Keane's March 2012 Trip Report - Part 7
"Let The Memories Begin... Again..."
Please see Part 1 for cast and plot summary...
Day 6. Friday, March 9th. Disney's Hollywood Studios
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We get to the bus stops at 9:30am, the earliest we've gotten out all week. The bus stop is empty, so a DHS bus must have just come, and it take 30 minutes for another to arrive. Rather poor service considering DHS had just opened 30 minutes ago. By the time we pick up all the guests at Jambo, we have a packed bus.
I still can't believe they renamed Disney-MGM to Disney's Hollywood Studios. Oh, I understand why they renamed it, it's the "Hollywood Studios" part that stymies me. Maybe if the park was in Hollywood, or even Anaheim. Oh well, the damage has already been done, and it'd cost too much to change all the stationary again...
We get to the entrance by 10:20, and there are still lines at the ticket windows, and even longer lines by the turnstiles. Yikes. It's been really crowded all week. Well, like all the other parks, we're not going to hit the E-tickets.
We head down Hollywood Boulevard, and get a photopass photo taken in front of the hat, and in front of the Animation Courtyard arch. This photographer knows his stuff, and takes a magic picture of Miss Marie. Turned out pretty good...
We get in line for Voyage of the Little Mermaid. By this time I am quite adept at being able to operate Miss Marie's scooter from beside her, and drive her through the queue. I find this alleviates a lot of the stress for both of us. We are outside the theater, and the line behind us is even longer. Luckily, we are one of the last into the theater, and make the show without having to cycle through another performance. I put the camera into a low light mode again to try to capture some of the puppet portion that opens the show, and have some success since I'm not in a boat this time.
Ariel once again gets her legs, but she's chunked up a little. She's gotta lay off those... Just what do mermaids eat? Have you seen Pirates 4?
Right next door is "One Man's Dream", a highly underrated attraction. If we do OMD, we will miss Beauty and the Beast on the other side of the park. On the other hand, I'm sure Mom will relate more to Walt Disney than the Beast.
It is sort of disappointing that this attraction is so ignored. It's only about the life and dreams of the guy who was responsible for everything you see around you. Of course, I'm a history buff and a Disney geek, so this is a particularly interesting place to me. More interestingly, it's now sponsored by D23.
This attraction is full of things that could have been hidden away in the Disney Archives forever. Even Walt's second grade desk is there. It's a display everyone who visits WDW should see.
Thanks, Walt. Not enough people say that.
It's interesting to note where OMD is located. It's on Mickey Avenue. As a matter of fact, it's the only attraction on Mickey Avenue. Mickey Avenue once spanned from Backlot Tours all the way to Voyage of the Little Mermaid. Then Toy Story / Pixar Place was built, and Backlot Tours got absorbed by Streets of America, and Mickey Avenue is just a shadow of its former self, a hundred yard street between Animation Courtyard and Pixar Place.
We're going to go for a Turkey Leg. We go up the ramp next to Great Movie Ride, and... it begins to drizzle. Then rain. For about 5 minutes. Then it stops. I want to get on the scooter and see if I can do donuts on the wet pavement, but restrain myself. It's too crowded, anyway.
By the time we get to the food court on Sunset Boulevard, the rain is over, but all the tables under roofs are taken, and all the tables not under roofs have water all over 'em. We are about to start waiting for a table, but a CM with a squeegee soon appears, and starts drying off tables.
This area is pretty choked with people, so I have to park the scooter a distance from where the table is.
I get in line for the turkey legs. This place should have a express line just for turkey legs and drinks. It's not like there's a lot of preparation that has to be done for a Turkey Leg. I get two, and three drinks. We attack it like savages, ripping off chunks with our bare hands and stuffing our faces with pink, smoked, lip-smacking goodness. That's why there's a bathroom right across the street, so you can clean up and pretend to be civilized again.
Our hunger satiated, it's 1:15pm, with an American Idol (AI) show at 1:30. There's also another BatB at 2pm, but I'm not going to wait here for 45 minutes. So we wander over to Hollywood Blvd (even though AI is in Echo Lake), and are admitted to the show. The warm up guy is on stage. For all the crowds outside, the theater is maybe 1/4 full. If you glance behind when you're there, there's a large projection screen. It has a countdown timer for the warm-up act, so he knows just how much time he has to waste. The screen also holds the words to the song the contestant is singing. Just in case they forget...
This is the second time I've seen the show, and am impressed with the level of talent they get to perform. I mean, it's not like they do a nationwide search for these contestants, they have daily auditions. I don't think I've seen a true amateur yet, they all seem to have done some sort of singing in front of a crowd before.
Anyway, the wrong person wins, and since there's no tally ever given on the percentages of votes from the audience, it leaves an air of question on whether the most popular won, or the most promising for the finale won.
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| The Flying Wing explodes in Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular |
It's a full house. As old as this show is, they still pack 'em in. And like Flights of Wonder, THEY NEED A NEW SCRIPT!
Indiana saves Marion from the flying wing again, and we wait for the crowds to disperse before trying to leave. It's 2:45, we can probably do another attraction before we leave.
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
So we head over to Great Movie Ride, since Miss Marie hadn't seen it without Jenny breaking it. I essentially drive Miss Marie through the queue, so there isn't a problem this time. There are a couple of places that won't allow a scooter and a body side-by-side, but we survive the ordeal.
I notice they've finally mike'd the gangster and the tour CM when they exchange places. Haven't seen if they've done that in the cowboy scene, yet. I made the suggestion years ago that these CM's should be mike'd. I'm glad they listened. :-)
The attraction concludes without a failure, and we decide to head on out. It's about 3:15 by this time, and we have reservations at Jiko tonight. I'm a Jiko newbie. We get a final Photopass photo by the DHS sign they put up in the hub (okay, so they don't call it the hub here), and head out of the park. We stop in Mickey's of Hollywood, so Miss Marie can pick up a couple of souvenirs. The store is *crowded*, like the rest of the park.
Jenny takes Miss Marie through the store, and I take the scooter. I first park myself off to the side, but it's so crowded in here, that I take the scooter outside. I inform them where I am, and try to nap on the scooter. Sleep doesn't come. They soon exit, and Jenny realizes she hasn't gotten her boarding pass for tomorrow. We wait outside of Guest Relations, and then catch a bus back to Kidani.
We have about 45 minutes to kill before we leave for Jiko, and I have to do things like dress up (i.e. put on a shirt with a collar), and I start downloading pictures, and check mail.
Time flies past, and suddenly Jenny sez it's time to go to Jambo. I grab my car keys, ressie, Miss Marie, her walker, etc. I leave my fanny pack at the hotel. What do I need it for, right?
Ugh.
We get to Jiko about 5 minutes early. I am informed, they have a dress code. No hats. Ooops. My hat is like a second skin here at WDW, and there are times I forget I even have it on. I stick it in a pocket.
We ask if Nasser is working tonight, and he is. We get a Nasser table. He introduces himself, and so do we, as I inform him that of all the recommendations I got for Jiko, his name came along with every recommendation. He was very flattered, and pretty much doted on us all night.
It's sometime around this time, that I realize I had left the battery for my camera in its charger back in Kidani. I am almost tempted to go back and get it. Had I brought my fanny pack, I would have had my spare. Nuts. So once again, no food porn. In a similar realization, I had forgotten to bring Mom's meds as well. Nuts again.
We started with a pearl couscous with other grains, coconut and a tomato puree. Sort of an intro, and a pre-appetizer.
For an appetizer, we split the Inguday Tibs in Brik, which is a lot like a Greek spinach and cheese pie, only better. Mmmm... I could have based my entree on these things.
Nasser asks if I drink alcohol. Does a fish swim? Is the Pope Catholic? Does a bear... We were then served a palette cleanser, a lemon mint sorbet with vodka. Okay, they didn't use grey goose, but it was very good. Bitter, cold, and 80 proof. (Made sure Mom's was virgin...)
For the main course, Miss Marie and I had the Braised Beef Short Ribs, Jenny the Seared Barbarie Duck Breast.
Jenny had the "One Last Cup" chocolate for dessert. Miss Marie and I had to pass on desert.
It was a very good meal. I'd go back there again... :-)
So long as we're at Jambo, we go to the game room. There's a pressed penny machine there, with a penny that Jenny needs. (Needs. Not wants...) I go to Mara for some change. I explain the pressed penny need and addiction, and the CM looks at me takes my dollar, gives me 4 quarters and a penny. Whattadeal! I inform Jenny the penny is courtesy Disney...
We exit Jambo, I go and get the car, and head back to Kidani. When we get back up to the room, we no longer have a need for the scooter, so I drive it back to its pick-up point, and give the key to Bell Services.
We pack.
I'm sad.
End March 2012 Trip Report - Part 7.
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