This Trip Report Is Under Refurbishment For Your Future Enjoyment (UPDATED 9/13 with final bonus chapter)

Well, you're not behind here. Hoping to start working on the next update soon.

looking forward to it!

I just want a better ride there.

So does... everyone.

It's really disheartening playing sports with the older boys now.

I bet. Kicking the ol' man's but is something every boy aspires to.

True. Having animals outside the balcony, though...that was magic.

I'll give you that.
 
Chapter 8: To Infinity And Beyond, As Long As You Have A FastPass


After all of that nagging I’ve been doing over arriving at the parks for Rope Drop…


We missed Rope Drop.


Now, in my defense, it was at 7:00 a.m. More specifically, the new Toy Story Land in Hollywood Studios was opening at 7:00 a.m. It had been open for a grand total of three weeks at that point, so the extended hours were in anticipation of massive crowds for the new attractions.


Naturally, we had wanted to take advantage of the early hours. But with three days of hardcore theme park touring behind us, the spirits were willing, but the bodies were weak. I am ashamed to report that we didn’t make it to Hollywood Studios until about 7:45 a.m. I know…slackers. On the plus side, my parents managed to join us for the morning.


I am not ashamed in the least to say that the park looks 1,000 times better like this, without the giant stupid sorcerer hat in the way.


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As usual, we decided to start our day by annoying Drew and taking a family photo instead of getting on a ride.


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The crowds didn’t seem too bad that early, even though we knew everyone and their long-lost distant relatives would be heading to Toy Story Land.


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Once there, we saw a photographer with no line at the entrance, so we stopped for another quick shot.


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We figured that everyone going to Toy Story Land that morning would most likely head straight for the Slinky Dog Dash coaster, and we were right. The line was already at 60 minutes (and it looked packed, too). We had a FP scheduled for later in the day, so I wasn’t worried about trying to get in line at that point. Instead, we decided to take advantage of a normally unheard-of 15-minute wait for Toy Story Mania.


I have always stunk at Toy Story Mania. The pull-string mechanism on the gun has never been my friend—I find it hard to get a good rapid-fire going without cursing myself to permanent carpal-tunnel syndrome for hours afterwards. Even worse, Julie had actually beaten me once at this game (I didn’t even crack 100,000 points), and has never let me hear the end of it. Obviously, that could not be allowed to happen again. So, as with Buzz Lightyear, I cheated and looked up the hints/tricks on YouTube again.


Of course, it’s one thing to know about the hidden secrets in the game. You still have to be able to pull off the shots.


I got to ride with Drew on this one. Being 1) a boy, and 2) 4 years old, he was very excited to shoot a gun at whatever targets he could find. Needless to say, this attraction was right in his wheelhouse.


We got rolling, and I was able to find a shooting position that enabled me to fire quickly without being too uncomfortable. That in turn enabled me to unlock some of the secrets—which was a good feeling, given how badly I’ve done in previous visits. I was able to get the volcano to erupt in the balloon-popping game, get the tank to shoot 5,000-point plates at me in the breaking-dishes game, and open up the giant space robot behind the rocket ship in the ring-toss game. All of these actions netted me some solid points. When I hit the target, anyway.


I ended up with my best score ever!

No, wiseguy, I had the 206,200.

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And more importantly, I must note that Julie was also in my vehicle.


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After the ride was over, Julie accepted her defeat with class and grace, by which I mean she accused me of cheating and claimed she had a defective gun on her side and the sun was in her eyes and demanded a rematch. I figured her excuses were most likely valid because I know all of you would give me the same benefit of the doubt if the shoe were on the other foot. And there still wasn’t much of a line (the wait was up to 20 minutes), so we jumped right back in for round two. This time I rode with Scotty, who started to struggle halfway through the game with suntan lotion irritating his eyes. Again, if I claimed that, I’m sure you would believe me, so I extended him the same courtesy.


As it turns out, I am remarkably consistent. And I won again!


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Julie was undeterred. She still got to see her favorite animated characters of all time.


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The line to meet Woody and Jessie extended to Kissimmee, so we bypassed that and instead got in line behind only about 4 families to meet Buzz Lightyear. Buzz was actually really good with the kids. Lots of interaction. Drew really loved him.


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Sarah was properly greeted as royalty.


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The hero shot:


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We decided to try and ride the Alien Swirling Saucers, or AS…(sigh)…2. Crowds were starting to pick up, but the line was still posted at 25 minutes, and we figured it was never going to be any better than that the rest of the day.


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As it turned out, we probably waited a little over 30 minutes or so, because the ride went down momentarily a couple of times while we waited. Eventually we made it onboard.


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It’s a fun little ride. Best with kids, and worth doing once per visit. I wouldn’t waste a Fastpass or wait any longer than we did, but everybody enjoyed it for what it was.


By now the crowds were streaming into Toy Story Land, and between the masses of people and the sun rising higher in the sky, we were starting to sweat our Alien Swirling Saucers off. We decided to take advantage of 10-minute wait times at Star Tours before the crowds discovered the rest of the park.


As we left, I held my phone up and got the best shot I could of the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge expansion. Because I cherish each and every one of my readers and love to reward you, here is an up-to-the-minute look at what the construction progress looked like as of late July 2018.


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Stunning, isn’t it? I’m sure they haven’t done much since then.


In all seriousness, I can’t wait to see what it’s like when It’s open. I do love Star Wars, although I’m not the kind of ultra-fan who can name every character and planet. But I think the new rides sound like they’ll be a lot of fun, and I’m sure they’re going to want to knock this one out of the park for the fans (and to ensure sold-out park tickets for months on end).


I just hope the lines have died down in 4-5 years when I actually get the chance to see it.


We made the walk to Star Tours where Drew prepared for his first time on this ride. This is Drew’s Lightsaber Attack Pose.*

*Lightsaber not included.

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While we waited for some bathroom breaks, the kids took turns testing out the forest speeder bike nearby.


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These are trained professionals. Please, do not try this at home.


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I like this one of Drew, because you can virtually hear the sound effects he’s making.


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Now it was time for Star Tours. We actually had a Fastpass for it later, but we figured with such a short wait, we might as well go on early.


Longtime readers know that I really love Star Tours, although I have had one ongoing issue with it. Ever since the ride was refurbished and they added the new random destinations and scenes, I have heard rumors of a certain “Darth Vader scene” early in the proceedings where he attacks your starship by using the Force. Said scene is apparently “totally awesome” and “wicked” and “way better than the robot scene”, which of course is the one I always get.


I have been on this ride seven different times since the refurb and never once seen this mystical “Darth Vader scene”. My kids and Julie rode once without me and said they all got the “Darth Vader scene”, and that it was “amazing” and “the best” and “I can’t believe you missed out, but that’s hilarious”.


Anyway, I know better. The “Darth Vader scene” is as real as the Loch Ness Monster. It’s just one of those urban legends that people talk about just to get a rise out of others. Well, I’m not going to dignify their little prank. I know it’s fake news.


We boarded our starship, donned our flight glasses, and took off for the far reaches of the galaxy. We had a great time, and even discovered there was a Rebel spy in our midst…but if Darth Vader knew about it, he sure didn’t show up to do anything. Because, like I said, that scene doesn’t actually exist.


Drew loved the ride, as do the rest of us, so we all decided to jump back in line and ride it again. Maybe ride #9 would be a different experience for me!


Narrator: It wasn’t.


Because, like I said, the “Darth Vader scene” doesn’t actually exist. But, hey--at least we were having fun. Our next stop was the Muppets 3-D movie. Along the way, we saw this:


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I can’t wait to see it! Wait, did I already say that?


I know the Muppets 3-D movie has been around forever in Hollywood Studios, but I always enjoy it. Of all the post-Jim Henson era Muppet productions, I feel like this one most captured the spirit of the original Muppet Show. It also has one of the best pre-shows of any of the Disney attractions.


By the way, we also found the key under the mat there. And I like that the Muppet goofiness is carried into the shop next door and around the block.


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At that point, we broke out our PB&J sandwiches and ate them in the plaza next to PizzeRizzo. Between us and the people who got pizza there, I’m not sure who had the better meal.


It was time for our Star Tours FP, so we headed back for our third ride of the day. Surely this ride, my tenth attempt overall, would be a different experience.


Actually, it was a different experience. And stop calling me Shirley.


This time, our starship took off, and instead of being stopped by a droid, we made a right turn and suddenly our ship came to a halt as we came face-to-face with a Dark Lord of the Sith. He cut a menacing figure as he announced in that deep, mechanized voice that he was searching for a Rebel spy on our ship. We tried to make an escape, but he held our ship in place by using the powers of the Force. He was toying with us—cutting a figure of pure evil as he tossed our ship to and fro with just a movement of his hand. Finally, we made a desperate move and blasted our way out of the space station, making a narrow escape.


That scene was totally awesome! Wicked! Way better than the robot scene. I was ecstatic—it took me 10 tries, but I’m so glad I finally got to see what it was like to be confronted by Kylo Ren.


I mean, we all know the “Darth Vader scene” doesn’t actually exist. But this one was pretty cool.


We had some time to kill before our next FP, so we went over to catch another old favorite: the Indiana Jones stunt show. Yes, I know this is another one that hasn’t changed in the 30 years the park has been open, but…I don’t care. Raiders of the Lost Ark is my all-time favorite movie, and Indiana Jones is my favorite movie hero, so I’ll always enjoy this one. Plus, I really appreciate all the effort that goes into good stunt work in a movie. These guys really beat themselves up for our entertainment.


Not only that, but there are explosions! You won’t get me to say anything negative about pyrotechnics. They are the bacon of the entertainment world.


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It was finally time for our second FP of the day: Slinky Dog Dash. It’s an understatement to say we were all looking forward to trying it. Actually, check that: 5 out of the 6 of us were looking forward to it. Drew wanted no part of the ride.


We didn’t push as hard this time, even though we knew he’d probably enjoy it. We figured his objection was similar to the Barnstormer: from the ground, it looks like there’s a long way to fall with nothing to catch you. Probably intimidating to a 4-year-old.


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So, we didn’t make a big deal of it. We just let him hang out with my parents.


When I’d made my FP+ reservations 60 days out, this ride and Flight of Passage were the very first ones I’d reserved. I went back and filled in everything else afterwards. I was really glad I’d done that, too—the lines for this ride never let up the whole time we were there.


We could see storm clouds forming in the sky—the 4:00 Florida Shower was arriving early today. Luckily, we were able to get on the coaster before any rain started.


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It’s a really great little coaster! Lots of fun. On the intensity scale, I’d rank it somewhere between the Mine Train and Big Thunder—which is to say, not very intense at all. You get some good speed at the launch and some air time on the first two hills. After that, it’s pretty gentle the rest of the way.


Julie was still shrieking, though. We didn’t make fun of her at all, because we are a kind, loving family. As far as you know.


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From there, my parents left to go meet up with my brother and SIL in another part of the park. We were on our own…but we had a lot more on the agenda.


Coming Up Next: There’s one ride I’d never tried at Hollywood Studios. We need to fix that. Plus, this year’s nominee for the Cast Member Hall of Fame.
 
Naturally, we had wanted to take advantage of the early hours. But with three days of hardcore theme park touring behind us, the spirits were willing, but the bodies were weak. I am ashamed to report that we didn’t make it to Hollywood Studios until about 7:45 a.m. I know…slackers. On the plus side, my parents managed to join us for the morning.
I always have these best intentions as well and usually end up with similar results.


He looks like, REally again?!?

the sun rising higher in the sky, we were starting to sweat our Alien Swirling Saucers off.
Ha!!!

I like this one of Drew, because you can virtually hear the sound effects he’s making.


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He is the only one who took his driving seriously!

At that point, we broke out our PB&J sandwiches and ate them in the plaza next to PizzeRizzo. Between us and the people who got pizza there, I’m not sure who had the better meal.
From most reviews... I think you guys did.

That scene was totally awesome! Wicked! Way better than the robot scene. I was ecstatic—it took me 10 tries, but I’m so glad I finally got to see what it was like to be confronted by Kylo Ren.
YEAH!!!!
 


You say that now....

Still do.

'Cause I haven't read it yet.


:rolleyes1

Absolutely. I still remember where I was the first time I took my dad down on the golf course. That was a great day.

You Yanks...
gotta bring tackling into everything.
First you brought it to football.
"Let's not just use our feet... and let's hit people really hard."
And now to golf.
 
After all of that nagging I’ve been doing over arriving at the parks for Rope Drop…


We missed Rope Drop.

Wait! Wait!

Two things.

1. You missed rope drop???? Who are you?
2. You forgot to say "I haven't written an update since last year."

You're letting me down, dude.

It had been open for a grand total of three weeks at that point, so the extended hours were in anticipation of massive crowds for the new attractions.

Oy... I heard about those first few days.

But with three days of hardcore theme park touring behind us, the spirits were willing, but the bodies were weak.

I'm thinking the spirit might've been weak too.

I am not ashamed in the least to say that the park looks 1,000 times better like this, without the giant stupid sorcerer hat in the way.

YES!!!!

As usual, we decided to start our day by annoying Drew and taking a family photo instead of getting on a ride.

You monsters!


Your legs! OMG! Where are your legs?!?!?!?!?

The line was already at 60 minutes (and it looked packed, too).

Not surprised. Actually... I am... I am surprised it wasn't longer.

Instead, we decided to take advantage of a normally unheard-of 15-minute wait for Toy Story Mania.

Whoa! That's... nothing!

I have always stunk at Toy Story Mania.

Yeah, yeah. Get in line.

find it hard to get a good rapid-fire going without cursing myself to permanent carpal-tunnel syndrome for hours afterwards.

It does take a toll, that ride.

Even worse, Julie had actually beaten me once at this game (I didn’t even crack 100,000 points), and has never let me hear the end of it

You let a girl beat you????


You cast shame upon your gender.

Of course, it’s one thing to know about the hidden secrets in the game. You still have to be able to pull off the shots.

Even harder when you don't know the secrets in the game... like me.

I was able to get the volcano to erupt in the balloon-popping game, get the tank to shoot 5,000-point plates at me in the breaking-dishes game, and open up the giant space robot behind the rocket ship in the ring-toss game.

Huh. Never heard of any of 'em.

I ended up with my best score ever!

Not bad. Congrats.

No, wiseguy, I had the 206,200.

Oh! Okay, that's pretty good. Sarcasm and pity removed from previous comment.

And more importantly, I must note that Julie was also in my vehicle.

:laughing:

After the ride was over, Julie accepted her defeat with class and grace, by which I mean she accused me of cheating and claimed she had a defective gun on her side and the sun was in her eyes and demanded a rematch.

All entirely plausible.

his time I rode with Scotty, who started to struggle halfway through the game with suntan lotion irritating his eyes.

This too happens. You work up a sweat and it starts to run. Totally believable.

She still got to see her favorite animated characters of all time.


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Her favourite is the Claw?

The line to meet Woody and Jessie extended to Kissimmee, so we bypassed that and instead got in line behind only about 4 families to meet Buzz Lightyear

Huh. Odd (to me, anyway) that there'd be such a difference between the lines.

Sarah was properly greeted as royalty.

:) Bet she liked that.


Nice shot! Especially like the addition of the green army man.

Alien Swirling Saucers, or AS…(sigh)…2.

Or A$$ or... well, I can make it appear sans *** butt... it'd get me in trouble with the mods.

It’s a fun little ride. Best with kids, and worth doing once per visit. I wouldn’t waste a Fastpass or wait any longer than we did, but everybody enjoyed it for what it was.

Good to know! Looking forward to it in May.

we were starting to sweat our Alien Swirling Saucers off.

AS2.

Because I cherish each and every one of my readers and love to reward you, here is an up-to-the-minute look at what the construction progress looked like as of late July 2018.

Wow! Thanks!

In all seriousness, I can’t wait to see what it’s like when It’s open. I do love Star Wars, although I’m not the kind of ultra-fan who can name every character and planet.

I'm about the same. I've seen all the movies, but none of the animated ones. Plus never read the plethora of books out there.

*Lightsaber not included.

You could've let him have one. Because batteries not included.


:laughing: Love that one.

I like this one of Drew, because you can virtually hear the sound effects he’s making.

::yes::

My kids and Julie rode once without me and said they all got the “Darth Vader scene”, and that it was “amazing” and “the best” and “I can’t believe you missed out, but that’s hilarious”.

Um... I got it... and I never ride it. But I have once or twice and... um... sorry.

Anyway, I know better. The “Darth Vader scene” is as real as the Loch Ness Monster.

See? Nessie is real. I have proof:


if Darth Vader knew about it, he sure didn’t show up to do anything. Because, like I said, that scene doesn’t actually exist.

He's using the force on you...

Maybe ride #9 would be a different experience for me!


Narrator: It wasn’t.

:laughing:

er… I mean... Sorry, Mark.

I can’t wait to see it! Wait, did I already say that?

Nope!

I know the Muppets 3-D movie has been around forever in Hollywood Studios, but I always enjoy it.

::yes::

At that point, we broke out our PB&J sandwiches

Yuss!!!

Between us and the people who got pizza there, I’m not sure who had the better meal.

I've had pizza there (well... when it was Pizza Planet) and... you had the better meal.

Surely this ride, my tenth attempt overall, would be a different experience.



Actually, it was a different experience. And stop calling me Shirley.

I didn't say a word.

That scene was totally awesome! Wicked! Way better than the robot scene. I was ecstatic—it took me 10 tries, but I’m so glad I finally got to see what it was like to be confronted by Kylo Ren.

Yay!!… wait...

We had some time to kill before our next FP, so we went over to catch another old favorite: the Indiana Jones stunt show. Yes, I know this is another one that hasn’t changed in the 30 years the park has been open, but…I don’t care. Raiders of the Lost Ark is my all-time favorite movie, and Indiana Jones is my favorite movie hero, so I’ll always enjoy this one. Plus, I really appreciate all the effort that goes into good stunt work in a movie. These guys really beat themselves up for our entertainment.

Good point.

Not only that, but there are explosions! You won’t get me to say anything negative about pyrotechnics. They are the bacon of the entertainment world.

:lmao:


boom


CRAAAA-BOOOOMMMM!!!!


You're welcome.

5 out of the 6 of us were looking forward to it. Drew wanted no part of the ride.

:sad2:

We figured his objection was similar to the Barnstormer: from the ground, it looks like there’s a long way to fall with nothing to catch you. Probably intimidating to a 4-year-old.

Kids' got a point.

When I’d made my FP+ reservations 60 days out, this ride and Flight of Passage were the very first ones I’d reserved. I went back and filled in everything else afterwards. I was really glad I’d done that, too—the lines for this ride never let up the whole time we were there.

Good idea. Must remember to do the same when my window opens.

It’s a really great little coaster! Lots of fun. On the intensity scale, I’d rank it somewhere between the Mine Train and Big Thunder—which is to say, not very intense at all. You get some good speed at the launch and some air time on the first two hills. After that, it’s pretty gentle the rest of the way.

Thanks for the review! Sounds fun. :)

Julie was still shrieking, though. We didn’t make fun of her at all, because we are a kind, loving family. As far as you know.

Of course. I've met you all (almost... same ratio as those who rode SDD.)

Coming Up Next: There’s one ride I’d never tried at Hollywood Studios. We need to fix that.

Really? Hmmm... Can't imagine what that could be.

Plus, this year’s nominee for the Cast Member Hall of Fame.

Sounds like you maybe got some pixie dust.
 


I'm a bit late to the party but i'm here now. Great start so far. I was very interested in y'alls MK day of 13 people. We have 11 for our trip in Dec and I anticipate it will go over about as well. I'm looking forward to it LOL. Can't wait to hear more.
 
Sadly, yes. Yes, there is. An undercooked one. :crazy2:

:crazy2: is right. Good point.

We missed Rope Drop.

:sad2: You're getting older......although it probably made for a more enjoyable start to your day.

The crowds didn’t seem too bad that early, even though we knew everyone and their long-lost distant relatives would be heading to Toy Story Land.

They really don't look that bad.

Instead, we decided to take advantage of a normally unheard-of 15-minute wait for Toy Story Mania.

That's a good use of park time - woohoo.

No, wiseguy, I had the 206,200.

As it turns out, I am remarkably consistent. And I won again!

I can't help but notice that both kids have better accuracy. :rolleyes1 Pretty decent scores from you - always nice to get that best in vehicle score too.

The hero shot:


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Nice photo - everyone is smiling and eyes are open.

I just hope the lines have died down in 4-5 years when I actually get the chance to see it.

We are in the same boat - hoping for about 4 years from now. We'll likely see the DL version sooner.

Because, like I said, that scene doesn’t actually exist.

We've seen it quite a few times.....yawn. :teeth:

it took me 10 tries, but I’m so glad I finally got to see what it was like to be confronted by Kylo Ren.

Poor Mark.

Julie was still shrieking, though. We didn’t make fun of her at all, because we are a kind, loving family. As far as you know.

Nice that you two got to ride together. Sarah was very polite with her arms raised, ensuring she did not block you in the photo.
 
Well, I'd love to take you up on that. But it will probably be about 4-5 years before we go back. Hopefully the Star Wars crowds will have died down by then.

Talk to me when you're going back, you never know what the situation will be. We may use the WL points in 2021 or possibly late 2020, so in four or five years, we may be looking to rent them out again.

Naturally, we had wanted to take advantage of the early hours. But with three days of hardcore theme park touring behind us, the spirits were willing, but the bodies were weak. I am ashamed to report that we didn’t make it to Hollywood Studios until about 7:45 a.m. I know…slackers. On the plus side, my parents managed to join us for the morning.

Total slackers! :rolleyes1

I was able to get the volcano to erupt in the balloon-popping game,

I can get that one.

get the tank to shoot 5,000-point plates at me in the breaking-dishes game,

I've gotten this once, but it's so hard to coordinate that both of you hit the flying plates.

and open up the giant space robot behind the rocket ship in the ring-toss game.

I'll have to look this one up. I've never been able to unlock the rocket ship ring toss one.

I like this one of Drew, because you can virtually hear the sound effects he’s making.

You totally can! He is certainly developing into his own little person quickly!

Slinky Dog Dash. It’s an understatement to say we were all looking forward to trying it. Actually, check that: 5 out of the 6 of us were looking forward to it. Drew wanted no part of the ride.

:sad2: He's going to be kicking himself next time you guys go back.

we were starting to sweat our Alien Swirling Saucers off.

:laughing:
 
Well, I'm glad the sickness is gone. I'm sorry about the neck pain. Yuck.

Getting a steroid injection on Tuesday. Hoping it helps!

Blasphemy! I'm staying with my tried and true first love.

Don't knock it til you try it!

As it should be. Hope it's a great time.

It's shaping up to be. Lots of spreadsheet joy goin' on.

To ludicrous speed! Or at least 20 mph.

That'd do it.

In his defense, it is supposed to be a race.

Well... YEAH!

They did. My parents haven't sent the photos to me yet. :sad2:

A nudge by way of bribe perhaps? "Come on over for PB&Js...? Maybe bring those photos?"

I always flush after doing my duty.

Should I give you a medal?

She seemed happy enough on Dec. 25!

Yep and so did you, Smoker Boy.

Totally worth it. But I remember that theme isn't as transporting for you as some of the others.

but..... you know what? It's growing on me. Quickly. I am actually kinda hoping to stay there someday soon. Not sure when, but am looking forward to it. Maybe during Christmas or something.
 
We missed Rope Drop.

:scared1:

I am not ashamed in the least to say that the park looks 1,000 times better like this, without the giant stupid sorcerer hat in the way.

YES!!!


Aww, great photo of you all!

Instead, we decided to take advantage of a normally unheard-of 15-minute wait for Toy Story Mania.

Pro move!

I find it hard to get a good rapid-fire going without cursing myself to permanent carpal-tunnel syndrome for hours afterwards.

I happen to know a great place to get that taken care of. I can hook you up when you to Oregon. Some DISMeets give gifts of ketchup chips... I can get you (for no discount at all) a quality 5-minute CTR surgery. ;)

We got rolling, and I was able to find a shooting position that enabled me to fire quickly without being too uncomfortable. That in turn enabled me to unlock some of the secrets—which was a good feeling, given how badly I’ve done in previous visits. I was able to get the volcano to erupt in the balloon-popping game, get the tank to shoot 5,000-point plates at me in the breaking-dishes game, and open up the giant space robot behind the rocket ship in the ring-toss game. All of these actions netted me some solid points. When I hit the target, anyway.


I ended up with my best score ever!

No, wiseguy, I had the 206,200.

YAY! Now I cheat and STILL lose by a mere 200,000 points.

After the ride was over, Julie accepted her defeat with class and grace, by which I mean she accused me of cheating

Of course she did. She's no idiot.

As it turns out, I am remarkably consistent.

If not very accurate.

or AS…(sigh)…2.

:lmao:

In all seriousness, I can’t wait to see what it’s like when It’s open. I do love Star Wars, although I’m not the kind of ultra-fan who can name every character and planet. But I think the new rides sound like they’ll be a lot of fun, and I’m sure they’re going to want to knock this one out of the park for the fans (and to ensure sold-out park tickets for months on end).

ME TOO! and your sentiments of SW sound just like mine. I'm a fan, but a rabid fan. Definitely looking forward to it though.

At that point, we broke out our PB&J sandwiches and ate them in the plaza next to PizzeRizzo. Between us and the people who got pizza there, I’m not sure who had the better meal.

:laughing:

Finally, we made a desperate move and blasted our way out of the space station, making a narrow escape.

I knew we could count on you!

Julie was still shrieking, though.

That's the ONLY way to enjoy a coaster. Of any size.
 
Naturally, we had wanted to take advantage of the early hours. But with three days of hardcore theme park touring behind us, the spirits were willing, but the bodies were weak. I am ashamed to report that we didn’t make it to Hollywood Studios until about 7:45 a.m. I know…slackers. On the plus side, my parents managed to join us for the morning.
Totally understandable. That's exactly what happened with my family whenever we (I) attempted to get on the move for rope drop. Especially after a few days of park touring in the summer heat.

I am not ashamed in the least to say that the park looks 1,000 times better like this, without the giant stupid sorcerer hat in the way.
I have to agree. My August trip is the first time I saw DHS without the hat...and I didn't miss it.
I do like the idea of Mickey and the sorcerer's hat. Just not made ridiculously ginormous and stuck in front of a park icon.

The crowds didn’t seem too bad that early, even though we knew everyone and their long-lost distant relatives would be heading to Toy Story Land.


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Whoa...there's hardly anybody there. Way less crowded than I saw it in August. Even nobody in line for Photopass. You got there a bit earlier than I managed, so it just shows how important even 5 or 10 minutes is to rope drop.

So, as with Buzz Lightyear, I cheated and looked up the hints/tricks on YouTube again.

Of course, it’s one thing to know about the hidden secrets in the game. You still have to be able to pull off the shots.
I did the same, and then my 40+ year old brain promptly forgot. I remembered the volcano and I think I got that to go off. The only other thing I remembered was something about hitting the fox in the hen house. But I failed miserably at whatever I was supposed to do there.

It’s a fun little ride. Best with kids, and worth doing once per visit. I wouldn’t waste a Fastpass or wait any longer than we did, but everybody enjoyed it for what it was.
I concur. It was a little more fun than I expected and I would definitely do it once a trip, provided the wait was short enough. I hope they move it off tier 1 FP.

we were starting to sweat our Alien Swirling Saucers off.
tenor.gif

As we left, I held my phone up and got the best shot I could of the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge expansion. Because I cherish each and every one of my readers and love to reward you, here is an up-to-the-minute look at what the construction progress looked like as of late July 2018.
Did you also get a picture of the front page of the newspaper that day? I need to brush up on current events.

On the bright side, you know when things get really old, they actually become nostalgic. So in another couple months, somebody might look at this picture and be impressed.

In all seriousness, I can’t wait to see what it’s like when It’s open. I do love Star Wars, although I’m not the kind of ultra-fan who can name every character and planet. But I think the new rides sound like they’ll be a lot of fun, and I’m sure they’re going to want to knock this one out of the park for the fans (and to ensure sold-out park tickets for months on end).

I just hope the lines have died down in 4-5 years when I actually get the chance to see it.
Same here.
I don't know when I'll see it. And in truth I don't think I would want to in the first year. Toy Story crowds were bad enough. I can't imagine Star Wars Land.
I have a loose plan to visit in 2021 for the 50th, but I expect so does every other Disney fan on the planet, so I really don't know.

These are trained professionals. Please, do not try this at home.


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Nice one! I have to give her props. In all the pictures of this bike I've seen, I have never seen one where somebody is hanging from the bottom of it!

Longtime readers know that I really love Star Tours, although I have had one ongoing issue with it. Ever since the ride was refurbished and they added the new random destinations and scenes, I have heard rumors of a certain “Darth Vader scene” early in the proceedings where he attacks your starship by using the Force. Said scene is apparently “totally awesome” and “wicked” and “way better than the robot scene”, which of course is the one I always get.
I know it exists because I got that scene by chance, but it was so long ago that I forget most of the scene and I'm starting to wonder if I just made it up in my mind.

We had some time to kill before our next FP, so we went over to catch another old favorite: the Indiana Jones stunt show. Yes, I know this is another one that hasn’t changed in the 30 years the park has been open, but…I don’t care. Raiders of the Lost Ark is my all-time favorite movie, and Indiana Jones is my favorite movie hero, so I’ll always enjoy this one. Plus, I really appreciate all the effort that goes into good stunt work in a movie. These guys really beat themselves up for our entertainment.
I enjoy the show. My family doesn't.
Like I mentioned in my TR, I find it's a tad out of place now that it's the only thing left in DHS that tries to do the "behind the scenes" thing. I wonder if they might want to tweak it a little and get rid of the movie making shtick and keep the rest.
But I do appreciate the stunt work too.

Not only that, but there are explosions! You won’t get me to say anything negative about pyrotechnics. They are the bacon of the entertainment world.
I enjoy that analogy! I don't think there is anything that would be made worse with explosions.
Imagine how much better the Frozen sing a long would be if Elsa exploded her way into the theatre!

At that point, we broke out our PB&J sandwiches and ate them in the plaza next to PizzeRizzo. Between us and the people who got pizza there, I’m not sure who had the better meal.
I only ate there when it was Pizza Planet, but if they didn't change up the menu since, I suspect your PB&Js were more enjoyable.

We didn’t push as hard this time, even though we knew he’d probably enjoy it. We figured his objection was similar to the Barnstormer: from the ground, it looks like there’s a long way to fall with nothing to catch you. Probably intimidating to a 4-year-old.
I actually thought it looked a bit high my self the first time I saw it. So I can't blame him.
 
I always have these best intentions as well and usually end up with similar results.

We did pretty well getting early starts for the most part. They do add up, though.

He looks like, REally again?!?

Can you blame him?


I stole that one from @Terra Nova guy . Gotta give credit where it's due.

He is the only one who took his driving seriously!

There's a galaxy to save!

From most reviews... I think you guys did.

:rolleyes1

Still do.

'Cause I haven't read it yet.


:rolleyes1

As the Man In Black would say, get used to disappointment.

You Yanks...
gotta bring tackling into everything.
First you brought it to football.
"Let's not just use our feet... and let's hit people really hard."
And now to golf.

Well, it does tend to make things more exciting.
 
Wait! Wait!

Two things.

1. You missed rope drop???? Who are you?
2. You forgot to say "I haven't written an update since last year."

You're letting me down, dude.

1. I know. I'm disappointed, too.
2. Well...you did that joke first. So I didn't want to steal--

Yeah, I totally missed that. Sorry.

Oy... I heard about those first few days.

Glad I missed those.

I'm thinking the spirit might've been weak too.

Maybe a little after the disappointing day previously. But it was a new park for Drew, so there was some excitement there.


::yes::

Your legs! OMG! Where are your legs?!?!?!?!?

But you ain't got no legs, Lt. Dan.

Not surprised. Actually... I am... I am surprised it wasn't longer.

I think that 7:00 hour had something to do with it.

Whoa! That's... nothing!

Right? I've never seen in that short.

It does take a toll, that ride.

I'm still not sure why they thought that would be the best firing mechanism.

You let a girl beat you????


You cast shame upon your gender.

I seem to do that a lot.

Even harder when you don't know the secrets in the game... like me.

I had no idea until I looked them up. It was fun to actually unlock them.

Huh. Never heard of any of 'em.

Well, now you have!

Oh! Okay, that's pretty good. Sarcasm and pity removed from previous comment.

Thanks!...I think.

All entirely plausible.

:sad2:

This too happens. You work up a sweat and it starts to run. Totally believable.

:sad2:

Her favourite is the Claw?

Well, she loves that scene. She has a soft spot for those aliens.

Huh. Odd (to me, anyway) that there'd be such a difference between the lines.

Yeah, I didn't get that one, either.

:) Bet she liked that.

Who wouldn't?

Nice shot! Especially like the addition of the green army man.

:rotfl2: he is posed perfectly! I hadn't really noticed him before.

Or A$$ or... well, I can make it appear sans *** butt... it'd get me in trouble with the mods.

We never get to have any fun.

Good to know! Looking forward to it in May.

Hope you enjoy it! (and get a FP).


Boring.

I'm about the same. I've seen all the movies, but none of the animated ones. Plus never read the plethora of books out there.

So much material, so little time. I'm good with following the main story on screen. I didn't need every single detail.

You could've let him have one. Because batteries not included.

The kids have them at home. I get whacked with them plenty. They don't need any more.

:laughing: Love that one.

My favorite! They did that on their own.:thumbsup2

Um... I got it... and I never ride it. But I have once or twice and... um... sorry.

Uh huh. Sure you have.

See? Nessie is real. I have proof:

That's your arm sticking out of the water.

He's using the force on you...

These aren't the droids we're looking for.

:laughing:

er… I mean... Sorry, Mark.

It's fine. That scene doesn't actually exist, anyway.

I've had pizza there (well... when it was Pizza Planet) and... you had the better meal.

I knew it!


I said stop it!

I didn't say a word.

You didn't have to say anything.

Yay!!… wait...

Eh, close enough.

CRAAAA-BOOOOMMMM!!!!


You're welcome.

See? It even made this TR better.

Good idea. Must remember to do the same when my window opens.

The new rides are always the most popular ones.

Thanks for the review! Sounds fun. :)

It was! Hope you like it, too.

Of course. I've met you all (almost... same ratio as those who rode SDD.)

Can't put anything past you.

Really? Hmmm... Can't imagine what that could be.

It's a big one!

Sounds like you maybe got some pixie dust.

::yes::

Around here? Oh I'm used to it!

Great. Our standards are properly lowered, then.

Lord knows golf is in need of all the help it can get.


:duck:

Believe me, I completely understand why other people don't watch it.
 
1. I know. I'm disappointed, too.
2. Well...you did that joke first. So I didn't want to steal--

Yeah, I totally missed that. Sorry.

But it's a Dad joke. It's meant to be repeated. Every year. By all of us.

Maybe a little after the disappointing day previously. But it was a new park for Drew, so there was some excitement there.

that's good, then.

But you ain't got no legs, Lt. Dan.



I'm still not sure why they thought that would be the best firing mechanism.

Because it's a pull toy, you walnut!

Here: this link should help

I seem to do that a lot.

Oh, I know. We all talk about it.

:rotfl2: he is posed perfectly! I hadn't really noticed him before.

Green photo bomb

We never get to have any fun.

I wish there was some place where you could just go ahead and use curse words.


Wait... it's called the internet.

Hope you enjoy it! (and get a FP).

::yes::

So much material, so little time. I'm good with following the main story on screen. I didn't need every single detail.

Yup. It's a movie. My life doesn't depend on it. (okay... movies)

The kids have them at home. I get whacked with them plenty. They don't need any more.

:laughing:

Uh huh. Sure you have.

:rolleyes1

That's your arm sticking out of the water.

Wrist exercises for TSMM.

It's fine. That scene doesn't actually exist, anyway.

:laughing: Okay.

The new rides are always the most popular ones.

::yes:: Until newer ones come along.
I wonder if there's ever been a new ride that hasn't been swamped for a while.

Great. Our standards are properly lowered, then.

Can't go anywhere but up, now!


No. Really. You can't get lower.

Believe me, I completely understand why other people don't watch it.

Nothing like looking at nothing but sky for hours.
 
What a great trip report! So entertaining!!!! I can't wait to read the next installment.

:welcome: Thanks for reading! Pull up a chair, hang around. We're all friendly here.

I'm a bit late to the party but i'm here now. Great start so far. I was very interested in y'alls MK day of 13 people. We have 11 for our trip in Dec and I anticipate it will go over about as well. I'm looking forward to it LOL. Can't wait to hear more.

:welcome:I'm a firm believe that in a large group, everyoue should just do what they want and just plan a few things to do together. But it's nice to have communication.

:sad2: You're getting older......although it probably made for a more enjoyable start to your day.

I am indeed getting older. But that beats the alternative.

They really don't look that bad.

Not at that time of day!

That's a good use of park time - woohoo.

:woohoo:

I can't help but notice that both kids have better accuracy. :rolleyes1 Pretty decent scores from you - always nice to get that best in vehicle score too.

Yes, but how many points do they give you for accuracy?

Nice photo - everyone is smiling and eyes are open.

Finally!

We are in the same boat - hoping for about 4 years from now. We'll likely see the DL version sooner.

I hope it's cool. I'm sure it will be. I also hope we can afford to go 4 years from now.

We've seen it quite a few times.....yawn. :teeth:

Uh huh. You're just saying that.

Poor Mark.

Eh, close enough. I finally got something other than the droid scene.

Nice that you two got to ride together. Sarah was very polite with her arms raised, ensuring she did not block you in the photo.

Thank goodness. I'm not done being Wazowski'd yet.
 
Talk to me when you're going back, you never know what the situation will be. We may use the WL points in 2021 or possibly late 2020, so in four or five years, we may be looking to rent them out again.

Well, I'll definitely keep that in mind. Thanks for being such a good friend!

Total slackers! :rolleyes1

What is wrong with us?

I can get that one.

:thumbsup2

I've gotten this once, but it's so hard to coordinate that both of you hit the flying plates.

Somehow I managed to get them all!

I'll have to look this one up. I've never been able to unlock the rocket ship ring toss one.

You have to empty the ship of aliens before any new ones pop back up.

You totally can! He is certainly developing into his own little person quickly!

It happens so fast. Crazy.

:sad2: He's going to be kicking himself next time you guys go back.

I'm sure he'll jump right in line next time.

Getting a steroid injection on Tuesday. Hoping it helps!

Me too! How did it go? Sorry if you've posted about it elsewhere.

Don't knock it til you try it!

But...Dole Whips...

A nudge by way of bribe perhaps? "Come on over for PB&Js...? Maybe bring those photos?"

It'll probably take more than PB&J. They just need a lot of reminding.

Should I give you a medal?

::yes::

Yep and so did you, Smoker Boy.

Mmmm...brisket...

but..... you know what? It's growing on me. Quickly. I am actually kinda hoping to stay there someday soon. Not sure when, but am looking forward to it. Maybe during Christmas or something.

Well, I hope it works out, then!


That makes 3 of us.

Aww, great photo of you all!

:thanks:

I happen to know a great place to get that taken care of. I can hook you up when you to Oregon. Some DISMeets give gifts of ketchup chips... I can get you (for no discount at all) a quality 5-minute CTR surgery. ;)

Man, you really know how to sell your state.

YAY! Now I cheat and STILL lose by a mere 200,000 points.

If all else fails, bribe someone else to say their high score was yours.

Of course she did. She's no idiot.

Hey, she can access YouTube as well.

If not very accurate.

If they awarded points for accuracy, I'd work harder at it.

ME TOO! and your sentiments of SW sound just like mine. I'm a fan, but a rabid fan. Definitely looking forward to it though.

I'm sure it will be amazing once it's open. The rumors I hear about the new rides are very exciting.

I knew we could count on you!

It was all that practice at TSM that paid off.

That's the ONLY way to enjoy a coaster. Of any size.

I dunno, it sounds kind of girly when I do it.
 
Totally understandable. That's exactly what happened with my family whenever we (I) attempted to get on the move for rope drop. Especially after a few days of park touring in the summer heat.

It's so hot, and you walk so far every day. Definitely not a restful vacation.

I have to agree. My August trip is the first time I saw DHS without the hat...and I didn't miss it.
I do like the idea of Mickey and the sorcerer's hat. Just not made ridiculously ginormous and stuck in front of a park icon.

It never looked right there. Didn't go with the surrounding theme at all.

Whoa...there's hardly anybody there. Way less crowded than I saw it in August. Even nobody in line for Photopass. You got there a bit earlier than I managed, so it just shows how important even 5 or 10 minutes is to rope drop.

It did fill up rather quickly. Getting there early was key.

I did the same, and then my 40+ year old brain promptly forgot. I remembered the volcano and I think I got that to go off. The only other thing I remembered was something about hitting the fox in the hen house. But I failed miserably at whatever I was supposed to do there.

I thought the tank would be too hard, but somehow I got it. The alien ship was fun, too. I'm sure it's a lot easier if you and your partner can work together.

I concur. It was a little more fun than I expected and I would definitely do it once a trip, provided the wait was short enough. I hope they move it off tier 1 FP.

It's really not worth a FP, in my opinion. But not a bad 2nd-tier ride.


You mean completely stole your joke? Yep, guilty as charged. I'll send you a check.

Did you also get a picture of the front page of the newspaper that day? I need to brush up on current events.

On the bright side, you know when things get really old, they actually become nostalgic. So in another couple months, somebody might look at this picture and be impressed.

I'm always fascinated with behind-the-scenes Disney, wondering how this stuff gets put together and how they pull it off. I really wanted to see what was over that wall.

Same here.
I don't know when I'll see it. And in truth I don't think I would want to in the first year. Toy Story crowds were bad enough. I can't imagine Star Wars Land.
I have a loose plan to visit in 2021 for the 50th, but I expect so does every other Disney fan on the planet, so I really don't know.

I think the crowds will be absolutely insane when it opens. So I'll be glad to skip that and wait. I can bide my time. There's plenty of other things to see in the world!

Nice one! I have to give her props. In all the pictures of this bike I've seen, I have never seen one where somebody is hanging from the bottom of it!

They came up with that on their own! I was very proud.

I know it exists because I got that scene by chance, but it was so long ago that I forget most of the scene and I'm starting to wonder if I just made it up in my mind.

That must be it. Because it doesn't really exist.

I enjoy the show. My family doesn't.
Like I mentioned in my TR, I find it's a tad out of place now that it's the only thing left in DHS that tries to do the "behind the scenes" thing. I wonder if they might want to tweak it a little and get rid of the movie making shtick and keep the rest.
But I do appreciate the stunt work too.

I wouldn't be surprised if it's not long for the world. It's had a long run. But I hope Indiana Jones maintains a presence in the park. I'd love to see a new ride.

I enjoy that analogy! I don't think there is anything that would be made worse with explosions.
Imagine how much better the Frozen sing a long would be if Elsa exploded her way into the theatre!

SO much better. I mean, not even close. I might even want to watch it.

I only ate there when it was Pizza Planet, but if they didn't change up the menu since, I suspect your PB&Js were more enjoyable.

I know for sure they were cheaper.

I actually thought it looked a bit high my self the first time I saw it. So I can't blame him.

Honestly, I felt the same way. First glance, I was like, "Wow, that's higher than I thought it would be." Great ride.
 

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