Another wake up call from Stitch and another loading of our resident Sleeping Beauty and we were off to Star Wars Weekends at MGM. While waiting to enter we took a photo by the Star Wars Weekends Bill Board
and waited for the Storm Troopers to take over the park. I am almost embarrassed to say I have not ever seen an episode of Star Wars. I am still always excited to go to Star Wars Weekends. I love to see how they are going to dress up Mr. Potato Head and walking down Mickey Avenue with all of the stars from the movies. Of course I am accompanied by two ace Star Wars experts that keep me informed of who everyone is throughout the day.
We drove the five minutes to MGM. I love having my own car. I know the bus transportation is good and a nice amenity to staying on property, but I dont like to share! It is impossible to allow my daughter to sleep until we get to the park for one thing. I am usually at the park, parked and at the front within twenty minutes of leaving the hotel. I find that is the average wait time for the bus. We got into the line to enter and we were pretty close to the front. My daughter was fast asleep in her umbrella stroller.
I grabbed a times guide for the Star Wars events and started to plan out the day. I quizzed my boys on the importance of getting autographs from the actors and they declined. Their wish list included participating in the parade, the trivia contest, Who Wants to be a Millionaire Star Wars edition, autographs of the characters (not actors), the training academy and of course the Rockin Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror (at least for my oldest son). I studied the times guide and planned out our journey through the park.
My sons made friends with the boy in front of us whose parents were thoroughly confused trying to figure out the events of the day. The mother asked if I had ever been to Star Wars Weekends before and had a stream of questions. Just as I was finishing the answers the Storm Troopers took over.
We always love it when the troopers interact with the waiting crowd. My son is explaining what the troopers mean in the movie and the gates open. Yeahere we go. We hurry down Main Street and veer to the left. We bypass the group lining up to get fast passes for the autographs and arrive at the ropes first. Ten minutes and counting and the amazing sleeper is still crashed. Several people are commenting on the fact that she has already fallen asleep and the park has not even opened. Little do they know, she hasnt fallen asleep, she is still asleep.
The cast members are approaching and my heart begins to get a little faster. I am getting prepared for the race. I grip the stroller handles a little harder and remind the boys to stay close. Should we get separated we have a plan. I have given my oldest son my spare cell phone and we plan to meet at the Star Wars Information Table should we get separated. You can almost see the table from where we are. The way my sons death grip the stroller handles, I doubt we will ever get separated, but I want to be prepared just in case. I know everyone has their plan for how to reunite with their missing children. I have tried notes pinned to their clothing, luggage tag necklaces and whistles. They all work fine, I find the easiest and most fail proof method is to write my cell phone number on their skin with a sharpie. It is on my daughters thigh and the boys upper arms. My boys know my number but I am afraid that they would panic if they ever really were lost.
Okay the rope is lowered and we head toward the information table. It is not often that I can be first in any line. It is, however, more important to me to get into the line with all of the children than to be first. When we reach the table we are about tenth in line. We sign up all three to participate in the parade and Drew for the Mind Challenge. Perfect, we all got in without standby. The parade lines up at 10:30 and the Challenge is on the stage at 6:00. That will let us out just in time to get to our 6:30 dinner reservation at Mama Melroses for the Fantasmic Dinner Package.
With the satisfaction of being able to check off those two accomplishments we head over to the stage for the 9:30 Training Academy. I remember from my previous visits that the participants in the academy get free action figures. I wake up my daughter and take my spot at the rope. Two comedians were on stage making galactic jokes and occupying the crowd while waiting for the training to begin.
Just before it starts a woman shoves her son in front of my daughter. I said in my nicest voice possible, please do not push my daughter out f her spot. She replied that her son needed a shot to get in the academy. I told her that was fine and that he could stand in front of me, but that my daughters spot was not up for grabs. Now, I want every kid to get a chance. I allow kids to get in front of me at every parade, but I will not allow my daughter who has been waiting for almost thirty minutes to be pushed out by a latecomer. If his chance is that important to you, plan ahead and have Stitch awaken you earlier.
When they began choosing the participants there were about 100 kids competing for those 30 spots. They chose my daughter first. Of course they did, she was the one that it meant the least to! I began getting nervous and then they called Drew to come to the front. Oh no, not only is it not fair to my middle child if he does not get to participate but it is not fair to me! If he does not get chosen I will have to stand through this show again and again until he does get chosen! There was only one spot left when they finally called for him to come to the stage.
Darth Vader and who I came to understand is Darth Mull come out to fight against the kids. The feeling of the dark side takes over the viewing area. I have never seen Star Wars. I do know the major characters of the original movie though. I have never until Star Wars Weekends seen this red and black guy with horns on his head. He looks so scary to me. My four year old Rachel is first in line to battle old horny head.
She held her own and my son is up next. Drew is at that age where he wants to be grown up but still is on the cusp of being a kid. He faces off with Darth Mull and stares straight into his eyes. He shows no fear as he draws his light saber.
He of course defeats as the force is with him. Stevie is up on the stage battling Darth Vader who before this trip I thought was named Dark Vader!
With the battle done and all of the toys distributed, we had less than five minutes to make it all the way to Mickey Avenue to Who Wants To Be A Millionaire Star Wars Edition.
Drew had his heart on winning this contest. He had his facts down but he put so much pressure on himself that he was a nervous wreck. He did get on the board a few times in the top three, but never made it on the stage. I tried to console him, but he just needed time to get over it. We exited onto Mickey Avenue and were immediately surrounded by these really weird looking creatures. One woman had a really long antenna sticking out of her head and was armed with a gun in each hand. We got autographs of many of the characters. The Darth Vader line was long, so we opted to do that later. My son, Drew, had a mission in mind that was about to dictate the next few hours. He had decided he had to have his face painted like Darth Mull. Horny Head? Had my oldest crossed over to the dark side?
First we had only a few minutes to get over to the parade check in. The parade is always without excitement. The kids get a sticker that is used for identification, a brown robe, a free light saber that they get to keep and they walk behind Jedi Mickey down the main street and around. It is fun for the kids, but irritating to me because you can not get a photo of the kids. You have to walk behind and so all of your pictures are of the back of their heads! The parties that have two parents with them get a special seating area in front of the Drew Carey Sounds Dangerous so they can get front facing photos. For me, however, I have to settle for the back shots!
After the parade we hit the face painting station. It is conveniently located across the street form where we finish the parade. Drew wants Darth Mull and Rachel chooses an angel. Stevie comments that the paint will itch in the heat and declines the paint job. Instead he trades two Ewoks a times guide for an autograph. The kids love their face paint, but almost immediately start to worry if it has come off. They want to scratch so bad but know it will result in a paintless spot. So for the rest of the day they asked repeatedly if it was still there. Throughout the day however we will return to that station two other times for touch ups!
Now came the other hidden agenda item. Drew wanted his picture made with Darth Mull and wanted to get a black robe to do it in. We went to Tatooine Traders to try and locate such robe only to be sent to a store on Mickey Avenue. It kinda makes me laugh that Mickey Avenue is where they put all of the Dark Side characters! We get there and they tell us no such robe exists at their store and send me back to the area where Jedi Mickey is. When we get there they say no go back to Mickey Avenue. Wait a minute! What is going on? This is the fourth weekend in this series; someone should have passed out the info by now. Back to Tatooine only to be sent back to Mickey Avenue. By now, I am really frustrated. I stop at the table where someone who played someone named Wicket or something is signing autographs and ask the Cast Member about the robes. I must have looked frustrated because she gave me a handful of autographed photos even though I did not have the required fast pass.
Finally we find the store with the robes and they are a whopping seventy dollars. I find this unacceptable and ask Drew if it really is that important to him. He decides he will settle with a T-Shirt to take the photo. The good thing is the place where Darth Mull is happens to be right next to where we bought the shirt. We get in line; take the pictures that turned out great. Rachel and Stevie did not look very confident standing by old Horny Head, but Drew stared him down again.
I am starting to realize as the clock is ticking that we may not get to watch any of the traditional shows today. Stevie has his heart set on seeing Lights, Action, Motorcars so we head to the giant arena. It is always so hot in that stadium. It is now 3:00 -- the hottest part of the day. It has not rained in weeks and there is not a cloud in the sky. We make that long journey to the top of the stadium and take our seats. My son gets so excited during this show. He actually cheers out loud. Next came the first major fight of the trip. Kids start touching each other as we make the mass exodus out of that stadium. As hot and tired as I am, they know they had better stop! As we are walking to our parade spot we run smack into Tow Mater and Lightning McQueen. It feels like we have been waiting for that show for our whole lives. Tow Mater is so goofy friendly looking he just makes you chuckle. That is the real Disney Magic. They can take an animated object and give it such personality you feel that it is your friend!
I did not get a photo of it, but there is a hidden mickey on his back bumper!
After we watch the parade we have to head up the twenty feet to the Mind Challenge. My son ends up in first place for this one, gets two more action figures and it is time for Mamas. If anyone is counting, that is 8 free action figures and 3 free Light Sabers. Zzub would be so proud of my wallet defense.
On the way to Mam's we passed these distant relatives of Donald.
Mama Melroses is one of my favorite places to eat even though I am not big on Italian food. We order appetizers and main courses. I will share with my daughter and my two sons will share. I know with the meal plan you do not need to share. I also know however, I would rather waste the credits than the food. Our tummies are full but we still have dessert looming in the background. I refuse to eat something just because it is there. My kids are all declining dessert as well. The waiter, Ben drops off the dessert menus and promises to return for our order. The family next to us is finishing up their dinner as well. Their kids are asking for dessert. When the parents suggest they all share one the kids cant agree on any one dessert. Not sure if it is a money thing or a sugar thing, I write a not offering my free desserts and pass it to the mom. She readily agrees and I let them choose anything they want to order. I order and pass it to their table when it arrives. I jump up to leave because there is a Tower and a roller coaster in our very near future. I left the very grateful, beaming family and head out the door.
We first go to the Rockin Rollercoaster and grab fastpasses. Lucky duckies. The fastpass starting time is for twenty minutes from then. We have just enough time to do that Tower. We get over there and much to my dismay my daughter is holding to her decision to never ride that elevator again. Steven also looks scared and so Drew runs up the line where there is only a five minute wait all alone! We follow with the plan of the escape elevator again. You know the one for the wusses who wont let their mother ride. (just kiddingmaybe!)
He finishes in time to do the roller coaster for the two boys and to get a great Movie Ride in before time for Fantasmic. I love Fantasmic. I first saw the show at
Disneyland years before they had it at MGM. I fell in love with the way it is so true to Disney magic and how the good guy wins in the end. I was so excited when they brought it to Florida. While waiting we met a really nice family also from Houston and the kids occupied themselves the entire time. It allowed me to have some time to think for a second.
After the show ended we decided that even thought the park was still open we were tired. It is unusual for us to leave before the parks close but I wanted to be rested for Animal Kingdom. Over the past two years we have watched the making of that mountain know as Expedition Everest. I wanted to be perky for that ride. We grabbed our car and drove five minutes back to our hotel. There was a really great spot right in front of our room. More magic! I was beginning to think Tink was following us around!
That is it until Stitch wakes us again!
Looking forward to more.
