Let The Memories Continue! – Day 3

We woke up to a warmer day. The past 2 days had been chilly with temperatures hovering 7 degrees.

We made our way to Pepper Market for a quick breakfast. We ordered a Cinnamon French Toast and 2 Grand Fiesta which is a scrambled eggs with carved ham and sausages platter to share. Ashley especially liked the sausages and the platter is huge and offers good value.

Today is our Hollywood Studios day. We arrived just in time for our Toy Story Mania! FP+. We knew we could not afford to miss this as the standby time is always more than an hour. Soon, we entered Andy’s room and boarded the Carnival Ride Tram and put on the 3D glasses. We had so much fun moving from booth to booth, throwing hard-boiled eggs at targets, launching darts and popping balloons, tossing baseballs and rings and shooting targets. Jarod emerged as the top scorer in-vehicle. This is our favourite ride in Hollywood Studios.

Due to popular demand, Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post, one of the most popular parts of last summer’s Frozen Summer Fun is back and staying put through the holidays. Oaken and his family invite guests to participate in enchanted winter fun—with a Frozen twist! There is a chance to build a snowman in Wandering Oaken’s Frozen Snowground which contains real snow.

Once we stepped in, we felt as if we were transported to Arendelle. Ashley had a great time playing with the snow. Frozen merchandises are also available for purchase here too. There is also a Sweet Treat Bar where we found Frozen themed treats and beverage. I shall get the Olaf Cupcake on our next visit.

We walked over to Premiere Theater where we have FP+ next for ‘For The First Time In Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration’. This is a show where Anna, Elsa and Kristoff join the Royal Historians of Arendelle for a fun and comedic retelling of the unique history of their Kingdom, filled with delightful, sing-along moments from  Frozen amidst projections, lighting and special effects. The Historians are wonderfully funny, so much so that even ZA who is not a big Frozen fan enjoyed it. The show ended with a grand finale sing-along to the film’s chart topping soundtrack ‘Let It Go’. At the end of the performance, we found ourselves becoming ‘Honorary Citizens of Arendelle’.

 

 

(ZA : There are quite a number of PhotoPass photographers around and we will pose for pictures. Sometimes there are magic shot where they will insert a character in the photo and if we are lucky will be a video magic shot. Normally they will let us know what the character is. This time the photographer said it’s going to be a surprise character and when we got back to our hotel and downloaded the pics for the day. One of the video magic shot is with Big Hero 6. Surprise !)

We were scheduled to ride Tower of Terror but have backed out last minute.

So, we headed over to Hollywood & Vine where we had a reservation for the ‘Play ‘n Dine’ lunch. When we arrive at the podium, there was a small crowd waiting to check in. We did not wait long to be seated though. The themeing here is “Cafeteria to the Stars.” The feeling is vintage, as though you have wandered back to the early mid-20th century, and it’s the Golden Age of Hollywood. The highlight of this restaurant is really the Disney Junior characters. We get to meet Sofia The First, Doc McStuffins, Jake and Handy Manny. About every 30 minutes or so, the characters, along with other Disney Junior performers, present a high-energy show, and kids are encouraged to join in. Ashley loved joining in and dancing with the characters while we headed to the buffet. The buffet offers a wide selection – Breads, Soups, Salads, Create Your Own Pastas, Meats and Main Dishes, Sides and Desserts. There is also a kids section. I liked the Tomato Florentine Soup and Lobster Mac and Cheese. At the Desserts section, the centerpiece is an enormouse Chocolate Fountain. There is also a Soft Serve Ice Cream Machine  I thought the No Sugar Added Cheesecake topped with blueberries were really good.

We went into the restaurant without much expectations as there had been some negative reviews but left happy, especially after seeing the delight on Ashley’s face.

After a hearty lunch, we watched Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage. We relived the romance and magic of ‘Tale as old as time’ in this outstanding stage performance. The musical included many songs from the film – ‘Belle’, “Be Our Guest’, ‘Something There’ and the grand finale ‘ Beauty and the Beast’. We were swept away all over again by this heartwarming tale of Belle and Beast.

 

Next, we caught Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show! Being an avid car fan, this was a must-do on Jarod’s list since we missed the front part of the show the last time. We watched in awe at the performance of high octane stunts while revealing special effects secrets. We could feel the heat from the fiery explosions. There is also a special appearance by hero air Lightning McQueen and Mater. We were totally impressed.

 

Ashley wanted to watch Voyage of The Little Mermaid next. Using a unique combination of special effects, film clips, live performances and innovative puppetry, Disney successfully translates the popular and acclaimed animated feature. The story of Ariel and her friends was retold live on stage. The special effects were impressive and the characters memorable.

We had some time to spare and decided to ride Star Tours – The Adventure Continues. This is a 3D motion simulator space flight that launches us into the world of Star Wars. We came face to face with the likes of Yoda, Princess Leia and even Darth Vader in this unforgettable intergalactic adventure.

It is a holiday tradition for Hollywood Studios to host The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. Brilliant multi-colored bulbs wrap the buildings, changing hues and brightness throughout as joyful music surrounds you. Approximately every 10 minutes, the lights “dance” to holiday music, while “Florida snow” falls in the background, making this the perfect Christmas setting. This is indeed an awe-inspiring extravaganza.

 

It was time to leave Hollywood Studios for our dinner show reservation. We had a reservation at Fort Wilderness Resort – Pioneer Hall to catch The Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue. This is a hilarious, high spirited comedy accompanied by a finger lickin’ feast.

In between skits and songs, we chowed down on buckets of fried chicken, smoked BBQ ribs, tossed salad, baked beans, corn, freshly baked corn bread and strawberry shortcake. We found the show highly entertaining as Ashley watched intently throughout and  laughed hysterically at the jokes. We had a good time! It was already past 10pm when the show finished  and called it a day.

 

 

 

 

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