[Travelandtourism] Day 5 and our final full day in Walt Disney World - Hollywood Studios and World of Coca Cola correction

Fri Dec 23 13:31:00 UTC 2011

Day 5 found us up early again, we decided to do a character breakfast, since I love these things, and plus I wanted pictures and videos of this for my families with younger children. 

Oh yes one correction that I made earlier today  World of Coca Cola, is called Cool Club and is a permanent location in EPCOT if you go is near the Ice Cream Parlor in Future World, not in World Showcase. 

We ate at "Playhouse Disney's Play 'N Dine at Hollywood & Vine", see the description below.

Since my daughter is a Day Care Teacher, she wanted to get the characters of Playhouse Disney.

The other restaurants that offer Character Dining, and is part of the Dining Plan with Disney when you stay in the parks are and  another FYI, a reservation is a must, I am sorry but these things do fill up fast, and I know people do not like to plan there dining options on vacations but here you do, this is also a good reason to get hopper tickets instead of regular tickets, you can have breakfast in one park, and go to the other park the rest of the day or dinner, or even go to Downtown Disney or eat at one of the Resorts other than the one you are staying at the Dining Options are enormous.

But again fill up fast!

Magic Kingdom Character dining options are:

Magic Kingdom
Crystal Palace<http://allears.net/menu/menus.htm#mk> - Head down Main Street, USA and make a left at Casey's Corner! This restaurant serves three meals per day with Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet. Meals are served buffet-style with a separate buffet for kids called "Pooh Corner." Breakfast items include eggs, pancakes, breakfast meats, breads, fruit and more. Lunch offers a variety of hot and cold entrees and sides along with a dessert bar. At dinner carved meats and peel-and-eat shrimp are added. Advance Reservations strongly recommended!

Cinderella's Royal Table<http://allears.net/menu/menus.htm#mk> - Located on the second floor of Cinderella Castle this restaurant features characters at all three meals. Characters vary, but almost always include Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother and may include Belle, Jasmine and Snow White The official name for all three meals at the Castle is Fairytale Dining at Cinderella's Royal Table, and all require 2 entitlements when using the Disney Dining Plans. When you arrive for your reservation, a photographer will be on hand to take pictures of your group in the lobby, before you are seated in the dining room. (Characters subject to change without notice.) 

Epcot
The Garden Grill<http://allears.net/menu/menus.htm#epc> - Chip and Dale's Harvest Feast - Located in the Land Pavilion in the Future World section of Epcot this restaurant features dinner with Mickey, Chip and Dale, and Pluto, all attired "farmer-style". Kids' menu includes chicken tenders, mac and cheese. Reservations are recommended. 

Princess Storybook Dining <http://allears.net/menu/menus.htm#epc>- Character meals are breakfast, lunch and dinner. A family style American breakfast is served at the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in the Norway Pavilion at Epcot and features Disney Princesses and Friends. Hours are: 8:30am to 10:10am Most likely characters: Belle, Jasmine, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Mary Poppins. Lunch and Dinner are Norwegian style dining with Disney Princesses, too (including the occasional visit from Ariel in her gown). 

Disney's HollywoodStudios
"Playhouse Disney's Play 'N Dine at Hollywood & Vine" with Special Agent Oso, Handy Manny, and June and Leo from "The Little Einsteins". Breakfast and lunch feature the characters singing and dancing to favorite Playhouse Disney songs. The buffet breakfast<http://allears.net/menu/menu_hvb.htm>, 8-11:20 a.m., features Mickey waffles, frittatas and fresh fruits and pastries. Lunch<http://allears.net/menu/menu_hvl.htm> hours 11:40 a.m.-2:25 p.m. Among the buffet selections are baked salmon with citrus butter, multigrain pasta and salads, as well as a dessert and sundae station. For reservations, call 407-WDW-DINE. (NOTE: Dinner is NOT a character meal.) 

Disney's Animal Kingdom
Tusker House<http://allears.net/menu/menus.htm#ak> - The Animal Kingdom features a character breakfast, called Donald's Safari Breakfast located at the Tusker House in Africa. Characters include Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Mickey. All you can eat buffet from 8:00am - 10:30am.   (Same day reservations may be available) Character Lunch begins December 4, 2011 

RESORTS
Cape May Cafe<http://allears.net/menu/menu_cm.htm> - Beach Club Buffet breakfast is served here every morning. Goofy, Minnie, and Donald are on hand and the meal is served buffet-style. Offerings include eggs, pancakes, meats, breads, fresh fruit and more. 

Chef Mickey's - Contemporary Resort - serves breakfast and dinner with Chef Mickey, Chip, Dale and Chef Goofy. The breakfast buffet offers the usual items - eggs, breads, meats, fresh fruit, etc. At dinner there is a salad bar, peel and eat shrimp, soups, hot entrees, breads, carved meats, vegetables, desserts and an ice cream bar with a great variety of toppings. Breakfast Menu <http://allears.net/menu/menu_cmb.htm>; Dinner Menu.<http://allears.net/menu/menu_cmk.htm> Advance Reservations strongly recommended.

1900 Park Fare - Grand Floridian

Breakfast - Supercalifragilistic Breakfast<http://allears.net/menu/men_19b.htm> <http://allears.net/menu/men_19b.htm>with a variety of characters. Currently there are Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland, and the Mad Hatter. Breakfast items include omelet bar, pancakes, fruit, breads, meats, etc.

Dinner - Cinderella's Gala Feast<http://allears.net/menu/men_19d.htm> - Regulars include Cinderella and Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine, Anastasia, Drizella, and the Fairy Godmother (some characters may only be in the lobby for photos). Price includes dessert and a non-alcoholic beverage.

Polynesian -- 'Ohana Character Breakfast<http://allears.net/menu/menu_ohb.htm> - every morning. Characters include Lilo and Stitch, Pluto and Mickey. The meal is served family-style and features eggs, waffles, meats, breads, fruit and more. Advance Reservations are strongly recommended.

Garden Grove Cafe Breakfast on Saturday and Sunday!<http://allears.net/menu/menu_ggbw.htm> - in the WDW Swan; features Goofy and Pluto. Usually not crowded and a good choice for a last minute decision to dine with the characters. Both a la carte and buffet are available. 

Garden Grove Dinner<http://allears.net/menu/menu_gul.htm> in the Swan Hotel opens at 5:30 pm nightly and has the following character entertainment: Monday and Friday - Timon and Rafiki; All other nights Goofy and Pluto.  

When you have breakfast in the parks before they open, you have a reservation that you should bring with you, so that the people at the gate will verify this.

After breakfast we walked around a little since the park wasn't officially opened we took our time.

Walt Disney first had the idea for a park based on the movies more than 40 years ago, but it wasn't until May 1989 that the Walt Disney Company unveiled the Disney-MGM Studios, where guests of Walt Disney World could witness the inner workings of living, breathing movie and television production facilities. In January 2008, the theme park underwent a major name change and is now known as Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Through its exciting attractions, like Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show  Broadway-caliber shows, and hands-on participation, the Studios not only entertain but educate. The Studios have nearly doubled in size in the last 10 years and continue to expand -- in fact, the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, an indoor roller coaster featuring a high-speed launch of 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds, was part of the largest property-wide expansion in Walt Disney World history

In Hollywood Studios they have a landmark like the Castle in Magic Kingdom as well it is Mickey's Apprentice Hat, he was in the Sorcerer's Apprentice in the movie Fantasia.

MGM Hollywood Studios is also broken up into a few different parts as well.

When you first come into the park you are on Hollywood Blvd which takes you past Echo Lake.  There are a few restaurants Hollywood & Vine, home of a character breakfast and lunch and the '50s Prime Time Cafe, where the servers treat you like family -- right down to scolding you for putting your elbows on the table! We ate there last year, they called men "DAD" and has the best hamburgers and milkshakes and meatloaf and mashed potatoes. 

As you follow around the lake, you encounter the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Show  a newly reopened Star Tours takes you on an amazing 3D journey to a variety of Star Wars destinations, featuring some of the familiar Star Wars characters. On the other side of the lake is Sounds Dangerous (opened Seasonally) a showcase for special sound effects featuring funnyman Drew Carey. Next door is the ABC-TV Theater, which now houses Disney's version of American Idol, where you can actually do an audition for the show. In between these two attractions is the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame Plaza, which features sculptures of famous television legends, as well as the second-largest Emmy statue in the world (14 1/2 feet from its base).

After Hollywood Blvd, since we already did American Idol and Indiana Jones back in 2009, we walked straight to  SUNSET BOULEVARD: 

As you make the first right off Hollywood Boulevard, you come upon Sunset Boulevard, with its specialized shops that feature gifts themed to classic films and Disney characters, especially the Disney Villains spotlighted in the night-time show Fantasmic, which we saw, and one of our favorite night time shows. In fact, the entrance to the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater, is just a little further down Sunset on the right. Light dining and snacks can be found at the outdoor Sunset Ranch Market on the left. Looming menacingly at the end of Sunset Boulevard,

is the Hollywood Tower Hotel, which dares guests to enter The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror:  My daughter Dina also did this one, but for those who want, can accompany there friends and family online and they will help you to get to the waiting area, which is the gift shop, all of the rides like the roller coasters have gift shops in them as waiting area, we took pictures and videos while we were waiting for her to go on the ride. The ride itself is first a pre-show which I did with her is  queuing through the lobby of the dusty old Hollywood Tower Hotel, guests are directed into the Library to view a short film hosted by Rod Serling, creator of the old Twilight Zone television series. At the conclusion of his story, which sets the stage for the upcoming ride, you are plunged into momentary darkness, then guided into the Hotel's boiler room, where you await your "elevator" to the 13th floor.

Twilight Zone Tower of Terror - Guests are seated aboard a rickety old "freight elevator" that glides through mysterious hotel passageways, past ghostly images of former guests. As the journey progresses, the elevator enters a pitch-black shaft. The elevator launches guests skyward unexpectedly, then, just as suddenly, the cables 'snap' and electrical sparks shower. The vehicle then plunges with random drop sequences and other special effects, making it worthy of its slogan: "Fear Every Drop!" Because you never know what to expect, this ride deserves many repeat visits! This attraction is a must for thrill-seekers! At one point, the doors of your elevator open to reveal the Disney's Hollywood Studios parking lot 13 stories below you! You are eventually returned to a dimly lit rear hallway of the Hotel, where you exit the elevator.

This one my daughter went on 5 times.  Each time you go on it is a different sequence of drops, so you never know what is going to happen next.

>From there we walked over to hot thrill ride, the indoor Rock 'n' Roller Coast starring Aerosmith, we are both big Aerosmith Fans! No I didn't go on this one either, but walked through it with her and she took photos and I took videos.

This coaster boasts several "firsts" for Walt Disney World, including a high-speed launch that goes from 0 to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds.

The attraction begins with guests getting a glimpse into the sound booth at the fictional G-Force Records. There you see the hard rock band Aerosmith finishing up a studio recording session. It seems as though the band is actually interacting with you - and before you know it, you've been invited by lead singer Steven Tyler himself to a concert!

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster - From the pre-show area, you're ushered into what appears to be a darkened back alleyway, where you await a "Super Stretch" limo. The 24-passenger limo screeches to a halt in front of you and you board, securing yourself with a padded u-bar. After a few moments of excruciating build-up, you are finally launched into the wild ride, swiftly accelerating into the imagined Hollywood night to the pulsating Aerosmith music. The enclosed coaster ride is quite dark, so that you can't make out what twists or turns are ahead of you, but it does feature individually lit Southern California landmarks, such as signs for Hollywood and the famous Roxy Theatre. After just a few minutes, you find yourself at the "concert", your destination, where you disembark into the gift shop. Like Tower of Terror, each time you ride a different song from Aerosmith will be played in the cue and on the ride.
>From there went to see Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage, shorter version of the movie, but similar to the show we saw on Broadway a few years ago.

Then we went back towards Hollywood Blvd and behind the Sorcerers Hat is a replica of Mann's Chinese Theater, which houses one of the park's hallmark attractions, The Great Movie Ride, we love this slow-moving ride which showcases some of the most memorable moments ever captured on the silver screen. In front of the Chinese Theater, you'll see where numerous celebrities,<http://allears.net/tp/mgm/m_celebs.htm> including Robin Williams, Samuel L. Jackson, Sylvester Stallone, Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley have left their handprints in cement.

After that we walked over to Pixar Place to see if we could get on the Toy Story Mania, this is a very popular ride and it was an 80 minute wait and there were no more fast passes for the day, I would suggest if you want to go on this ride, you do it as soon as you enter the park or forget it.

We were getting tired and hungry so we got a fast meal! Don't remember the restaurant but it was shaped like a boat and then we saw the Pixar Parade, we loved it.

We walked over to the Streets of America, later we would see the Osborne Holiday Light Show, but here we saw the Muppets in 3D and got photos with Mike and Sully from Monsters, Inc.

There are other things to do here, but we got tired and decided to head out to the Boardwalk Resort since we were going to eat Dinner at the Flying Fish Restaurant, I think the next time in Disney we might stay either at the Boardwalk or at the Ft. Wilderness Lodge, who knows.

A little information on the Boardwalk Inn Resort:

The 378 room Boardwalk Inn captures the feel of the '20s and '30s Eastern Seaboard. Crescent Lake makes a beautiful place to stroll around the Boardwalk. The Boardwalk itself is reminiscent of an easy going era of entertainment, dining, and vacation fun. The lighthearted, yet elegant atmosphere is pleasing to just about any age.

The lobby has beautiful furnishings, whimsical carousel rugs, interesting models of roller coasters and carousels, and music that will take you back to the Great Gatsby era. The window seats along the hall of the lobby are inviting conversation areas. The chandeliers and hard wood floors add an air of elegance to this lively, fun at heart resort. Outside the lobby is a wonderful deck with chairs to sit back and people watch, read a book, or just take a few moments to relax.

We walked around the boardwalk and then we had dining reservations at the Flying Fish. The restaurant presents diners with fresh selections of seafood and steaks. There is an open kitchen there you can watch the chefs work their magic.

I ate - Oak-grilled Maine Diver Scallops - pumpkin, sage, pecorino romano, mascarpone-laced risotto di carnaroli with Jamon serrano cracklins 

My daughter Dina had - Costa Rican "Laughing Bird" Shrimp Tagliatelle Pasta - tiny tomatoes, fall-crop squash, sundried tomatoes and peppers, lobster roe butter-laced shellfish crema and crispy capers 

For Dessert we had - Our Signature Flying Fish Café Caramelized Banana Napoleon - phyllo, banana mousse, creme caramel, exotic fruit coulis and bitter chocolate 

We also had some great wine that our waiter recommended, if you remember the movies Davy Crocket with Fess Parker, his family owns a winery out in California and we had the Riesling.

After here we took the boat back to Hollywood Studios we wanted to see Fantasmic which is there night time fireworks, water and light show.

Fantasmic is a story of Mickey Mouse's Imagination, in the beginning, it shows all his friends and favorite stories on stage which is between you and a little lake not far, but enough so that that water show can take place, if you sit to close you will get a little wet.  There is a screen of water in front of you where the project all your favorite stories and characters on.  And then all of a sudden while Mickey is asleep dreaming, he had a nightmare with the wicked queen from Snow White who calls upon all her friends, like the Evil Fairy from Sleeping Beauty, Zafar from Aladdin, Hades from Hercules, Scar from Lion King, and any evil character that you can think of, all try to ruin Mickey's Imagination and finally he realizes he is dreaming and chases all the bad dreams out of his head, and wakes up and there is a boat with all your favorite characters on it, I am not doing it justice, I did record it for video, so I hope you will take a chance and few it, you can hear it as well.

After the show it was extra hours night for those who were staying the in resorts and we went over to the Osborne Family of Lights, again this is something that must be viewed to see, I will try and describe it here.

OSBORNE FAMILY SPECTACLE OF DANCING LIGHTS  

It starts from the 2nd week in November - January 

Unfortunately, my camera battery died, always carry an additional video camera charger when traveling, darn it. Anyway, unless you are there, it is amazing. Description of what it is and the history of it all

The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights is the primary Holiday Happening at Disney's Hollywood Studios. The Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights sparkle with yuletide cheer. What began as a father's Christmas gift to his daughter has grown into a holiday tradition for many Walt Disney World guests with a dazzling display of millions of colorful lights and animated displays. Millions of brilliant bulbs blanket the backlot with dancing lights and animated displays synchronized to high-energy holiday tunes. Colorful wreaths, twirling carousels, flying angels and Santa and his reindeer bedazzle park-goers amid swirling snow flurries during The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, a megawatt, multi-colored spectacle that Show Director John Phelan calls "the ultimate Americana Holiday lights display." "Imagine it," Phelan said. "One private citizen (Jennings Osborne), overwhelmed by the spirit of the season, created his own Holiday Wonderland, complete with a giant rotating globe with Peace on Earth above it and a massive canopy of red lights that people could walk under. He said he wanted the people to feel like they were inside the lights, looking out. Only in America!" In fact, originally it was only in Little Rock, at the home of Arkansas businessman Osborne. The rich tradition began some 20 years ago when he strung 1,000 lights as a Christmas gift to his daughter. After the exhibit grew larger and brighter -- into millions of lights -- it was transported to Walt Disney World Resort in 1995, where the light display now delights guests from all over the world each year.

The spectacle actually starts behind the scenes while the summer temperatures are still on the rise in Florida as dozens of Disney "elves" begin their meticulous work on more than 10 miles of rope lights, 130 angels, 44 snow machines and more.

Jennings Osborne, a Little Rock, Arkansas, businessman, began putting up lights nearly 20+ years ago, at the request of his young daughter. 

Each year, he added to the displays. When he ran out of room, Osborne bought the two houses on either side of his home so he could continue his creativity. Neighbors complained, however, and the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled in October 1994 that Osborne's house, when adorned with the 3 million lights, was a public nuisance. Although legally barred from causing a "spectacle", Osborne still lit the display three nights. He was found in contempt of court and fined $1,500. The court suspended a 10-day jail sentence, but ordered him to pay $7,000 in attorneys' fees. In 1995, the Walt Disney Company brought the Osborne Christmas lights to Walt Disney World!

If you are blind, you can still enjoy the excitement of it all, and if you have someone with you who can be as descriptive as possible you can imagine it all. From the Music that is played, and the lights that are in sync with the music, it is awesome.

I would recommend that if the our Division decides to go that I put in for right before the holidays so that we can enjoy all the I have tried to describe.

This was our last day, we left early in the morning on December 5th. You must call the front desk, and they are opened 24/7 so that you can arrange for the bell caps to come to your room, and drive you back to the main building at the Caribbean Beach Resort, so that you can pick up the Magical Express that will take you back to the Orlando International Airport, again you have your luggage tags that Disney Gave you, and you can let them put your baggage on the plane, and the next time you get your luggage is at the Luggage terminal in your own state, we do this all the time, so remember if you need to put things in your carry on, cameras, meds, etc. put them there.

I hope you have enjoyed our trip to Walt Disney World.

Leading the Way in Independent Travel!

Cheryl Echevarria
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