Okay - we're up to day 4 -DHS day! Since we had to switch our trip from September to August, we weren't able to get Fort Wilderness for our entire trip - so we needed to check out on Sunday, 8/16. As you can tell, we weren't happy about that:
For those of you who don't know, Sunday 8/16 was the start of the fall "free dining" promotion. Up until this point, we had enjoyed moderate to low crowds - much like the crowds we've experienced in Oct/Nov. However, that was to change today!! I did choose to do DHS on a Fantasmic! day, which may not have been the best choice, but it was either that or an EMH day, and I wasn't sure which would be better.
We arrived, once again, at rope drop, and headed straight for Toy Story Mania. The line for FPs was enormous, so we decided to take our chances in the stand by line. The posted wait time was 30 minutes (remember, this was approx 9:03am
) and the actual wait was pretty close to that. This is a really fun ride, though, and the queue is entertaining (and air-conditioned!) so we didn't really mind. After riding, we grabbed FPs and headed over to the Backlot Tour.
We've never done this ride before, and it was good to see - probably wouldn't have to do it again, though. The best part was the walk through "museum" of movie props, and the gallery at the end. CJ is a MAJOR Star Wars fan (his brothers say obsessively) so he was thrilled with the SW display:
Next up was Star Tours - CJ's favorite ride (for obvious reasons) - and once again we were looking at a 30 minute wait. Now, DHS is not my favorite park, and there's not a lot that appeals to our family there, so it wasn't so bad waiting for the couple of rides we like. But, if the lines had been like this at MK, I would have freaked!! We got a cute pic of CJ and DH in line (with C-3PO in the background):
and, after the ride, shots of the three boys on the speeder outside:
You can see Ed's new double light saber that he built in the gift shop just following the Star Tours ride.
DH, Brad and Ed then decided they wanted to catch the Muppets 3-D show, but once again, CJ was being difficult and refused to go. Soooo, he and I waited outside by Pizza Planet. By the time they came out, it was lunch time, so we grabbed some pizza. Near the end of lunch, I checked our times guide, and realized we could just make it to the 12:40 Jedi Training Academy show.
CJ and I took off to get a good spot. Since the crowds had been so big all day, I had little hope of getting close to the front, but I had to try - it would mean SO much to CJ to get into that show.
Amazingly, we walked right up to the front (there's a masking taped line on the pavement). There were a few other people, but definitely not crowded. DH, Brad and Ed came about 5 minutes behind us, and we able to join us. CJ had on his Star Wars shirt, and I was holding my breath as the Jedi Master came out. We were directly in his line of sight, and I could tell he was looking right at CJ! Unbelievably, he was the second one picked! Lots of pics....
Trying to get his jedi robe on (upside down at first!)
getting his initial instructions:
with his lightsaber (he tells me he was Mace Windu, since it was purple!)
Getting personal instruction from the Jedi Master (I LOVE this picture)
Readying the kids to meet Darth Vader:
Darth appears:
CJ in line to face Darth (the last one):
Here's Darth trying to turn CJ to the dark side:
And the fight (afterward he told me he was trying to knock DV off the stage):
This was such a magical moment for us! I was shaking and on the point of tears the whole time! CJ was so serious - he thinks he faced the real Darth Vader. The kids received a Padawan certificate, so now CJ tells everyone that he's really a Padawan, and will be a Jedi when he grows up. It was just a fantastic moment
Not much could top this, and it was getting REALLY hot, so we just decided to hit a couple of rides and head out to check into the Beach Club. We did the Great Movie Ride (another first - fun to do, but not a favorite) and used our TSMM FPs. It was around 2pm at this point, so we got our car, and headed to the Beach Club.
Next time, Brad saves my life!! (okay, that's a little dramatic, but he did help me a lot!)
For those of you who don't know, Sunday 8/16 was the start of the fall "free dining" promotion. Up until this point, we had enjoyed moderate to low crowds - much like the crowds we've experienced in Oct/Nov. However, that was to change today!! I did choose to do DHS on a Fantasmic! day, which may not have been the best choice, but it was either that or an EMH day, and I wasn't sure which would be better.
We arrived, once again, at rope drop, and headed straight for Toy Story Mania. The line for FPs was enormous, so we decided to take our chances in the stand by line. The posted wait time was 30 minutes (remember, this was approx 9:03am
) and the actual wait was pretty close to that. This is a really fun ride, though, and the queue is entertaining (and air-conditioned!) so we didn't really mind. After riding, we grabbed FPs and headed over to the Backlot Tour. We've never done this ride before, and it was good to see - probably wouldn't have to do it again, though. The best part was the walk through "museum" of movie props, and the gallery at the end. CJ is a MAJOR Star Wars fan (his brothers say obsessively) so he was thrilled with the SW display:
Next up was Star Tours - CJ's favorite ride (for obvious reasons) - and once again we were looking at a 30 minute wait. Now, DHS is not my favorite park, and there's not a lot that appeals to our family there, so it wasn't so bad waiting for the couple of rides we like. But, if the lines had been like this at MK, I would have freaked!! We got a cute pic of CJ and DH in line (with C-3PO in the background):
and, after the ride, shots of the three boys on the speeder outside:
You can see Ed's new double light saber that he built in the gift shop just following the Star Tours ride.
DH, Brad and Ed then decided they wanted to catch the Muppets 3-D show, but once again, CJ was being difficult and refused to go. Soooo, he and I waited outside by Pizza Planet. By the time they came out, it was lunch time, so we grabbed some pizza. Near the end of lunch, I checked our times guide, and realized we could just make it to the 12:40 Jedi Training Academy show.
CJ and I took off to get a good spot. Since the crowds had been so big all day, I had little hope of getting close to the front, but I had to try - it would mean SO much to CJ to get into that show.
Amazingly, we walked right up to the front (there's a masking taped line on the pavement). There were a few other people, but definitely not crowded. DH, Brad and Ed came about 5 minutes behind us, and we able to join us. CJ had on his Star Wars shirt, and I was holding my breath as the Jedi Master came out. We were directly in his line of sight, and I could tell he was looking right at CJ! Unbelievably, he was the second one picked! Lots of pics....
Trying to get his jedi robe on (upside down at first!)
getting his initial instructions:
with his lightsaber (he tells me he was Mace Windu, since it was purple!)
Getting personal instruction from the Jedi Master (I LOVE this picture)
Readying the kids to meet Darth Vader:
Darth appears:
CJ in line to face Darth (the last one):
Here's Darth trying to turn CJ to the dark side:
And the fight (afterward he told me he was trying to knock DV off the stage):
This was such a magical moment for us! I was shaking and on the point of tears the whole time! CJ was so serious - he thinks he faced the real Darth Vader. The kids received a Padawan certificate, so now CJ tells everyone that he's really a Padawan, and will be a Jedi when he grows up. It was just a fantastic moment
Not much could top this, and it was getting REALLY hot, so we just decided to hit a couple of rides and head out to check into the Beach Club. We did the Great Movie Ride (another first - fun to do, but not a favorite) and used our TSMM FPs. It was around 2pm at this point, so we got our car, and headed to the Beach Club.
Next time, Brad saves my life!! (okay, that's a little dramatic, but he did help me a lot!)
