You can pick out the first-time riders of Toy Story Midway Mania by their goofy grins.
ESPN Wide World of Sports
To the young jock in your family, this is what heaven will look like. Although most people are probably unaware that Walt Disney World even has a sports facility, this sprawling complex plays host to more than 300 events and tournaments each year. Most days bring heated competition at the two huge field houses in sports ranging from college basketball to volleyball to roller hockey games. Likewise, there's usually daily activity at the baseball quadraplex, the 10-court tennis facility or the track-and-field complex designed to international competition specifications. Oh, there's also Champion Stadium, a 10,000-seat ballpark that serves as the spring-training home of the Atlanta Braves, who kicked off their preseason schedule last week. Recent additions include the PlayStation Pavilion, where kids can test out new video games (often before they arrive in stores), and the ESPN Innovation Lab, where visitors can experience the latest advances in 3-D broadcast technology. If the kids thought the 3-D process in Avatar was cool, wait until LeBron James slam-dunks right in their lap. Admission is reasonable ($13.50 (U.S.), $10 for children under 10).
Soarin'
Imagine taking a hang-glider voyage between majestic mountains and over sparkling blue ocean and desert landscapes. Now imagine the same flight without the sheer terror. The multisensory attraction at Epcot simulates a peaceful hang-gliding flight over most of California. The journey begins with a brief safety instruction on a TV monitor from "flight attendant Patrick," played by Patrick Warburton (better known as Puddy on Seinfeld). Next you're lifted 12 metres into the air for a filmed presentation that will leave your feet dangling and knees wobbly. The IMAX projection theatre wraps 180 degrees around participants, and you can usually hear the "whooo" sound coming from first-time fliers. The stunning aerial footage, captured by high-definition cameras mounted on helicopters and airplanes, takes you past San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, Yosemite National Park, snow-capped Lake Tahoe and rows upon rows of Napa Valley vineyards. The experience is heightened by gentle wafts of orange groves, evergreens and sea breezes. The attraction is most popular in the morning, so attempt liftoff mid or late afternoon.
Toy Story Midway Mania
It's the place where grownups instantly become giggly kids.
Inspired both by the Pixar animated feature Toy Story and the traditional American carnival, the ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios puts visitors in spinning vehicles seating up to four people in back-to-back pairs, with each given a colourful toy cannon. Riders don 3-D glasses and are first whirled into the Pie Throw practice booth to get the feel of the game. Next comes the more intense 3-D experience of playing five old-school midway attractions. First up: Hamm & Eggs, in which players pitch eggs at targets. Next comes Bo Peep's Baa-loon Pop (dart-throwing game), Green Army Men Shoot Camp (throwing baseballs), Buzz Lightyear's Flying Tossers (ring-toss) and Woody's Rootin' Tootin' Shootin' Gallery (a gun-shooting game, but with suction cups - hey, it's Disney). You can pick out the first-time riders by their goofy grins; repeat players usually make a beeline to the queue for another spin. Last fall's release of a Nintendo Wii version of Toy Story Midway Mania was fun, but there's nothing like the real thing.