Day 3: Disney's Hollywood Studios
After a long day at Magic Kingdom yesterday, the next challenge was to face Disney's Hollywood Studios, and it started off fine, but when my parents called in to take an Uber to the park, this was when the day started off on the wrong foot, as once again I was squished thanks to my parents and felt uncomfortable once again
Once we arrived in the park, I just wanted to get my anger out again due to that underwhelming experience(as I should had just taken the bus), that was un-Disney
But once I got inside the park, my parents decided to go to Oga's Cantina for Breakfast(which I didn't miss anything from this, as they said it was just drinks and Chex Mix to them), while I found all the Fab 50 statues that were at this park, Joe Gardner(from Pixar's Soul), Flounder & Sebastian(from The Little Mermaid, surprisingly even though Voyage of the Little Mermaid hasn't reopened yet), Bo Peep & Woody(from Toy Story), BB-8 & R2-D2(from Star Wars), and Frozone & Edna Mode(from The Incredibles)
And I was tempting to find some Disney friends, and hoping that Mira Royal Detective would had come where Pluto normally is, but they didn't even add her to the meets(because of "2020 messed everything up", and the lineup were characters from shows that ended(yes even their most iconic was still meeting her fans in Doc McStuffins(due to the show's 10th anniversary despite airing its last new episode in 2020), and NO, Sofia doesn't do meets anymore, which was a major heartbreaker)
But fortunately though, Chip n Dale were ready for their perfect picnic on the lawns of Hollywood Blvd, and decided to snap a few pics and take video of their little antics with the blanket, basket, and acorn, and is actually one of the actually fun distanced meets around the park, and was so excited to tell them about their new Disney+ Rescue Rangers movie which was coming out within two weeks from that point(and spoiler alert: I actually liked the movie)
After spending a few minutes with the Chipmunks, I walked over to meet Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight(aka the permanent home of our favorite snowman), again, and I was here for warm hugs, selfies, a video, and photos(again, there was no PhotoPass), with a mostly solid line that had me wait 10-15 minutes
Next up was actually attending the beloved show that I went to see on every trip(since 2005), this was the one that I managed to see on every trip, and it never fails to impress me, that's right, Muppet-Vision 3D, I did miss a few mins of the preshow, but luckily the part with Rizzo dressing up as Mickey Mouse never fails to make me laugh, and for this showing, I got to sit in the front row(ish) for the presentation that still holds up strongly with the witty writing that had Muppet Mayhem fun all over, the clever comedy, the impressively "cheap" effects(they're cheap in a comedic way), a live Sweetums who never fails to get goosebumps the first time he walks onto the theater, the impressive animatronics of Statler & Waldorf, the Swedish Chef, the Penguins, and Bean Bunny, the Glorious 3 Hour Finale(You've got a minute and a half), and so much more that makes this a must see at the parks
I made my way to Star Wars Galaxy's Edge on the original site of the old Streets of America, and let me tell you, my first impressions of the land in person was INCREDIBLE, everything is well detailed and greatly themed, and look I got to see Rey working on an X-Wing and decided to snap a few pics for the memories
None of that, would compare to what my parents and I were ready to be impressed by, as mother had her DSA(Disability Access Service) pass for what would be the most complexed attraction at the entire Walt Disney World Resort, opened at the end of the 2010's, caused very long lines for this when it opened, and some can go even as far as saying that this is the best theme park attraction at not just at WDW, Central Florida, nor just the Disney Parks in general, but also of all-time, that's right, we were ready to witness for the next eighteen minutes, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, with a great preshow featuring an animatronic BB-8 and a hologram of Rey who gives out a mission to us, and then we board a resistance CEC Intersystem Transport Ship for the first portion of the ride, piloted by Lieutenant Bek, and then onto the next section is where we see the most impressive (and the most photographed) part of the attraction, the Stormtrooper hangar bay room, and then the main course itself, we board a transport controlled by a BB droid, and it was off to escape from the first order, and without spoiling anything major, it's just fantastic, everything from the animatronics, the ride system, the characters, the story, and more just makes this a brilliant addition to an already grand land, that could never be made on this grand scale again
However, even if Rise was a brilliant attraction, THIS isn't my favorite attraction at the park that was added the last five years, no, it may had been groundbreaking and technologically advanced, but there is one ride that tops it, which would the next attraction that I would witness, that's on Hollywood Blvd, it's at the Chinese Theater, it may had sacrificed a classic like The Great Movie Ride, and it's from an art style that people aren't fans of based around the iconic cartoon character, that's right, Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway is better than Rise of the Resistance in my honest opinion, here's why
Once my family and I arrived to the Chinese Theater, we see posters of some of the recent Mickey cartoons made by the brilliant guys at Disney Television Animation, and we knew that we were invited to a screening of the new Mickey Mouse cartoon, Perfect Picnic, and as the cartoon starts, we were in for a treat, but this goes less than perfect as Minnie's pie accidentally lands on Goofy's train, and the screen went BOOM, and we were all invited to the Cartoon World, and I was highly excited
I boarded the train with Train Conductor Goofy, through a chaotic and fun filled adventure, where we go inside a train tunnel, the wild west, an amusement park, a tornado, an island, under water, a city, Daisy's dance studio where the vehicles would do the conga, and a factory, before finally reaching the finale at Runnamuck Park where Mickey, Minnie, & Pluto had their perfect picnic
This is how this is the best new addition to the park within the last five years, the story is greatly written, has the same charm that made the recent cartoons so great, the same likable and iconic characters, and features a memorable soundtrack, as well as an impressive trackless ride system, not as groundbreaking as Rise, but still impressive
After that it was finally time to visit James P Sullivan from Monsters Inc for the first time in over a decade at Walt Disney Presents, the wait was a little lengthy, but I was more than happy to see Sulley at the parks again, for plenty of hugs, posing like monsters, taking about Mike Wazowski, and so much more, it was such a great reunion
On my way out of the attraction, I had to take some pics of the outfits from Steven Spielberg's recent movie adaption of West Side Story(and YES, this is a Disney movie, via 20th Century after that manager), and it was also the time to check out the Mickey Shorts Theater, where the short, Vacation Fun was showing, it may had been a clip show episode consisting of Mickey's greatest adventures around the world, with new animation where Mickey finds stuff to pack for his vacation
It was time to grab something to eat, and you already know where I'll grab a bite to eat?, at PizzeRizzo of course, it's a love/hate restaurant where they serve nothing but mediocre at best pizzas and meh salads
But yet to my surprise, my meal..., wasn't that bad, sure it's not top class, but it was affordable for me, a small cheese pizza, with a salad that had decent dressing and crunchy croutons, alongside an Orange Fanta, I didn't eat all day until that point, but it was a fine meal, not great, not terrible, just fine, while my parents had a delicious lunch at Sci-Fi, which sure was better than my PizzeRizzo lunch
Of course, my next plan was to catch the Pixar Stars and Motor Cars(the only motorcade that was still in parks when I went), and there was some fun from this, where Mr. & Mrs. Incredible were showing off their superhero poses(was hoping for Frozone since he came on some days, but not today), Edna Mode was darling in her Chevy Camaro, with interestingly enough, Sulley walking down Echo Lake(rather than having another Pixar pal taking his spot after his meet returned like Russell & Dug or Ian & Barley), and the Toy Story section led by the Green Army Men who had some of the best character interactions on the trip, they are professionals, then straight from the Adventure Friends Cavalcade are Woody and Jessie(sorry no Bo, despite the statue existing), and finally wrapping it up is Buzz Lightyear in his impressively awesome Chevy Camaro to end a short, yet entertaining motorcade
Next was Star Tours, which had a 20 minute wait, as it may had been the least popular SW attraction at the park, but surprisingly enough, it's still a fun time on the attraction from the different planets I visited throughout my Star Tours flight
After that would mainly consist of Star Wars experiences, saying hi to Rey, Chewie, and Vi from a distance(honestly, I kind of liked them from a distance, and that was before Launch Bay reopened where Chewie hugs were allowed again(even though there should be a rule where characters from SWGE must be exclusive to the area and Launch Bay had little to purpose to still exist in a post-Galaxy's Edge world), and the last ride of the day, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
Since I was a bit uncomfortable with my mother and father, I wanted to join another group for this one, and sadly the Hondo animatronic was NOT working that day, so he was on a screen telling us what was to come, and I had a bit of fun on this, but admittedly, I think this is the weakest of the three Star Wars attractions at the park, it's not terrible per say, or nearly as fun as the others
Ranked Star Wars Rides:
1. Rise of the Resistance
2. Star Tours
3. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
Once I got off a Smugglers Run, I told my parents that this was it, my day at Hollywood Studios was over, because I was pretty exhausted especially with the feet, so I walked from Black Spire Outpost, ALL the way to the bus stop, because a bus is so much better and more magical than an Uber, and that was it, I spent the rest of the day watching the Taste of Disney+ Channel and a bit of toons of Disney XD
Stay tuned for day 4, where it was mainly a pool day, no park to go to, I needed a break
