When I’m in the park with my kids, it seems like we take the same route almost every trip. Come in through England, head to the left, hit Sesame Street Forest of Fun and start our adventure. (Tip: it’s usually not as busy later in the day because most guests have already hit it up and have headed to the back of the park.) My girls don’t particularly like the “scary” rides, so they stick to the smaller ones, including much of the Sesame Street area. After leaving Sesame Street Forest of Fun, it’s usually off to Italy and Festa Italia to hit the kiddie and medium rides over there.
My oldest did get me to ride Escape from Pompeii last year. She thought the effects were cool, but the drop could have been a little less. My youngest was thrilled at how wet we were when we got off. For 2010, water shooters have been added after the drop, so it’s a great stopping point now to get everyone else wet.
In Italy and Festa, my oldest loves The Trade Wind, the Turkish Delight tea cups and The Flying Machine (it’s her favorite), while the youngest prefers The Little Balloons and The Little Gliders. We try to hit the entire circuit in the Italy area before heading over the bridge to Oktoberfest.
Leaving the Italy area usually means eating at some point. It’s either the Italy pavilion (my kids love the pasta) or Das Festhaus (for classic pizza and chicken fingers.) I prefer Das Festhaus for the air conditioning and the Alpine Sandwich. You can’t get much better than that.
Watching the show in Das Festhaus is also a favorite, especially if my kids get to dance with the dancers. They enjoy the show and the food, so it’s a win-win.
After lunch (or dinner depending on when we hit the park), we’ll finish off the rides in the Oktoberfest and Germany areas, making sure we stop at Der Katapult, and possibly Land of the Dragons. Then we make our way back toward the front. Some of our favorite things to do are stopping to watch Griffon drop a few times in France or watching Celtic Fyre in Ireland, which is now closed for the season.
Some trips include stops to play some games, while others include stops at the cotton candy stand or the candy shop. We try to get the entire experience in, but sometimes it’s just a quick evening trip. They often come with their dad to see me at work.
If you’re visiting with your family, I’d suggest you travel the park clockwise. Most of the KIDsiderate rides are to the left through Italy, Festa Italia, Oktoberfest and Germany. It seems to work for my family on each visit. I hope you have fun in the park and I’d love to hear what you feel are the best routes for your family.
