May/June 2019, Day 5: Hollywood Studios

 This day was spent Hollywood Studios, and we started by heading first to sign LittleCJC up for Jedi training.

9:00

After successfully signing LittleCJC up for Jedi training for a time that worked around our fastpasses, we decided to visit with Olaf, character #1.

Poor LittleCGC missed out on this one.  After meeting with Olaf, we didn't really feel like we had time to get anything else in before we had to check for LittleCJC's Jedi training so we just waited until it was time.

All robed up and ready to go.

10:00

I'm so happy she enjoys this experience.

When LittleCJC finished her jedi training, we used our fastpasses at Star Tours, attraction #1.

11:00

Of course, we swapped riders so Star Tours was also attraction #2.  We were then on our way to visit Mickey and Minnie, but we came across Chip and Dale, characters #2 and #3 so we decided to stop.

Dale thought LittleCJC's donut ears looked yummy.

LittleCGC was so excited and she really liked Chip.

12:00

We then made it to Minnie, character #4.  LittleCGC was so excited and loved her visit with Minnie.

Of course here, you always meet Mickey, character #5 after Minnie, and LittleCGC was just as excited.

Although we loved LittleCGC's extreme excitement for the characters, we were all ready for some rides.  It was time for our next fastpass so we made our way to Sunset Blvd and of course we had to stop for a picture.

You guessed it, we were on our way to Tower of Terror, attraction #3.

LittleCJC rode first with Mom and Grandma, and this is one on-ride video that I love, because you can see the true terror on her face.

Every trip, she tries this ride, and then she decides she's good and she never uses her rider swap pass.  

1:00

So Patrick and Grandma alone made Tower of Terror, attraction #4.

While here on this side of the park, we decided to check out the racing academy.  First, LittleCJC stopped for a picture with Cruz, character #6.

I love how my kid thinks she's a model.

She also wanted a picture with this car, but I'd have to brush up on my Cars knowledge to know who it actually is.

We then experienced the Lightning McQueen Racing Academy, attraction #5.

2:00

After the show, we were ready to use our last preplanned fastpass at Slinky Dog Dash, attraction #6.

The girls rode first and then we immediately rider swapped so Slinky Dog Dash also became attraction #7.

Back at the Disney Jr. courtyard, there was a new character to meet, so we decided to check it out, and so we met Fancy Nancy, character #7.  Just like earlier, LittleCGC was super excited.

3:00

By this time, we were all hungry so we decided to head to the Back Lot for some food.

Little miss was excited to get a cupcake.

4:00

When we finished eating, we headed to the Muppet courtyard in search of our friend that works merchandise and is sometimes in the shop back there.  We didn't find her immediately, so we also decided to take in Muppet Vision 3D, attraction #8.  After the show, we took some photos in the courtyard while waiting for our friend.

We eventually found our friend, and walked with her from the Muppet courtyard to the merchandise stand up front by the Frozen sing along theater.

5:00

At some point after using our last fastpass, we succeeded in getting one for Rock n' Roller Coaster, attraction #9.

When Patrick and I got off the ride, the fastpass line was a little backed up, so Patrick decided to take the girls back to meet some Disney Jr. characters.  First up, was Vamperina, character #8.

 Grandma and I eventually made it through the fastpass line using our rider swap passes at Rock n' Roller Coaster, attraction #10.

6:00

While we were making our way back to Patrick and the girls, they moved on and visited with Pluto, character #9.

I think LittleCGC liked Pluto's nose.

With only one more Disney Jr. character here to meet, we visited with Doc McStuffins, character #10.

While visiting with these characters, LittleCJC had spotted the storm troopers marching through.  Well, they just happened to be out when we finished with Doc, so she wanted to get a picture with them as too.  Stormtrooper, character #11

The stormtroopers will stop for pictures, but they don't have a standard meet and greet.  You just have to be brave enough to ask.

At this point, we entered the Star Wars Launch Bay and discovered an entirely empty gallery to the left just as you enter.  I thought that seemed like the perfect place to stop and nurse LittleCGC while everyone else was able to explore.  Most people enter the launch bay only to meet the characters so very few people walked this way since all the characters are to the right.  LittleCGC even found a great photo spot here.

The character lines were all pretty long here still, but since we have a Disney Visa card, we took advantage of the special meet and greet here for those cardholders, where we met Kylo Ren, character #12.

As we were leaving the launch bay, the storm troopers were back yet again, and this time, LittleCGC got her picture with Stormtrooper, character #13.

I love how she even loves this totally masked character.

7:00

We were lucky after our Rock n' Roller Coaster fastpasses were used, that we were able to pick up another fastpass for Toy Story Mania.  It was about time for those passes, so we made our way to Toy Story Land and stopped at the entrance for a picture.

When we made it to Toy Story Mania, attraction #11, we could tell something was up.  The standby line was closed and the fastpass line was really backed up, but we were allowed to enter.  We assumed it had been down and maybe had just opened again so they weren't opening standby until the rush of returning fastpasses had gone through.  Ha, if only.  I think they were down to one track and I don't know what else, but the line barely moved at all.  Many people bailed around us, but we figured we might as well wait, especially after we were able to pick up one last fastpass just next door at Alien Swirling Saucers for Grandma and LittleCJC.  After about 40 minutes, we eventually made it on the ride.

8:00

When we finally got off the ride, we moved over to Alien Swirling Saucers, attraction #12.

When they got off the ride, LittleCJC decided she needed her picture taken with the Pixar ball.

LittleCJC really wanted ride Slinky Dog Dash again even though we didn't have another fastpass.  The standby line said it was 50 minutes, but she said that was fine so Daddy agreed to wait with her.

It was about 40 minutes, but they made it on Slinky Dog Dash, attraction #13.

9:00

When they got off the ride, we made our way up to the front of the Chinese Theater so that we could watch the Star Wars fireworks.  Even LittleCGC enjoyed them.

This was a fun way to end the night.  We had so much fun today, especially watching all of LittleCGC's excitement over all the characters.  I think it's a great sign of a good day, when you leave the park and both girls pass out in the stroller.

Disney Dinner: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

 This past week we had a fun German themed dinner for our Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs movie night.  I was excited when I found these bratwurst at the grocery store.

LittleCJC turned her nose up at first, but then ended up loving these.  She didn't however, try the German fries that I made to go with them.  I guess this meal wasn't themed or special enough, because I forgot all other pictures.  Or I guess I could have just been really hungry, lol.  For dessert, I made apple dumplings.  I actually forgot a picture of those too, but I did get a picture of my leftover dumpling that I ate for breakfast the next morning.

I love these!  As for the movie, it was fun watching with LittleCJC.  She loved the scenes including the dwarfs as she laughed out loud so many times.  I guess she didn't remember all those details and it was fun.  I guess overall, it was a more casual night than it should have been and I plan on making this up next week, so be sure to check out next week's theme and plan.

Hello Monday

 Update

With the weather getting a little warmer and the sun coming out more, I feel like we're becoming so much more productive.  On Friday, we were able to visit with family before LittleCJC had a make-up tumbling class.  On Saturday, we visited the zoo again.  LittleCGC was so excited to see the animals again.

Our little girls weren't as motivated to walk the entire time when they didn't have other family friends to run and play with.  They still had fun though.

After the zoo, we went home and cleaned up our house.  Why does this always seem like a lost battle?  On Sunday, we went to church and then fun Disney Dinner evening.

Hello Monday

All of a sudden, I'm looking at my calendar and feeling like I have so much going on.  I know I have a few things I need to get done before our vacation that I'm trying to schedule, but LittleCJC also has more going on as well.  We're getting ready for her dance competition season, and this means preparing costumes, make-up, and her bag with everything ready to go.  She actually has a dress rehearsal this weekend, even though I don't have all her costumes and as of today I don't have any instructions yet for rhinestoning those costumes.

For some reason, her school is having a virtual learning day this Friday too.  I'm not sure why they are doing this, and this will be the first planned one so I guess we'll see how it goes.  They of course did virtual learning last year during the pandemic, but we were all learning then, so we'll see how this planned day works.

Hello Movies

I have to admit, I fell behind again last week so here we are playing catch-up once more.  Hopefully, I get caught up instead of falling further behind.  Here's what I'm suppose to be watching this week.

Musical Monday - Godspell

Tune Tuesday - Waitress

Wayback Wednesday - Gone with the Wind

Throwback Thursday - Back to the Future

Friday First - Hair

Seasonal Saturday - Darby O'Gill and the Little People

Disney Dinner - Luck of the Irish

Hello Books

Last week I started with I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life by Anne Bogel.  This was a nice short listen.  It wasn't amazing, but it had some fun points.  Then I read Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.  I didn't get into this one.  There was an interesting idea within this story, but I felt like the author went in a different direction leaving me wanting more.  I then read The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.  This book has been on my radar since it first came out, but I was always hesitant for some reason to read it.  I really shouldn't have put it off for so long as it was nicely done, leaving a lot to think about.  The final book last week was A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon.  I actually started this book over two years ago, but never finished it.  Thankfully, this week, I found it in audio format.  I really enjoy this series, but these books are so long.  Even knowing how long these books are, I still thought it was a mistake when I first found the audiobook and it said 57 hours.  No wonder I never finished the ebook.  Even at double speed that's still almost 30 hours.  I did still like this book, but at times it seemed some things were happening when there was no need for them to do so.  I don't know, maybe it was the double speed, or maybe it was just unnecessarily long.  Probably a combination of both.

As you can see, I didn't even open Six of Crows last week, so hopefully I can this week.  I have to admit it is a lot harder for me to find time to read a physical book than to listen while I can multitask.  With the outlander series fresh in my mind, I might start the next book too, but I guess we'll wait and see.

Happy Monday everyone!