"Through the force, things you will see" - Two May 2014 Trips - Complete

[Dis_Yoda]

Feel The Force - Celebrity Motorcade Part 1

When we got to Min and Bill’s Dockside Diner, the line was long. We were almost to that couture shop as a decent amount of people were ahead of us but within 15 minutes we were inside with our wristbands & free to get our drinks and ice cream. It was only a choice of Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Water, Strawberry Ice Bars & Mickey Bars.

I got a water & a Mickey Bar. My husband had a Mickey Bar & a diet coke. These are unlimited during the portion but we only got 1 ice cream each but we did take advantage of getting multiple beverages!

It was still about 30 minutes until the motorcade started so we enjoyed the banter between the Stormtroopers & the threats from Boba Fett until the parade hosts took the stage about 10 minutes prior to the start. While this was going on, Shaun & I were discussing the plans for the afternoon with lunch & our FP+ selections for Star Tours & the Stars of the Saga. He had no desire to stay in the park until almost 4:00PM. I ended up switching our Stars of the Saga FP+ to RnRC after dinner and we figured we would just ‘lose’ our Star Tours one and let it be. After lunch, we could just head back to the hotel to relax.

The hosts weren’t as funny as they were trying to be. The stormtroopers are much more witty!

Right at 11:30, Disney Star Wars Characters led the way!

I was starting to get annoyed while taking pictures. As we didn’t line up super early for the Feel the Force package, we weren’t right at the front line. The people in the front row would not stop moving. The dad & mom kept switching who was standing where and changing their stances significantly. Everytime they did this, I ended up missing shots I wanted or some would turn out way more blurry than I would have wanted as it didn’t focus right. You can see the sides of them throughout the motorcade photos.

This little kid was super excited as the 501st was about to start marching!
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[Dis_Yoda]

Feel The Force - Celebrity Motorcade Part 2 - 501st

It amazes me how detailed this fan made costumes are!

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[Dis_Yoda]

Feel The Force - Celebrity Motorcade Part 3 - Celebrities & Classic Characters

Ashley Eckstein (Ahsoka Tano - Star Wars: The Clone Wars)

Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger - Star Wars Rebels)

Ray Park (Darth Maul)

John Ratzenberger (Major Bren Derlin)

James Arnold Taylor (Obi-Wan Kenobi - Star Wars: The Clone Wars)

At the end of the motorcade, James Arnold Taylor did a musical number where he sang about all the events going on that afternoon, including encouraging everyone there to instagram their pictures as that might be included in the big finale at the end of the day.

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[Dis_Yoda]

The Lazy Afternoon

At the end of the parade & show, the main stage area was a little bit chaotic. We stood off to the side for a few moments to try to avoid the crowds; however, they then announced that the motorcade would be going back down Hollywood Blvd so we knew we needed to cross to avoid missing lunch. Luckily, it wasn’t too horrible while playing walk against the traffic flow except for being forced to do a U-Turn around the sidewalk.

When we arrived at the Brown Derby they had just opened so the lobby was really crowded, Shaun stayed outside while I checked us in.

Our ADR was for 12:35PM but even checking in 30 minutes early, we only had to wait about 10 minutes to be seated at a 2 top on the back side of the restaurant. We looked over the menu & both were glad they still had the lighter fare lunch menu in addition to the all day dining. When they first switched to the all day dining menu, we really stopped enjoying Brown Derby as it was too heavy for a lunch. The light menu is just right!

I got the martini sampler.

A Vodka Martini, A Gin Martini & a Pomegranate Martini. I still really don’t like gin but the other two hit the spot!

For our main meal, we both ended up with the same choice. The other difference was that Shaun got chicken & I didn’t get any additional protein added.

We both loved our dishes. It was exactly what we wanted. We skipped dessert & headed out of Hollywood Studios. The Boat was at the dock so we took the dock to the Swan/Dolphin & then walked to the Boardwalk. We looked at the headshots that were given to us at the beginning of Feel the Force:

And then relaxed for a bit. I got bored & headed to the pool as it wasn’t raining yet.

See how lovely that hot tub is? Sadly, shortly after that picture was taken & I got in to enjoy it, 4 unsupervised young children got in & disturbed the relaxation. I then jumped in the main pool for a while but it was also really crowded. I just went back to the room & changed into my gym clothes and headed to the gym as my husband was already there.

I got 28 minutes done on the bike & my husband was also done so we headed back to the room to wash up and relax before dinner. I got a nice 30 minute nap in!

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[momabaarjo]

Despite the jostling of people in front of you...I would say you got some pretty good shots! Now only if I knew who all of them were sure my boys could tell me and feel me in!

Love the drinks at BD and the food looks yummy too!

Not so good about the hot tub! I tend to over watch my children when it comes to public places because I don't want them or their actions bothering other people. I am a fun hater as they say lots, but being respectful is a lot more important to me. So love the pictures at BW...my favorite resort of all that I have stayed at! Makes me really homesick!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Despite the jostling of people in front of you...I would say you got some pretty good shots! Now only if I knew who all of them were sure my boys could tell me and feel me in!

Love the drinks at BD and the food looks yummy too!

Not so good about the hot tub! I tend to over watch my children when it comes to public places because I don't want them or their actions bothering other people. I am a fun hater as they say lots, but being respectful is a lot more important to me. So love the pictures at BW...my favorite resort of all that I have stayed at! Makes me really homesick!

Thanks! I think I'm my own worst critic sometimes as I know the photos could have been better. I don't know the names of all of them either but I'm sure my husband does. I mean he listens to all the books. I've just seen the movies a handful of times.

I love BD's lunch & we all know I love my alcohol. I actually didn't get as many drinks this time around but thats probably good for the budget.

I know its Disney & there will be children. There is no such thing as over watching your children at Disney! If anything, it seems there is an under watching going on at the pools in general. Its why I usually stick to the quiet pools over the main pools at the hotels.

Have you picked where you are staying for PHM?

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Mmmm, steak

Sometime after 5:00PM, we headed downstairs to walk over to the Yacht Club.

My husband hates when I take selfies @ Disney as its the only place I do such a thing

It was nice out for the leisurely stroll we took around the lake.

When we checked in at the Yachtsman, we got to see the meat actually being portioned out.

We waited only a few moments until we were shown to a table by the window. Our server quickly stopped by for our drink orders, commenting on our Star Wars name tags.

Menu

Our drinks!

Glowtini

I’m really glad they didn’t get rid of that drink when the Year of the Million Dreams ended.

Angry Orchard

Our appetizers!

Shrimp & Grits

This was way better than the shrimp & grits at Sci-Fi the day before. The creole butter gives the shrimp a great kick along with the grits actually having flavor on their own!

Caesar Salad

My husband was happy with his salad.

For our entrees, we got the same thing, just with different sides.

Filet

I had the white cheddar twice baked potato. My husband had the mashed potatoes. Our filets were cooked to the correct temperature that we ordered ours (medium rare for me, medium for him)

We skipped on dessert as we knew we would have lots to choose from with Feel the Force around 8:30PM:

We paid & began our slow stroll to Hollywood Studios to make sure that we had room to enjoy those desserts.

Ducks!

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[Dis_Yoda]

Feel the Force - Dessert Edition

After getting into the park, we still had about 90 minutes until we needed to get in line for the dessert party.

We had set up a FP+ for us for RnRC; however, when we got there Shaun didn’t feel like going on a roller coaster on a full stomach. He stayed on a bench!

This worked well for me as I didn’t have to carry anything onto the ride! He kept my phone & camera. The ride had a minor shut down while I was in line to board but it only took about 10 minutes to clear & be on my way back out to Shaun. We still had time to kill, so we headed to see what the wait for Star Tours was but it was at 30 minutes. I remembered we hadn’t used our 2nd Tier 2 FP & I switched it on my phone to 8:00 to 9:00! We then headed to my favorite show in Hollywood Studios - Muppet Vision 3D! The show was just about to load when we walked in so our timing couldn’t have been better!

We shopped a bit but didn’t buy anything until it was time for our next FP+ at Star Tours!

This guy isn’t really good at his job

We were sent to the last transported to wait in a line for loading but the group that just loaded was being pulled off the ride. It seemed F didn’t want to work anymore tonight. Too much work on Star Wars Weekends for it to handle, I guess. They were leading our group to another transport but as we were a party of 2 - we were stolen to fill a group that was about to load. Works for us!

After this we walked to the line that had gathered for the dessert party. It was wrapped around but we weren’t too worried as being Fireworks, they would be in the sky anyway! There are also only so many desserts we could eat anyway.

The line started moving right at 8:30PM & it didn’t take long to get inside. First stop was for some cocktails. I had The Force & Shaun had a Jedi Mind Trick. I think I picked the better of the two.

We then went through the buffet to pick up some snacks. When we got our snacks, all tables were taken & Shaun wanted to claim the trash can. I didn’t want to eat off a trash can so I went up to a table taken by 3 grown adult males & asked if we could share. There wasn’t a problem at all! The group of them amused me though as they were very stereotypical - the super star wars fan who was friendly & singing badly, the quiet nerd who wasn’t sure of himself & their friend who I think was just along for the ride. Of all people to share the tables with, they were probably the best fit for us!

Another Bad Disney Selfie

As we all were enjoying our desserts & selfies, there was a DJ having a dance party.

The problem was he looked exactly like Lord Varys which made me giggle.

The entire dance party, I don’t think I saw this mom stop moving and grooving. I’m not sure she even got to enjoy her desserts. Disney was also really good at patrolling the area as someone tried to sneak in & they got them out quickly!

Before the fireworks, JAT came back out to do the finale show.

Right at 9:45, the fireworks started!

As someone that generally hates firework shows, these were enjoyable. Its my favorite of the Disney fireworks for sure!

I also enjoyed the Feel the Force Package. Unlimited drinks, desserts, ice cream & not being in a super crowded area were well worth the $50.

After the fireworks, we left with the crowds flooding out of Hollywood Studios & we walked back to the Boardwalk where it was time for bed!

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[Dis_Yoda]

Playing Games

We woke up @ 6:30AM to get the room packed up and ready to leave for the day. The sun was coming up!

The only time I went on the balcony all trip

Last Disney Selfie!

We left around 7:15AM to head over to the Contemporary for breakfast. We had made reservations the day before at The Wave. We were running a bit late for us as we didn’t get to the parking lot until exactly our reservation time @ 7:30AM but that turned out to not a big deal. They hadn’t yet opened the restaurant when we got there. Shortly, they opened & the two other parties that were waiting and us were quickly seated at our tables.

While they tried to push the buffet, it seemed overpriced for us as neither of us really eat enough breakfast to make it worth it.

Shaun had the basic breakfast plate.

Eggs, freshly cooked, chicken sausage, potatoes, biscuit. Everything he likes about breakfast.

I apparently was on a kick of something this trip as I think I ate something like this every day.

Grits! This time with bacon & cheese. These weren’t as good as the Yachtman’s but still better than Sci-Fi’s.

I also had a side of bacon but the bacon was so rubbery I didn’t really eat it after a piece. Bacon should not have to be chewed like leather.

We finished breakfast rather quickly & were done prior to 8AM. Shaun didn’t want to head to the Magic Kingdom that early so we walked around the Contemporary & walked into the Arcade to play. We loaded $5 onto a card & try to win some tickets.

I ended playing the Alpine Ski game similar to what I used to rock at when I was in middle/high school.

Not as good as I used to be but it was still fun!

Once we spent our $5.00, we headed up to the monorail to kill some more time until we got to the Magic Kingdom for our single FP+ that mattered - Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.

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[Dis_Yoda]

Do we get to ride?

We got to Magic Kingdom right as it opened at 9:00AM. Boy, it was crowded & the lines were deep getting in! Usually we are there prior to rope drop enough that we never have to see how bad it really can get trying to funnel in @ opening time.

Our first mission was to look at Sir Mickey’s to see if they had a stuffed Olaf. 1 for me. 1 for the daughter of the person that was watching our dogs. They didn’t have any They did have a singing Olaf toy that we debated on buying for that daughter but Shaun was nervous without talking to the dad first b/c we were sure it would get annoying. We decided against it but have since talked to the father & was told to get it as it was annoy his ex & he’s ok with that. Works for us! The Frozen selection was actually pretty decent this morning with the dolls & toys.

After we didn’t buy anything, we headed to the FP+ for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.

The problem was, the line wasn’t moving. The line hadn’t yet opened for the day as they hadn’t gotten the all clear. Some people in the FP+ line were getting cranky & left the line (which helped us move more to the front) and I haven’t any idea how the other line for standby felt as it was wrapped all around the entrance.

We watched the maintenance guys get to ride the coaster & the managers in the suits hang out around the opening. It took about 20 minutes until us normal park goers were given the ‘all clear’ and allowed to board.

The one thing awesome was that with the people leaving the FP+ line, we were on the first train for guests of the day! It also wasn’t even filled all the way as the standby people hadn’t made it to the front yet through their queue.

I enjoyed the ride but think its a good ‘bridge’ between Barnstorm & Thunder Mountain for the younger set. Once the hype dies down, I won’t go on it without a FP+ or wait in a line longer than about 20/30 minutes for it.
We shopped down Main Street on the way out & I did buy one thing for me:

My first Alex & Ani bracelet.

We walked back to our car @ the Contemporary & Shaun drove home after a quick stop at the gas station.

We were home in 3 hours.
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[MidnightParade]

What a cool pic of you guys in the window reflection at the Mine Train!!

SWW looked pretty awesome! That dessert part seemed like a lot of fun and yummy!

Sad to see a trip end but there is always the next to get excited for now!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

What a cool pic of you guys in the window reflection at the Mine Train!!

SWW looked pretty awesome! That dessert part seemed like a lot of fun and yummy!

Sad to see a trip end but there is always the next to get excited for now!

SWW is a lot of fun. I know my husband really enjoyed himself. The dessert party was totally one of the highlights - well worth the cost for that & the parade. I'm allowed to repeat next year or the year after (I have to figure out all my vacation stuff)

28 days until my next trip! 3 Nights @ Caribbean Beach for my birthday. That trip will be super lazy & I'll probably just do a dining report as I don't really want to carry the camera to the water parks or Disney Quest.

 

[momabaarjo]

What an amazing day you had...Yachtsman and the dessert party! Steak and dessert...something I can really get into!

And you got to ride the Mine Ride! WAHOO!!! What a cool picture of your reflections in the window!

Can't wait for your next adventure!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

What an amazing day you had...Yachtsman and the dessert party! Steak and dessert...something I can really get into!

And you got to ride the Mine Ride! WAHOO!!! What a cool picture of your reflections in the window!

Can't wait for your next adventure!

It was a good day! I do like steak & sweets.

Next adventure should be July 10th to 13th unless work gets in the way. There is a possibility that trip could be cancelled but hopefully I'll know within the next week or so. I really don't want to go to the middle of the woods in Canada. Although, your upcoming adventure is much more exciting!