Changes Are Coming...
- larablancarte
- Apr 21, 2016
- 4 min read
Hello fellow Disney fans! Yesterday was a Disney Day, I opted to split my day
between Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. With the Flower & Garden Festival half over I felt the need to try out more of the specialty menu items for my lunch... priorities people! For me food is almost always a priority.
Surprises Around Every Corner
I got to the park a little later than planned as traffic was pretty bad on I-4. Anybody from Orlando (or Orlando the area) will tell you that I-4 is a pain in the ass - this was something that I learned rather early on, you don't take I-4 unless you have to. Anyways, I got to the park about 20 minutes until 9, although I would have preferred to be there about 30 minutes prior to opening. Since I was parked so close I opted out of waiting for the tram and walked to the entrance. By the time I was through security I realized that the park was open and people had already been let through. Now this was not the first time that I have been allowed entrance to a park early, but usually they hold you in strategic places before you get to the "big" rides and then they have the "rope drop". So I'm walking down Hollywood Blvd & turn onto Sunset Blvd. expecting to see the crowd at the rope in sight of Tower of Terror only there's no crowd, no rope. The park is open early baby!! These little treats just make my day.
I have visited the parks MANY times and cannot stress enough about getting to the parks EARLY. You won't always have the treat of getting into the park early but you'll be ahead of the game, so to speak. By getting to the park early, before opening, you can hightail it to your preferred ride and most likely just walk on. I had a 9:15 fastpass for Rockin' Rollercoaster & I had already ridden Tower of Terror twice before it was even time to use it.
Just as a reminder to people: There IS a Starbucks at Hollywood Studios so never fear! It is situated at the NE corner of Sunset & Hollywood Blvd. It is a little bit more subtle than those at Future World or Magic Kingdom, disguised at the Trolley Car Cafe. It's always nice to take your goodies across Sunset to the Starring Rolls Cafe which has little cafe tables & chairs. There are also nice benches along the path that are shaded in the morning and make a nice little place to indulge in your Grande Cinnamon Dolce Frappuccino with whipped cream & chocolate croissant... or maybe that's just me.
Star Wars Show & Updates
There have been some changes to Studios in the last few weeks. There are now construction walls up along Hollywood Blvd leading towards the Center Stage. These walls are presumably hiding construction for the new "Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular" show that is supposed to debut this summer. There's also a new construction wall across from Star Tours, right next to the restrooms. I was led to the center stage by the ominous sound of the First Order theme song & the sound of Captain Phasma ordering her Stormtroopers. This was a cool little "show" where Captain Phasma leads the Stormtroopers from the Launch Bay to the Center Stage, where she talks to her new recruits (yes, that's you who is a new recruit for the First Order). After which she leads the Stormtroopers back to the Launch Bay occasionally telling someone to "Step aside" which incites some giggles from the offender & the crowd.
What's New at Tatooine Traders
As I was browsing the merchandise at Tatooine Traders I noticed some new clothing - women's "The Force Awakens" shirts & dress as well as some unisex Vintage Travel Poster style shirts of worlds from the original trilogy. The shop is always busy it seems, even on light days & it can be a bit of a maze to try and extricate yourself from all the excited children & glassy-eyed adults. A warning to those of you who have young ones (or not-so-young ones) who want to do the Build Your Own Lightsaber, there was a very long line leading outside the shop to participate in this little treat.
Taking a New Path...
I don't really need a whole day at Hollywood Studios so I opted to walk to EPCOT via the walkway along the water. I have taken a Friendship Boat before but wanted to see if the walk was as nice, and maybe a little faster. It was a lovely little walk, the path lined with sunbathing ducks and overgrown Honeysuckle, Jasmine and Lantana larger than I've ever seen. It was a perfect day for the walk with nice some cloud cover and a breeze but I was ready to be at the park sooner than the 28 minutes it took me. This was a leisurely stroll and I have short little legs so some people may be faster, but I think I'll be sticking to the boat from now on. The boat ride takes about 25 minutes from park to park but makes stops at The Boardwalk and the Swan & Dolphin Resort before arriving at the International Gateway at EPCOT. If you can catch the boat and not have to wait in line or have to wait until you depart then the boat will definitely be my first choice.
Where to Sit Back & Enjoy Your Goodies
Once at the World Showcase I enjoyed a yummy Chicken & Edamame Bun with Curry sauce along with a Yuzu Plum Wine Slush from Japan's Hanami stand. I enjoyed my lunch at the shady tables situated behind the Temple in Japan, during the Flower & Garden Festival you can also view the Bonsai Gardens from the tables. It is quiet and cool(er) here and you can not only enjoy the Matsuriza show from here but you can also hear the shows taking place at the America Garden Theatre which currently has the "Garden Rocks Concert Series".
Well I hope that you found this interesting if not informative & will check in again soon for my next post which will be about the live music available at EPCOT for the Festival! Thanks guys!
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