Playhouse Disney: A slice of heaven for the preschool set
Written: Feb 05 '05 (Updated Jun 21 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Paradise for the preschool set, quality production
Cons: Boring for those too cool older siblings
The Bottom Line: A live show with Bear, Pooh, Stanley and lots of familiar characters. Preschooler Paradise!!
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| modernmarvel's Full Review: Playhouse Disney Live On Stage! - California Adven... |
I have taken my kids to their fair share of cheesy, yet incredibly expensive, live productions in my area. These shows, including Sesame Street Live, Disney on Ice and Blue's Clues Live all come with hefty price tags and the quality usually leaves a lot to be desired. Those productions make me really appreciate the live Disney shows. You get a good dose of high quality entertainment included in the price of your admission ticket. Plus, the shows last only about twenty minutes which is the longest most preschoolers can pay attention in any case. I think there is a lot of value to these shows and the kids, in their preschool years, have really enjoyed this one.
WAITING AND SEATING
This show does not perform continuously. Check the show schedule to see when the show starts and then get in line 5-20 minutes before the starting time. Otherwise, you could end up with a long wait. There is usually a helpful cast member near the entrance to tell you when the next show starts and how early to arrive.
The line wraps around the outside of the theater. There are tv screens stationed along the way showing clips from Playhouse Disney. Many clips feature Clay who is, believe it or not, an animated piece of clay from the Disney channel. The line is not entirely protected from the elements and, when we visited on a rainy day, we got wet in this line.
The thing to know in getting in line for this attraction is that you don't really need to be right at the front of the line for a great seat. Everyone sits on the floor so there are no true seats. Plus, everyone generally rushes in a big crowd once the doors open. There are lots of spaces near the front and toward the aisles and you should be able to see no matter where you sit. If you are in the front third of the line, you should end up pretty close to the stage.
We have seen this show on days when the park is crowded. On those days, they really pack people into the theater and you can feel very squished. Plus, your kid might end up behind a grown-up which will limit their view. On crowded days, you might have to be more aggressive to stake out an ample amount of floor space for your group.
For those who don't like to sit on the floor, there are just a few benches way in the back to sit on. Also, you can not bring strollers into the theater, or food or drink for that matter. The theater is easily handicapped accessible.
The seating is on a relatively unpadded floor in three sections marked off with yellow tape. There are two main aisles. The host of the show talks to the kids on the aisles and, if this would interest your child, make sure you angle for an aisle seat.
THE SHOW
The show is about twenty minutes long. As people are getting seated, there are a couple of cast members that do the wave and generally try to get the crowd excited. Then the show starts with a live actor named Jamie who comes out to dance around and narrate the show.
The first story you see is Bear in the Big Blue House. Bear comes out and he is huge and the costume is just great. He looks just like he should. One of the other characters from the show, Tutter, is having issues and the other characters try to help out. The set is Bear's house which is pretty detailed and provides a great backdrop for the story.
Jamie appears and the set turns into a story book. She turns a page to provide the backdrop for Rollie Polie Ollie who appears with Zoe to tell another story. (Insider tip: I heard this scene is about to be replaced with JoJo's circus)
Jamie turns another page and we see Stanley and his fish. They learn about a gorilla and a large gorilla appears with some pretty cool music accompanying him. The kids all get to pound their chest like a gorilla. Finally, we turn to the hundred acre wood with pooh, piglet, eyore and tigger. The show concludes with a return to Bear and the Big Blue house where you sing the good-bye song with Luna.
During the show, Jaime interacts with the kids in the audience by going up and down the aisles and talking and briefly dancing with them. The other characters, which, except for bear, are puppets, do not leave the stage. During the show, bubbles fall from the ceiling and there are even streamers. The kids really like the interactive parts and lots of them were up and dancing or trying to pop bubbles.
The sets were pretty good and obviously amazing to the toddlers and preschoolers present. Most were actively playing along with the show. Even from an adult perspective, the show was more entertaining than other kid productions I have seen inside and outside of Disney.
This is definitely a show for preschoolers. Toddlers will like the familiar characters and the opportunities to pop bubbles and dance. My five year old liked it better last year when he was four. My eight year old was extremely bored.
RECOMMENDATION
Any preschooler that has seen Playhouse Disney should not be denied the experience of seeing this show. My kids loved it in the preschool years. The quality of the show was very high with great sets and nice interactive features. I definitely recommend this to all families with young children.
MY REVIEWS OF THE DISNEY THEME PARKS IN CALIFORNIA
Disneyland
Disney's California Adventure
MY REVIEW OF THEME PARK HOTELS IN CALIFORNIA
Disney’s Grand Californian
Marriott Suites Anaheim
Residence Inn Anaheim
MY REVIEW OF THEME PARK RESTAURANTS
Storyteller’s Cafe
Blue Bayou
Wine Country Trattoria
Goofy’s Kitchen
MY REVIEWS OF INDIVIDUAL RIDES AND ATTRACTIONS IN DISNEY’S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE
Soarin’ Over California
Grizzly River Run
The Sun Wheel
Orange Stinger
Mulholland Madness
Jumpin’ Jellyfish
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Monster’s Inc. Mike & Sully to the Rescue
Jim Henson’s Muppet Vision 3D
It’s Tough to be a Bug 3D
Princess Dot Puddle Park
Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train
Tuck and Roll’s Drive ‘Em Buggies
Flik’s Flyers
Francis’ Ladybug Boogie
Misson Tortilla Factory Tour
Boudin Bakery Factory Tour
MY REVIEWS OF INDIVIDUAL RIDES AND ATTRACTIONS IN DISNEYLAND
Pirates of the Caribbean
Indiana Jones Adventure
Storybook Land Canal Boats
Snow White’s Scary Adventures
Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
Peter Pan’s Flight
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
Alice in Wonderland
Matterhorn Bobsleds
It’s a Small World
Tarzan’s Tree House
Aladdin’s Oasis
Splash Mountain
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Autotopia
Honey, I Shrunk the Audience 3D
Astro Orbitor
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
MY REVIEWS OF OTHER THINGS TO SEE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Legoland
SeaWorld San Diego
Birch Aquarium at Scripps
The San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Wild Animal Park
Balboa Park
Cabrillo National Monument
San Diego’s Old Town
The Museum of Making Music
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Recommended:
Yes
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modernmarvel
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