Lions and Tigers and CGI Bears, Oh My! June '16 - COMPLETED 6/4, page 22

[nilla]

As the last update said, we're splitting up again today, but this time, I get the boy. He's basically ready for the vacation to be over at this point, so he could be a downer. Or not. With only the two of us going to Hollywood Studios today, we can do whatever we want to do. And I don't really care what we do. So he gets an entire day where he can do what he wants.

I think the close quarters of the room are getting to him, too (Kristin and I could live in a hotel room), so it will be good to get to a park.

But not too early. Even though I was up at 9:00, we didn't roll out of the room until around noon. My family likes to sleep.

Since we're going to Hollywood Studios today, the obvious choice for lunch is "nothing at Hollywood Studios". In other words, Pepper Market. One photos along the way...



...and we're here! The Pepper Market is PACKED right now, and the culprits look to be those college convention kids we saw at the pool last night.



The line moved pretty slowly, but eventually Dylan and I emerged from the masses with a turkey club...



...and enchiladas:



I got those, and they were great! Dylan got the sandwich. According to him, his hold-up in line was a girl in front of him who wanted some ridiculously-particular order. And not a medically-necessary-so-understandably-particular order. A really-picky-to-the-point-of-inconveniencing-Dylan order.

Dylan got some kind of chocolate cake for dessert. I think it was the "chocolate cake". I got the churros:



Good stuff! Lunch over, it's time to go to the park.

We walked over to Station 1, and it's packed with convention kids. I'm starting to really dislike them. For no good reason. It's not their fault they want to go to the park. And that there's a lot of them.

But never fear! In a classic example of thinking on your feet, I proposed heading over to Station 2, where we'll surely be with a much smaller crowd. So over we went.

Today was the first day this was a thing:



Our grandkids will never know a Disney without them.

We got to Station 2 and looked at the board - twenty minutes until the next bus. Darn. We probably should have stayed at Station 1. I grossly underestimated the time it took to walk between the two.

To pass the time, I watched Dylan play Clash Royale, and it looks pretty fun. It also taught me that Dylan really HATES "play to win" players. Those are the people who make in-game purchases to gain advantages in the game. Of course, since the trip, Dylan has made in-game purchases, so he's a massive hypocrite. But at the time, he HATED that.


Hey, the bus is here!

 

[nilla]

In the meantime, the girls were on their way to the Magic Kingdom:



They had a wait, too, so there was time for this:







They were at Station 4, closest to our room. I know this because we saw them from our bus, when it stopped at Station 4. But they didn't see us. Dylan tried to text Kristin to tell her to just in front of her, but she didn't get it, for some reason. We were waving like crazy at them, too, but I don't know that you can really see INTO the buses. We laughed as the bus pulled away. They never knew!

Looking back, they probably assumed we were on a much earlier bus, since they would not have predicted the terrible idea of switching stations, but...

Judging by the next photo, it looks like the Magic Kingdom WASN'T their initial destination:



New stuff!







More of this:



Kristin and Emily didn't really take any notes, so this part of the update will be more of a silent film:

 

[nilla]

(audio ON)

Dylan and I got to HS around 1:00, so it was right back to Tower of Terror to use our 12:20 FPs.



In line, we got talking with the college-aged girls behind us about New Soarin' (tm), the Star Wars fireworks, etc. They're obvious Disney lovers which is always a fun conversation. One of them said she was crying during the SW fireworks. Because they were so good. Can't wait!

On the ride, we got the bonus up-and-down when you think the ride might be over, which was great.

After that, we rode Rock 'n Roller Coaster, single rider. The poster screen tried to tell us that Dylan was playing at some country music festival in Bethlehem, but the kid HATES country music, so these are all lies. So many lies in these posters. So many.

Off to use our Star Tours FPs next. On the way, more hilarity:



We didn't stop to watch ANY of that, so people losing their jobs in this park is probably at least somewhat our fault.

We reach Current Star Wars land...





After the ride, we planned on picking up the double-sided Kylo Ren light saber Dylan wants, but the line was ENORMOUS. Ok, we'll come back later.

Meanwhile, Kristin and Emily were eating at Wolfgang Puck's:











Then, they went to this place:



Then, they saw this guy:



I don't know who the human is. Neither did the girls. But they asked for his picture anyway. And he was cool with it.

 

[nilla]

Back over at HS, Dylan and I decided to watch the Indy Jones stunt show, which we haven't seen in years. We got there somewhat late, so we got the bad seats:



The show still has a little while before it starts, so it's back on Clash:



Kristin's phone and my camera were busy at the same time, it seems, since these photos are next in the series:







Back to Jones:



Then here:





Now, pose on the other side:



Thanks! Art stuff:





Ooh, Haunted Mansion stuff!





Mickey stuff!



More Haunted Mansion stuff!







More non-Haunted Mansion stuff!



Giant, styrofoam boulder stuff!



Back to the art!





We're big fans on the Boxes of Light, but we already have a lot of them. Like 7 or 8. So no more right now.

Candy!



Nazis!



Or...um...not Nazis! They're sort of Nazis, but they have a plus sign on their flag, instead of a swastika. So...math Nazis?

I don't trust those guys...



...and with good reason. They were really henchmen of...well, someone, I guess. The math Nazis?

And they didn't like Indy Jones of Marion. Fortunately, they weren't very good at ladders:



In fact, one fell right in the lak- um, no, I think we're back at Disney Springs:

 

[nilla]

Back at the Studios (that's what the hip people call it), Dylan and I left Indy Jones, following a show that, for whatever reason, didn't run the airplane scene. Oh, well.

That done, we decided to brave the line for the Build Your Own lightsaber. It's just as long as before, but he really wants that light saber.

While we waited, he once again fired up Clash Royale, so I walked off to take pictures:









When I got back to the line, it didn't seem to have moved at all. Sheesh.

I'm usually pretty good with the heat, but standing in line just amplifies it. But we just have to deal with it. Dylan's iPad's out of batteries, btw, so he just has to stand. Like we had to "back in the day". We sure had it rough.

Meanwhile, back at the Springs (that's what the hip people soon will call it), Emily is posing with royalty:





Hey, this looks good!



Plus, it's got a Disney theme.

This IS good:



And this IS a fountain:



The Springs looks like maze now. Not sure if I'll get there this year, but if I do, I'll probably get lost. No internal compass and whatnot.

Wait!

Shhh.

You hear that?

It's the old highway calling. Get on!



"Pee Wee's Big Holiday" reference there for ya. If you didn't catch it, watch the film again. If you haven't seen it yet, watch it now. If you don't want to, Emily's got a message for you:



Back to DHS, where Dylan and I are STILL in line. It's moving REALLY slow. We've been here at least a half an hour, and it looks like we'll be here that much longer, at least. Which stinks, because we're running out of time. We have to meet the girls at the Beach Club at 6:00.

After a few more minutes, we overhear the woman in front of us saying the CMs are running this terribly inefficiently (she's been walking up to investigate), and what's more, they're out of one of the pieces that everyone seems to want.

Wait, which piece is that?

It's the Kylo Ren accidentally-cut-off-your-own-hand attachment...which Dylan needs for his idea. He needs two, actually. Noooo!!

Dejected and angry, it's off to the Beach Club. Hopefully all-you-can-eat crab legs will make up for this.

We reach the boat from the Studios to the Club (ok, I'm really stretching that now) just in time, and after a short ride, we're there!

 

[nilla]

Dylan and I walk down the dock. Apparently, this happened at this resort as well:



And this:



A boat also looks to have run aground here:



Someone should probably clean that up.

On the walk, I notice the girl at the hair wrap station is the same one from Port Orleans, so I say "hi", and we're on our way.



The girls, meanwhile, are...still at Disney Springs?



Ok, c'mon! We're waiting!

But first, more pictures!













And what better way to complete the Duffy/Shellie May/Baby D family than with...



Baby S! This was an obvious purchase. I was wondering when it would happen. And an obvious name.

Ok, enough looking at cupcakes - let's eat crab legs!



But first...



And...





Alright, let's go.

One more photo...



...and they're on the bus:



Photos on the way:





And more once they reached the resort:



Let's go! We're waiting in the lobby! And have been for a while!

On her way, Kristin met up briefly with a teacher friend of hers who is staying here. Our vacations were mutually exclusive after that, but it's always nice to run into friends down here.

 

[nilla]

I suppose Dylan and I WERE really early for dinner anyway, since the light saber debacle pretty much took the wind out of our Hollywood Studios-touring sails. Plus, he got to play more Clash. And sit in a comfy chair. So he wasn't complaining.

We checked in to the restaurant, and soon enough, we were seated.

This is a buffet, which means I always eat way more than I should. Emily does not have this problem:



I'm not even sure she finished that.

With all the variety on this buffet, Kristin opts for this:



And only that. But multiple plates of that. She's not wasting appetite on anything less. I can respect that.

I like to get a lot of the other things, too, but steer clear of the carved meats. As usual. I'll go for the mussels, cod balls, paella, seafood chowder, and Mickey's Magical Pizza instead, thank you.

We stuff ourselves, as usual, then settle up with the server. This is a perennial favorite of ours, and as long as they keep the crab legs coming, we'll be here as well. Hard to top the food at this place when talking about a single dining credit meal.

Dinner done, it's back to the parks! But that's a story for another update.

(Up next, back to the parks! C'mon. Surely you heard me the first time. Do try to pay attention, ok? Thank you.)

 

[gluestickgirl]

We suffered from "over it before the trip is over" teenage boy attitudes on our last trip too. I have a great many pics of him texting friends and ignoring us.

No Disney till 2019?!? Say it isn't so!

 

[Clarf]

I seriously love the back and forth between your 2 days.

No Kylo Ren attachment? That stinks. Our neighbors went on their first trip to WDW last January and brought our girls back each a Kylo Ren single light saber. They are pretty cool and the girls love them. Sorry to rub it in. Maybe Dylan got one later in the trip?

I was getting panicky when the girls weren't there for dinner. Like actually panicky. Had that been us, I would have been pacing and fuming inside. Glad they made it!

Those crab legs look amazing! That might be all I ate too. What exactly were those fried things Emily had? They didn't look like fries.

I got the Pee-Wee's big Holiday reference! It's a good movie. Not as good as the original, but good.

I'd be irritated with the conventioners too, ESPECIALLY the girl who needed the "special" meal for no medical reason.

Can't wait to hear how the day ended!

 

[ArielSRL]

Looks like you guys had a great split up day! Ugh on the light saber though. And what made the girls switch from MK to DS?

Love me some Cape May breakfast. Need to definitely try dinner as I'm a huge seafood (esp crab legs) fan. I would totally love to stay at Beach Club once my boys are a tad older and can really enjoy Stormalong Bay!

 

[HeyIt'sMe]

It's even worse than that. Kristin and Emily have now signed up for a trip through school to the British Isles in 2018. So no Disney for me until 2019. THREE YEAR hiatus.

*crickets chirping*


Disney Springs is really nice. Emily, Martin & I spent a few hours there this last trip while Steve stayed back at the resort pool. I'd like to go back someday to spend more time and have dinner.
We have not been to Hollywood Studios in several years. We just always decide to do something else. Once the Toy Story/Star Wars areas are done I'm sure we'll check it out again.

And ya gotta love Disney transportation. It seems on this year's trip we had issues with every mode of transportation and always felt rushed because we'd be running late due to the issues.
We did end up taking a cab from the Poly to Disney Springs and it cost $24. On the way back to the Poly we used Uber. It cost $8! And it was a really good experience. We will definitely use Uber at Disney again.

 

[Britbrie]

Yay finally an update!! It's okay though, I think everyone seems to hit a lag in their TR updates! Especially me.
Great job with this update, the girls looked like they had a lot of fun! That's awesome that you and Dylan got to see Indiana Jones, I haven't seen that show in FOREVER! Maybe I'll get to see it soon...

Can't wait to see what you guys are up to on the next update!

 

[nilla]

We suffered from "over it before the trip is over" teenage boy attitudes on our last trip too. I have a great many pics of him texting friends and ignoring us.

They'll come around...eventually. Like, when they have kids.

No Disney till 2019?!? Say it isn't so!

It's so. At least for now. But I won't go quietly.

I seriously love the back and forth between your 2 days.

It was fun having photos from both!

No Kylo Ren attachment? That stinks. Our neighbors went on their first trip to WDW last January and brought our girls back each a Kylo Ren single light saber. They are pretty cool and the girls love them. Sorry to rub it in. Maybe Dylan got one later in the trip?

More on this in tonight's update.

I was getting panicky when the girls weren't there for dinner. Like actually panicky. Had that been us, I would have been pacing and fuming inside. Glad they made it!

It did get old, sitting in that chair and looking at the staircase for that long! We could have walked around outside, but I have no idea when they were arriving.

Those crab legs look amazing! That might be all I ate too. What exactly were those fried things Emily had? They didn't look like fries.

Clam strips. I had some, too. They were good clam strips. I love Cape May!

I got the Pee-Wee's big Holiday reference! It's a good movie. Not as good as the original, but good.

We like it the more we watch it. I don't think many films are better than "Pee Wee's Big Adventure", though. That has to be in my top 5.

I'd be irritated with the conventioners too, ESPECIALLY the girl who needed the "special" meal for no medical reason.

It's funny, because Dylan is a seriously picky eater, too. Though I did also grow to despise the conventioners, for no good reason

Can't wait to hear how the day ended!

Tonight!

Looks like you guys had a great split up day! Ugh on the light saber though. And what made the girls switch from MK to DS?

Kristin was overwhelmed by Star Wars.

Love me some Cape May breakfast. Need to definitely try dinner as I'm a huge seafood (esp crab legs) fan. I would totally love to stay at Beach Club once my boys are a tad older and can really enjoy Stormalong Bay!

We'd love to stay there, too! Or the Boardwalk. I think I'd rather stay at an Epcot resort than a Monorail one.

Disney Springs is really nice. Emily, Martin & I spent a few hours there this last trip while Steve stayed back at the resort pool. I'd like to go back someday to spend more time and have dinner.

I get there in tonight's update

We did end up taking a cab from the Poly to Disney Springs and it cost $24. On the way back to the Poly we used Uber. It cost $8! And it was a really good experience. We will definitely use Uber at Disney again.

We haven't used Uber, and I don't know why, to be honest. We both love talking to random people.

Yay finally an update!! It's okay though, I think everyone seems to hit a lag in their TR updates!

I'm determined to get this done in the next month. If I let it sit too long, it doesn't happen. See "2013".

Can't wait to see what you guys are up to on the next update!

You can, right now!

Thanks for reading!

 

[nilla]

We parted ways again, with Dylan and I jumping on the boat back to Hollywood Studios. It took a few minutes for the boat to arrive, so I snapped a few pics:





Next thing I know, this is happening:



We got inside the park, obviously, but only caught the tail end of that show. I think the name of it is "And Here is Another Star Wars Character - Now Cheer." Great show!

After that, we headed over to Toy Story Midway Mania, or Toy Story Mania, or Guardians of the Galaxy Story Mania, or whatever they're calling it these days. The standby line is only 20 minutes (what?), so in we go! Love that third track. Awesome idea.

Inside, I'm elated to find the Trip Report Day Header Number Shot (tm) for Day 9:



Those always get tougher as the trip goes on.

As we wait in line, I gaze upward at the theming, and notice something interesting. Much of the ceiling is made to appear like the game Chutes and Ladders, but it's the 2016 edition. They cover up a lot of the spaces, but anyone familiar with the game can easily identify those that aren't shown. For example:



What you can't see is this space is connected to a ladder. At the top, the kid has fallen in, but then successfully sued the ice rink for $2 million.

Here's another:



This one is preceded by a ladder from a spot where the kid is injecting human growth hormone.

Another:



The ladder leading to this starts with United States Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy casting the deciding vote in Obergefell v. Hodges.

More:



Yeah, I'm not gonna touch that one. Hey, check it out - Pumpin' Heart!



It's educational! And it's a great sudden distraction from a joke gone bad.

This one is a bit odd:



Laughing at gravity sounds swell and all, but do they really have to separate my head from my body? Sounds like kind of a single-use toy. Look, monkeys!



As we approach the turnstile, in looks like we might get to ride the third track, and thus see the new room. But no go. Sad. Oh well, next time!

The ride goes as usual, with my arm wanting to fall off by the end, and Dylan defeating me by a wide margin. Good job, kid. Good job.

 

[nilla]

Next stop, Launch Bay. Star Wars. For as long as we want. Because no Kristin.



Since Kristin's had enough Star Wars for one trip, we didn't get to spend as much time as we wanted on our first HS day. We planned to make up for it. Lots of photos:





Back at MK:



One photo later, and we're teleporting back to a galaxy far, far away (which is A LOT farther than just far away). Dylan and I opted out of the Kylo Ren and Chewbacca meet and greets, since the lines were too long. Only about 20 minutes, but that was longer than we wanted to wait.

In the gift shop of the Launch Bay, that had this:



The price on it was $FarMoreThanAnyoneIsGoingToSpendInHollywoodStudios.00. Other expensive, cool things:





That last one was great, because it's an exact replica of the much-smaller Boba Fett action figure from the 80s that I owned. Right down the poor-aim gun grip.

We had to send it UPC symbols from other figures to get it. The original figure's rocket could come out, but it was later deemed a choking hazard, so out came the Kragl and the in went the rocket for future products. We never got the free-missile version.

I loved this figure. We had two, in fact. They later went on to become the Tag Team Champions of the Intergalactic Wrestling Federation. Their bouts with the Snowtrooper and AT-AT Driver were legendary.

But enough about that. We look to see if they have a Build-Your-Own Light Saber area, but they do not. Darn. However, Kristin gave us a suggestion at dinner, and we plan to take it: Go to Disney Springs after the fireworks and buy a light saber at Once Upon a Toy. She said they had a ton of parts, and the CMs assured her they don't typically run out.

We exit the area now, mostly because the Storm Troopers have started to harass little kids.





Their job must be fun. One was asking a kid in a stroller if he was with the Resistance. Because, if he was, that would mean he had not pledged allegiance to the First Order. And that's apparently not what they're looking for.

Good stuff.

 

[nilla]

It's getting somewhat close to our Fantasmic(!) Fast Pass opening time, but there's an hour window, so no worries. Let's ride Rock 'n Rollercoaster. Single rider should be relatively quick.

Only it wasn't. It took FOREVER.

Along the way, I realize that the "Dylan" country music sign DIDN'T appear earlier in the day, as I had claimed in the last update:



I don't know why this line took so long, because it wasn't particularly long. But it was getting VERY close to our FastPass end time. It was starting to look like we might not make it.

As we got the the front of the queue, I snapped a shot of a CM I swore was Justin Bieber, but the photo was too dark to confirm.



I think Biebs is like a vampire, and he somehow repels non-sanctioned cameras.

Into the limo now. We rode, we ran, and we did make it to Fantasmic(!). Just in time! With about 3 minutes left.

Up the hill we hiked. When we reached the top and asked a CM where the FP section was. He informed us that there was no FP section, and that you just sat anywhere. Under normal conditions. But not tonight. Because it's standing room only.

What?

Absurd. FPs should be as good as the dinner package. Just awful. We should be guaranteed a seat, IMO.

Neither Dylan nor I feel like standing, so it's off to ride Tower of Terror, complaining to whatever CMs we happened to pass along the way. One particularly friendly CM did reply that she felt Disney should be more clear about that (while smiling and covering her name tag), which made me a little less irritated. At least it wasn't just me.

So onto ToT we went, and then it was off to set up camp for the Star Wars fireworks.

The girls were busy on a runaway mine train. But not a Seven Dwarfs mine train.

 

[nilla]

When Dylan and I reached the HollyHub (tm), there were plenty of good seats for the show. Nice!



Baby S, who rode back in my backpack after dinner, is excited, too:



Dylan's none to happy about that, but too bad. Baby S loves Star Wars fireworks, and doesn't care if she embarrasses 14-year-old boys.

BTW, great show! Ok, let's head out!

 

[nilla]

Wait, hold on - that's it? Where are the photos?



Yeah, I don't know, either!

I probably should talk about the show a little bit more than that. But no photos! Because I took video instead. I don't put those in my TRs, though, because storage space and laziness and what not.

Before the show started, we started talking to a guy in front of us, who revealed that he was an off-duty CM, and that he loves these fireworks. He asks us if we know why the fireworks are launched from beyond the right side of the Chinese Theater, instead of directly behind it...don't know, but he says it's because the entrance to the park will eventually be moved from where it is now to about 45 degrees back and to the left of where we were, facing into the park. Interesting!

The show starts, and it's AWESOME. There's movie footage, music, fireworks, lasers, explosions on movie footage made to look like they were the result of lasers, and a spotlight light saber finale. What more can you ask for?

I know, I know. Photos. Sorry. I really am.

But trust me, the show was really, really cool. Dylan's extra-happy, because the footage showed his (joke) favorite character, Young Anakin. Plus lasers. And explosions.

That was great! Now, let's go get that light saber!

 

[nilla]

I'm not even going to try to narrate this next part. Let's just title it, "Look How Much Fun the Girls Had".

 

[nilla]

But wait, they're not done yet:











I'm guessing the number we can't see because of the glare is not a large one:





























I mean...WOW. How much did they get done? And ALL of that was after Dylan and I had already left Hollywood Studios. Insane! MK early, then back late is the way to go.