Hello DIS friends! Please accept my profuse apologizes for the lateness in this update. I’d intended on getting it posted last week but well….. things came up.
Our first park day had us celebrating the night away at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party! The party goes until midnight and I’m really hoping we can last that long and close it out. Our plans for the next morning are open so sleeping in won’t be a problem. I’ll probably end up saying this for most of our days, but I’m excited for this one.
Today we’re off to……
DAY TWO
HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
Monday, November 29th
Park Hours: 9am to 7pm
No breakfast ADR today so I’m not sure if we’ll stop to get anything in the Pop food court or just head straight to the park. Likely, straight to the park.
Sidetrack: On our last trip while we were waiting for our reservation at Sci-Fi, we ducked into a little store that had chairs around a TV that was playing old school Mickey Mouse cartoons. I never knew what it was called and I think someone told me once, but I’ve forgotten and for some reason I just can’t find it on the park map. Anyone recognize this?
Anyways, I think when we get to the park, for breakfast I’ll steer everyone towards
Starring Rolls. I’ve never been but have heard great things about it.
(Photos courtesy of the Disney Food Blog)
Demetri and I don’t want to fill up too much (although sometimes I think that is impossible for him, the kid is ALWAYS hungry!) because just the two of us have a special lunch planned. Jessica (JPFamilyMom) suggested back in my ADR planning stages to book just the two of us when it was going to be an out-of-pocket expense. You see, Demetri loves the Playhouse Disney show
Handy Manny. I’ve said this before, but he knows a lot of Spanish because of this show and he’s too cute because he says the words properly. Like with the right accent and everything. Anyways, Handy Manny is a new addition to
Play ‘n Dine at Hollywood & Vine but I was keeping it a secret from him because I didn’t think we’d be able to fit the ADR in. When my ADR window opened, I booked it to be OOP for the two of us with the thought if it didn’t work out, I’d cancel it, but then when the free dining came out I added an extra day to the reservation so now it’s covered. I decided to keep it just the two of us though, and it will be something just him and I will do together. Last trip, Ariana and I had a special mother-daughter only breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table and it was one of my favorite parts of the trip.
So, while we have an 11:55am lunch reservation at Hollywood & Vine, the rest of the gang are fending for themselves. Alex and Kathryn are looking forward to times they can go off on their own at the parks and I think that’s a perfect time for them to explore. George and Ariana can go off to Toy Story Mania or Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster – two of her favorite rides – or even hit a character spot for pictures. The two of them did that last trip when I took the boys to Teppan Edo at Epcot and he said it was one of
his favorite parts of the trip. So I think this will work out really well for everyone.
For the park itself, I don’t really have a plan of attack. We usually just see how it goes and where we feel like going. Like before however, here are my hodgepodge notes on Hollywood Studios of things I want to do that I’ve never done:
- Find the singing in the rain umbrella by the stuntshow.
- Draw a character in the Magic of Disney Animation
- Pull the handle in the ToT fuse box.
- See the cowboy side of the Great Movie ride.
- Star Tours will be closed, but I’m hoping the Jedi Training is still going on and Demetri gets to do it!
- Check out the shops, especially Villains in Vogue.
- Spend more time looking at the signatures and handprints in cement outside the Chinese Theatre and find “Charton Heston” and Leonard Nimoy.
- Check out the line for TSM instead of the fast pass line. (Mr. Potato Head!)
- Stick Demetri’s hand in the dog’s nose at Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground.
- Pull the rope at the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular
- See the finale for the American Idol Experience
- See Captain EO (EDIT: Whoops! This is for our Epcot day!)
The
PhotoPass spots for DHS are:
- Hollywood Boulevard
- Sunset Boulevard outside the Tower of Terror
- Sorcerer Mickey’s Hat
- Magic of Disney’s Animation (I’m hoping to hit one of the character blitzes!)
- Avenue of the Americas (on the map it shows this location as outside the Stunt Show)
Things I’ve done before and are anxious to do again:
- Toy Story Mania Midway
- One Man’s Dream (haven’t seen the 10 minute film before, maybe this year)
- Voyage of the Little Mermaid
- Playhouse Disney – Live on Stage
- Beauty and the Beast
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (this is the only ride Demetri is not yet tall enough for!!)
- Tower of Terror (anyone know if the Summer Spectacular enhancements are staying on?)
Not to mention all the Christmas decorations, the Block Party Parade, Fantasmic and oh a little thing which I’m the most excited of all to see…..
Osborne Spectacle of Lights!
This is a Fantasmic day, but I’m not sure we’ll have the time to see it with the Osborne lights. The lights start at dusk which I think will be around 5:30 – 6pm-ish and then Fantasmic is at 6:30pm and the park closes at 7pm. I guess I’ll wait until closer to the trip to find out how that’ll play out.
Another full day!
But…..
it’s not over yet!
One of my main objectives this trip is to make it out to the different resorts to check out the
Christmas decorations. Yesterday we started off by going to the
Polynesian and today we’ve planned a visit to the
Animal Kingdom Lodge for
Boma!
Holy cow am I excited for this ADR! I’m not usually one for trying out unusual type foods and Demetri doesn’t like anything super-spicy (aka flavor) but I’m pretty sure everyone will find something here. Even just the wood roasted meats sound delicious. Of course I must try the Zebra Domes which I’ve heard about recently but are apparently to die for and the Simba Paw Prints sound yummy too.
I’m most looking forward to the atmosphere and walking around the AKL. Our reservation is for 8:15pm which gives us plenty of time to close the park at DHS and then have the rest of the night to eat and explore AKL. Those familiar to my TR know that Ariana ADORES the Lion King and the African culture so she will be in absolute heaven here.
Can’t wait! So, what do you think?
:
What a great memory for you.
How great is the DIS? Never would have known to get a pearl cage otherwise. Whichever route you end up taking I hope she loves it..... maybe find her birthstone (or something that looks like it anyway!) if you don't do the pick-a-pearl.
) and transferred a bunch of notes to my planning book. 
I'm anxious to hear he'll be OK. 
I'm so excited 
but we also went in it when we dined at Sci Fi Dine in, so it's gotta be right there. I think I found it on the map, but there isn't a name or anything. 
Hopefully someone else has more info for you.
Your welcome for the mentioning. I'm honored you consider it an honor 
Supposedly it doesn't hurt but I'll be doing it first before the kids do. 
