While The World Showcase has made several attempts to be kid-friendly over the years-including wonderful toys in their shops, serving snacks sweet enough to melt your teeth, and hosting arts and crafts at each pavilion, Kim Possible shoots these all out of the water.

This interactive game allows families to borrow a cell phone, called a Kim-unicator, from an “agent” and based on a combination of where it is programmed to send you, and how good a job you do getting there, a video message sends you a mission to thwart the bad guys. They may have stolen a precious idol, spoil a fashion show or overgrow their grass-making golfing and touring the park virtually impossible.

If your child (or brother in law) can hit a button that reads “OK” and attend to a video message 2-3 sentences long, with a little bit of text-reading help they can participate. Ideally, groups of 2-4 can work together to solve the mystery. When clues are given, scavenger hunt style, the group rushes to a location, based on photographic prompts, and uses their phone to activate something in the scenery. What looks like a cuckoo clock, statue of a marathon champion or iconic cricket to the average tourist could be an interactive feature that sings, blinks, moves-all to send the next clue. It is fun to watch those who are not in the know wonder where the sound came from! What is amazing for kids is that they made it happen.

A few tips:

1. If you rent, buy, or download a few episodes of Kim Possible, the humor of the main characters-Kim, Ron, and Wade, is more apparent. The villains take a few episodes to get to know, but they could remind you of someone at work or a person in your past (on purpose).
2. Even though each mission is dedicated to one country, there is still quite a bit of walking. My younger son, 4, and I were able to manage a mission from a stroller. It is an option.
3. You may be asked to check in at one place and sent on a mission nearby, but not in that country. Look for signs to recruit agents, and speak with the cast members giving out assignments if you have a preference or a special need.
4. The assignments look like fast passes but are more like advance dining reservations. You’ll be sent to get your phone, I mean, Kim-unicator, during a window of time, a cast member will program the device, and then you are sent on your way. It could take 15 minutes to solve the puzzles, or an hour. How it goes depends on you, and how crowded the park is that day.
5. Be forewarned that part of your mission could include dropping of the device and ending the game. If you’d like to complete more than one assignment (and they are addictive), ask the cast member to program the device that way and show you how to choose another country. Villains are tied to specific countries. If there is a high demand, you may find a recruiting station is not taking on new agents later in the day.
6. The World Showcase generally opens at 11:00 a.m., so getting to the park at 8:00 a.m., in order get Drakken, I mean, cracking, is a waste of coffee. You could use the time to enjoy rides like Soarin’ before you become immersed in crime stopping, or breakfast with the princesses in Norway before teaming up with the cheerleader/hero.

This attraction is a great one for problem solvers, those who like to be in control of the world around them, and multi-generational groups. While the show was in reruns before the game launched, the technology needed to make it work is so well-developed and true to the story that even new fans will leave singing, “Call me, beep me, if you want to reach me.”

Fun fact: The year we had about 100 appointments, (you had one, too, I bet) I literally dyed my hair red (thanks babysitter with Manic Panic skills) and went as Kim Possible for Halloween.  ”Cheerleader by day/Crime-stopper by night” was a great motto for a mom/itinerant special educator memorizing the new disability laws for fun and profit, but the show’s tag line, “She can do anything,” made her a better choice than even Mrs. Incredible.  Download an episode or two, now.