Friday, January 8, 2021

February 2019, Day 4: Hollywood Studios & Epcot

 If you've been following, you know this isn't our first or even second day at Hollywood Studios this trip.  So, our priorities may seem a little strange today.  With that in mind, let's see where we ended up.



9:00

Our first task of the day was to get LittleCJC signed up for Jedi training.  We actually were able to get this done just before 9:00, because we were able to make it over to Olaf's meet and greet before anyone else.  It may not be high on most people's list to meet characters first, but I always enjoy the interactions you get when you're first in line.


In this case, you get to walk Olaf, character #1  down the hall to the room where they take pictures.



We decided to continue with the characters this morning and made our way to meet Minnie Mouse, character #2.




At this location, you go straight from Minnie to Mickey Mouse, character #3.



Every time we finish visiting Mickey, LittleCJC always stops for one more photo.


We really need to make a reservation here sometime since she loves this car so much.  Staying close by, it was finally time to get on a ride.  We were using our first fastpass of the day at Star Tours, attraction #1.  We immediately rider swapped meaning Star Tours was also attraction#2.


After both these rides, it was time for LittleCJC to check in for her Jedi training.


As usual, we were a little early and LittleCJC was one of the first kids to check back in.  I took that extra time to run up to Starbucks, while Patrick stayed with LittleCJC.  He was also the one that stayed nearby while they walked to the stage.


They are always so cute walking down the street chanting.



10:00
While we were waiting for the show to start, LittleCGC was so cute thinking she had a new toy.


LittleCJC did great this year during her training.  I mean, check out this concentration.


She was also much more determined against Darth Vader.



If you have photopass, they take some great photos here too.






Although we enjoyed it, LittleCGC didn't seem too impressed.


After the show, we finally ventured away from this part of the park and made our way to Sunset Blvd.

11:00


We had fastpasses for
Tower of Terror, attraction #3 and I rode first with LittleCJC.





We are always strategic with this ride.  LittleCJC always rides it, but usually only once.  Since I didn't get to ride it the first day we were here, I rode first this time.  Sure enough, she had no interest in riding it again so Patrick was the one out of luck this time.  While we were on the ride, he took in some AC at the ride's exit and just enjoyed his view.


Once we decided we weren't talking LittleCJC into another ride here, we moved on to meet a new character.  My little girl is growing up, and didn't want to take the time to visit with all the Disney Jr characters, but she did want to meet Vamperina, character #4 since we haven't visited with her before.


Since it was our first time seeing her in the park, we all had to join in.


There were some other new characters in this park that we hadn't met yet, so we decided it was time to check out their line.  On the way, these little cuties decided they needed to share their seat.


12:00
So which new characters were in search of?  Mike and Sulley, of course. They had a bit of a line, but these girls were so cute waiting.  LittleCJC enjoyed entertaining LittleCGC who thought her sister was hilarious.



I mean, seriously, how is she so cute?


Eventually, we met Mike, character #5 and Sulley, character #6.


These two were fun to meet, and they loved our shirts.  They commented on both the color choice and the Friends reference by clapping the theme song.  After our visit, we had one more fastpass planned and it was back in Toy Story Land, so off we went.  Even though this wasn't our first visit here, this was the day we were wearing our Toy Story shirts to mark the first visit occasion, and this was the day we were determined to stop for a picture at the entrance.  Luckily, the line was short.


Once inside the new land, LittleCGC needed some mom time, so Patrick rode Slinky Dog Dash, attraction #4 first with LittleCJC.




There's not much seating, or shade, here but at least there is a half wall to lean against.  It also provides a great view.




1:00
LittleCJC definitely wanted to ride this ride again immediately, so we switched riders and I took my turn with her on Slinky Dog Dash, attraction #5.


With our blood rushing from the rollercoaster, we decided to wait out the line to meet Woody, character #7 and Jessie, character #8.



It was a lot of fun seeing these characters together.  We wanted to eat lunch at Woody's lunchbox, but first, LittleCJC had seen other people taking their picture with the Pixar ball so she had to as well.


2:00
At some point after riding Slinky Dog, either while waiting to see Woody and Jessie or while eating, we were able to snag another fastpass for Toy Story Mania, attraction #6.


Lucky Daddy was able to talk LittleCJC into riding with him this time.


With no luck on picking up a fastpass at Alien Swirling Saucers, we left the Toy Story Land and decided to see what they had done to the new Incredible area.  Here again, there was a new character that we wanted to meet, Edna Mode.

3:00
She had a bit of a line, but honestly the queue was entertaining with all the new photo opportunities. 


We eventuallly made it through the line and met Edna Mode, character #9.



We couldn't just leave this new area without exploring and of course taking some pictures.


Besides the photo opt, there was a dance party going on with the Incredibles, but LittleCJC didn't want to participate.  So, we decided to go visit some Star Wars characters.  First up here, was Chewbacca, character #10.


Next up in our Star Wars lineup was BB8, character #11.



Before leaving, the Launch Bay, we stopped in to see Kylo Ren, character #12.  I'm so glad we did, because we got so many adorable shots of LittleCGC.  It looks like we may be in trouble.





After leaving the Launch Bay, there was one more new thing for us to explore in this park.

4:00
It was time for us to check out the new Disney Jr Dance Party, attraction #7.





LittleCJC loved dancing around, and as you can see, I used the opportunity to feel LittleCGC.


After the dance party, we felt like we had pretty much done everything in this park.  Before this trip, LittleCJC had seen a picture from a previous trip of us at Beaches and Cream, but since she didn't remember it, she really wanted to go again for some ice cream..  Well, we decided tonight was that night.  So, feeling done with this park, and dinner/dessert plans in mind, we decided to hop over to Epcot.  On the way out of the park, there was a photographer out front and we decided to take advantage and ended up with these cute pictures.







5:00
We opted to drive to Epcot and of course there was another photographer as we entered.


We were excited for our first Festival of the Arts.




LittleCJC was on point with her pictures today.



Since LittleCGC was awake and the line was minimal, we decided to ride Spaceship Earth, attraction #8.


Yep, poor Daddy ended up riding by himself again.  Since we knew we were spending the next day here at Epcot, we weren't concerned with trying to ride all the rides.  Instead, we thought we would check out the line to meet Joy and Sadness.

6:00
It wasn't too bad, so we decided to knock it out making Joy and Sadness characters #13 and #14.





We of course were on our way to the back gate at Epcot so that we could walk over to Beaches and Cream, but we knew Journey into Imagination would be a walk-on and thought it might be nice to get one more ride in, so we stopped at Journey into Imagination, attraction #9.


Continuing on our way, we got stopped again at the UK pavilion when we came across a photographer with Tinkerbell's lamp.  Well, obviously, we had to stop for a picture.


I remember at the time being really hesitant to get in this picture since LittleCGC was nursing.  I don't know why I was fine with taking my own photos when she was eating, but I felt a little on display when a photographer was going to take our picture with a line of other guest waiting their turn.  However, I'm so glad that I did because I love this picture.  No, it's not a perfect picture of LittleCGC's first trip, but it does sum up how her and I spent a lot of this trip and I'm glad I have this memory.


7:00
After our Tink picture, we finally made it to the back gate and over to Beaches and Cream.  LittleCGC was asleep when we first arrived, but she woke up with wide eyes when she spotted the ice cream.



LittleCJC got a cute Mickey sundae, while Patrick and I split the No Way Jose.





Thanks to Daddy being a little mean, we got this adorable video.


Overall, we had a great day.  I think we saw more characters than ever this day, but several were ones we had never seen before so it was fun.  We also are already getting the feeling that LittleCJC is nearing the time that characters aren't as fun as the thrilling rides so we didn't mind spending our day this way.  Some times, when we're fortunate enough to be passholders and know we will be in the park more often, it's really nice to have slower days. 

Come back next week to see our full day at Epcot.














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