The Dark Side, DVC Stay, Hoop Dee Doo & More-APRIL 2015 Trip Report***Completed 8/23***

[buzzrelly]

I just found your report and am loving it!
Your part on Universal seriously made me go to their website to check tickets prices to see if we could fit it in next trip
Ahh Rice Krispie treats are my favorite too! Yours look awesome

Can't wait to read more !

Thanks! That Universal trip was 9 years in the making! It never seemed to be the right time and it just didn't seem right (for us) to leave in the MIDDLE of our stay at WDW to go to UO/IOA. Going there BEFORE our WDW trip was perfect for us! You can probably get a great deal because it seems as though you go at non-peak times. We are stuck with April vacations for the foreseeable future and have to shell our some big bucks because of that . I loved staying on site there and highly recommend it if you can afford it!

I clicked on YOUR trip report from your signature, and I hate mine now HAHA! JK…but seriously…I do! You are so funny and have such details! I will definitely take better (Some? Any??) notes next time to remember details for my next TR! Plus, you were smart and started young, so you will have all of your TRs from now until you're old…like me!

Oh, and ya…CONGRATULATIONS on your engagement! I showed your pics to my DH this morning and told him, "now, THAT is a proposal!" You and your DF are adorable! I wish you many years of happiness together!

Hi there! Joining in! I am enjoying your TR I'll be staying with my son (he'll be 7 at the time) at BLT for the first time in Dec 2016 so I'm happy to hear ya'll liked it!

Looks like a great trip so far - Hoop de doo is a tradition of ours so I'm excited to see what you guys thought of it! Looking forward to reading more!

If you've never stayed at The CR or BLT, then you're are going to be surprised how convenient being able to walk to and from the MK really is! With a 7 year old, I imaging you'll be spending a good amount of time there! So awesome! I can't believe with so many trips behind us that we waited so long to try Hoop Dee Doo! But I am kind of glad we did because I love always having new things to try while we are there!

 

[buzzrelly]

My kids enjoyed disney quest and of course goofys kitchen!!

DQ is definitely a kid thing! My kids have always loved it there too! In most cases, it makes me sad that they are growing up so fast, but NOT when it comes to DQ!! I am SOOOOO happy that they are finally at an age to go there by themselves!

 

[buzzrelly]

Day 6-April 14, 2015
Part 1
Droppin' it at DHS

DHS has always been our second favorite park. I know, I know…it doesn't get any love on these boards. And honestly, lately, I can see why since they've been closing so many attractions. But, no matter…we still love this park and like to get here before rope drop because they generally allow people to enter the park around 8:45am or so.

I think I've mentioned that DM tends to be a bit of a poke in the morning. This morning I think she really needed to be pokey and she told us to go on ahead without her. I was a little nervous leaving her behind, but she assured me she knew what to do, i.e.. walk to the bus stop and get on the right bus. So we left and were waiting out by the bus by 7:52 am…


And were in line at DHS by 8:19 am…and we were not even first in line! There were bunches of people ahead of us! I guess most people know about the "secret" by now…


Our plan is the same every time we go…head straight to TSM and ride and maybe re-ride. We have had success with this in the past, even with DM with us. But I have to say, it was WAY easier to walk fast to TSM without waiting for DM. And I think she was way happier not to have to try to keep up with us and just go at her own pace.

We rode TSM and looked at the stand-by line when we got off, but it was already getting long so we decided to skip it and just wait to ride again with our FP+ later in the day. Woody and Buzz didn't have a line yet so we went over to meet them. DS was reluctant to go, but he was being a good sport about it until Woody and Buzz started kidding him about his mustache. He's got this little bit of peach fuzz on his upper lip. I didn't think it was too noticeable but Buzz noticed it right away and he pointed it out to Woody. The whole thing was very funny and cute…UNLESS you are a 13 year-old boy, apparently. Then it's totally humiliating, and OBVIOUSLY, the 13 year-old boy's mother's fault (Isn't everything?) for making him go meet them in the first place. Sheesh! He was SO mad…at me! Maybe because DD and I were laughing, but I thought he thought it was funny too! Here are the pics…








LOL! I thought they were hysterical, but DS was ready to spit nails and was blaming me for the whole thing. He wouldn't even get in this picture after…


Or this one…


I was feeling REALLY bad and didn't want to see him so upset. To make it up to him, I offered to do something I absolutely HATE! Can you guess what it might be?

Stay tuned…

 

[buzzrelly]

Day 6, April 14, 2015
Part 2
Rock N' Roller Coaster


So DS was furious with me and I was trying to do damage control so I told him that if he would stop being mad at me, I would go on his absolute favorite ride, even though it might scare me to death! So here we go…Rock N' Roller Coaster!

I have a DEATH grip on those handles and I couldn't keep my eyes open for ANY of the ride! I look pretty chill though, don't I?! I must've found my happy place in my head because I know I didn't feel very chill! Look at that smile on DS though! And he was happy for the rest of the day too, so my small sacrifice was TOTALLY worth it! And of course, DD was loving every minute of it from up in the front seat!

Boy! all this drama and it wasn't even 10 am!



We had a much happier walk back down Sunset Boulevard on our way to Star Tours…





I just LOVE this whole area of the park . I think it's part of why I love DHS. I think the theming is so well done and really reminds me of Hollywood, CA, especially those big, tall Palm Trees. I always admire how they planted them just here.

Anyway, we made it over to Star Tours, another one of DS favorite rides. DD and I love it too…




and we always ride many, many times to see how many different versions we can see. I can't wait until they make more Star Wars areas at DHS, or whatever they are going to call it. I think DS will be super excited too since he is a HUGE Star Wars fan!


After we rode Star Tours a couple of times, DM called and told us she made it there. Yay!! And Phew!! I had my doubts but she made it, and I was so relieved!

Up next, getting silly with The Muppets, and then Lunch

 

[ariane37]

DS turned 13 in April so I too am finding out just how fun boys at that age can be My stepsons at that age were only with us weekends so I didn't get to experience ALL the fun lol!
Just going to say........HS is MY FAVORITE PARK I don't care how unpopular that is, I'm not ashamed to admit it! I too understand why so many people aren't feeling it lately, but as I've said before, I have high hopes that when all is said and done it will be given the love by guests that it deserves Fingers crossed!

 

[PRomano]

I love rnr but can't ride star tours!

 

[Trose25]

Looks like so much fun! I love all the pictures

 

[jwwi]

I am enjoying your TR, DHS is my 2nd favorite too, and sometimes my favorite.....

 

[buzzrelly]

DS turned 13 in April so I too am finding out just how fun boys at that age can be My stepsons at that age were only with us weekends so I didn't get to experience ALL the fun lol!
Just going to say........HS is MY FAVORITE PARK I don't care how unpopular that is, I'm not ashamed to admit it! I too understand why so many people aren't feeling it lately, but as I've said before, I have high hopes that when all is said and done it will be given the love by guests that it deserves Fingers crossed!

I am having to learn a whole new way of parenting, and yet, there are times when DS can be very funny and I can almost catch a glimpse of the adult he is becoming, which keeps life interesting!

I think we need to create a secret support group for all of us DHS lovers!

I love rnr but can't ride star tours!

Really?! Is it the 3-D/motion simulation? If so, then you wouldn't like too many rides at Universal-it seems like they are ALL like that!

Looks like so much fun! I love all the pictures

I am no photographer, but I LOVE taking pictures! I'm sure some would say I take too many

I am enjoying your TR, DHS is my 2nd favorite too, and sometimes my favorite.....

You can join our secret DHS lovers club! I can't wait to see what they are going to do with it!!

 

[LanaBear-ox]

Joining in on your TR! Loving it so far and can't wait to see the next instalment!

 

[buzzrelly]

Joining in on your TR! Loving it so far and can't wait to see the next instalment!

Thanks for joining in, and !!

 

[buzzrelly]

Day 6-April 14, 2015
Part 3
It's Time to Play the Music

Seriously, these guys don't get the LOVE they deserve! Well, we all LOVE them and think they are super silly and funny! Here is another reason we love DHS…

And, of course, we had to look for the key under the mat…

The little pre-show is as funny (maybe funnier!) than the actual movie…






We were all hungry and looking forward to lunch at our favorite QS in DHS…another place that the majority of people on here hate, but we LOVE…

Pizza Planet! We eat here every trip and have always enjoyed our meals…and I am a super fuss about the pizza I eat, so I don't understand all the hate. But this was another yummy meal and we will definitely keep coming back!

We were full and needing to walk off some of those fattening pizza calories so we took a stroll around the Streets of America and took some pics…





…which, apparently, made us hungry again because then THIS happened…


I'm sure in any other "WORLD," this makes me a bad mom, but is kind of par for the course in Disney WORLD! DM and I restrained ourselves from getting anything because we were still too full from lunch, but those cupcakes at Starring Rolls sure looked tempting!!

Up next, Let me draw you a picture…

 

[buzzrelly]

Day 6-April 14, 2015
Part 4
Let Me Draw You a Picture

Another family favorite activity is drawing at the Animation Academy. We do this every trip and we end up having these fantastic souvenirs to go home with. I actually prefer the lady that used to be there that we haven't seen in a couple of years. She used to just start drawing and we had to guess what we were drawing as we followed along. This lady is a good artist but she tells us ahead of time who we were going to draw which isn't as much fun. No matter, DD just loves drawing and is actually pretty good at it. The rest of us are TERRIBLE artists, but usually end up with fairly decent drawings…well, except for maybe DM...

(Don't mind DD's crazy eyes in the above pic…scary!)

We got SO silly in here after we saw what DM's drawing came out like! DD and DS couldn't stop laughing! I didn't think it was (that) terrible

It was finally about time for our Fast Pass reservations. First…





The kids LOVE this ride. I was going to try to go on but I went on once with DS when he was 4 because he told me it wasn't scary and I believed him…what was I thinking listening to a 4 year-old?! Anyway, I though that maybe since I had finally gotten on EE, I wouldn't be so scared of TOT, but when we got over there I chickened out at the last minute. It kind of works out better this way anyway because the kids love TOT and this way they got to ride twice, by coming down and switching out their Magic Bands for mine and DM's. DM and I went and sat on the benches near the Photo Pass area. It's a very relaxing place to sit and it has the added bonus of having a plug so I was able to charge my iPhone.

After the kids rode twice, we moved on to our second Fast Pass for the day…

Star Tours (again). See! I told you we could ride it over and over!

And our third Fast Pass…




Dm didn't get to ride it in the morning with us so this was her only TSM ride this day, and actually, this trip since the next time we had a FP for it, the whole ride shut down and they booted us out. More on that later.

We had booked the F! dining package at Mama Melrose and it was early so we headed over there. On the way we were kind of dragging and decided that maybe we should skip F! So when we got to MM we asked if that was a possibility and since we were paying OOP anyway, they said we didn't have to do the F! package. This was also good because DM and I were still full from lunch and wanted to split a salad and an entree. I didn't even get a picture of any of the dinner but it was all very good. We have never had a bad meal at MM and this was no exception. Here are the only MM pics I took…




To be continued…

 

[PRomano]

Thanks for the update!

 

[HomeSweetDisney]

If you've never stayed at The CR or BLT, then you're are going to be surprised how convenient being able to walk to and from the MK really is! With a 7 year old, I imaging you'll be spending a good amount of time there! So awesome! I can't believe with so many trips behind us that we waited so long to try Hoop Dee Doo! But I am kind of glad we did because I love always having new things to try while we are there!

Yes, I love the location to MK! That's one of the things I am most excited about - I haven't stayed at Contemporary since I was a little girl. We stayed there on our first ever trip when I was 4 so to be staying there now with my own son will be such a nice thing

Love all the Hollywood Studios updates! I always like to do the drawing class too but I am awful at it so mine probably looks similar to your mom's drawing

And I'm with you! I've always like Pizza Planet! There's just something about Disney pizza My family usually doesn't like eating there but since it'll just be me and my son this next trip looks like we will probably make a stop there!

We had the same issue with Fantasmic last time too - everyone was tired, hot, etc and we ended up skipping it. I am determined to see it next time though because it's been years since I've seen it. We'll be there in early Dec so hopefully the weather will be pleasant too

 

[ariane37]

We've had that Animator in your picture so many times at the Animation Academy. I really like her But, the first year we did it, we had a woman who made us guess who we were drawing. Only had her that one time and I agree it was definitely fun that way! I also prefer when we get to vote on who to draw as opposed to the Animator just telling us who it'll be; even though we sometimes end up drawing a character we've drawn before, it's nice to take a vote. Those CM's are incredible- I can't draw a straight line with a ruler, but somehow I manage a fairly decent Disney character whenever I do the AA lol!!

 

[buzzrelly]

Yes, I love the location to MK! That's one of the things I am most excited about - I haven't stayed at Contemporary since I was a little girl. We stayed there on our first ever trip when I was 4 so to be staying there now with my own son will be such a nice thing

Love all the Hollywood Studios updates! I always like to do the drawing class too but I am awful at it so mine probably looks similar to your mom's drawing

And I'm with you! I've always like Pizza Planet! There's just something about Disney pizza My family usually doesn't like eating there but since it'll just be me and my son this next trip looks like we will probably make a stop there!

We had the same issue with Fantasmic last time too - everyone was tired, hot, etc and we ended up skipping it. I am determined to see it next time though because it's been years since I've seen it. We'll be there in early Dec so hopefully the weather will be pleasant too

DHS ends up being a really long day for us since we get up so early for Rope Drop. I was thinking of maybe doing 2 half-days next trip with one day just like this one and another day, getting to the park later and staying for F!. The more we go, the more flexible we get and I didn't feel bad skipping it because there is always next time!

We've had that Animator in your picture so many times at the Animation Academy. I really like her But, the first year we did it, we had a woman who made us guess who we were drawing. Only had her that one time and I agree it was definitely fun that way! I also prefer when we get to vote on who to draw as opposed to the Animator just telling us who it'll be; even though we sometimes end up drawing a character we've drawn before, it's nice to take a vote. Those CM's are incredible- I can't draw a straight line with a ruler, but somehow I manage a fairly decent Disney character whenever I do the AA lol!!

That must be the same woman we had…she was awesome! But it's fun there no matter what! Isn't it crazy how they can get us non-artistic people to draw a decent picture? Must be all part of that Disney Magic!

 

[ariane37]

Have you heard Animation Academy is closing in a couple weeks? That makes me really sad I believe from what I've read that it's supposed to be re-opened with the ability to hold more people. Not sure if it will be open again in the near future, or if they mean it'll be back when all the changes/additions/etc. at HS are done, but I'm not planning on it being open for our Nov. trip, unfortunately. Glad you got it in on this trip!

 

[buzzrelly]

Have you heard Animation Academy is closing in a couple weeks? That makes me really sad I believe from what I've read that it's supposed to be re-opened with the ability to hold more people. Not sure if it will be open again in the near future, or if they mean it'll be back when all the changes/additions/etc. at HS are done, but I'm not planning on it being open for our Nov. trip, unfortunately. Glad you got it in on this trip!

Jeez! I just read that! It's terrible news! But I really hope it does reopen and it does so by next April! DD will be devastated when I tell her

I also saw that Disney Quest is closing and they are turning it into the NBA Experience. Ugh…another terrible idea. My kids both love DQ but have absolutely zero interest in the NBA. I cannot imagine that a place like that would appeal to the masses.

 

[ariane37]

Jeez! I just read that! It's terrible news! But I really hope it does reopen and it does so by next April! DD will be devastated when I tell her

I also saw that Disney Quest is closing and they are turning it into the NBA Experience. Ugh…another terrible idea. My kids both love DQ but have absolutely zero interest in the NBA. I cannot imagine that a place like that would appeal to the masses.

I haven't told my boys yet that Animation Academy is closing....since we still have over 4 months, I'm going to hope it reopens in some way!
My boys are actually very into the NBA as they both play in numerous leagues, BUT, I know similar places at Universal haven't done well. They did enjoy DQ the one time they went.......so many changes at once