Day 5 of 5 at WDW: Disney's Hollywood Studios

August 28, 2013

I know Hollywood Studios isn't everybody's favorite, but it has a special place in my heart. It is my youngest daughter's park--she did her College Program there a few years ago, and we all visited her for Christmas while she was working there.

It's the home of Star Tours and Indiana Jones and the Muppets, and it's just got that cool old Hollywood vibe. And it closes early, so you can get off your sore feet and out of the stifling heat before you turn into a pumpkin. And this time, I was finally going to get to go to the restaurant I've been wanting to go to since it opened--the Sci-Fi Dine-in Theater!

The Sci-Fi Dine-in Theater did not disappoint, at least not as far as theming and atmosphere are concerned. It transported me directly back to the drive-in theaters of my youth as we listened to the crickets chirping around us and watched the cheesy black and white film on the giant "outdoor" screen. I actually had to explain to my girls what the paraphernalia hanging on the side of the car was for and how it worked. We got to sit in a car, too, which is what I was going for. It was all just perfect, perfect, perfect. And then the food arrived. 

For the money, the food was no better than the cheapest counter service lunch in the parks. Dry sandwich, plain salad, frozen fries. Major disappointment. But I'd still go back! It would be worth it to hear those crickets and sit in the twilight in my car table and listen to the tinny little speaker that transports me back to my childhood. But next time I'll get what my sister told me to get: a cheeseburger and a shake. That's all they can make, she said. If only I has listened to her. So I pass that on to you.

I talked everybody into going to see the Beauty and the Beast show again this time and they were amazed at how good it was. Watching the Jedi Training Academy was also a treat. My son would have loved to have become a Jedi Knight at Hollywood Studios when he was a little guy! So looking forward to a Star Wars Land now that Disney owns Lucasfilm. The 3D Muppets show, one of our favorites, was closed for refurbishment, but we found the key under the mat and waved across the walk at Pizza Planet, where my daughter used to work. 

We had to go through Honey I Shrunk the Kids to take photos of my youngest re-enacting the time she got lost there at the age of three, and to the Writer's Stop to try out their famous Carrot Cake Cookie (it was good, but I could take it or leave it). We managed to get a photo with Mike and Sully ("Act scary!") but didn't see many other characters. It didn't really matter, because we knew we'd get to see them all in Fantasmic. 

To get reserved seats to Fantasmic, we had booked a Fantasmic Dinner Package at Mama Melrose's, which we hadn't tried before. We were very pleasantly surprised. The service was phenomenal, the food was delicious, and the Italian-restaurant-that's-been-an-institution-forever theming was just right. In spite of the good review, I probably wouldn't eat there again. I just don't want to be taken away to an old Italian restaurant when I go to Disney World!

Before we headed to Fantasmic, we rode The Great Movie Ride. I haven't ridden this ride as many times as I have ridden Small World, Pirates, or Haunted Mansion, but I still have the whole shtick memorized. It's corny and it's old news and it really needs to be updated, but it's Hollywood. Fantasmic ended my day at Hollywood Studios, but the girls pushed through until closing to ride the Rock 'n Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror over and over again (no thanks). 

There were so many new things on this trip for us. The Fast Pass + system worked beautifully for us and we liked staying at Pop Century with its dedicated bus and good location. We loved the character breakfast at Crystal Palace, the ambiance of the Sci-Fi Dine-in Theater, the food at Mama Melrose's, and the Pop Century food court. We loved having the luxury of being able to spend two whole days in the Magic Kingdom. We loved New Fantasyland and Storybook Circus! I did make a commitment to myself, though, that I will never go back in the summer, or, well, since it's Orlando, in May through September. Too hot for me. The heat really almost made me sick, it was so stifling, and definitely affected my mood and energy level. With the exception of the miserably hot temperatures, it really was a perfect 5-day Disney trip for three grown-up girls.

Our Penultimate Day at Disney World: Magic Kingdom, Day 2

4th day in the parks, 2nd in MK

August 27, 2013

This day was devoted to the rest of the Magic Kingdom outside of Fantasyland, and especially to the unpopular rides. We went on every one of them.

Crystal Palace Breakfast and Character-fest
We started our day at the Crystal Palace with a breakfast buffet with the Pooh characters (before the park opened, which was way cool). Worth every penny. The food was great, the service was great (what a sweet gig for a server), and the characters were great. Great, great, great. We didn't feel rushed and the characters spent plenty of time going around to the tables to see everybody. And when Eeyore found out that my oldest daughter used to be "best friends" with him, he grabbed her for the promenade around the tables and made her join in! Magical.

The Unpopulars
The rest of the day was magical for me because, even after all the trips I've made to Disney World since it opened, I discovered some attractions that I had never been on before. I thought I had done it all, but after studying the map, I realized I had never ridden on the Liberty Belle riverboat or seen the show at the Hall of Presidents. They were both on our list of unpopular rides, excuse me, attractions, to see that day, and from now on, I will be going on both of them every time I visit. Especially if it's as hot as it was the day we were there--you can catch a breeze standing on the deck of the riverboat and enjoy air conditioning throughout the entire Hall of Presidents presentation.

And most of the rest of the unpopulars are popular with me, too--Carousel of Progress, the People Mover (which might have a different name now that I don't know), and the Country Bear Jamboree. Of those three, if I had to rank them, the People Mover would definitely be first (no line! great view of the park! ride inside Space Mountain!), although the other two should probably edge it out during the hot months for their great air conditioning. These attractions are classics and are very nostalgic for me because back when each ride cost a different amount, they were the ones I could afford to go on the most. I'm a lot older than you, aren't I?

While in Tomorrowland, we joined Stitch at a dance party

The only unpopular attraction I saw for the first time and which I'll skip from now on is Stitch's Great Escape. The fake chili dog smell that permeated the room (part of the story line) was disgusting, and the whole experience would've been a total eye-roller if it hadn't been for the little guy in the row next to us who totally believed the whole thing was real and screamed with delight throughout. That little guy was far more entertaining than the attraction itself, and his magical moment with Stitch became my magical moment.

Magic Kingdom Munchies
On this second day at Magic Kingdom we had traditional snacks to eat, too, and we partook of our MK trifecta--Dole Whips, churros, and cinnamon-glazed almonds--throughout the day. Wouldn't be a Disney trip without those treats. We also managed to snag an upstairs table with a lovely view of the Haunted Mansion at the Columbia Harbour House, where we enjoyed the delicious lobster roll and the equally delicious broccoli peppercorn salad for lunch, after a huge disappointment at Sleepy Hollow.

Waffle Woes
I had been looking forward to eating a waffle sandwich at Sleepy Hollow ever since I read that they existed on some Disney blog. Of the three options, Nutella and fruit, fried chicken, and ham, prosciutto and Swiss, I decided on the ham and Swiss. I ordered it as the parade started and had to wait so long for it, I almost missed the entire parade, but I thought, at least it'll be worth the wait. Wrong. It was terrible. The waffle tasted like a thawed Eggo that had been sitting out for hours, cold and limp. The ham and cheese were even colder and also scarce, and the ham was so cheap it tasted like pressed sandwich meat. I can't believe the rave reviews I read online about this sandwich. It was inedible! I didn't even take a picture of it. I let my oldest daughter try it, and one bite was enough for her, too. The only good part about ordering the sandwich is that I discovered a covered eating area behind Sleepy Hollow with picnic tables that I never knew existed where I could rest my painfully throbbing feet. And watch other parents deal with crying babies and toddler meltdowns while I fondly remembered doing the same in days gone by.

Magical Moments of the Day
What was magical about this day was that it was the second day in the same park, because Magic Kingdom is just not a one-day park any more!