When we left our heroines, they were eluding detection as wedding stalkers by making their getaway on a slow-moving Friendship Boat to Disneys Hollywood Studios.
When we were first planning our day together, Jensey and I were worried that I would be a complete wreck from taking a red-eye flight the night before. She suggested that we get a wheelchair so I could sleep in between rides and shops and she would wake me up for the fun stuff.
So our first order of business when we got to DHS was to get a novelty shot of Jensey pushing an exhausted Lurkyloo around in a wheelchair. Unfortunately, however little Disney may train Photopass CMs in photography, they train wheelchair rental CMs even
less!
Can you even tell whats going on here?
But you get the idea....
Today happened to be Disney Hollywood Studios 20th anniversary. And if you thought Epcots 25th anniversary celebration was low-key, wait til you see (or rather
dont see) this one. I saw no signs, no ceremonies, no parades, no merchandise to speak of. I didnt even hear about the anniversary until a couple of days before my trip. By that time it was too late to make plans to go to the one cool thing Disney did to celebrate, a free panel discussion of the parks history with three Imagineers. (It was held during my morning nap.)
Reportedly one of the things hinted at in that discussion was that the love-it-or-loathe-it Sorcerer Mickey Hat may finally be removed from its spot in front of the parks actual castle, Graumans Chinese Theater.
Let us bid it a premature farewell with several gorgeous photos!
"So long, Hat! Dont let the door hit you on the way out!
The only other thing Disney did to commemorate the anniversary was slap a couple of opening day-inspired desserts on the various restaurant menus and create a special cupcake at Starring Rolls Bakery. Now you know me I love desserts, and I especially love cupcakes! But I was pretty disappointed to learn that the anniversary dessert at the Brown Derby was the same old grapefruit cake with an anniversary sign on it. LAME! After hearing that, we didnt bother to investigate the anniversary desserts at the other restaurants. We did, however, investigate the cupcake!
Starring Rolls was already on my To Eat list because Id been tipped to its chocolate peanut butter cupcake. The first CM we spoke to when we got there hadnt even heard of the anniversary cupcake. The next one said she had to go look in back and see if they had one. We waited.
Yet another celebratory cupcake. Judging by the green Mickey balloon lurking at the back, Id say this one was designed to Celebrate the awesomeness of Today.
Gee, that Chocolate Butterfinger Cupcake looks like it might be even better than the Chocolate Peanut Butter one!
Still waiting...
[snicker, giggle, snort!]
At last, our helper returned with the Anniversary Cupcake!
Happy Birthday, DHS. All we got you was this cupcake.
I know you guys are going to be asking, but I dont remember what flavor it wasand according to my Web search, no news outlet or blogger felt it worthy of description! I
think she said it was chocolate chip with white frosting, and one blogger reported that there was a chocolate kiss under the hat. You will be even more shocked to learn that we didnt try any of the other cupcakes either we were just too dang full from the BoardWalk Bakery! Part of me feels that I have failed in my duties as a cake-crazed trip reporter, but part of me feels that I may have matured a little by admitting I cant eat it all....
We went back out to the fountain near the ride times board and plotted our next move.
This ones for DH!
"Oh, are you still here?
Time for another step outside the comfort zone in the name of investigative journalism! Normally, there is no way youll get me into any kind of stage show at a Disney park when I could be, you know, riding a ride or eating something delicious. And considering that Ive never even seen
American Idol and have absolutely zero interest in it, I figured the American Idol Experience was probably the last attraction Id ever sit through at DHS.
But dang if that Jensey isnt persuasive! First she got me to a princess breakfast, then she started working on me about the American Idol Experience. She assured me that between the rigged competition and the histrionics of the judges, we would be laughing our patooties off. After all that cake, I could stand to laugh some of my patootie off, so I agreed to go. As it turned out, I didnt just step outside my comfort zone, I lunged!
Oooh... sparkly!
We walked right in just before showtime and chose seats at the back of the half-empty theater so I could make snide comments without disturbing anyone around us. The warm-up guy was cracking up the front rows. I found him... mildly diverting.
Im going to include a few of my own shots here because it turns out you really cant take a bad photo of that dazzling stage set!
The Ryan Seacrest clone was not as irritating as Id feared, and I liked how he walked that fine line between clever and stupid. Jensey had already seen the show multiple times, and each time the winner was the last person to perform, so I had my radar on for the ringer.
The first contestant was a middle-aged homemaker with a husky voice who belted the H outta Black Horse and the Cherry Tree. Her performance was a little rough around the edges, but I liked her! She seemed real, and she was really having a ball up there. I gave her the Lyman Gilmore Middle School Standing O (leap to your feet, make an O with your arms above your head, shriek "Woooooo!").
The next contestant was also a middle-aged homemaker, but her voice was smoother and she was the kind of real-looking pretty that Disney zeros in on when they need to show actual guests in marketing campaigns. Frankly, it was hard to judge her singing because they buried her vocals in the mix. I think she sang a Kelly Clarkson song.
OK, let's pretend this is a picture of the second contestant
How does that happen?!!?
.
)
Not on that stupid work computer!
I gotta think of a way to advertise my trippie better. Maybe I could buy a banner! 
I am very jealous of you getting to keep your name AND have the same name as your DH. 
I just worry about ladies who tan.... 
But I really have not noticed it anywhere at WDW. Disneyland actually has lots of red velvet cake options, but I think that's just cuz all of L.A.'s trendy cupcake shops and retro bakeries have made it the rage. Unfortunately, Disneyland's version is not very good... 
.
