We woke up that morning and grabbed breakfast at our hotel (Mickey waffles, of course) and headed out to catch Disney’s Magical Express (aka “the bus”). We had FastPasses for Beauty and the Beast Live at 9:30AM. We strolled down Sunset Blvd. toward the iconic Tower of Terror, but made a right, just before it to watch the show. Oh, but we stopped for a photo first (see above).
Even as an adult, it’s a good show. “Tale as Old as Time” began to play at the end of the show and I caught a glimpse of Erin smiling and trying to record it on her phone. Nothing takes you back to your childhood memories like watching one of your favorite movies as a kid live, right in front of you, at the happiest place on earth. I get goosebumps watching it and I’ve seen it probably 5 or 6 times now.
After the show, we each grabbed a Starbucks Coconut Milk Macchiato and we were ready to go! We explored the park a little waiting for our second FastPass time at The Rock’n’Roller Coaster, one of my favorite rides at Disney World. During our walk, we explored all of the areas of the park so Erin could see what all there was to do at Hollywood Studios. This helped us plan out the rest of our day and walk off our breakfast and coffee a bit!
The place we were dying to visit was the new Toy Story Land (scroll through above to check it out). Another one of our favorite movies came to life right in front of our eyes! Slinky Dog went flying by on a red track above our heads, Woody and Jessie strolled through the crowds waving at little kids who stopped in their tracks, in awe and too excited to speak. Erin was one of them. Just kidding. LOL! But we WERE both looking up and all around like Sunday drivers..
The lines here were massive. We’re talking over 100 minute waits for the new Toy Story Roller Coaster, Slinky Dog Dash. Toy Story Mania’s entrance has now been relocated to Toy Story Land (the back of the attraction before) and the previous entrance now displays a backdrop featuring The Incredibles.
We weren’t able to get a FastPass for Slinky Dog Dash even though we logged on at midnight exactly 60 days prior. They went fast. We put off riding it until later that evening and the lines did go down a little by then.
If I’m being honest, one of the main reasons I wanted Erin to see Hollywood Studios may have had to do with the Star Wars Launch Bay. Star Wars Land is opening soon, but for right now, we have plenty of Star Wars to enjoy while we wait. Storm Troopers patrolled this area of the park. We met Chewie and BB-8. We watched Star Wars: The Path of the Jedi (a live show) right in front of the Chinese Theatre. And when we booked our vacation, we signed up for the Star Wars Galactic Dessert Party as our dinner reservation that night. We were excited all day about what it might be like.
After visiting the Launch Bay, we took a ride on Star Tours! Erin loved that one! Plus, we looked cute in our 3D glasses. lol We then headed back to Toy Story Land for a light lunch! We ate lunch at a new place called Woody’s Lunch Box. They have lots of yummy options and are super quick so you can fuel up and head back out there! The seating is outside and Toy Story-themed.
While waiting to use our final FastPass at the Tower of Terror, we got frozen fruit drinks, found a shady spot just off to the side, and took a quick nap. It had been a long, hot day. We ended up loving our photos from that day, so we purchased the one day PhotoPass for $60 and it included fun videos like the one above. Erin loved the Tower of Terror best of all! You can watch our reactions to the drop in the video above!
Finally, we headed back to Toy Story Land one last time to attempt to ride the brand new Slinky Dog Dash. We ended up having a wait time of 80 minutes, but only waited 55. It was so much fun and a surprisingly long roller coaster. After the roller coaster, we headed over to the other new ride, Alien Swirling Saucers— almost like a Mad Tea Party type of vibe. Watch the video above. It’s a slo-mo view of our time on this ride. You won’t be sorry. LOL
Finally, the moment we were waiting for had arrived. 7:30PM. We headed toward the Launch Bay and they found our names on the guest list for the Star Wars Galactic Dessert Party. We were given lanyards and escorted to a private party room guarded by Storm Troopers (who stay in character by being jerks, but we did convince one to take a selfie with us. It wasn’t easy).
We were served Star Wars-themed cocktails and given our own table, where a buffet of yummy hors d’oeuvres and desserts awaited us. We had private photo session with Kylo Ren, who was a little scary and didn’t like that I wouldn’t agree to join the Dark Side. We received a special Darth Vader mug and the best part– we were escorted to the front of the crowd for the Star Wars Spectacular Fireworks show when it began that evening! So, naturally, we sat FRONT and CENTER. lol (See above).
It was well worth the price of our tickets. We ate until our bellies were full of fancy Star Wars themed-foods and desserts and had access to the food all evening until the park’s closing time.
After three days at Disney World, we were beat. We rented a Mustang Convertible in Orlando and headed straight to Cocoa Beach for two days full of fun in the sun.
Thanks for reading all about our Disney adventures. Next stop, Utah.
xo,
Ash (& Er)
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