April 2012: Hollywood Studios

Tuesday was Hollywood Studios day. We were there near the opening and headed directly toward Star Tours, which tops the list of for the Star Wars fans in the family. As we ventured that way, there was a small sign and a cast member recruiting for Jedi Training. I had no idea what that consisted of, but we had seen that it was an option, and Spencer was excited to participate. We ventured in and got S and E signed up for the 5:30 show. It was a great moment of serendipity because I had no idea how quickly the slots would fill and just assumed we'd get around to it later in the day. After that, we were back on track and off to Star Tours. 

While the rest of the fam rode Star Tours, John and I ventured down the movie set street. He kept glancing around, wondering where the traffic noises were coming from since there were no cars in sight. After he got his bearings, he claimed the street as his own, chasing a few pigeons and running up and down a ramp that leads up to the Muppet attraction. 

Manly Star Wars pose in front of the AT-AT walker. (Did I get that right, Spencer?)

Here's a family photo on what Spencer tells me is a speeder bike. 

(Adam, Marie, John, Emma, Spencer)

When it came time for Jedi Training, Emma had decided that she was not really wanting to fight a Sith and opted to watch instead. She did take the opportunity to collect a few signatures for her autograph book. This is Maggie, who helps with the Jedi training. Emma was thrilled that she would sign the book, and I think Maggie was thrilled to be asked since she asked to have her photo taken with Emma. (Usually that works the other way around.) I was just happy that Emma was content to get the signature of the cast members on hand since we hadn't yet had time to secure any character signatures. 

Spencer answered many questions as part of the Jedi Training, including one that stumped the other Star Wars fans. "What type of creature is Jar Jar Binks?" asked the cast member. 

"A Gungan," Spencer cooly (and correctly) replied. He hasn't been poring over that Star Wars Dictionary for nothing. 

Spencer wore his Lego Star Wars shirt and was looking good in his jedi robe. First, the Jedi Trainers ran the kids through a basic light saber routine. Then, Darth Vader and some storm troopers appeared along with Darth Maul to add a little excitement. Spencer got to fight Darth Maul, who proved to be quite menacing. He stared down several members of the family and was quite the picture of intimidation. Spencer waited his turn and stepped up for his battle. He had been instructed not to leave the blue dot and, ever the rule follower, his feet did not leave that little circle. He got some good light saber moves in regardless and was victorious in his battle against the Dark Side.

One happy Padawan with a certificate of achievement for his success in the Jedi Training Academy. 

Picture proof that Emma was tall enough to go on nearly every ride.

And this...the Hollywood Tower of Terror...was her absolute FAVORITE of the day. She rode it twice (thank you, child swap) and couldn't stop talking about it the rest of the day. (For the record, I covered her eyes for the creepier parts of the Twilight Zone.)

Sadly, Emma was not tall enough for the Rock 'n Roller Coaster (Spencer's favorite). She stayed outside with John and Adam coloring paper records. She was on the verge of a minor meltdown when her pony tails came loose. (Emma does not do well in sweaty conditions; it makes her itchy and miserable). However, she had a "Tangled" moment when a mother with several daughters came to the rescue. Seeing Adam's distress at Emma's hair situation, she said, "Oh, I have some girls who would LOVE to do your hair." And so it was that our very own Rapunzel had her hair done by a group of lovely ladies in the town square. A fairy tale moment and happy ending for sure. 

Here's a photo taken in the "Honey! I Shrunk the Kids" movie play land. John spent some good time roaming around here while others rode the "big" rides. He was happy for some shade and fun places to explore.

Since it was my birthday, I got to wear this handy birthday button all day. It was fun to be greeted by cast members with a cheerful "Happy Birthday, Marie" throughout the day. A great way to pass the celebration of another year. 

Rides and Attractions we Enjoyed:

*Rock 'n Roller Coaster - Spencer's absolute favorite. He rode it twice, back to back, and loved the upside down parts.

*Star Tours - Spencer was randomly selected as the Rebel spy - twice!  I'm not sure how many rides we racked up during the day, but Spencer and Emma both loved this ride. 

*Jedi Training Academy - A smash success. Spencer is now a fully-trained Padawan, and we had a great time watching him battle Darth Maul. Jedi Spencer had a good-sized crowd rooting for him. 

*Tower of Terror - Emma's favorite. That girl loves a thrill! Spencer was happy to take just one turn on this ride, but Emma couldn't wait to get back in line for a repeat adventure. **An important addition. Grammy just reminded me that while on this ride, Emma exclaimed, "Whee! This ride makes my bum float!"

*Lights, Motors, Action! - FANTASTIC stunt show. We all loved seeing the precision stunt driving and found that the bleachers were also a perfect place to enjoy our picnic lunch. 

*Indiana Jones Show - Thanks to the "It's her birthday" shout-outs from my mom and dad, I was picked to be the giggly girl cast member. It got even better when my brother Dan was selected to be the "Ba-da-boom-ba-da-boom" walking, pose-striking cast member. We dressed in costume and ran around the stage while things blew up around us. What a blast!

*Beauty and the Beast Show - Super cute. A favorite of Emma and John. Lots of colorful costumes and a classic fairy tale story.

*Little Mermaid Show - John was less than appreciative when the mist started raining down, but after we retreated to the eaves of the theater, this proved to be the perfect place for him to take an afternoon nap. 

*Honey! I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure - GREAT adventure land for kids. I kept feeling like my children were lost, but as long as we kept meeting back up by the Play-Doh container, things turned out okay. 

*Fantasmic! - Adam took the kiddos home around dusk so they could gear up for Magic Kingdom. I stayed with the Cummings clan and watched Fantasmic, which was a fun water/light/projector/boat show. 

*Walt Disney's "One Man's Dream" - While Dan (and Mom, if I remember correctly) snuck one last ride on Tower of Terror, the rest of us checked out the museum and theater that tell Disney's story. LOVED this! It was so fun to learn more about the man behind the dream and also proved a nice, low-key way to close out the day.