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Staycation in Kansas City: Escape to the Kingdom of Narnia at Union Station
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Photo courtesy of Sarah Biles, Union Station Kansas City, Inc.
In these trying economic times when Midwest area families can’t always afford a summer trip to Disney World, Kansas City’s Union Station has brought Disney to the Midwest!
Welcome, Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Exhibition, now ensconced at Kansas City’s Union Station through August 23, is a 10,000-square foot, state-of-the-art, highly interactive entertainment and educational exhibit, featuring over 150 original film creatures, set dressings, costumes, and props from “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” and “Prince Caspian” movies.
We’re not in Kansas City anymore, Toto
The opening passage of C. S. Lewis’ “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” states that the story is about something that happened to four children—Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy—“when they were sent away from London during the war because of the air-raids.” Your journey to Narnia begins with a peek at an air-raid shelter in a London Underground Station during World War II. (Personally, I could have spent hours in this area, with all its British artifacts, including photos of small children wearing “gas masks,” City of Westminster postal boxes, old lanterns, etc.) A big, free-standing wardrobe in a corner of this room actually belonged to C. S. Lewis, and it’s easy to imagine a curious child climbing inside one rainy summer day…
Step Through the Wardrobe
Before you get to the back of the wardrobe (where old coats, games, and luggage are stored), you go through the attic where the four children were playing hide-and-seek. This room is pure Disney magic at its best. The special effects are fabulous, yet subdued—and, in my opinion, absolutely perfect for the depiction of a scene in a British fantasy book. You can actually see the condensation on the windows of the attic, tree branches outside, mysterious shadows whipping past, and gently falling rain drops sliding down the panes. You hold your breath, waiting for what comes next—
Welcome to the World of Narnia
The first thing you’ll notice, as you step over the threshold of the wardrobe, is that the world seems to have gotten about seventy degrees chillier. The next thing you’ll notice is the gently falling snowflakes, that seem to swell in size with the intensity of the background music (fans will recognize it as the theme music from the blockbuster Disney movies). You’re deep in a magical forest, and getting pelted with snow. Toto, now I know we’re not in Kansas!
The Magic Continues
I’m not going to spoil any more of the surprises for you by spelling out everything in the rest of the exhibit, but it’s definitely an unforgettable, world-class attraction, put together by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Walden Media, and the Becker Group, and Kansas City was lucky to get it. I visited the “Journey Into Narnia: Prince Caspian” attraction at Walt Disney’s Hollywood Studios Theme Park at Walt Disney World last summer, and really feel that the Exhibition currently in Kansas City is more elaborate and atmospheric. Kids who are fans of the books and/or movies will be thrilled to face the White Witch, sit on her icy throne, touch a frozen waterfall, storm the battlements of Narnia with armor and swords, taste Turkish taffy (available for sale in the adjoining gift shop), and build a castle arch. Along the way, they’ll also be absorbing some facts about science and nature, and even learning a little bit about the impact of climate on the environment. (You know what they say at Disney, “A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down!”)
Escape to the Perfect Fantasy
Everybody’s got their own version of Narnia inside their heads, and the books and the movies portrayed a vision of C. S. Lewis’. In these economic times, fantasy is more important than ever. People want and need an escape, and what better way to escape than traveling to the world of Narnia?
Author’s Note: This is the third in a series about Staycations in (or very near) Kansas City. Be sure to also read about Independence, MO, Harry Truman’s Hometown; riding the roller coasters at Worlds of Fun; and dining at Em Chamas.
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