Tag: Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Happy Birthday Disney’s Hollywood Studios!!!

I wanted to celebrate Hollywood Studios Birthday with a look at a few of my favorite details and memories from around the park.

It is a day late, but not a dollar short…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS!!!!!!

Also a HUGE thank you goes to Betsy for the music in the video!!! 🙂

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Rides with Friends – A First Ride with Zoe

The thing that I was the MOST excited about when we decided to move to Orlando was not having to endure a few months or even a year of waiting for Zoe’s next Disney Milestone. She got her first haircut at the Harmony Barber Shop, she rode The Barnstormer as her first roller coaster, and learned that fairy tales come true when she met the Fairy Godmother as her first character experience.

Goofy's Barnstormer Zoe First Ride

And while Zoe is a lover of all the mountains (Space, Thunder, and Splash), there was one thrill that she still had on her list (that she is tall enough to ride)…The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

So after months of debating, she finally agreed to ride The Tower of Terror!

We walked the queue in silence sharing quick glances, waiting for her to chicken out. Then as we walked through the lobby, we realized that it was really going to happen we all got nervously excited. As the preshow “movie”, as Zoe called it, ended she led us to the elevators. After being strapped in, she took a death grip on both mine and Dave’s hands…and the rest is history!

Tower of Terror Zoe First Ride

I hope that you all enjoy sharing the terror and joy that was Zoe’s first ride on Tower of Terror!!!

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Rides with Friends: Star Tours

One of my favorite things about living so close to Walt Disney World is that you get to meet ‘friends’ from Twitter and Facebook, and then they turn into REAL friends as you share a moment or maybe a ride that in an instant becomes epic and the cornerstone to a friendship.

We moved to Orlando near the end of August, and the D23 Final Flight of Star Tours was coming up and I was STOKED because it would be the first event that I would be here for. As the date drew closer my excitement slowly faded as reality set in…I wouldn’t know ANYONE that would be there and I would be going alone since we didn’t know anyone to babysit Zoe. YIKES!!!

So as I was sitting outside of the turnstiles of Hollywood Studios, I gave myself a pep talk and decided that if I recognized anyone from their pictures on Twitter or Facebook I would go up and introduce myself. And while I am an outgoing person, the thought of actually doing this made my stomach drop to my toes.

Then it happened…I noticed a person that I recognized and it was go time.

I walked up to Suzannah (@zannaland) introduced myself to her and her husband, and the rest is history. Suzannah introduced me to everyone she knew, we share the LAST popcorn from Endor, and then the last ride of Star Tours.

Look! I didn't even realize I had a pic of Scott Otis and Glenn!!!

Now I can’t imagine what things would be like if I DIDN’T meet her at the Final Flight. And while I love Star Tours, it holds a special place in my heart now!

Don't shoot!!!

Now as excitement builds towards the re-opening of Star Tours (check out www.startours2live.com for awesome info) and Star Wars weekend (www.studioscentral.com always has the best info) , I find myself even more excited about experiencing it since I will have my friends with me!!!

Over the next few weeks, some other friends of the blog will be sharing their stories, too. If you are interested in sharing yours, lemme know! I love hearing and sharing these stories!!!

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Let Me Save You Eight Minutes…

Yesterday the ‘Pixar Pals Countdown to Fun’ Parade stepped off for the first time at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

The ‘Pixar Pals Countdown to Fun’ replaces the popular and high energy ‘Block Party Bash’ Parade with a lack luster eight minute blink and you missed it “parade”.

Let’s start with the similarities between the current offering and ‘Block Party Bash’…

  • Starting time – Both parades begin at 3:00 pm.
  • Starting location  – Starting on Hollywood Boulevard and ending near Star Tours the route snakes its way around  the center of the park. 
  • Slightly rethemed parade floats – The large floats are all the same, while the smaller floats have gotten a fresh coat of paint.
  • Reused costumes and props – Okay, the costumes, props, and scooters are pretty much EXACTLY the same…

So if all that is the same, what’s new?

  • Music – The songs we all loved to hate have been replaced by a tweaked “I Don’t Want to Work”…over and over again.
  • Characters – While the large floats have the same characters from The Incredibles, A Bug’s Life, Monster’s Inc, and Toy Story, Carl, Russell, and Dug from Up, Remy from Ratatouille, and Lotso from Toy Story 3 have been added.

 

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While I really enjoyed the characters that were added, but I can’t help but miss all the excitement that ‘Block Party Bash’ brought to the streets of Hollywood Studios.

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Osbourne Spectacle of Dancing Lights

Last night I was able to do something that I have been wanting to do for a loooong time…I got to see the Osbourne Spectacle of Dancing Lights!!!

It was dusk and I knew what was waiting for me right around the corner as I approached the BAH…and suddenly I was walking faster and I saw my first peek at the lights.

I was a little worried that I would be overwhelmed by the amount of lights and people that I knew that I would find on the Streets of America, but once I was there none of that mattered!!!

The lights are absolutely beautiful, and when the snow falls (during the non-dancing lights songs) it feels perfect.

This year Phineas & Ferb make a cameo into the dancing light sequence, and it is perfectly placed addition to this experience.

There are vendors selling Christmas cookies and hot chocolate, as well as 3D glasses that enhance the lights. The glasses can be purchased at Youse Guys Moichendise, but almost seem unnecessary as the lights hold their own.

If you haven’t had the chance to see the Osbourne Spectacle of Dancing Lights, you should do so…NOW!!!

I also want to thank Todd Perlmutter, Cheryl Perlmutter, and Matt Hochberg for showing me around and pointing out things that I shouldn’t miss!

I hope that you enjoy these pictures!!!

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Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Holiday Daytime Edition

So for today’s outing I decided to head on over to Hollywood Studios, and boy was I glad that I did!

For some reason we ALWAYS end up not being able to watch the Osbourne Spectacle of Dancing Lights, and I am soooo excited to be able to see them this year.

I will warn you, that I went a little nutty taking soooo many pictures!!!!

I hope that you enjoy them & if there is anything else you would like to see just let me know!!! 🙂

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