Kinect Disneyland Adventures

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Take a virtual vacation with ambitious park recreation.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Kinect Disneyland Adventures lets players explore a virtual representation of the real Disneyland park in California. The game uses the Kinect motion camera, allowing players to have the feeling of actually walking around the park. Rides and attractions are replaced with interactive adventures and mini-games (the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction is a pirate-jousting challenge, the Peter Pan attraction is a sword-fighting mini-game, etc). These attractions sometimes contain violent content which is highlighted with big explosions and sound effects, but it is depicted in the context of a theme park attraction and not a truly violent activity.

  • For those who have been to Disneyland before, part of this game's appeal is to relive magical memories of being with friends and family. The game has an extremely effusive presentation and fills players with a sense of wonder and excitement. The game also allows two players to explore the park together and encourages teamwork in the themed challenges and competitions.
  • Just like in the real Disneyland park, players can meet up with their favorite Disney characters, all of whom greet players with a smile. Players can virtually hug or high-five the characters. When it comes to strong, positive role models, few fit the mold better than Disney heroes, and they appear in droves in this game.
  • This game is exclusively controlled by motion controls through the Kinect camera accessory. Players navigate through the park and complete the attraction adventures by moving their hands in all sorts of ways. There is an extensive and deep amount of control movements, most of which are intuitive and well developed. There are some, however, including the Buzz Lightyear attraction, that require slightly more obscure and nuanced movements that do not fit well with the fast-paced nature of the attraction. For the most part, though, the controls are accessible and nicely designed.
  • Iconic Disneyland attractions are transformed into action-oriented mini-games in this title. Many of these involve a form of combat, whether it's dueling in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" attraction or shooting lasers in "Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters." These mini-games, though designed to be family-friendly, contain big, bright explosions, loud sound effects, and a sense of intensity.
  • Not applicable.

What's it about?

KINECT DISNEYLAND ADVENTURES presents players with a virtual representation of the iconic theme park. By using the Kinect motion camera, players can literally "walk" around the park, meet up and interact with costumed characters, and step into some of the most famous attractions -- without ever having to wait in line. Instead of a passive ride or movie, the attractions in this game require players to use their entire body to fight pirates, evade fantastical creatures, and save the galaxy from Emperor Zurg. Players can also team up with a partner to explore the park and embark on quests together.


Is it any good?

 

Kinect Disneyland Adventures aims to do the impossible: recreate the magic and wonder of the legendary Disneyland theme park in a video game. While there is obviously no substitute for the real thing, this game captures the scenery and park layout masterfully. There are two audiences this game will appeal to -- those who have been to Disneyland before and will be able to relive memories as they walk through the virtually recreated park, and those who have never been but want to experience what it might be like in real life. Of course, the main gameplay component involves the attractions that are evocative of actual Disneyland rides, but offer a much more interactive element. Most of these are intuitive and fun, but a few, including the Buzz Lightyear attraction, have somewhat clunky controls that take a while to get used to. This is one of the most ambitious Kinect titles to date and has some shortcomings as a result, but the brilliant presentation and the ability to capture at least some of the magic of Disneyland makes this game easily recommendable.


What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about the violent content in this game. Is the violence real or is it presented as a make-believe theme park attraction?

  • What are your favorite family vacation memories?

  • Which Disney character do you most identify yourself with and why?


This review was written by Mark Raby
Teen, 15 years old
December 15, 2011
 
Best Kinect Game
Well, what a surprise! This game is outstanding! The graphics are incredible, and there is so much detail in the scenery to make it look like the real park! There are over 100 adventures and many rides to enjoy on this great, kid-friendly ride!

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Kid, 11 years old
January 2, 2012
 
Great Game, Horrible Controls
I first played this game on a rainy day, bored out of the ps3 and were called to give it ago. We created accounts and I hopped on to play. My first idea is that it was just designed for younger kids, (csm was a bit over the top saying ten and up) This little ticket guy is your guide. He at first gets "taken" to see Mickey Mouse, quoting "Wah hey look! Mickey Mouse!" and he asks you to get Donald's autograph, and then Goofys. I looked at the label and found it was a whopping 60 dollars, but I would say its worth your money, if you only let your kids play like, once every two months, this should be a long game for you, but for those who do weekends or whenever, this game might be a little short. I clocked up 12 percent of the game in about four days. My only concerns is the stupid controls. If you are planning on buying this, here's a little tip for the controls, to turn, just hold your writing hand put to the side you wanna turn to, and to go forwards, hold your hand out. Another concern is the guide. He could have had more work and he is ANNOYING. He pops up every five seconds and says, "Psst! Hey! Sometimes stuff gets hidden up high, if you spot something sparkly up there, use your magic wand to pull it down!" and he won't flippin stop until you have. My only other concern, it's the it's a small world ride. Don't try it unless you want to be embarrassed. Only some drunk would do it.

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Kid, 10 years old
February 17, 2012
 
Kinect Disneyland Adventures
Kinect Disneyland Adventures Will Waste Your Money. Unless You Are 5 Or Under This Game Is Too Kiddy For You. I Would Give It A 1 Star But Younger Kids Will Be Fine. Overall Kinect Disneyland Adventures is horrible for kids older than 5.

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Teen, 15 years old
April 30, 2012
 
Disneyland Kinect review by deevod

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This review was written by Mark Raby
Platforms:Xbox 360
Available online?Not available online
Genre:Adventure
Developer:Microsoft
Release date:November 15, 2011
Price:$49.99
ESRB rating:E10+ for Mild Cartoon Violence

This review was written by Mark Raby
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

 

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