Trip Report It's Two, Two, TWO Trips in One! *COMPLETED*

Title reference for those of you younger than dirt ~



Got it? Good!

This trip report is somewhat unique and calls for a different kind of introduction. This, as you may recognize, is a picture of me and my significant other.

I invite you, if you dare, to follow along on a lengthy adventure that includes three resorts, lots of flowers, exotic food and a Fruber (a what?) Because this report travels directly to.........the Tuvalu Zone.

 

[Tuvalu]

I have on seen the mandrills once and it was during the Sunrise Safari. Looking forward to reading more!

Jealous!
Thanks for following!

 

[Tuvalu]

Wednesday, con't

You can pat yourself on the back (I feel bad withholding the bonus points.... ) if you guessed that Woody and I were traveling to Disney's Hollywood Studios. I should have remembered from last month's visit that if you happen to be on Hollywood Blvd. at 11am, you will be trapped by this ~

So we waited patiently until the Stormtroopers passed.

Woody was happy to be in a park and not working in a resort room!

The Photopass guy was giving us odd instructions which I found funny.

Remember how Woody rode Dinosaur for me? Well I rode this for him.

Woody said he was surprised that I secured us FPs for Star Tours. I explained that I know he likes it and rarely gets to ride it, and I was willing to go on with him. I suffer from motion sickness but can ride Star Tours as long as I keep my eyes closed. (Too bad Star Tours doesn't take a picture......then Woody could be pointing at me! )

I enjoy the queue.

I really wish I could tolerate moving screens without feeling like . I am thankful I can ride Soarin' without issue. I am very nervous about the new Flight of Passage ride in Pandora ~ it may be a "one and done" for me (like Everest and RnRc.)

There are some fun souvenirs in Tatooine Traders. We browsed but didn't buy.

An over-the-wall construction shot. Curious as to how long the former NY Street building on the right will remain standing.

 

[dizfan917]

Do you think that the NY wall will remain as a part of "Muppets Courtyard" for the future? I assume that that area will remain in tact since they just re-did the Pizza Rizzo restaurant. Is Mama Melrose's staying?

 

[Tuvalu]

As we cut across the park to our next FP, we saw Gus, the infamous DME bus driver. Okay not Gus ~ his lookalike twin Officer Peabody!

And down on Sunset Blvd. the Mayor was campaigning.

We are ready to check in!

While waiting in the boiler room we chatted with a grandma and her two preteen grandkids. None of them had ever been on ToT before and the older boy was nervous. He told me about the other thrill rides he had been on and liked and I reassured him that if he'd conquered those ToT would be a piece of cake. They ended up sitting in the row across from us and they all loved it.

Notice the tiny boy (left) in the front row. His dad had to lift him out of his wheelchair and place him on the bench. I was surprised the boy made the height requirement. He SCREAMED the entire ride. I felt so sorry for him until the ride stopped and he loudly asked his dad, "Can we do that again?!!"

(I just noticed the little girl in the first row on the right. I can't believe she passed the height requirement either! But we took our sweet little girl on Tower of Terror at the age of 4. Only @TrolleyFollower91's comment when it was over was, "I don't EVER want to ride that AGAIN!!!")

 

[Tuvalu]

Do you think that the NY wall will remain as a part of "Muppets Courtyard" for the future? I assume that that area will remain in tact since they just re-did the Pizza Rizzo restaurant. Is Mama Melrose's staying?

That's a good guess. Mama Melrose will remain in its current location, just past PizzeRizzo.

 

[Tiggerish]

But we took our sweet little girl on Tower of Terror at the age of 4. Only @TrolleyFollower91's comment when it was over was, "I don't EVER want to ride that AGAIN!!!")

I was 34 when I first went on Tower of Terror. And I had that same reaction.

 

[TrolleyFollower91]

But we took our sweet little girl on Tower of Terror at the age of 4. Only @TrolleyFollower91's comment when it was over was, "I don't EVER want to ride that AGAIN!!!"

Spoiler alert: I lied

 

[Tiggerish]

Spoiler alert: I lied

I didn't.

 

[Tuvalu]

We had lunch at a restaurant we don't frequent much anymore.

Before it became a signature restaurant, we dined at the Brown Derby a lot. Woody adores the Cobb Salad and I used to make a meal from the appetizer offerings (the chicken quesadilla was my favorite.) The kids menu pleased our 3. The quieter atmosphere (and cold a/c) made for a nice break from the hustle and bustle of the park.

Then prices skyrocketed and our kids aged out of the children's offerings. The lunch menu disappeared (as did our business.) It wasn't until a few years ago that Woody and I returned. There were two special "lunch offerings" on the menu....both sounded good.....and I knew I could have something less pricey while Woody had his Cobb Salad.
I tried the Fettucine Alfredo with Pancetta ~ hands down the BEST Fettucine Alfredo I'd ever had. It was so rich and filling I could only eat half; sadly a to-go box was not an option.

The Fettucine was still on the menu when I booked our ADR. When I opened the menu, IT WAS GONE!! But @sxeensweet had said you can request the Fettucine Alfredo even when it is not listed. So I did.

Bad news, @sxeensweet ~ they could not make it for me.

Our table provided a good view of the restaurant. I kept my eyes peeled for celebrities.

Our server brought bread and water right away. The rolls were crunchy on the outside, soft and doughy on the inside ~ just the way I like 'em!

He took our order and that was the last we saw of our server for a loooonnngggg time. Runners brought out our food and I ended up flagging down a different server to refill our water glasses. It was ridiculous ~ especially considering Brown Derby's "signature" status.

Woody finished every bite of his Cobb Salad.

(No one offered to mix it for him, like at previous visits.)

With Fettucine Alfredo off the table (literally!) I went with my second choice.
Andouille-crusted Chicken Breast with Vegetable Slaw

I ate the sandwich open-faced. The chicken was delicious. The vegetable slaw was not innocuous as I expected ~ boy oh boy, that slaw was mighty spicy HOT!! One taste and I grabbed my water glass....which was empty I sucked on the ice cubes until I flagged down the other server to refill my glass.

Our server appeared again when we had finished our meals and asked if we wanted dessert. Unless he could bring out a carton of ice cream to soothe my burning mouth, we would NOT be ordering dessert! (Oh, and our water glasses were visibly empty and he did not offer to refill them.)

Brown Derby: Food A- / Service D (with Tables in Wonderland 18% gratuity is included; I usually tip extra. Not this time!)

 

[Tuvalu]

Woody asked if we needed to get ice cream ASAP. I told him I could hold on until after our next FP.

Gotta love this cast member!

Not sure how long the standby wait was, but you can never go wrong with a FP.

Once again, we were not sent to the new track.

Oooh, one of us was Best in Vehicle too.

Which one?

 

[Tuvalu]

After whuppin' my hubby it was ice cream time!

We sat on a bench (!) to enjoy our treats.

Apology for the "lick before the pic" ~ it was hot and the ice cream was melting fast!

I found a 4th FP for Great Movie Ride and we headed there next.

We were seated in the first of the four cars which meant one thing ~

WESTERN SCENE!!!

 

[sxeensweet]

We had lunch at a restaurant we don't frequent much anymore.

View attachment 205971

Before it became a signature restaurant, we dined at the Brown Derby a lot. Woody adores the Cobb Salad and I used to make a meal from the appetizer offerings (the chicken quesadilla was my favorite.) The kids menu pleased our 3. The quieter atmosphere (and cold a/c) made for a nice break from the hustle and bustle of the park.

Then prices skyrocketed and our kids aged out of the children's offerings. The lunch menu disappeared (as did our business.) It wasn't until a few years ago that Woody and I returned. There were two special "lunch offerings" on the menu....both sounded good.....and I knew I could have something less pricey while Woody had his Cobb Salad.
I tried the Fettucine Alfredo with Pancetta ~ hands down the BEST Fettucine Alfredo I'd ever had. It was so rich and filling I could only eat half; sadly a to-go box was not an option.

The Fettucine was still on the menu when I booked our ADR. When I opened the menu, IT WAS GONE!! But @sxeensweet had said you can request the Fettucine Alfredo even when it is not listed. So I did.

Bad news, @sxeensweet ~ they could not make it for me.

Our table provided a good view of the restaurant. I kept my eyes peeled for celebrities.
View attachment 205972

View attachment 205973

Our server brought bread and water right away. The rolls were crunchy on the outside, soft and doughy on the inside ~ just the way I like 'em!
View attachment 205974

He took our order and that was the last we saw of our server for a loooonnngggg time. Runners brought out our food and I ended up flagging down a different server to refill our water glasses. It was ridiculous ~ especially considering Brown Derby's "signature" status.

Woody finished every bite of his Cobb Salad.
View attachment 205975
(No one offered to mix it for him, like at previous visits.)

With Fettucine Alfredo off the table (literally!) I went with my second choice.
Andouille-crusted Chicken Breast with Vegetable Slaw
View attachment 205976

I ate the sandwich open-faced. The chicken was delicious. The vegetable slaw was not innocuous as I expected ~ boy oh boy, that slaw was mighty spicy HOT!! One taste and I grabbed my water glass....which was empty I sucked on the ice cubes until I flagged down the other server to refill my glass.

Our server appeared again when we had finished our meals and asked if we wanted dessert. Unless he could bring out a carton of ice cream to soothe my burning mouth, we would NOT be ordering dessert! (Oh, and our water glasses were visibly empty and he did not offer to refill them.)

Brown Derby: Food A- / Service D (with Tables in Wonderland 18% gratuity is included; I usually tip extra. Not this time!)

Oh no! That's my fave!

 

[Tuvalu]

I hope the Streetmosphere performers continue to remain at DHS once all the changes are completed. The performers are truly "hidden gems" and can bring so much joy into your park experience. Many people just rush on by without stopping to watch or listen. They don't know what they're missing.

We happened upon the "Once a Year on May 3 Famous Award for Comedy Award."

It was a punchline competition among six characters (their names escape me.) The gist of it: The emcee (Mayor) interacted with guests and pulled out a word from their conversation. The "word" was inserted into the joke, 99 _______'s walk into a bar and the bartender says, "I can't serve you because......." and each performer had to come up with the punchline. The performer who received the least amount of applause was "out" and those remaining advanced to the next round.

99 Toy Story fastpasses was the first round.

99 Toy Story fastpasses walk into a bar and the bartender says, "I can't serve you because we don't serve bacon or potatoes here."

99 banjos walk into a bar was next. Then 99 bananas. Then 99 bookbags. Finally 99 cats. That was the "lightning round."

Honestly, the one-liners happened so fast that I couldn't note them all. But they were funny and we onlookers were very engaged in the "competition."

When it was over, the gentleman on the far left was voted the winner and received the "Once a Year on May 3 Famous Award for Comedy Award."

It was a great way to spend 20 minutes!

 

[Tuvalu]

I was able to snag a 5th FP for RnRc. I walked the queue with Woody and watched the preshow. Even taking the chicken exit I was able to walk on the red carpet.

Woody rides this with his eyes open. The flash must have made him blink.

Seems to have affected his co-rider as well!

We left DHS at 3:30 pm, having accomplished a lot in 4 1/2 hours!

 

[Tiggerish]

When it was over, the gentleman on the far left was voted the winner and received the "Once a Year on May 3 Famous Award for Comedy Award."

Sounds like a good time. Once a year on May 3, I vie for the Another Year of Marriage to my Honeybun Award. This year was my 31st win!

Woody rides this with his eyes open. The flash must have made him blink

He looks like he's having an afternoon snooze in his recliner.

 

[Tuvalu]

Afternoon snacks are served in the Club Lounge from 12-4 pm. We made it just in time to snatch a couple cookies and take a few pics before the CMs closed off the area and began removing the food.

This "snack" spread was exceptionally larger this year than last year. I certainly can't #BlameShanghai for it!

The first thing I noticed when we entered our room was a large bottle of Dasani.

It was a nice touch, considering no bottled water is available in the Club Lounge. I thought at first it was probably one bottle per stay, but a new bottle appeared each day after Mousekeeping had serviced the room.

Look, @MinnieM123 ~ another clock!!!!!

@TrolleyFollower91 had texted me earlier Too bad you weren't at the Poly last night there were late night fireworks.
Sure enough, she was right.

WE MISSED A TEST RUN OF HAPPILY EVER AFTER!!!

On the bright side, we were happy that our request for a third floor room was honored. As longtime readers know, sitting out on a balcony is an important part of our vacation! This balcony was very private.

We unpacked and relaxed before returning to the Lounge for Happy Hour.

 

[Tuvalu]

Sounds like a good time. Once a year on May 3, I vie for the Another Year of Marriage to my Honeybun Award. This year was my 31st win!

Congratulations!

 

[melmel89]

As we cut across the park to our next FP, we saw Gus, the infamous DME bus driver. Okay not Gus ~ his lookalike twin Officer Peabody!

I love him! all the citizens of Hollywood are great but officer Peabody is my favourite

 

[LadyBelle]

When I caught the street performers back in 2004, they were wandering through the shops inviting all to come out. They were doing a version of The Dating Game. One gentleman said the phrase Who's Your Daddy? My friend and I lost it (mainly because the night before, we watched a television program where the main character - know for his ad-libs said the same thing). Well, he was awesome and kept using that phrase because we laughed so much.

Fast forward to the street parade and they remembered us. Either from the show or because of our pink and green bucket hats. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[fractal]

Dinosaur ride photo is awesome!

Great shot of the lions! I've never seen a Rino run but I'll take your word on it.

Empty water glasses at a diner is bad, at a fine restaurant it's inexcusable. I would have chopped down the tip for that.

Agree on the street performers!

I miss the Poly.

Great report as always.