Be Our Guest: Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure

Editor:  I am so happy to welcome again,  Lisa Battista, author of Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers. An expert in planning Disney vacations with little ones…and a budget…in mind,  Lisa just returned from a Disney World research trip for the next edition of her book….and had the chance to try out something new at World Showcase! Thank you Lisa for sharing today! 🙂

The Disney Phineas and Ferb: Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure in Epcot’s World Showcase was testing this past weekend. I narrowly missed my opportunity to play on Sunday but luck was on my side the following day. On Monday I made a beeline for the recruiting station soon after World Showcase opened and success. I was in!

I was given a choice of countries to play and chose Norway. Since I had completed a Kim Possible mission in the same pavilion, I wanted to compare the two experiences.

As the newest secret agent, I was outfitted with a Field Operator Notification Equipment (F.O.N.E.) which returning guests will recognize as the Kimmunicator from the Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure.

The Adventure Begins

Once you’ve made your way to the World Showcase Pavilion that needs your help, you’ll receive your mission via the F.O.N.E. In Norway, Dr. Doofenshmirtz is hatching a diabolical plan to reclaim his beloved childhood bicycle that he believes was stolen. It was up to me to thwart his evil plot.

Imagineers provide a roadmap to save the world (or at least your neck of the woods) through a series of six or so short assignments. Each assignment has a code name and is revealed to guests with some clever dialogue. The plot borders on the absurd but that’s where the fun comes in. I could see how small children would be impatient with the amount of “words” used to weave the story into the mission.

For an assignment to be successful, secret agents must follow the clues on the F.O.N.E. and take some action with this nifty little device. In the right hands, it triggers some pretty cool effects in the pavilion. Lots of help (ex: additional clues, Cast Members) is provided if operatives encounter obstacles.

Veterans of the Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure will recognize some of the special effects but when I retired my F.O.N.E. at the end of the mission and took the Cast Members survey, I was told that my mission would have a different ending when the adventure officially launches. I was assured that the ending would be pretty spectacular.

My husband and I completed our mission in about 30 minutes. With the “help” of our six- year old, I would tack on another ten minutes which was the basis for our feedback. We felt the mission could have one or two less assignments without taking anything away from the experience.

How does Agent P Compare to Kim Possible?

A good attraction is like a good movie and both can be hard to find. Sure, an action packed movie gets high marks for stunning visuals but without a good plot, I quickly bore of the film. Ask my husband about a deeply nuanced, artsy film and he’ll declare it a snooze. Put the special effects and an interesting story together and the director makes movie magic that is a hit with a widely ranging audience.

Imagineers have a hit with the Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure experience. When I played Kim Possible World Showcase experience, I appreciated the effects but I wasn’t engaged by the mission or the story being told. Although the Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure experience leveraged many of the same effects, overlaying the wacky Phineas and Ferb storyline made the experience entertaining and humorous.

When the Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure officially opens in late June, I think you’ll find Epcot’s World Showcase busier than it ever was.

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Lisa M. Battista is the author of Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers. When she’s not chasing after her little ones, you can most likely find her at the beach or in the kitchen trying her hand at a new recipe. You can follow her on Twitter @DisneyExplorer or become a fan of Beyond the Attractions on Facebook.