Day 6: Disney's Hollywood Studios
The morning of a new day was upon us. And not only was it a new day but we would also finally be visiting a New park. Now i'm not gonna lie to you. I've been very excited to write about this day for this entire trip report. Not because it was our favorite day, or because something major happened. But because its something new and fresh to write about. I don't know how many people have followed or viewed my previous trip reports but if you have then you'd know Kiera and I have visited both Universal parks twice and Epcot once in the past 3 years. Although i've loved writing about those parks I couldn't help but feel at times that I was just repeating things i've said before. Well not anymore as the next 3 days will cover parks that we have not visited in a very long time or even ever. Because of that these next 3 days will be my largest recaps of the trip as we tended to take the most pictures in them.
As i've said before I used easywdw.com and touringplans.com to plan this vacation and most of the days were catered around there crowd calenders. However today was one of those days where the calenders disagreed with one another. What easywdw recommended touringplans said to avoid. I debated about where we would be this day almost until we left for vacation. Would it be Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom. Well I decided to trust my gut (and many others wonderful advice) and trust easywdw and go to the Hollywood Studios this day.
The last time I had walked into the Hollywood Studios was when the park would have still been known as Disney's MGM Studios. The year was 1993 so the park was fairly young still. There was no Tower of Terror, No rockin roller coaster, heck no Sunset Blvd in general (although Sunset blvd and TOT were under construction at the time), Lights, Motor, Action wasn't around yet, there was not Toy Story or Pixar place. Infact there wasn't much to the park at all. All I faintly remember was the Great Movie Ride, the Animation Studio tour, and the Indiana Jones stunt show. Yet dispite there being so little to do I remembered the park being a favorite. I know its not a popular opinion but i've always been a fan of the studio style parks. I guess I credit that to typically going to Universal Studios Hollywood each year as part of our Disneyland trips in the late 80's and early 90s. Would that still hold true today? Interestingly Kiera remembered even less about the studios then I did dispite going last in 1997. The only thing she remembered was the Tower of Terror.
Knowing that Toy Story Midway Mania is one of the most packed attractions in the resort and also keeping in mind that it was one of the few major rides that Daniel could go on I knew we had to get to the park as close to park opening as possible. This was gonna be tough but I figured we could do it. We tried going to bed earlier the night before and by 8:30am we were finally leaving the hotel and heading out to the car. We didn't have time to eat at the hotel today if we wanted to catch the parks 9am opening. Instead we grabbed some breakfast to go from Chick-Fila again and ate in the car as we made the 10 minute drive to the park.
We drove thru the parking gates at around 8:45. It was gonna be close but I think we are gonna make rope drop. That was until I saw where we would be directed to park. We were way far in the back of the parking lot. And we would have to take the trams to get to the enterance. This would add time but It wouldn't take long. Besides we just needed to be at the park as close to opening as possible right. We didn't have to be first in line or anything. In the distance towering was the Tower of Terror. I was so excited to see it as I remember seeing it under construction and wishing our trip would have been a few months later.
The walk to the tram was possibly the worst walk of the day as we were parked way far from it. The ride to the park was nice though. Right at about 9am we were finally dropped off in front of the enterance and made our way thru baggage check and there we were. Finally entering thru the pan pacific inspired turnstyles and onto the lavish and great Hollywood Blvd. Now this is how a studio theme parks enterance should look. Yes Universal Studios Hollywood is similar to this. However Universal Studios Florida is not. I never understood why Universal designed the park that way as the parks Hollywood section would have made a much more finer and grand enterance area. I love the DHS enterance area though (dispite USF's Hollywood section being better in my opinion) although missing at the end of the street that I remembered was the now hidden Icon. Instead of the Chinese Theater there is the Sorcerers Hat. A good looking and fun structure in its own right. I just hate that it blocks the Theater from the view down Hollywood Blvd. A view the street was designed to give.
The time was 9:10 when we entered the park. We made our way down Hollywood Blvd turning right into the Animation courtyard. From there it was a strait shot to Pixar Place where Toy Story Midway Mania is located. I quickly grabbed us fastpasses to user later in the day (about 2 1/2 hours out from this time) and then we proceeded to get in the standby line. However we stopped right in our tracks. Posted wait was 60 minutes. Are you serious I thought? The parks been open for 15 minutes. There were no morning extra magic hours today. I can't belive stand by is already an hour out. At this point I started wondering if this was a trend we would see all day. Did Easywdw get it wrong? Did I choose the wrong park today? Since we had fastpasses in hand we decided we would just come back and do the one ride later with the fastpasses as we didn't want to wait an hour to ride.
Directly across from Midway Mania though is the Toy Story Character Meet and Greet where you can meet Woody and Buzz Lightyear. The wait here was posted at 20 minutes which we decided to wait out as we figured Daniel would probably love Buzz and Woody. The line to meet the characters is really cool and well done too as there are many different photo ops from the Toy Story films that you can take pictures with which made waiting in line much more fun.
It was q uickly our turn to meet the characters and we were saddend once we rounded the corner and only saw Buzz Lightyear. Woody must have been a break or something at the time. Oh well Daniel wouldn't know the difference. He of course absolutly loved Buzz as much as the other characters. Buzz was really cute with him too.
After exiting the meet and greet we saw that Midway Manias wait time had now dropped down to 30 minutes. With our fastpasses still 2 hours out we figured 30 minutes would be a decent wait and then we'd still be able to get 2 rides in on it. However once we entered the que we were shocked to find basically No line at all. It was pretty much empty. We finally caught up to the end of the line shortly after you pass the Mr. Potato Head. In total we only waited 15 minutes until we were boarding the ride vehicle. Diffenitly not the 30 minutes that was posted.
We had rode Toy Story Mania once before. It was in December of 2008 at Disney's California Adventure. There the ride is located in Paradise Pier so the facade and que are themed to the Victorian Boardwalk. Other then the game posters and the Mr. Potato Head Animatronic the line was pretty boring. The que in Hollywood Studios blows the DCA que out of the waters. I loved it. I love how you immediatly feel toy sized the second you walk thru the door. I love that your basically in Andys bedroom and that all the toys are huge. It just sets up the ride and experiance much better then the California version does and because of that I think the ride is better in Florida dispite the ride itself being the exact same.
These types of shooter rides always brings out the best in Kiera and I. When we rode Midway Mania in California Kiera barely beat me out. So I was excited to see if I could beat her this time. Of course we would have a new obstical in the game. An Infant. Obviously one of us would have to hold Daniel while playing on the ride. Thats also the main reason we wanted to ride twice so that we could each have a turn holding Daniel. I know Midway Mania has seen critisim towards taking Infants on the Ride. From our experiance Daniel did just fine and loved it. Obviously the game is harder when holding him. However we found that other then holding him tight while the vehicle was moving he could support himself and keep himself upright while we used both hands to actually play the game. Daniel loved the spinning and especially the game when the air would blow in our faces or the water would spray. He had a blast on it. The first ride Kiera held him but she still put up a good fight. I barely beat her with a score of 121,200 to her 119,700. The ride is seriously so much fun and one we consider a Do Not Miss. Keep in mind this thing will pull in crazy long lines later in the day and Fastpass runs out quick so get to the park early and do it first thing.
After Toy Story we saw one of the Green Army Men outside with no wait so we stopped so Daniel could see him. This was the first character where Daniel wasn't too sure about him lol.
After that we left Pixar place and made our way back thru the Animation courtyard Arch. It was here where we came across our first photopass CM of the day so we stopped and got a photo. Everybody needs a photo with archway. At least I think so anyways as it was one of the most iconic structures located at the Hollywood Studios.
We then made our way to Sunset Blvd. The street that was under construction the last time I visited the park. And home of two of the parks biggest attractions. We would be heading down here as the Rockin Roller Coaster is said to be the second most popular attraction and to do it is early as possible. As we made our way down Sunset Blvd we came across another Photopass CM so we got another picture with the Tower of Terror.
At the end of the Street you turn left and enter the Area where Rockin Roller Coaster is located. While this is a major attraction that we might consider using the Fastpass/Rider Swap plan on this time around there was a better option. An option that we know all too well from our time in the Universal Parks. And since Test Track at Epcot was closed this would be the first time using this option on Disney property. The Single Rider line. This option is one we love at the Universal parks as each major attraction has one there. However at Disney there are only 3 of them located between the 4 parks. They are at Test Track in Epcot, Rockin Roller Coaster in Hollywood Studios, and Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom. They are a great option if you don't mind riding with others in your party. Or in this instance if you have a parent waiting behind with a child.
Although at times the Rockin Roller Coaster's single rider line is often critisized for being a longer wait then you'd think at times it was the chance we were willing to take compared to the 40 minute stand by line. I entered the Single Rider line first and walked all the way to the Studio merge area. After letting the Fastpass guests enter first and then letting the standby guests in they then allowed the Single Rider guests to walk across to a seperate waiting area. An area that is chained off. However some of the Fastpass guests unlocked the chain and entered the area on there own without the CM's noticing. From this point everyone goes in to the preshow area where Aerosmith appear in the recording studio and invite you along to a concert. From hear your directed into the alley to board you limo to take you to there show.
The Limo of course is the Coaster train. And before I would board I was about to see a freak out by the fastpass guests that unlocked the chain and entered the single rider line. As they were told they would have to split up being in the single rider line. They couldn't understand why they couldn't go as a group and that nobody told them they were in that line. Thats great and all but maybe you sholdn't be unlocking chains that you shouldn't touch in the first place. With how irrate the group was getting they asked them to step to the side while they then pulled those of us who really were single riders to the front.
Including the Pre Show the Single Rider wait was only about 12 minutes before I was boarding the train. Then the fun was really gonna start. This coaster takes place completly indoors and in the dark. It starts with an awesome launch down a tunnel and into one of I think 3 inversions. Its suppose to simulate as if your speeding along an LA freeway to get to the show as you pass traffic signs and other LA landmarks (illumiated as black lights) along the way. It ends as you pull up to the red carpet at the theater for the show. This coaster is way awesome and one of my favorites of the trip. It was easily hands down the best indoor coaster i've been on. The signs you past may look tacky at times but the coaster speed, inversions, and layout were all very fun as you couldn't see the inversions coming. Plus a nice launch is always alot of fun. So long as Coasters, Launches, Inversions, or Dark rides don't scare you this is also a Do not miss attraction. It is possibly one of my favorite Disney coasters ever. And the Aerosmith soundtrack diffenitly helps the excitement of the ride. Infact it might be what makes the ride so great.
Upon exiting I actually ran into Kiera looking around the exit shop. We exchanged Daniel and she made her way into the Single Rider Line and then into the attraction. Daniel and I waited outside in a shaded area but by this point in the morning he started to fuss a little bit as he was getting hungry. The only way I was really able to keep him happy while Kiera was gone was to constantly be moving around so we made quite a few laps around the attraction courtyard. In the Courtyard area they also have aerosmith music playing so at least it wasn't boring music (If you're an aerosmith fan anyways). Kiera returned about 10 minutes later and she too really enjoyed the coaster.
The next ride we would be heading to was the neighbor to the Rockin Roller Coaster and the Disney Ride that I had looked forward to the most on this trip. A ride that was under construction the last time I came to this park. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. But at this point Daniel was starving. It was time for him to eat. So we did what we originally planned to do the previous day at Epcot with Mission: Space. We got the rider swap card. Then while Kiera went to Feed Daniel at the Baby Care Center I would hope in the posted 25 minute wait standby line for the Tower of Terror.
The Baby Care Center in Hollywood Studios is located at the very front of the park in the Guest Services building. Its also the only park where its not located in a more central location but we didnt' find that a big issue with the Studios smaller size. Its also less then a 5 minute walk away from the Tower of Terror so Kiera was able to get there and start feeding in no time. I on the other hand was now waiting in what would end up being my longest wait of the entire day. The line started barely past the entry gates and winded its way thru the hotel gardens. While waiting they even opened part of the line to extend the outdoor que even longer. Finally though I reached the atrium area of the the "hotel" that had been abandoned for many years and then turned into the hotel Lobby. A lobby that was covered in cobwebs or dust. A lobby that had sat abandoned since that fateful night. The line took exactly what it said it would to reach the preshow area. 25 minutes. After the preshow there is another line in the boiler room as you wait to board one of four matenance service elevators. This waiting area doesn't take long at all though to get thru.
The time had come. The elevator door opened and we loaded into the elevator. The ride I had waited nearly 19 years to ride was finally about to start. Would it live up to the hype I had built up in my mind? I rode the Tower of Terror at California Adventure in 2008. Would it compare to that ride which I thought was amazing and the best ride in that struggling park at the time? I would soon find out as the elevator started to lift. Then the doors open to a hallway. There are the ghosts of the people that went missing back in the 30's. Then the room turns into a starfield with the window breaking. The doors close and up we go again. Something turely awesome was about to happen here though. Our elevator started moving. We left the shaft and were now moving thru the "5th Demension". This doesn't happen in the California version of the ride so its pretty cool to see and experiance. Could this ride get any better. Oh yes and it was about to when suddenly the elevator stopped moving and then dropped. Unlike California that uses the same drop sequence every time the Tower in Florida is randomized with I think I heard 10 different drop programs. These randomized drop programs made the ride better each time I rode as it made it a new experiance each time. I also belive the Florida tower is taller then California tower and the views were awesome. The ride ends with us surviving the Twilight Zone and exiting in the hotels basement.
This ride is truely incredible and well worth the wait to ride the original version. It lived up to the hype I built up in my mind and as I told Kiera when we later met up "It made the California version look incredibly lame". In my opinion this is easily one of top 3 Disney rides i've ever been on. Do Not miss this ride if you can handle the drops. Heck walking thru the hotel lobby and grounds are worth it alone. I could not get over how awesome this ride is.
Once outside I called Kiera and she was still feeding although she was almost done. Our window for our Toy Story Midway Mania Fastpasses had now become avalible so we would be heading there once she finished feeding. However since she wasn't done yet I took the oppertunity to go back to Rockin Roller Coaster and ride it once again using the Single Rider Line. This time I was thru the line and preshow and boarding the train in less then 10 minutes. Like I said I've seen people advise against using Single Rider on Rockin Roller Coaster but it worked out excellent each time Myself or Kiera used it on our trip. The ride was just as good the 2nd time as it was the 1st. I would have loved to have ridden again but time would not allow for it.
While I was waiting in line to ride Rockin Roller Coaster again Kiera finished feeding Daniel and started to head back to Pixar Place where I would meet back up with her. On her way there though as she passed by the Sorcerer Hat area she saw many of the characters that were out. One of which was Piglet who had a short wait. So she decided to stop and take Daniel to see Piglet who he once again loved. We didn't make the same mistake as we did the day prior though and we brought the back up camera. So although the primary camera was with me at Rockin Roller Coaster Kiera still had a camera on her so she could get the photo with Piglet.
On my way to Pixar Place to reunite with my Family I debated with myself about pulling fastpasses to come back and ride Tower of Terror again. This was the start of our better way of using Fastpass with Riderswap. I eventually decided to do it and pulled 2 fastpasses for Tower of Terror (keep in mind we also have a rider swap card at this time for it). The return window was only 40 minutes out. I then strolled thru Sunset Blvd. This street is themed just as great as Hollywood Blvd and if you look closely you might find a familiar theater that is the new Icon of the Reborn Disney's California Adventure park. The Carthay Circle Theater. Of course its nowhere near as detailed here though as it is in California. Or how the real version was for that matter.
Back at Pixar Place I finally meet back up with Kiera and Daniel and we made our way back to Midway Mania to use our Fastpasses. We entered the Fastpass line where we once again saw another arguement taking place. This time it was 2 ladies arguing about why they couldn't use there any attraction MAGIC KINGDOM fastpass (a fastpass they probably got for a ride breakdown earlier in the day at the magic kingdom) at Toy Story Mania. I could clearly see the ticket where it said it was only valid at the Magic Kingdom but these ladies would not take no for an answer. They were eventually allowed to use them here. Using the fastpass line the wait was much shorter then it was earlier in the day and we were glad we had them as the wait was now back up to 60 minutes. Within 5 minutes we were boarding the ride vehicle again.
This time it would be my time to hold Daniel on the ride. I barely beat Kiera the first time we rode this today. Would Daniel give me the disadvantage she had on our first ride? We sat down and I set Daniel on my lap and pulled the lap bar over both of us and then into the ride we went to play the game. Once again Daniel absolutly loved it and to my suprise I beat Kiera again even with holding Daniel this time with a score of 122,200 to her 108,400. Yes I scored higher holding Daniel and Kiera scored less not holding him. We found however that we were getting exhausted quicker and our shoulders were hurting pulling the string this time around though compared to before so we think thats why Kiera did worse the 2nd time around. Overall though the ride was once again a blast and we were glad that we did it again.
After exiting Midway Mania and looking in the small Toy Store shop located next to the Meet and Greet and still having time before the Tower of Terror Fastpass window we went to another ride. A ride located within the TRUE Icon of Disney's Hollywood Studios. The Great Movie Ride. The ride thats the reason the Studios exist in the first place. The facade of the ride being the Gramanns Chinese Theater is incredible and looks exactly like the real deal. Its such a shame that this thing is covered by that hat. Because of the hat you can't even get a picture of the full building anymore. The posted wait for the ride was 10 minutes and it proved to be pretty accurate. In the Que you pass different props from famous movies before waiting in a "theater" where the trailers play for the movies featured in the Great Movie Ride.
We soon boarded our vehicle and then began our Journey into Cinematic history on this long ride. You pass thru many scenes from classic movies such as Singin in the Rain and Mary Poppins before we stopped in a scene from The Public Enemy. Here a live Gangster came out and chased away our tour guide before getting in a gun fight with other rival gangsters. He then highjacked our tour vehicle as we continued onwards into the next show scene that was a Western town with John Wayne and Clint Eastwood giving chase to the Gangster that had stolen our vehicle.
We next enter an Alien Spacecraft where we get attacked by the Aliens from the movie Alien. I remembered this portion of the ride giving us a scare when we were younger however I thought it was pretty weak this time around. I'm sure it hasn't been changed at all but it seemed much scarier back in the day. We then entered what looks like some Egyptian tombs where we passed a scene from the Indiana Jones Movie Raiders of the Lost Ark and then came to a stop at the base of a large alter with a large jewel at the top with a cloaked figure guarding it. The gangster jumped out to go steal the jewel and was warned to not touch it by the guardian. He ignored the warning though and in a poof of smoke the Gangster was now nothing more then a skeleton. The guarding then revealed themselves to be our original tour guide and retook over the tour vehicle and we continued on our way. We passed thru the Jungle where we see Tarzan and passed the classic Scene from Casablanca before arriving in the largest scene of all. The Wizard of Oz.
This set is huge and is the town of Munchkinland. The Munchkins come out and are happy to see us but quickly hide when we encounter the Wicked Witch of the West who threatens us for Killing the her sister. She then vanishes and the Munchkins once again come out and wish us on our way down the yellow brick rode as we eventually pass Dorthy, the Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and Scarecrow as they approace the emerald city. The ride concludes with a quick movie montage highlighting some of the most memorable scenes from cinama history. I was actually suprised to see some newer films in the montage as well.
The Great Movie ride really is a classic and something that should be done when visiting the Hollywood Studios. yeah it can be boring or seem outdated but without some of the classic films featured inside the ride the movie industry wouldn't be what it is today. With that said though the ride could use some updating in some of the more minor scenes to make it more releveant to a newer younger audiance. This ride is the true heart of the studios and what the park is all about.
Upon exiting the Great Movie Ride our Tower of Terror Fastpasses had become avalible for use. Being So close to Star Tours though we decided to quickly run down and grab 2 Fastpasses for it. Remember you can grab fastpasses for an attraction whenever your first fastpass window becomes avalible or 2 hours after you pulled your first fastpass. With 2 Star Tours in our hands we made our way around Echo Lake and back to Sunset Blvd where we returned to the Tower of Terror.
Now remember at this time we were holding 2 Fastpasses and a Rider swap card for Tower of Terror. Since Kiera had not rode it yet she went on the ride first using one of our Fastpasses. However before entering the line we got another Rider Swap card. So now with Kiera in line for the Tower of Terror we were holding 1 Fastpass and 2 Rider Swap cards. While we walked to the Tower of Terror we decided we would eat lunch after our rides so while Kiera was on the ride Daniel and I walked over to the area that looks kind of like a farmers market but is an assortment of different counter service restaurants. After looking around we returned to the Tower where Kiera came out shortly after. She too loved the ride although she rememberd the 5th demension scene differntly. She said that she rememberd the car moving thru the scene but she thought it was a hotel hallway instead of what it is. Overall though she loved it and it remains one of her favorite rides.
I now used the 2nd Fastpass we had to ride the Tower of Terror a second time. That leaves us with 2 Rider Swap cards to use again later in the day. This was I was implying worked out better for us then the typical grab 1 fastpass and 1 rider swap card. By getting 2 fastpasses it basically gives you the option to get 2 rider swap cards for that attraction. As I said before I don't know if this is breaking the rules or not but we never had a problem with it. My second ride on the Tower was just as great as the first. Maybe even better as I didn't have to wait in line as long. However I think I liked the first drop sequence more then I did this one. Still the ride was a blast and I walked off with a huge grin on my face once more.
As we walked back over to get lunch at this point we now held the 2 Tower of Terror Rider Swap cards and 2 Fastpasses for Star Tours. We had accomplished quite a bit and the day wasn't even half way over yet. For lunch we decided to get a Pizza and Ceasar Salad from the Catalina Eddies stand to share. It actually filled both of us up enough to get us thru til dinner time. With our stomachs full we continued on into the park. Our Star Tours Fastpass window was now open so we made our way back down Sunset Blvd to head to that attraction. On the way we passed some of the streetmosphere actors putting on somewhat of a show. Since we were also back on Hollywood blvd now we decided to take the time quickly and get some photos from the Photopass CM's with the Sorcerers Hat in the background.
We then continued on around Echo Lake passing the American Idol Experiance theater as we made our way to our next destination.
I was excited to finally be going on Star Tours: The Adventure Continues. Long before I was a Harry Potter fan I was a Star Wars fan. I also loved the original version of Star Tours so I was VERY excited to see how Star Tours 2 turned out. When got to the attraction we made our way to the fastpass line and got a rider swap card for Star Tours. With me in the Fastpass line already we were now holding 1 Fastpass and 1 Rider Swap card for the ride.
As I made my way thru the que most of it was the same but some with some new paint while other parts were new all together. One of my favorite parts of the que was a section of malfunctioning droids. If you look closely and listen you will notice that these malfunctioning droids are those of Rex. Our former troublesome captain for the Original Star Tours. At the end of the line your devided to 1 of 6 gates where you will board the ride simulator. The new thing here though compared to the old Star Tours is that you will grab a pair of Space Goggles (3d Glasses) on your way to the gate.
The doors opened and we boared the simiulator. These are the same simulators from the original ride so theres nothing new here. We were then directed to put on our 3d glasses and the ride began. Now in addition to the ride now being in 3d (40k HD projections) the ride also has introduced a randomized ride profile. This makes the ride different nearly every ride as there are 50 different combinations of ride film you can see. On this ride as our flight was about to begin the Sith Lord himself Darth Vader held up our ship as he and other Emperial Storm Troopers are looking for a Rebel Spy on our flight. Our ship puts up a fight and is able to get away where we make the jump to lightspeed and end up on the planet of Tatooine where our ship gets involved in a Pod Race. After winning the race the ship once again heads back into space. A hologram then comes thru to the ship from Yoda informing us that there is indeed a rebel spy on the ship and the spy is indentified. We are instructed to get the spy to the rebel base safely. We then jump to lightspeed again and now find ourselves in a space battle over the planet of Coruscant. We fly in and out of the battles and then into the planet and thru the planet wide city before finally arriving at our final destination. We made it safe and then we were able to unload the simulator.
I loved this ride. And not just because i'm a Star Wars fan. In addition to the new randomized 3d film the simulator itself felt so much smoother. Yet it also felt like it had much more movement. There were parts in the film where we were flying strait down towards the ground and you could litterally feel yourself move from the back of the seat tight against your seat belt. This ride was an adrenaline rush from start to finish. I don't think I could have walked off without a bigger grin on my face. They did an amazing job on it. This is a ride I consider a do not miss so long as you can handle simulators. You may recall I said in my Universal review that for years and years Back to the Future was my favorite Simulator. BTTF was replaced by the Simpsons and although not as good as BTTF it was still my favorite simulator at the time. Well that has changed. I can honestly say that I enjoyed Star Tours 2 much more then the Simpsons and with its randomized destinations the repeatablilty of the ride is much higher. Theres a new king of the hill with Simulators with Star Tours 2 in my opinion.
As I returned back outside to where Kiera was Daniel was still asleep from his nap and the Jedi Training Acadamy was taking place. The show was about half over so Kiera and I went back over to the Fastpass line so she could go on the ride but first we got another Rider Swap card. So now we were holding 2 Rider Swap cards for Star Tours and 2 Rider Swap cards for Tower of Terror. As Kiera was in the ride I finished watching the Jedi Training Acadamy. The show is really cute and you can tell that the kids up on stage absolutly love fighting Darth Vader with a lightsaber. I really look forward to Daniel getting older and the day he is old enough to do the Jedi Training Acadamy. When that day finally comes thats the day he will also get to build his Lightsaber lol.
While Kiera was still on the ride Daniel woke up from his nap so we walked around the Tatooine Traders shop while we waited for Kiera to finish. As a Star Wars fan I loved all the different items in the shop. I had planned on this trip to build a Lightsaber for myself (since I bought a Wand at the Wizarding World on our previous visit) so I looked over the bin to see what the choices were. I didn't build one though at this time and unfortunatly never made it back to build one on this day (I built one later in the week at Downtown Disney). Kiera soon exited the ride while we were still in the shop and suprisingly she said she liked the ride more then she thought she would (she's not a Star Wars fan and didn't care much for the old ride) and she wouldn't mind riding again later.
With Star Tours now done and Rider Swap cards in our pockets to ride again later we continued further into the park into the Streets of America section. This portion of the park was originally designed to be the "back lot" where fliming on the city streets would take place. As we walked down the New York Streets there was a loud band playing that sounded even louder as it echoed off the fake fascades (Unlike Universal where there actual buildings behind the facades most of the Streets of America have nothing behind or in these facades. So although they look pretty on the outside they serve no purpose as there are no insides to them.
About halfway down the Streets of America I realized that the next attraction we were going to was located behind the fascades. As we backtracked we found a cutout in the facades that put is in the Muppet Courtyard right in front of the attraction we were heading to. Muppet Vision 3d. Although this 3d show is located at Disney's California Adventure Park as well we never actually did it when we went there so this would be a new experiance for me. And with a renewed love for the Muppets since the release of the new Muppet Movie last year It was something I knew we had to do on this trip. Even better the wait was only 5 minutes before we were allowed to fill into the preshow area.
Muppet Vision is desgined to feel like your walking into the Muppet studios. I hear theres alot of fun gags in the extended que but with such a short wait time the extended que obviously was not in use. You then pass down a hallway with many different offices and job titles on the doors that can also be pretty funny before entereing a prop storage room. Here there are many props that you may recognize from the former Muppet Show. On 3 tv monitors some of the muppets entertain you such as Fozzy Bear and Gonzo before the actual preshow begins. Take your time and look around this room while you wait as there really are alot of neat and funny things to look at.
After the preshow you get your 3d glasses (funny enough the Muppets still call them 3d glasses. They don't try to claim them as something else like the other 3d attractions in the parks) and you enter the muppet theater. It looks just like the muppet theater from the muppet show. The show is basically the muppets showing of a new 3d way to view there show. However as the show goes on things get out of control and even disaterous by Bean Bunny who then runs away into the theater. This is where the show really gets unique. In addition to actual animatronic Statler and Waldrofs sitting in there balcony Bean Bunny will also appear in the opposite balcony. Then as the large Muppet Sweetums goes looking for Bean Bunny in the film he comes out into the actual real theater as a live person. The 3d in this show is pretty good and there even a scene where 3d bubbles are mixed with real bubbles. The shows finally ends with the theater basically being "blown up". The swedish chef (who is also an AA at the back of the therater) gets in a fight with 3d and the penguin orchastra as they shoot at each other finally firing a canon and distroying most the screen and the theater walls are now revealing brick and holes in it. Kermet then appears thru one of the wholes appologizing for what happened and then the show is over.
I really enjoyed this show and can say its probably my new favorite 3d/4d show. It may not have moving seats like Shrek 4d or the smells like other shows however what really made this show was the typical Muppet Humor, mixed in a familiar setting, with live animatronic muppets mixed in around the theater. Plus the distroid theater effect is very unique. If you like the muppets then check the show out. I really liked it and with the recent release and success of the new Muppet Movie the Muppets are relevant again. Daniel really likes watching the Muppet movie at home and loved when Kermet was on the screen during Muppet Vision. That is of course before he got a little fussy towards the end as it once was again feeding time and he was hungry.
Upon exiting Muppet Vision we looked around the Muppet Shop which actually has a lot of Phenias and Ferb stuff in it now and some of the other stores around the Muppet Courtyard. This is where the Hollywood studios Christmas store is located. You will also find the Pizza Port Restuarant back here from the Toy Story films. At this point we had about 45 until the next attraction we wanted to do would be starting. This was the right amount of time needed to feed Daniel so Kiera took him and headed back to the front of the park to the Baby Care Center to feed him there as he did much better then finding a quite corner to feed him in.
While Kiera went back to the Baby Care center I used the time to do a reride on Star Tours 2. I used one of our Rider Swap cards that we got earlier and with practically no wait again I was waiting at a gate to board the Simulator. This ride was just as great as the first one. And as the ride is now designed to do the experiance was completly different then it was the first time. This time around instead of being Stoped by Darth Vader our ship was stopped by Storm Troopers and a scanner droid that immediatly revealed who the Rebel Spy is. We once again put up a fight and got away where we jumped to lightspeed and found ourselves on the Ice Planet of Hoth amidst a battle between Emperial and Rebel forces. As we went back into space a Hologram again came in. And this was the only part that was the same as my previous ride as it was once again Yoda. However I swear he said something different this time since the Rebel Spy had already been revealed but I could be wrong. The final portion of the ride took us to the Death Star where we flew around battling Emperial forces before hitting lightspeed and finding refuge on a Rebel station. Both rides and destinations were equally as good in my opinion.
I loved this ride so much and wanted to ride it again right away. However with only 1 rider swap card left for the ride and Kiera saying she would want to ride it again I decided to make my way back to the front of the park as well to meet Kiera in the Baby Care Center. That way we could go strait from the Baby Care center to the next attraction that would be starting in less then 25 minutes. I again walked around echo lake and then down Hollywood Blvd to the front of the park and where the guest relations area is at. This continues to be one of my favorite entry areas of any theme park as its so well done and transports you to that Hollywood that never was. I then went into the Guest Service building and on to the Baby Care Center where Kiera was just finishing feeding Daniel. Since the feeding rooms in Hollywood studios were private I was able to go in with Kiera. She could also bring the stroller in the private rooms where there not allowed in the group rooms. The Hollywood Studios Baby Care Center was diffenitly the smallest of the 4 but it still had all that you would need to take care of the baby. Its also in the most odd location of them all being at the very front of the park instead of a more central location like the other parks. However with Hollywood Studios smaller size we didn't find this to be a big problem.
When we exited the Baby Care Center it was just a few minutes before 4pm. The show we were trying to get to starts at 4pm and is located in the very back of the park. Possibly the spot the furthest away from where we currently were at. There was no time for pictures as we quickly walked down Hollywood Blvd, around Echo Lake, Past Star Tours, into the Streets of America and within 10 minutes we arrived at the attraction. Yes the show had already started and we could hear the sounds of it as we walked down the Streets of America. I thought we were too late. The show had been going for nearly 10 minutes. However the gate was still open and they were letting people in still. So in we went.
So what show did we rush to get to that we are now going to see? That would be the Lights, Motor, Action! Stunt Show. As I said the show had already started so by the time we walked back to the stands, climbed the tower, and the found seats the first segment of the show was already over. The premise of the show is that they are filming a movie in a french village (the show is originally from the Walt Disney Studios at the Disneyland Paris Resort). Each scene has the director telling the audiance whats going to happen. Then they "film" the scenes which is when the stunts are done. After the scene is over they will then give you a behind the scenes look as how it was achived such as the backwards driving car or the driverless car.
A new portion of the show features a Live Lightning McQueen from the Disney/Pixar film Cars 2 as with the help of Mater on the big screen he trys to find and stop one of the Villan Gremlens from the movie. Although no real stunts happen during this portion of the show and I wish it was a little more high speed it is still cool to see Lightning out driving around. Its a short scene that i'm sure puts a big smile on little boys faces all over the stands. Including my own.
The next scene was once agian one with the Red Hero car running from the bad guys. The big stunt performed during this segment was the trailer jump which you can barely see in one of the photos as the car is in the air at the time. It was pretty cool to see this done and I never knew they used landing bags for cars like they do for people. During the break time after this segment was when they showed the driving by itself car.
Since I never saw the opening scene the following one was my favorite of the show. This was the motorcycle chase scene. In addition to the other villans on motorcycles it included a stunt man falling from the top of one of the buildings, many of the villan cars driving on 2 side wheels, and the best part of all was a stunt villan laying his bike down while sliding thru a flame and he himself then catching fire. He was on fire for about 10 seconds before they called cut and the flames were extingueshed.
The final scene of the show involved the hero red car again and was the shortest of all that we saw as it basically involved the car jumping over the water as explosians and pirotechnics went off all over the place. They then show you the flimed footage cut into a movie trailer on the big screen as if they just finished making the film you just watched be made. At the end of the show all the cars, stunt men, and vehicles come out and the show is over.
I really liked the show and i'm glad we were able to see at least part of it. Yes i'm sad we missed the opening scene but when your traveling to the park with an Infant or baby there needs take priority. I'm glad we got to at least see something. I'd have to say this is one of the better stunt shows i've seen as I thought it was really well done and is possibly one of the only "studio" aspects of the Studio theme the park has left. There is another Stunt show located in this same park a the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. We didn't watch it this day (although I did see it back in 93) so I can't compare the two honestly. But if you like cars and explosions then this show should be for your. Plus many little boys will love the Cars 2 portion of the show.
After the show we headed back into the Streets of America. As well as all of the 5000 people the show holds. However sitting where we did we got out of the stadium much quicker then everyone else. We now took some time walking around the streets of America as well as down the San Fransisco Streets and ended up at 2 meet and greet locations that we wanted to take Daniel to (ok they both were probably for me too).
The first Meet and Greet that we came to was the Cars meet and greet with Lightning McQueen and Mater. The wait to meet them was short (only about 5 minutes) however I wish they did more then they do. They litterally just sit there. There are engine noises but thats all. And obviously Daniel didn't know what or who they were so he didn't care much lol. Hopefully with what the Disneyland Resort is doing with there Cars Characters for the debut of Carsland and there meet and greets there they will carry it over to the Studios in Florida. The characters there will move there eyes and speak in real time to the guests like Crush does at Turtle Talk.
The next Meet and Greet was the Phenias and Ferb on located just outside the Muppet Vision exit. This wait was a bit longer and took nearly 20 minutes. But I really wanted to take Daniel to see them. I won't lie I absolutly love there show on the Disney Channel. Yes I have it set to record all new episodes on the DVR as I think the show is very funny. I also think its one of the best shows on tv right now. So we had to see them lol. Daniel of course as with all characters loved them and I think he even recognized them unlike other characters that he still loved. I guess this Meet and Greet can be one of the buisest in the park so if you want to meet Phinias and Ferb be prepaired to wait or go early in the day.
With the meet and greets done now we went back into the Streets of America one last time before going to the last attraction that we wanted to see before it closed for the day. Daniel started to show that he was tired as you can see in some of the photos and he would eventually crash out for a nap. The Streets of America do look cool and really do give off that "backlot" vibe. I just wish there was more to them or that there was more to do back here other then Lights Motor Action and the Muppets. However I would love to see them during Christmas time when the Osborn dancing lights are taking place as I'm sure the Streets of America are very magical during Christmas time with those millions of lights up everywhere.
The next attraction that we would be doing is the Backlot Tour. I know this isn't popular amoung many people but we figured we would give it a try. Keep in mind that this attraction is fairly long as it takes around 35 minutes not counting the wait in line. I know this ride typically has a short wait but it was really busy at this time. We waited for about 15 mintues before we were finally in the group to start the tour.
The first portion of the Backlot Tour is a special effects presentation about a harbor attack. I honestly didn't take too many pictures here as I thought there was gonna be more to it as i've seen people who become a part of this portion of the tour but there was nothing of the sort on our visit. It was just the 2 hosts talking about how they accomplish the scenes and then they were demonstrated without actors. It was pretty neat to see none the less though although the water tanker scene wasn't as exciting without an actor.
The next portion takes you into the "prop" warehouse. After passing the chicken coup thing from the Hanna Montana movie you enter a building filled with whats suppose to be hundreds of props from different movies and TV shows. I don't know if everything in there was used in front of a camera at some point or not but it is pretty cool to look around and see everything to see if you can recognize something. This is also the waiting area for the tram portion of the tour.
We however had no wait at all. We walked strait thru the warehouse and were able to make it on the Tram that was loading at the time. Although we barely made the cut as we were placed on the very last row of the tram. Not the most ideal location for the Catestroph Canyon portion of the tour but it wasn't bad for everything else.
The first portion of the tour is said to give you the best views of the actual former Icon of the Hollywood Studios the Earful Tower. This Mickey themed Water tower though was kind of hard to get a photo of based on the placement of the sun at this time of day. You also pass some older cars and planes that were used in the movie Pearl Harbor.
You then enter a building and pass the Wardrob department where the tour claims costumes are designed and made for movies. However since no movie production takes place at Hollywood Studios I believe I heard they produce the Cast Member costumes for the resort here. They also have more famous costumed lining the tunnel you go thru but I was never able to get a decent picture of any of them.
After exiting the building you pass the first of a set of vehicles that were used in movies such as the Nascar Herby used in the the movie Herby fully loaded. Theres not to many vehicles in this portion of the tour though as its just a brief drive by as you make your way to the primary portion of the Backlot Tour. Catestroph Canyon.
I don't recall going thru the canyon or the back lot tour at all when we came here when I was younger. Kiera didn't remember much of the tour itself however she did remember seeing Catestroph Canyon. This is suppose to be a movie set that takes place in a canyon when disaster strikes. It is very cool to see and hands down the best portion of the Back Lot Tour. However being on the last row of the last car in the Tram you don't exactly get the best viewing of the canyon disaster. You see the rain and the flash flood as well as some of the fire effects but thats about it. Although the Canyon is good and the highlight of the tour you can't help but ask yourself if the land the canyon and entire tour takes up could be put to better use for the the Theme Park.
As you exit the Canyon you will pass the Light, Motor, Action arena and get a good look into and behind it. You will also pass the Private plane that was used by Walt Disney himself and other Disney executives as they traveled from California to view the progress on the "Florida Project".
The final portion of the tour takes you past more movie cars. However the highlights of these vehicles for me were the 2 that were used in the Star Wars films.
As I said earlier I didn't think the tour itself was bad. However it continues to pretend that Hollywood Studios is a working Movie Studio when thats no longer the case. The Backlot tour is worth seeing once but after that you could skip it on future trips as it does take up alot of time. I also think that the land could be used better for the theme parks and hopefully a large expansion will take place here soon.
You exit the trams and tour and enter the American Film Institute exhibit. I don't know if they regularly roatate out this exhibit but at this time it was featuring Villans from movie history. As you walk in the first thing you notice is the Star Wars display featuring the Sith Lords themselves Darth Vader and Darth Maul. Seeing the actual Vader costume really puts into perspective how tall Vader is suppose to be.
As you continue thru the exhibit you will recognize the Red Queen costume from the latest Alice and Wonderland Movie as well as a full size Alien from the Alien series of movies.
Another Disney Display is that from the Pirates of the Caribbean films featuring the Orgin used by Davy Jones and Captain Barbossas costume.
Another Disney film feature is from Enchanted where the Evil Queens costumes are shown. After checking out the exhibit you exit into the Backlot Tour store which carried much of what you'd find elsewhere in the park so we didn't stay here long.
By the time we finished with the Backlot Tour and Villans Exhibit we were hungry. We figured we would just grab dinner at the Backlot express which is located just outside the exit to the Backlot tour but we were suprised to find that it was already closed up for the day. So we decided to walk down Mickey Ave to see if we could find somewhere else to eat.
At the end of Mickey Ave you once again come to Pixar Place. I didn't realize earlier how close Pixar place was to the back of the park. I guess thats because of the odd shape and layout the Studios has as one point only a small portion was open to guests and the theme park. Over the years as Disney shut down actual movie and tv productions in the studios the Theme park slowly moved into those sections now creating the odd layout you see.
After passing thru Pixar Place we found ourselves back out in front of the Sorcerers hat at the end of Hollywood Blvd. We were very hungry now and then I remembered that we were nearby the ABC Commissary. This Counter Service restaurant should have something that we would like to eat for Dinner. Since its located right next to the Great Movie ride it was a short walk from where we were at.
We walked in to the ABC Commissary and were happy to find a very short wait for food. For dinner tonight I decided to get the Angus Cheeseburger and Fried Shrimp while Kiera deciced to do something different and ordered Turkey Sandwich off the kids menu. You might be asking that isn't the Kids menu for kids? Well technically yes but they never questioned anything when I ordered it. It was still a fairly large portion and was plenty of food to fill Kiera up. I also thought the Cheeseburger was very good. The condiment table here also had lots of different options for sauces.
After dinner we made our way back to Sunset Blvd as this would be the area we'd be spending the rest of our night in. We still had 2 Rider Swap cards for the Tower of Terror so that was where we were heading next. It was also now nearing Daniels feeding time again so Kiera would be heading into the Hollywood Tower Hotel first. Plus since she had only rode once today it was just natural that she should go first. She returned fairly quickly and loved the ride once again. Since Daniel was hungry and not enough time to go to the Baby Care Center she decided to go strait to the Hollywood Hills Ampitheater to find us spots and try to feed Daniel there.
It was now my turn for the Tower of Terror again. My now 3rd ride of the day. I entered the Fastpass line using our final Rider Swap card only to find it wouldn't have done me any good ether way. There was litterally NO wait at all in the standby line. I walked strait into the preshow room with no wait and had there been anyone riding standby then they would have done the same thing. After the preshow there was a very short wait in the Boiler room as I probably only waited for 1 elevator before it was my turn to load. This ride turned out to be the best ride I had on the tower all day. The drop sequence I had on this ride seemed longer then the other 2 and it even briefly stopped where the ghosts of the guests appear again before launching back to the top fo the tower. It was the best ride of the night and if I wasn't getting pressed for time I would have ether rode the Tower again or ran back to Star Tours to use the final riderswap card (Kiera never got the chance to ride again) but we had one last thing to do tonight before the park closed. Something that was on our must see list.
That final thing was the show Fantasmic! When I exited the Tower of Terror the show was only 15 minutes away from starting. Kiera had already gone in to find us seats and to try and feed Daniel and she was really easy to find once I got inside the theater as she was sitting strait ahead at the top of the section. However the was much more packed then we expected it to be so she didn't get a chance to feed him until the show started and it was dark. Although he was a little fussy for being hungry there was a little girl sitting next to us that seemed more then happy to entertain Daniel as she loved making him giggle and laugh.
The skys (suprisingly) got dark quickly and the show soon began. This show is suppose to be one of Mickey Mouses dreams that thanks to some of the Disney villains quickly turns into a nightmare. The show stage and arena look top notch. And the show starts off great with Mickey bringing the Water fountains and screens to life with the help of some additional pyrotechnics.
The water screens help transition the show into the next scene that features many Neon colored animals roaming around the mountainous island. It also features some characters from the Lion King. This transitions again into the waterscreen where it seemed like hundreds of bubbles with scenes from Disney's most popular movies float by. The waterscreens are a very neat effect but from where we were sitting they were kind of difficult to see what was on them. I don't know if this is because of how the Screens are designed or if it was just our vantage point of the show.
As the screens go out there now a battle that seems to be taking place on the Island from the movie Pocahontas. This battle is then covered by the waterscreens as some familiar Disney Princesses with there Princes float by dancing the night away on some boats. Those featured here are Ariel and Eric, Belle and the Beast, and Snow White with her Prince.
Mickeys dream up until this point has been happy and exciting but its about to take a turn for the worst. The Evil Queen from Snow White appears and is very upset by the magic mirror (in the waterscreens) tell her that all 3 princes are fairer then her and in Mickeys imagination Love is whats important. Angered by this she creates a spell and brings about Disney's most Vile of Villains. Jafar then sends Mickey into the cave where Mickey battles Jafar in the form of the Snake. Upon finding a Magic Lamp it gets worse for Mickey as now he is face to face with Maleficent in her Dragon form.
The waters are now on fire as Mickey battles the huge Dragon. This portion of the show is pretty amazing and really well done. In an uphill battle against the Villains and a powerful dragon Mickey calls upon his greatest wepon of all to defeat the Villains. His Imagination. He creates a wall of fire and extinguses the flames and then kills the dragon with a sword.
In the Finale a Steamboat comes out being drivin by the Black and White Mickey from the 30's. The Steamboat is packed with all sorts of different Disney Characters and Heros from the film history.
The celebration of Mickey triumphing over Evil concludes amungst a large Display of Pyrotechnics, fireworks, and use of the Fountains. Mickey appears at the highest point of the mountain in his Sorcerers Aprentance outfit amoung the many fireworks going off. Then Poof Mickey vanishes and reapears at the stage level in his regular outfit. He then vanishes again and the show concludes.
I was really impressed with the show. In fact it would end up being my favorite nighttime show out of all the different ones we saw on this trip. I really liked the fact that they mixed in character actors with the fountains and pyro as it really added a new element that none of the other shows had. I now understand why the show is so popular and on so many must see lists. I recommend this show to anyone wanting nighttime entertainment at Disney World. Now I really wanna see the Original Disneylands version as I hear its better then the Hollywood Studios version. Dispite the fact that viewing the show isn't as good.
As the show finished everybody would attempt to leave the theater and park at the same time. To avoid this we decided to wait a little bit longer until the theater was nearly empty before we left. We weren't a big hurry and we'd rather be waiting in the park instead of being stuck in the parking lot or waiting for the tram.
We finally felt the theater had emptied enough and after retrieving the stroller we made our way back to Sunset Blvd. It was much quiter this late at night with the streets much more empty and no sounds of screams coming from the Tower of Terror. Sunset and Hollywood Blvd really look great at night and the Tower of Terror looks especially creepy at night as there really isn't much light illuminated on it.
On the way to the park exit many of the Sunset and Hollywood Blvd shops are still open so we decided to look around some of them before leaving. In the Planet Hollywood Store they actually have multipule props from different movies including the Pink and Yellow Rangers suits from Power Rangers the Movie, a Gremlin, and the Terminators clothing.
As we exited Sunset Blvd and walked on to Hollywood Blvd we decided to stop and get some night photos with the Sorcerers Hat before leaving. Disney of course had multipule Photopass photographers set up. This was the first and only time we saw a Disney CM get snotty with us. I asked if we could get our photo taken and he directed us where to stand. I then handed him our Camera and asked if he would take a photo with that as well. His reply was "Theres now way a photo on your camera is gonna turn out good when its this dark". I told him to take it anyways as my camera does pretty well with night photos. He took the picture looked at it and replyed "Told you it wouldn't turn out good". I took the camera and we made our way to a different Photopass CM. I honestly didn't think the picture was horrible at all. I don't know why the guy seemed so awnery about it.
Before we left the park we took one last look in the main store located at the enterance. Although you get back to the hotel much later we don't mind waiting and spending a little extra time in the parks as it sure beats having to deal with the crowds. Plus the parks look great at night. Its a look that you don't get to spend much time in during this time of year.
We exited the park nearly an hour after it closed for the night. And we were able to catch a tram right away with no wait. The CM speaking to us on the way out to the parking lot was very funny as well as she would say stuff to the people walking and even reminded us that we were on the most popular ride in the park as the majority of everyone will ride it twice (something I would learn to be very true at the Animal Kingdom later in the week). We arrived back at the car and got everything loaded and strapped in and once agian "Crazy Girl" was playing on the radio.
As we exited the parking lot our day at Hollywood Studios was over. I really enjoyed our day here and I think Hollywood Studios might be my favorite park as I found many of my favorite Disney attractions are located within that park. I know it gets a bad rep for there not being much to do or for there not being many child or family rides. But as we proved it is easily a full day park and we still didn't do everything that the park had to offer as we still missed the Indiana Jones Stunt Show, the One Mans Dream exhibit, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Disney Jr. on Stage, and possibly the biggest thing we missed the entire Animation building. This park is every bit as fun as the larger Disney parks. Yes theres many shows compared to rides but thats part of the fun. Disney isn't just about rides. Although the lack of many rides doesn't make it very repeatable. The Magic Kingdom and Epcot are diffenitly more suited for multipule visits during your vacation (dispite Hollywood Studios being a more favorite park). Those other parks are just so much larger that theres even more you miss out on in a 1 day visit. However I think this park is very good and shouldn't be missed if your pressed for days. It will be interesting to see if that opinion changes when Daniels older and we go there.
Back at the Hotel Daniel crashed out fairly quickly and I did as well while I was in the process of sorting thru pictures lol. We had another busy day ahead of us tomorrow. With 2 Disney parks done we now only had 2 left to go on this trip. Where would we end up next? You'll just have to wait and see.
