Magic Kingdom’s Newest Annex

Passersby were curious, no doubt. They tried to peek behind the curtains that for weeks covered the windows of the new Club Disney at the Promenade at Westlake shopping center in Thousand Oaks.

Most folks had to settle for glimpses of light and little hints of what was going on inside. Most folks had to just be patient and wait for the grand opening scheduled for Friday morning.

But Ben Christopher and Darin Fryklund weren’t most people.

Even before the mass media were allowed to give Club Disney the once-over and even before elite guests were allowed inside last week, the two 9-year-old boys from Santa Barbara were provided an exclusive, escorted tour of the facility--a 24,500-square-foot site, designed for children up to age 10 and their parents--which the Walt Disney Co. plans to repeat many times over throughout the country.

There are a few times in a child’s life when he or she is made to feel like royalty, so even though Christopher was fighting a cold, he wasn’t going to miss a trip with his best friend to the Magic Kingdom’s satellite facility.

Unlike future visits, Christopher and Fryklund did not have to pay the $8 general admission to get in ($7 seniors), nor were they accompanied by a parent.

Officials stress that Club Disney activities, based on Disney characters and stories, are intended for parents and children to participate in together--despite the possible inclination of adults to wander off to Bristol Farms, Barnes & Noble or other Promenade shops.

Rather than a daylong tourist stop, Club Disney is intended as a two- to three-hour stay for people living 30 to 40 minutes away by car--just one stop in a day of family outings, rather than something to plan a day or weekend around such as Disneyland or DisneyWorld. In all, Club Disney will have 50 to 75 staff at any given time, with a maximum capacity of 850 guests.

Club Disney was designed by the Disney Regional Entertainment division of the Walt Disney Co. to create regional and local entertainment venues, of which Club Disney is the first.

Jay Rasulo, senior vice president of Disney Regional Entertainment, said Disney chose Thousand Oaks for its launch pad because of its proximity to the company’s corporate headquarters in Burbank and the demographic makeup of the city.

“We wanted to select a community close to our headquarters so we can get the entertainment right before we move forward,” Rasulo said. “We also wanted a community that is full of young families.”

The boys were greeted at the door by spokeswoman Andrea Borda, who led them past the front desk and the cubbyholes in which children will be asked to deposit their shoes upon each visit.

First stop on the tour was the Pooh ‘N You site, a life-size replica of Winnie the Pooh’s village, intended for tots. Guests will listen to stories of the chubby little bear, pick carrots from Rabbit’s Garden and bounce around like Tigger.

Next up was the Team Time game room, which proved to be a hit with Christopher and Fryklund. Arcade-size games such as Goofy Golf encourage parents and children to play together. Christopher and Fryklund tried their hands at some Duck-A-Puck, a Disney version of air hockey playing off the Mighty Ducks movie name.

The Jungle Climber, a 30-foot-high, multilevel clubhouse, was next on the tour. Children climb up and then slide back down by way of either the full 30-foot spiral tube slide or a shorter one for the less daring. “Wow” was the boys’ collective response upon seeing the slide. Unfortunately, the site was still under construction. But they vowed to return for the ride.

Borda said Club Disney cast members would be stationed at either end of the slide at all times to help ensure safe departures and arrivals.

The Mouse Pad, a computer room at the base of the Mickey Mouse sorcerer’s hat, is near the bottom of the slide. The room offers 16 full-color computers, with speakers, and a collection of 15 educational software programs and access to 25 family-oriented Internet sites.

“Titles go from baby CD-ROM to age 10,” Borda said. “We found that children are amazingly aggressive with them. They don’t have the fear the adults have.”

Next to the computer room is the Applaudeville Theater, where children can dress up as a variety of Disney characters and participate in a fantasy fashion show. Christopher got into a Dalmatian suit with Fryklund opting for the Capt. Hook look.

“A fashion designer comes out and elicits the help of Disney fashion models [kids] and their agents [parents],” said Rodrick Pauley, the creative mind behind the Applaudeville activities. “They’re taken through rehearsal. They learn how to blow kisses.”

The theater is also the site of several other 30-minute staff-led performance events, including a dance party featuring the Lion King Limbo, the Mickey Macarena and the Roger Rabbit Bunny Hop.

After refreshing themselves with a couple of Mickey-shaped ice cream sandwiches in the Club Cafe, (which will be stocked with kid fare as well as items from La Brea Bakery, the Cheesecake Factory and Bristol Farms), Christopher and Fryklund made their way to the Curiosity Castle, a maze of mirrors with surprise characters showing up around certain corners.

They charged and screamed their way through the maze several times before taking turns coaxing odd sounds out of a bell tower. Somehow they didn’t expect to hear a moo.

Adjacent to the castle is the Character Creations room, where children will work on art projects, with local artists occasionally hosting classes. Then it was on to Animation Alley, where guests will fiddle around with the stuff for which Disney is famous. And next to that is the Wizard’s Lab, where children participate in hands-on science experiments.

Ghostly holograms, a voice modulator, a chamber for shadow tricks a la Peter Pan and a weights and measures area are among the subjects for children to tackle.

To round out the tour, Christopher and Fryklund got a look at six Disney-themed birthday party rooms.

Outside the building the boys passed by the then-unfinished storefront window of the Club Disney retail shop. Visible through the curtains were mannequin busts sans Mickey hats and Mickey shirts.

“I hope they have more than just naked people,” Fryklund said. “Is this a family place?” Christopher asked.

Maybe waiting a couple of weeks for the grand opening wouldn’t have hurt.

* BE THERE

Club Disney, 120 S. Westlake Blvd., Thousand Oaks, will be open from 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Tuesdays-Thursdays; 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Fridays; 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Saturdays; and 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Sundays. Mondays the center is available for special events. Call (805) 777-8000.