After snickering (well, two of us, at least) at the Beast's lines of "Argh!" and "Grr!" we trucked on over to
Lights, Motors, Action!
If you're particularly fond of cars, it's a good show. If you have tendencies toward pyromania, it is an interesting show. If you're meh about both of those--
Well. I think you know where I'm going with this.
I just don't like the smell of burned rubber or huge blasts of heat going off in my face--
in the middle of the day. It was fine during Fantasmic! because it was during the night and I'm sure the water helped keep things cool.
The
Lights, Motors, Action! stadium is not designed to keep things cool. I swear, those metal bleachers just absorb heat wherever it isn't covered by someone's behind, and then it radiates the collected heat up into your bum.
And LMA doesn't have the benefit of something that's "spinny spinny glowy pretty." There is the spinny, since the cars run around in circles a great deal, and I suppose the glowy is covered by the various explosions, but the pretty? Not so much.
The part I found the most interesting--and simultaneously disappointing (
warning: spoiler alert for those who like action movies and have not seen LMA)--was the explanation of how cars appear to drive backwards.
They're specialized cars. With a dummy in the "driver's seat" and the real driver all in black at the "rear." "Because it's far too dangerous to drive backwards at high speeds for so long," the announcer voiced.
Seriously. There's a reason why I rarely watch the "making of" features on DVD. I'm an escapist. I'm quite happy obliging in a willful suspension of disbelief. Now, that's not to say that I leave all reason at the door and will accept anything. It has to fit within the context of the world set up within the story. If I'm told that, in the world of the movie, the car was made specially to endure traveling backwards at high speeds and the driver just has the mad skillz to do so, I'll buy it. I don't then need anyone ruining my sense of enjoyment.
The three of us did grouse over fake-backwards-car for a bit, but we had to head over to the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, so our complaints didn't last too long.
First up: It bothered me that Marian's stunt double had blond hair. She was not Marian to me. She was the Blond Impostor.
And when audience members were selected to participate, we, being the intelligent and observant people we are, quickly realized that one "guest" in a loud Hawaiian shirt was a plant. You can probably pick him out in this picture.
He stared at Blond Impostor too long as she was "limbering up" for her scene, bumbled around, nearly got injured numerous times, etc. etc. etc. So we felt a little smug when at the end the "guest" was exposed as Somebody Somebody, Professional Stunt Actor.
On the whole, I much preferred the stunt show to LMA. It was shadier, and at least everything I watched I
knew was a stunt from the beginning. Unlike LMA with its cheap reveal.
After Indy, Nevi wanted to see the Jedi Training Academy, but it was time to use our Toy Story Mania FastPasses, so we went to that instead, thinking we could catch the 4:05 right before our ADR for Hollywood and Vine. Melneth and Nevi sat together, while I sat with a woman from the Single Riders line who told me she was riding TSM for the fourth time.
Like Buzz Lightyear, we will not discuss TSM too long as the single rider, Melneth, and Nevi all had higher scores than I did. But I at least had slightly better accuracy than the single rider.
Moving on. To Sounds Dangerous.
As it was dark, I fully expected to fall asleep, but it seems that when I'm wearing stereo headphones that keep blaring crashes and scuffles and "oofs" in one ear and then the other, I'm unable to doze off. Now I know.
In addition to watching
Mystery Science Theater 3000 together, we three would also watch
Whose Line Is It Anyway? back when we were roomies. So we all have fondness of a sort for Drew Carey. I didn't hate Sounds Dangerous, but it's not something I have to do again. I think that was the assessment for all of us.
Sounds Dangerous got out a little late, and we conferred--it'd be tight to get to the Jedi Training. Nevi said that if Melneth and I didn't want to go, she'd just head over by herself, but we said we thought we'd enjoy it--I think since Melneth and I had deferred earlier, Nevi had gotten the idea that we weren't interested. But how could you not enjoy little munchkins doing this?
Or this?
And this?
Yes, it was a 123.
Seriously, I'm going to be an awful parent. First it'll be "All right, honey, just go on up to Jack-- Hi, Jack!" [batting eyes] "But Mommy, I don't
want to!" "Don't be silly, darling, of course you do. Now just let Mommy stand next to Jack..." then it'll be "Okay, darling, now's your chance to fight the entity of evil! Go show Mommy how brave you are! Don't worry; he turned good at the end, remember..."
Anyway, I got a kick out of the trainer
instructing the munchkins.
Some of them had a few issues with the "Activate!" command--their light sabers wouldn't extend fully. I laughed, but only a little, and it was largely at the cuteness of munchkins--who honestly reminded me more of ewoks with those robes than Jedis-in-training--trying to flick their light sabers into being.
My progeny, of course, will be able to active and deactivate like a true Jedi. And will indeed do Mommy proud in fighting the entity of evil.
Whose dialogue consisted solely of lines cut from the movie. I highly doubt they had James Earl Jones hiding somewhere--underground, say--to speak his lines and have them piped out.
From the training we rushed to Hollywood and Vine for our Fantasmic! dining ADR. We were seated promptly, and our waiter took our orders and instructed us in the ways of the buffet. Not that we needed instructing, but still.
I don't remember what I ate other than that I found green vegetables and put them on my plate, and my body cried out in joy at being given real nutrition.
Then wept in dismay as I headed for the dessert table.
It was vacation. What can I say?
Though my body seems to be holding a grudge against me, since it's stubbornly hanging on to the couple of pounds I gained--or rather, will trick me into thinking it's lost them and then regain them again. Stupid body. I'd poke it with a spork if a) I had a spork, b) I didn't have to feel it, and c) I actually thought that would help.
Nevi also took advantage of the provided paper napkins and crayons to draw a dragon, which is when I discovered that she'd been given the how-to-draw dragons book that instructed her in the art of circle-making and therefore enabled her to create the superior Mickey at the DisneyQuest animation class. If I'd been smart, I would've taken a picture of her dragon; it was good. But I think my brain had started to shut down after being given yet more sugar it had to direct my body to store as fat.
Sigh.
After having assured our places in Fantasmic! by stuffing ourselves as part of the Fantasmic! Dining Package, we went back to Star Tours to actually ride the ride. I took a bit of time to take pictures of the queue.
I still haven't figured out what Johnny-5 is doing there. Help me Rhonda, help help me Rhonda.
Rex managed to not kill us, but only just barely, and we moved on to enjoy Muppet Vision 3D. We were too late to catch all of the pre-show, which we'd read is excellent, and we didn't have enough time to explore the waiting area, which we all regretted.
But we later all agreed it was the best movie in all the parks. Of course, we're all Muppet fans. Nevi likes Sam the Eagle so was happy to see he had a pretty prominent role. I like Bean Bunny, so was happy to see him at all. I can't remember that Melneth has a favorite Muppet, but she liked Statler and Waldorf.
Speaking of the Muppets, anyone remember the Muppet Musicians of Bremen? It was what first introduced me to that particular fairy tale, and I think after that I went on a kick of reading the lesser-known Grimm Fairy Tales. Well, not that the Town Musicians of Bremen are lesser-known, but they don't get as much hype as Cinderella,Snow White and Rose Red, and Sleeping Beauty.
Anyway. Fond memories of the Muppets.
Except for Fraggle Rock. I know it was very well-received and "deep" for a children's show, but the Gorgs inexplicably scared me and ruined the rest of it. I couldn't watch it.
And that's probably much more of my childhood psychology than you ever wanted to know.
It started to rain as we left Muppet Vision 3-D. Not a light drizzle, but out-and-out pouring. The daughter of a friend of Nevi's had insisted we go to "somewhere in the parks" where you can figure out what Disney character you are. Melneth and I didn't remember what that was, specifically, from the Unofficial Guide, but phone calls with Nevi's friend had led us to conclude it was somewhere in DHS. We narrowed it down to the Magic of Disney Animation--which I felt was more likely--and One Man's Dream.
But due to the deluge, we went to One Man's Dream first. We all found it interesting, but didn't stay or the movie, instead waiting for the rain to let up so we could go to Magic of Disney Animation and fulfill our promise to Nevi's friend's daughter, who is actually also Nevi's friend, so I'll just call her Nevi's young friend and save myself a few characters.
The rain never let up.
We trudged to Magic anyway.
And found out that I am Belle (not surprised, but I was pleased nonetheless; Belle is one of the more intelligent and independent princesses, and a reader, so of course I like her), Melneth is Ariel, and Nevi is Lady.
We also played with the um, acting and singing thing. We were only slightly better at acting out scenes than we were singing. The three of us found it difficult to be on the
same pitch, and we were saddened at so disgracing our alma mater, called "the singing college" in its past.
And again, I hang my head in shame. I need to sing the car more often to make up for no longer attending a daily chapel.
Buckets of water continued to fall, and now we seriously started to worry about Fantasmic! I'd read that since Fantasmic! is outdoors, it can be canceled due to inclement weather, and in that case, we would be out of luck in terms of our vouchers for a guaranteed seat.
Not that it would've mattered anyway, because it was our last night. We would have no other chance to see Fantasmic! So we fretted, though cautiously kept hope as the rain let up a little as the time for our vouchers drew near. We went to our specified meeting place, Oscar's, where other guests had already started to mill around.
At about 8:50, we learned that the 9:00 Fantasmic! had officially been canceled, not due to the rain, but the lightning. The 10:30 might or might not go on.
We'd wanted an early night since we had to leave the next day, but missing Fantasmic! was not an option. None of us knew when we'd have another chance at the World. So we decided to stick around and hope that the 10:30 would go on.
Up Next: RNR again, another Gratuitous Video, and continued hopes for Fantasmic!
That thing you said--er, wrote--ha ha ha hee hee hee hoo! I'll be laughing for hours! 
) are all about using feminine wiles. 
Yeah for touring plans, eh? NOTarzansKatPiratesLifeforThree.
