With original character voices from the feature film and stunning graphics that bring children into the beautiful castle in which their favorite Beauty and the Beast characters reside, this title will have an immediate appeal to young girls. It’s party time at the castle, but shhh -- it’s a surprise! The members of this not-so-humble abode are caught up in the preparations. There are so many details to attend to, and you can bet that the rather meticulous Cogsworth the Clock has been getting himself all wound up. It’s your child to the rescue! Through 4 open-ended activities, kids help Belle and the charming objects-come-to-life prepare for the spectacular event.
From the foyer that serves as the main screen, children enter any of the four rooms that hold the program's activities. In the library, Cogsworth explains the "conundrum" he’s gotten himself into. It seems that he has hidden the key to the West Wing and forgotten where he put it! He needs to rely on his secret codes to find it. This leads to an exciting logic activity that requires careful thinking and strategy. This activity is reminiscent of the board game Guess Who? as children need to carefully select questions about the books on the shelves and then "turn off" the books that could not be the one they are looking for, based on the "yes/no" answers.
Belle’s Writing Desk holds the program’s creativity offerings. Children create invitations, design artwork by selecting backgrounds and stickers (some of which are animated), craft beautiful stained glass windows, and produce printable storybooks.
Mrs. Potts and her son Chip are waiting in the kitchen and solicit your child’s help to set the table. This arcade-style activity requires children to drop plates, cutlery, and food items onto the revolving placemats in logical order. Careful timing is required as children attempt to set up the tea, main course, and dessert tables as the sand falls in the hourglass.
Finally, children enter the ballroom where they must choose a gown for Belle, decorate the ballroom by toggling between different designs, assign instruments for the ballroom music, and choreograph Belle and Beast’s dance steps.
Strengths & Weaknesses:
This program’s graphics and charm are unquestionably impressive. However, it suffers from a few awkward design problems. Instructions are profuse and too lengthy – it will be important to show children the "spacebar" option that allows them to bypass the excessive chatter, as a click of the mouse will not do the trick. Even when they are aware of this option, oftentimes a few attempts are required in order to progress in the game. As well, there are many double-click prompts that quickly become annoying. As with Disney’s Princess Fashion Boutique, the icons are far from intuitive. For example, the "undo" tool in the creativity activity is a feather! Children will likely need some help figuring out all of the options in this activity.
This title currently comes bundled with Disney’s Mulan Animated Storybook CD-ROM. The feature film Mulan may not have enjoyed as much success with the little ones as Beauty and the Beast, but this CD-ROM will provide some enjoyment with its interactive storybook format and bonus activities.
