Day 205- Hollywood Studios

Posted on April 8, 2015 by maymiller

Today it is mostly sunny with bellowing clouds rolling in. Some are beginning to look like rain clouds, so we take our rain jackets. It is hot and humid today; it is going to be 90 degrees this afternoon as we head for Hollywood Studios. Even though it is hot, there is a little breeze to help cool off the afternoon, which is nice.

Once we park, we walk to the front gates. We get our bags checked and scan our MagicBands. It is busy as we enter onto Hollywood Boulevard at Hollywood Studios. I love the excitement as people walk into the park and down Hollywood Boulevard. As you look down the street you can see the Chinese Theater, which houses The Great Movie Ride.

There are so many things to do here. If you are coming to Hollywood Studios, be sure to check out all of the different rides and various shows. There is even a Disney Junior show for the little ones!

Our first stop is going to be at the Trolley Car Café, where I order an iced green tea lemonade with peach syrup. We get our Starbucks drinks and find a place to sit while Twinkie’s tea finishes brewing. As I step up to a table, I hear two of the Citizens of Hollywood performing on Sunset Boulevard. There they are! It’s Sonny Burbank and Evie Starlight! They are so fun to watch, so we join the huge group of people watching their performance. There are so many people watching that the circle of people gathering around crosses the entire street. People are still joining over the next few minutes. While Sonny is talking about the extravagant date he plans to take Evie on, Evie comes over trying to find a way to escape, and Twinkie gets a fun picture of her as her Coffee View of the Day. (Twinkie has started documenting her “Coffee View of the Day” on Instagram, you can find more of them here:www.instagram.com/twinkiemiller)

The crowd is laughing and enjoying this amazing show! I see a dad in plaid pants bending over because he is laughing so hard. Others are laughing so hard that they can hardly stand it. It is so funny! This is one of their best shows ever! I wish you could hear this funny list of places, foods, animals, and activities that Sonny has lined up for the date (all of which are audience suggestions!). Sonny is remembering a list of about 20 things and repeating them back to the audience; each person laughs as he calls out their suggestion.

As Evie and Sonny finish their skit, there is a huge round of applause! The crowd is so happy and still chuckling over this funny skit! I love watching the Citizens of Hollywood and seeing how much fun the visitors have watching and participating in the skit.

Wow, I had no idea how hot it is in the sun. I was laughing with the kids when I crossed my arm across the metal decoration on my shirt and it is burning hot! Oh, I think I am going to find some shade and cool back down with my iced tea.

After a short beak, we walk around for a bit, and then head for the front gates. We see plenty of cast members trading pins, so we trade a couple with them. They are so gracious and kind.

There are many groups coming in, and it is busy as we are leaving. I see a couple of the cute cars carrying the Citizens of Hollywood on Hollywood Boulevard. These little trucks and the cars are so cute! There is a cool breeze blowing and the clouds look like there could be rain soon. We get out to our car and it begins to rain right after we exit the parking lot.

It has been a fun day, and it is always fun to see the Citizens of Hollywood. I had a really fun afternoon at Hollywood Studios!

Day 88- Hollywood Studios and Sci-fi Diner (Picnic Burger!)

Posted on December 11, 2014 by maymiller

What a sunny day! It is cold enough to wear our Mickey sweaters. It is very breezy and a fun day to go to Hollywood Studios. Hollywood Studios is always so exciting to visit! You never know who you will see today; they have so many fun skits that go on down the streets of Hollywood Studios!

When we arrive, it is busy as we get our bags checked, but there is only a short line to scan our MagicBands. I love looking up and seeing the entrance, it is beautiful and there are so many things to see. The Stroller Rental is in a gas station on the right. Too cute!

Baymax is a must find today! Well, we are looking for several things, but the Baymax souvenir mug is at the top of our list. So, we are off to Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater and we find Baymax at the popcorn stand to the left of the giant hat! The kids stop to get one, and I go on to Sci-Fi to check-in. The line to check in at Sci-Fi is usually pretty long, so I wait in line until they can join me, just about the same time I step up to the check-in station. The attendant was very nice when he told us that allergies are of the utmost importance to the chefs and they will take great care to make sure you are taken care of. I like that he was so concerned and made sure that we were comfortable with eating here. It made me feel like they were truly looking out for us.

We check in and go to sit outside until our buzzer goes off. It is a beautiful day to sit with Baymax in hand. A girl came up to us and asked where we got our Baymax. We told her, and she was off to find him! Soon, she came back with her very own Baymax. Yay!

We are called to be seated, and we will be on the second row of cars in our very own 50s car. The waitress is quick to get our drinks and soon the Chef comes out to help us with our order. We are going to get burgers today! I am getting a gluten free cheeseburger, and Tooti and Twinkie are splitting the Picnic Burger.

The movies they play are vintage sci-fi clips, and I remember many of them from my childhood. We watch as we wait a few minutes… and our burgers arrive! OMGoodness, they are out of this world! The buns are toasted and the meat is seared nicely! The french fries are perfect and all of this is gluten free! We didn’t talk much at all as we totally enjoyed the burgers. The Picnic Burger includes the classic burger patty, sauerkraut, grilled onions, and even a hotdog. It is one of the most delicious burgers that the girls have ever had. The Picnic Burger definitely made it onto our favorite dishes list.

After our meal, we are looking for a particular Olaf pin, so we turn down Sunset Boulevard and we see one of the Citizens of Hollywood, hiding behind a map. Twinkie sneaks over and asks if she can take a picture with him. He agrees, so we snap a pic and say, “Thank you!” We check the shops for the pin and head back down Sunset Boulevard. I can hear the Citizens of Hollywood doing one of the street shows, singing the 12 days of Christmas. Paige Turner is singing, “8 handsome men [Lords a leaping], 8 men, oh, I want 8 men, I love men! (Giggle, giggle, snort, giggle!)” The crowd roars with laughter, it is so funny!

We turn the corner and step onto Hollywood Boulevard. I love the Art Deco buildings. Of course, we have to step into a few shops to look for pins on the way to the entrance. It is a beautiful day, a little chilly, but just warm enough with the beautiful sunshine! We are soon on the tram and on our way out to our car. What a wonderful day it has been, very relaxed and fun.

Day 72- Hollywood Studios and Star Tours

Posted on November 25, 2014 by maymiller

Today we took our pups to school and it was pouring. I mean, it was raining buckets and the lightning was almost blinding. We decided to ride the storm out and go home until it settles. Once we got home, we found out that there was a tornado warning and over 600 lightning strikes in that storm. The rains were pelting our car windows. I felt for those who were already at Disney and hoped they had a good raincoats! We got about 2.75 inches of rain by 3pm, and it is still raining tonight.

In the late afternoon, we regrouped, and went to Hollywood Studios. The rain has stopped, but when we got off the tram, checked our bags, were scanning our Magic Bands, I overheard two of the cast members reading the 90-100% probability of rain! I didn’t worry; we had our lightweight raincoats for this 78-degree day.

It is beautiful to see all of the art deco style buildings as we walk down Hollywood Boulevard. The backdrop of dark clouds makes the buildings pop with color! The streets are wonderfully busy as we go toward Star Tours.

As we are in line to check into our FastPass at Star Tours, we see the Jedi Training Academy show. After we scan our MagicBands, as we walk up the walkway, we are stopped. We didn’t know why at the moment, but then we saw the Storm Troopers cross in front of us to walk onto the stage! It was so cool to be that close to them. They take the stage and we begin to walk by just as Darth Vader enters the stage! Cool! We got a glimpse of Darth Vader up close!

We have quite a bit of catching up to do as we walk and enter the winding line. Soon, we have made it to the final check in and are directed to line 3, where we listen to the instruction video before the doors open. We get seated and the cast member tells us to put on our 3D glasses. Here we go!

This 3D ride is so much fun. The ride changes for each ride, so you never know exactly where you’re going to fly! This time, there are some of the most interactive people and kids on board. It is so fun to hear them squeal as we dive and soar through space, and finally come to a landing.

I love when you disembark and go into the Tatooine Traders shop. I am amazed at how many new things we see each day! Today there is a young boy trying to get his face lined up for a picture looking like young Obi Wan Kenobi. It is fun to see a cast member quickly help the boy, and soon the picture is done.

As we exited, I thought, “I want a Cherry Coca Cola!” I turn ask Tooti and Twinkie, “Where would I ever find a Cherry Coke? I just got thirsty for a Cherry Cola!” They pondered that for a moment and said there was a place, Tune In Lounge, in the 50s Prime Time Diner. Oh sure, let’s go!

We see a couple of chairs open, so they let me grab one. I ask if they have Cherry Cokes and the bartender says that they do! They were the best Cherry Cokes! I had forgotten how wonderful it is when they make it right there in front of you! They were awesome! Tooti drank hers down and it was refilled instantly! It is a fun place to grab a Cherry Cola! Also, it is a really cute place with the retro design. They have vintage televisions running with old timey shows from the 50s. It looks like you stepped back into the 50s, even the décor and furniture matches the theme!

We walk around Echo Lake to Hollywood Boulevard and see all of the decorated windows. I decide that the skies look like they are going to rain again. We walk through a couple of the shops and see the new things they have this season. There are some really cute scarves, blouses, and Christmas decorations! We have fun looking at the new merchandise on our way to the front entrance.

It is a warm night and we are off to our car before the rain. It was a fun afternoon and this evening is warm, with a nice breeze!

Day 46- Hollywood Studios

Posted on October 30, 2014 by maymiller

It is a spectacular day! The weather is warm during the afternoon, going up to the mid-80s. As soon as the sun begins to set around 5pm, it cools to below 80 degrees. Hollywood Studios is perfectly busy, and so many people enjoying getting here later in the day!

I check with The Hollywood Brown Derby to see if there is walk-up availability. There will be in about an hour, so I thank them and walk outside to see if there is availability at The Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge on the patio. Yes, there is a table! I get to enjoy a fun lunch and the beautiful weather. The waitress is super nice and she helps me order a gluten free cobb salad. It is fun watching all of the people go by and seeing all of the families! I love eating outdoors here.

Soon, I am back on Hollywood Boulevard. Oh, wait! I hear the Film Team! They are set up just a short walk down Sunset Boulevard, so I stop to watch. It is so fun watching and hearing them interact with the guests. In the second skit, they pull a man from the audience and say, “Look! It is The Captain on Gilligan’s Island!” Applause erupts and soon they find “Mary Ann” and “Gilligan”. I am standing close to the family of “Gilligan.” The son of “Gilligan” is beaming as his dad is picked to stand on the red carpet. I look again, and he is grinning ear to ear as he is eating his ice cream cone! Then, the Film Team finds “The Rock!” “The Rock’s” sons are a little dismayed that their dad is being asked to stand on the red carpet. Soon, the older son starts laughing as he hears the Film Team talking to his dad; the boy is about 5, his younger brother, about 3, never loses his frowning eyebrows until his dad is returned to him! The dad? He had a blast being “The Rock!”

Now, I watch a couple more people get chosen to be celebrities, and the funniest was “Colonel Sanders”. It was a very funny and nice moment. I love seeing the interaction of the cast and guests at Disney! Seems the adults were having the most fun, maybe even a little more than the kids!

Well, Hollywood Studios is closing at 7:00pm tonight. It is beautiful, and the sunsets? Please, don’t forget to look at the skies in the evenings. The sunsets are absolutely amazing and vibrant in sunny Florida!

Day 44- Hollywood Studios

Posted on October 28, 2014 by maymiller

The parking lot is filling up and the trams are running like clockwork! There is a steady stream of people still arriving this afternoon, and the park is perfectly crowded!

Our first stop is to check the pin board at the stroller rental. If you have kids that are tired and you need a way to distract them, pin trading is a fun way! There are cast members all around Disney who have pins to trade! We found that the kids become more excited about finding the perfect pin to trade, and are totally distracted from being tired.

We enjoy our walk down Hollywood Boulevard, with the Public Works street show on the corner. They are really funny and yell a lot! We realize that we have not eaten lunch and the 50’s Prime Time Café is close. The line is really long and they do not have any walk-up reservations. This restaurant is usually full, but sometimes they have availability.

As we get close to Star Tours, we can hear Darth Vader and the young Jedis in the Jedi Training Academy. The kids really get into the training and the Jedi Training Academy is really fun to watch.

There are several quick service restaurants at Hollywood Studios, but we are going to see if Sci-Fi Dine-in Theater Restaurant has walk-up availability. While we are waiting, I hear the Mulch, Sweat, and Shears band playing on the Streets of America! There is a good crowd gathering as they begin to play. Oh, that is fun! They recruited a dad to dance with the music, pretty funny!

Yay! Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater does have walk-up availability today, and we are soon seated. This is one of our favorite places to eat. I love seeing the vintage drive-in theater.