My Year With The Mouse

Do you ever read something and say “Wow, I wish I’d written that”? I mean, something clever and creative and well thought-out and original and you’re like “That’s such a great idea! Why didn’t I think of that?” but you didn’t, so you feel just a little bit inadequate? Well that happens to me all the time.

All. The. Time.

And it’s happened again, but in this case, I’m so glad I get to share it with you!

Here it is!

I was recently given a review copy of the new book Lots To Do In Line: Disneyland and I’m thrilled to share it with you. Now, I know the title Lots To Do In Line is kind of an obvious hint to its contents, but in case you didn’t get it (and that’s okay too, I still love you),  this book is one big game you can play while waiting in lines at the Disneyland Resort. So it basically involves two of my favorite things: 1) Playing games, and 2) Waiting in line.

Oh wait, I only actually enjoy one of those things.

But Lots To Do In Line certainly makes #2 a whole lot more pleasant.

From the same publisher as the Hidden Mickeys books, Lots To Do In Line is slim and pocket-sized, if you happen to have big pockets, or fits well in a backpack. It focuses on basically four different activities–1) Multiple-choice questions about things you see in line, 2) Scavenger hunt-type ticky box lists, 3) Memory games with yes/no answers, and 4) Suggestions for “collections.”

I’ll break it down. Cue music. (I’m playing Superfreak in my head, but you can use any song you like as background music)

1) Multiple Choice Questions. These are a series of questions about things you can see or hear while you’re in line. The question asks for your observation and the choices include things that might be correct. For example, on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, a question is:

What does Mr. Toad have in his hand as you enter the queue?
a. A lollipop
b. A cane
c. A key
d. A monocle

(I actually knew this one off the top of my head, because I’m awesome like that)
Anyway, so there’s the question and multiple potential answers, and the correct answers are listed at the end of each section. The multiple-choice format makes it particularly accessible for the very young or for the Disneyland newbie, so give yourself a point.

Did I mention you get points? Well, you get points.

2) Scavenger hunt-type ticky boxes. Ticky boxes are those little blank boxes next to list items where you can tick or place a checkmark when you find it. If this is your first introduction to the term “ticky box” then you’re welcome. At any rate, the ticky boxes in this book are called Treasure Hunts, and they’re a lot of fun. Quite simply, they’re a list of things to look for. To use the Mr. Toad example from above, items on the Treasure Hunt ticky box list include a “slow” sign, buckteeth, a handlebar mustache, and a few other things. Spot these items, tick off your box, give yourself a point! Yay!

3) Memory games with yes/no answers. These are where you look at something completely and then try to remember you saw in a yes or no format. One example is the clock display on the Small World facade (which goes off every 15 minutes), with questions like: Did you see someone who was dancing? Did you see someone with wooden shoes? If you happen to have a good memory, this is a great game. If you’re like me and you don’t, you pretend that this part of the book doesn’t actually exist.

4) Suggestions for “collections.” Collections are a free-for-all gathering of points that can be done in any line or just walking around in the park. They actually remind me of the games we used to play in the car before the advent of in-car DVD players and such. Some suggested collections include spotting hats, girls in princess dresses, and people texting. Each one you spot, give yourself a point! Collections are a fabulous way of using up the rest of your queue time once the other questions are done.

But what about Fastpass? FEAR NOT! Applicable questions about Fastpass sites are clearly marked.

What I really liked about this book was the flexibility for all age levels and Disneyland experience. Whether it’s your first visit or your 100th, Lots To Do In Line will keep everyone entertained while waiting.

For the more experienced park goers (*cough*me*cough*), Lots To Do can be adapted to still be challenging. My suggestion is to simply ignore the multiple choice answers and leave the questions, if you’re looking for more difficulty. For the ticky boxes, if you’re playing competitively, give yourself a time limit (one minute!) and see who can tick off the most. And don’t be afraid of making up your own collection criteria (people picking their noses? 10 points!!!).

Lots To Do In Line gets the My Year With The Mouse stamp of approval! Particularly if you don’t have the luxury of coming in the off-season, Lots To Do will be a great activity for the whole family while you’re waiting. And it’s also comprehensive for California Adventure too! I highly recommend it.

Can’t wait to get your hands on a copy? Well WAIT NO MORE!!! I’ve got a spare copy to give away to one very lucky MYWTM reader!

To enter, leave a comment here saying “I’m bored in line–help me!”

Yeah, that’s all! Tell your friends and neighbors. Tell your dog. But only helper dogs with mouse ears will be allowed to actually win the contest. Don’t forget to put in a real email address.

Giveaway closes at 11:59pm Monday, March 19th.

Good luck!

NOW CLOSED, THANKS FOR PLAYING!