Sideways in Neverland

The 'Neverland Valley-Welcome" sign depicts a little boy, bending over to talk to a troll. Opera wafted on the air. Bronze statues of boys and girls dotted the gardens and falls, and an ornate gazebo offered a shady spot to enjoy the stunning tableau. Two trains carried visitors about. Five pink flamingos on an island in the stream coolly eyed onlookers. Unescorted pre-teen boys scampered everywhere.

"Peter Pan" was playing at the packed, eighty-seat, seven-thousand-square-foot theatre. Popcorn and drinks were dished up gratis to mobs at the concession stand in the entry. On the screen, Captain Hook had ten wide-eyed children bound and gagged, about to be fed to the crocodile. Nearby, amid the rides, two sound stages stood ready to rock. A band was taking a break. "Beat It" was thumping loudly from hidden speakers. A circus-like tent houses the bumper cars, where jubilant lads, faces flushed with excitement, rammed each other's cars with enthusiasm.