How much Christmas can we squeeze into 3 days? Nov/Dec 2015 TR *NEW TR Link 5/18!*

[hokieinpa]

Lunch and Hollywood Studios Hits


After our traumatic last experience ever at the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground, it was time to head in the direction of our lunch ADR. But first, since we were in the area, I suggested we head back and meet our favorite fast car!

There was only one family ahead of us when we got in line. The boys were excited to see Lightning and Mater!



This meet was short and sweet. And I know the "characters" are not interactive but the CMs there could not have been less excited about their job. It was literally "click, click"...next family! But I was happy we got to do this meet before it shut down!

So we left the meet and there was a huge flood of people lining up behind us! Lights, Motors, Action! had just let out and it seemed like everyone with kids decided to meet Lightning after seeing him in the show. Glad we lucked out on the timing with that one!

Since we still had some time, I wanted to check on the meet for Mike and Sulley. The boys love Monsters University and we missed this meet last trip. There were only 2 family's in line do we decided to go ahead and get in the queue. Glad we got it in this time because it's yet another attraction gone from Hollywood Studios!

Sulley gave REALLY good hugs!




Mike isn't quite so cuddly.



Cute family picture.



And monster faces...for some of us at least. Guess Jim didn't get the memo!



After this it was time to go to our lunch ADR!



I checked us in while everyone parked the strollers. It had started to drizzle so we covered up the strollers and went to wait inside. After about 10-15 minutes, we were led to our car. Colin and Jim sat in the front row. Jake and I sat in the middle. And my parents sat with Nate in the last row.

We ordered - burgers for myself, Jim, and my dad, spinach dip for my mom, and chicken nuggets for the boys.

I loved the atmosphere in here! And the movies were a fun distraction!





How cute are Walt and his little friend??

At least some of us enjoyed the movies...

Nate was not a fan of the science fiction movies playing. He doesn't like anything "spooky" or "scary" so he asked for a wall to be built so he wouldn't have to see the screen.



And my parents, being grandparents, did exactly as he asked. The waiter even brought back extra menus to make his "wall" bigger.

I really enjoyed the food here at Sci Fi. The sweet potato fries were amazing!

After paying, I hustled off to change Jake while the others gathered up the strollers. We met back near the center stage area and headed to our next adventure - a first for all of us!




Continued in next post

 

[hokieinpa]

continued from previous post

Now, Nate and Colin were both tall enough to ride Tower of Terror this trip. But remember how Nate was scared of the movies at Sci Fi? A ride on the Tower of Terror was absolutely out of the question! But Colin was totally game. So we grabbed a rider swap pass and Jim and I took Colin through.





We sat in the back row for our first ride. Now, Colin was just 3 years old on this trip. But the boy is a serious thrill seeker and he has declared Tower of Terror to be his favorite ride in all of Walt Disney World.



You can’t really see Colin because of the ears on the lady in front of him. But he had a blast!

We went out to find everyone else after our ride. Jake asleep in the stroller with my dad sitting on a bench. And my mom and Nate nowhere to be found.

My dad said they had gone exploring down Sunset Boulevard. I texted my mom to see if she wanted to come ride or if Nate had changed his mind. She texted back that they were both fine missing the Tower of Terror and wanted to keep shopping. My dad had no interest in riding so Jim, Colin, and I took another ride using the rider swap pass!

And Colin loved it again! We were in the front row this time. And can I just say how hilarious I find this people in the back row of this picture?



After our second ride on the Tower of Terror, we all set off to find my mom and Nate. We found them in line for some churros and frozen lemonade so I was perfectly ok with their little shopping expedition!

Next up was our second ride on Toy Story Midway Mania, this time using FP+! Jake was still asleep in the stroller when we arrived and was content to sleep in my dad’s arms through most of the queue.



Nate was my partner for this round and I was a bit more proud of the score split this time.





We still had some time before our Star Tours FP+ opened up. So we found some quiet tables near High Octane Refreshments and settled in for a rest. The boys ate some snack that I had packed and climbed on the chairs. The adults took a break and cooled off. Because I think I’ve failed to mention just how HOT it was this week! I had been prepared for moderate temperatures with highs in the mid 70s. It was at least 85 everyday!

Once the window opened up for our Star Tours FP+, we headed over in that direction. I sent everyone else through and got a rider swap pass while I waited with Jake. We entertained ourselves while everyone else rode first!

He took a spin on a speeder bike.



Checked out these strange things outside of Tatooine Traders.



And then proceeded to empty every light up, spinning R2D2 off the shelf. I’m sure the CMs were just thrilled with us!



To be fair, I cleaned them up and we purchased one since Jake loved them so much!

I took a picture of the walkway heading towards Muppets and the Streets of America. It was pretty crowded that night!



The rest of our group joined us in Tatooine Traders shortly and it was my turn to ride! Jim and I took Nate and Colin back through with the rider swap pass and my FP+.







Ready to ride!




It was a fun ride, as always! I really enjoyed the new scenes from The Force Awakens since we had seen it the weekend before we left for the trip.


After saving the galaxy, it was time for our first real “Christmas” event of the trip! The Osborne Lights!



Next up - The Osborne Lights

 

[Dugette]

Super cute! Talk about a hug!

And my parents, being grandparents, did exactly as he asked. The waited even brought back extra menus to make his "wall" bigger.

Haha, nice Disney magic there to make the scary screen disappear.

We sat in the back row for our first ride. Now, Colin was just 3 years old on this trip. But the boys is a serious thrill seeker and he has declared Tower of Terror to be his favorite ride in all of Walt Disney World.

That's awesome that he loved it - he really is a thrill seeker!

Cute picture!

And then proceeded to empty every light up, spinning R2D2 off the shelf. I’m sure the CMs were just thrilled with us!

Haha, I bet they are used to it. Izzy has emptied a few shelves of Minnies.

 

[ashw100]

Great update, Nate sounds just like my Connor. He refuses to go back on Tower of Terror because of the ghosts but he actually loves the dropping. Sounds like you had a very productive day. I can't wait to hear what you think of the lights.

 

[hokieinpa]

Super cute! Talk about a hug!

He was very cuddly and the boys loved it!

Haha, nice Disney magic there to make the scary screen disappear.

Right? Nate was perfectly content once the screen was blocked. But he also said "Let's not go back there ever, ok?" So it might be a couple of years before we try it again!

That's awesome that he loved it - he really is a thrill seeker!

Every single day is an adventure and a heart attack with all the crazy stuff he does!

Cute picture!

He was very proud of himself on that speeder bike!

Haha, I bet they are used to it. Izzy has emptied a few shelves of Minnies.

Whatever keeps them entertained, right?

Great update, Nate sounds just like my Connor. He refuses to go back on Tower of Terror because of the ghosts but he actually loves the dropping. Sounds like you had a very productive day. I can't wait to hear what you think of the lights.

I think Nate would like the drops too but is worried about the ghost part. And I'm still trying to convince him to give Haunted Mansion a try but I think that's one that will need to be saved for my solo trip. And we had a really good day - we actually got to do everything I planned which didn't happen last trip!

 

[missangelalexis]

Great character pictures, you lucked out with short lines!

I'm glad you guys had a nice lunch!

Aww I'm so glad Colin loved ToT!

Love those pictures of Jake while everyone else was riding Star Tours, so cute!

 

[NJlauren]

So nice to get in two meets that are now leaving DHS, i feel like adding meets would be a way to decrease the lines on the actual rides, but i don't work for Disney so who knows.

One lucky boy able to do ToT twice with Mom & Dad!

Looks like overall it is shaping up to be a good day!

 

[missjackiemcg]

Aww, Sulley hugs are the very best I'll miss him when he's gone!!

I can't believe Colin went on (and ACTUALLY enjoyed) Tower of Terror!! It's one of my favorites, too, but there's no way Jimmy (6) will be convinced to go on...at least for now! I hope someday he joins me on my faves Also, I LOVE the second ride photo with those poor screaming/crying kids in the front row next to your family.

 

[SnowWhiteOz]

Apologies for being incredibly behind - I've fallen behind on so many TRs that I feel like a Dis failure! I promise to keep more on top of it in the future!

https://flic.kr/p/CQA85F

Now that is adorable!

Nate was not a fan of the science fiction movies playing. He doesn't like anything "spooky" or "scary" so he asked for a wall to be built so he wouldn't have to see the screen.



And my parents, being grandparents, did exactly as he asked. The waiter even brought back extra menus to make his "wall" bigger.

https://flic.kr/p/CPeoMg

Ok this is even cuter than the Sulley pic. The "wall" is amazing.

And Colin loved it again! We were in the front row this time. And can I just say how hilarious I find this people in the back row of this picture?

https://flic.kr/p/DDHyLx
He looks like he's having an absolute ball on the ride

 

[DonnaBeeGood]

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[khertz]

I'm really saddened by how much is being taken away at DHS, especially since I'm not much of a Star Wars fan, so it's not like I am looking forward to what is to come. We missed out seeing Lightning & Mater one last time before it was closed, but we did get to see the Monsters, which was good at least. Sulley does give the BEST hugs!

Love Sci-Fi! I can't wait until DD is a little older so we can eat there again. It was just too tough with a high chair bound kiddo last time we attempted it! lol Had to laugh at Nate's wall. Pretty clever! And way to go Colin on ToT! Pretty impressive that he not only rode once but liked it enough to ride again!! I have a feeling it will be a LONG time before I can convince Paxton to try that one out!!

 

[hokieinpa]

Great character pictures, you lucked out with short lines!

I'm glad you guys had a nice lunch!

Aww I'm so glad Colin loved ToT!

Love those pictures of Jake while everyone else was riding Star Tours, so cute!

We did have great luck with short character waits that day! And I was really happy to get a chance to see Lightning/Mater and Mike/Sulley before those meets went away!

Sci Fi was really good even if Nate wasn't a fan of the movies! And Colin is really excited to ride TOT again!

So nice to get in two meets that are now leaving DHS, i feel like adding meets would be a way to decrease the lines on the actual rides, but i don't work for Disney so who knows.

One lucky boy able to do ToT twice with Mom & Dad!

Looks like overall it is shaping up to be a good day!

I agree that it's going to make lines even longer with all of the character meets and attractions that are being taken away at HS. But maybe less people will be visiting the park, making things more even?

And Colin was very excited to ride twice! I think he would have been happy to go around again even!

Aww, Sulley hugs are the very best I'll miss him when he's gone!!

I can't believe Colin went on (and ACTUALLY enjoyed) Tower of Terror!! It's one of my favorites, too, but there's no way Jimmy (6) will be convinced to go on...at least for now! I hope someday he joins me on my faves Also, I LOVE the second ride photo with those poor screaming/crying kids in the front row next to your family.

Sulley was such a fun meet! I'm happy we got to see him before he left the park!

Colin really surprised me too! I figured he would like the drops but the preshow would scare him too much for a second ride. I'm not sure if it will be something Nate will ride for several years!

Apologies for being incredibly behind - I've fallen behind on so many TRs that I feel like a Dis failure! I promise to keep more on top of it in the future!

Join the club! I feel forever behind on TRs!

Now that is adorable!

Sulley was such a fun meet! I'm glad we got to see him before the meet was closed.

Ok this is even cuter than the Sulley pic. The "wall" is amazing.

It was very effective at blocking out those movies!

He looks like he's having an absolute ball on the ride

He had a blast on TOT! He wasn't even scared of the preshow which surprised me!

Everyone looks like they are just having a riot! I must try at some point to not have a death grip on the hand bars...

It was such a fun ride! It was my first time riding but now I love it. And at least I know Colin will always be happy to be my ride partner!

I'm really saddened by how much is being taken away at DHS, especially since I'm not much of a Star Wars fan, so it's not like I am looking forward to what is to come. We missed out seeing Lightning & Mater one last time before it was closed, but we did get to see the Monsters, which was good at least. Sulley does give the BEST hugs!

I was happy we got both meets in before they closed. And while I'm really excited to see HS in a few years, it's going to be a pretty empty park for a few years. And I'm worried about the waits being longer with so many attractions and character meets being closed.

Love Sci-Fi! I can't wait until DD is a little older so we can eat there again. It was just too tough with a high chair bound kiddo last time we attempted it! lol Had to laugh at Nate's wall. Pretty clever! And way to go Colin on ToT! Pretty impressive that he not only rode once but liked it enough to ride again!! I have a feeling it will be a LONG time before I can convince Paxton to try that one out!!

We started out with Jake in a high chair beside me but it just kept getting in the way so he just hopped up next to me. But that is something much harder with a baby! Nate was really not a fan of those movies but a much happier guy just focusing on coloring his menu!

I was really surprised that Colin wasn't scared of the preshow! He might be my partner for Haunted Mansion too!

 

[hokieinpa]

Hello and Goodbye to the Osborne Lights


It was finally time for our first and last look at The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights!

We made our way from Star Tours over to the Streets of America. It was quite crowded on the sidewalks so I led our party about halfway down the street and found what I thought was a pretty decent spot.



This spot might do, I thought. I had wanted to see them turn on so I was hoping we might catch a glimpse from here.



Now if you have seen the Osborne Lights turn on you'll know why this was funny. I had just randomly selected a spot right in front of the big tree and switch where the whole lighting ceremony happens! Lucky guess!

We parked ourselves and waited. And as we waited it got quite crowded.




At 5:55 exactly, the lights turned on...

and they were AMAZING! Everything I had imagined and more!





There will be quite the flood of pictures in this post!





I was in totally awe. And then they began to dance! Standing there in the street, watching the lights dance with the snow falling all around I had chills and tears and it was just perfect!

I took a few short videos if you're interested.

More pictures!





My parents and Jake enjoyed the lights!



We held the boys while standing still but they had to sit in the stroller when we were walking around because the crowds were so crazy.


I saw quite a few PhotoPass photographers set up to take pictures but the lines were really long. I knew we had a limited amount of time to explore the lights before our dinner ADR and I didn't want to spend that time in line. So we snapped a quick picture ourselves!



See those light necklaces the boys are wearing? No way I was paying $14.95 in the parks. Those are Five Below steals at like $3 each.

We walked around some more and enjoyed looking for Hidden Mickeys and other fun little surprises!







My mom and I got separated from Jim and my dad with one of the strollers so we found a somewhat open area and waited it out. That's when I noticed that one of our crew had fallen asleep.



A full day in the park had taken it's toll on him! Not letting go of that bag of goldfish though...

I took another picture of the "Peace on Earth" display because it was my Mom's favorite.



We finally met up with everyone and continued our walk through the lights and found some more fun surprises! Roger Rabbit!



And Stitch!




A couple of Hidden Mickeys.






And this cute family was hanging around too!

[url=https://flic.kr/p/CpBy7y]https://flic.kr/p/CpBy7yhttps://flic.kr/p/CpBy7y

One final look and we say goodbye to the Osborne Lights.

https://flic.kr/p/CqceYm

This trip was planned before Disney announced the end of the Osborne Lights. I was very happy that we got a chance to see them in their final year. It was amazing and I really hope they come back in some form after construction settles down.[URL='https://flic.kr/p/DkntJw']

Next up

It's Minnie's Dinner but Daisy steals the show![/url][/URL]

 

[DonnaBeeGood]

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[missangelalexis]

So funny that you picked the right spot to stand in by chance!

Love all your pictures! I'm so glad you got a chance to see the lights before they went away and that you enjoyed them so much

 

[KathyM2]

Those lights are amazing! I'm so sad that I never saw them. You got some awesome pics though!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

You are smart getting to the lights early, sounds like it made the crowds a bit more bearable.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Seems like a really fun day!

My oldest is the same as Nate in that she is tall enough for Tower of Terror but doesn't like "scary" elements ... so now I am a little worried about our planned meal at Sci-Fi, but hopefully it will be ok.

That's cool you got to see the new scenes in Star Tours right after seeing the new movie

We've never gone during the holidays so never got to see the Osborne lights but I know how much a lot of people love them so I too hope they (or something like that) returns when the park is done with construction

 

[MissMaryQC]

I somehow missed an entire update!!! Caught up now though!

Nate was not a fan of the science fiction movies playing. He doesn't like anything "spooky" or "scary" so he asked for a wall to be built so he wouldn't have to see the screen.

THis is adorable. I'm glad the CM was able to help with further wall construction.

I really enjoyed the food here at Sci Fi. The sweet potato fries were amazing!

Wasn't it yummy?! We loved it too.

he has declared Tower of Terror to be his favorite ride in all of Walt Disney World.

What a little daredevil!

this is the cutest photo ever!

We found them in line for some churros and frozen lemonade so I was perfectly ok with their little shopping expedition!

Nice! I wouldn't have minded that either!

He's too cute!

I had been prepared for moderate temperatures with highs in the mid 70s. It was at least 85 everyday!

OOF, that's brutal. And there is not much you can do to cool off, minus a swim.

To be fair, I cleaned them up and we purchased one since Jake loved them so much!

That little R2 is too much. Does it drive you crazy? My mom snuck one as a Christmas gift for DD this past year and she loves it. The yell at the beginning, I can't.

It was finally time for our first and last look at The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights!

I'm glad you guys got to see it!

At 5:55 exactly, the lights turned on...

and they were AMAZING! Everything I had imagined and more!

Cool! What good luck to pick such a great spot!

I was in totally awe. And then they began to dance! Standing there in the street, watching the lights dance with the snow falling all around I had chills and tears and it was just perfect!

I totally had chills and tears just reading this.

So we snapped a quick picture ourselves!

Adorable!

Can't wait to see how you guys enjoyed dinner!!

 

[hokieinpa]

You're so smart! So glad you got to enjoy the lights one more time, I will always remember enjoying the lights on my last visit and eating roasted nuts in the chilly fall air, listening to the music and just "being". Fabulous!

I was lucky to pick that spot! I just squeezed in and may have made a few people around me upset but I really had no idea it was right in front of the switch. It was just an open spot.

And I really loved everything about the lights. The atmosphere was amazing and people were singing and dancing. Perfection!

So funny that you picked the right spot to stand in by chance!

Love all your pictures! I'm so glad you got a chance to see the lights before they went away and that you enjoyed them so much

It was a really lucky pick and totally random! But it worked for us!

I was so happy we got a chance to see the lights at least once. I think Hollywood Studios will feel very empty next Christmas without them.

Those lights are amazing! I'm so sad that I never saw them. You got some awesome pics though!

I was so happy we got a chance to see them! And I really hope they bring them back in some form!

You are smart getting to the lights early, sounds like it made the crowds a bit more bearable.

I liked the moment of watching them turn on! And the middle of the street was crowded but if you moved to the edges of the lights it was much better!

Seems like a really fun day!

We had a great day at Hollywod Studios and got to hit most of the highlights! Plus do a few things before they went away for good.

My oldest is the same as Nate in that she is tall enough for Tower of Terror but doesn't like "scary" elements ... so now I am a little worried about our planned meal at Sci-Fi, but hopefully it will be ok.

Nate has a very low tolerance for anything spooky. Some episodes of Jake and the Neverland Pirates scare him so I think he may be the exception versus the rule. And if Olivia is having a rough time, a wall of menus works wonders apparently!

That's cool you got to see the new scenes in Star Tours right after seeing the new movie

I liked The Force Awakes scenes. Nate and Colin even recognized BB-8 and Finn even though they haven't seen the movie!

We've never gone during the holidays so never got to see the Osborne lights but I know how much a lot of people love them so I too hope they (or something like that) returns when the park is done with construction

The lights were a really amazing experience. We have a "tacky light" contest in my hometown so I'm used to excessive displays of lights but this was something really amazing. The lights, the music, the snow...very special Disney moment that I hope they can bring back someday!