ages:
8-adult
A leisurely raft tour along a river is interrupted when some raptors, who could hop aboard
your boat at any moment, escape. The ride lets you literally come face-to-face with
7
Tips
Up, Up & Away
Strength and fitness folks can get a little extra workout at the small rock-climbing
venue (for an additional fee) outside the Thunder Falls Terrace restaurant in Juras-
sic Park. If you or the kids are looking for a more economical and less strenuous
option, try walking the elevated trails and climbing the net ladders beneath the
Pteranodon Flyers attraction, also in Jurassic Park.
