As a fairly well seasoned Walt Disney World guest, you can only imagine my surprise to discover that Disney's Hollywood Studios would be the park my daughter's family would most enjoy and want to visit again and again- and so we did!
Due to the joy of park hopping, we left Epcot fairly early in the late afternoon and after a stop at the Pop Century Resort went back out for an evening at the Studios. The father of three had one condition: Due to the anticipated crowds, we would not visit Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge that evening. We would do the other portions of the park including Toy Story Land. With the kids in agreement, off we went.
In my mind, the Disney-MGM Studios as it was named at opening, has always been an odd park. Even with much development early on and then a longer period of neglect, it has always felt like a half-day offering. (If you want a great look at the history of the park at 30 years with concept art, vintage photos from opening year and more, check out my mega blog post here.) The stage shows have been old and stale for years, and aside from the stunning original Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and the once epic Great Movie Ride, nothing else was all that compelling. If there ever was a Florida Disney park that needed a heavy dose of Star Wars and so much more, this was surely the one.
No Guardians of the Galaxy takeover- yet.
Walking into the little park I've seen change since 1989 was pure pleasure. Glancing at the beautifully unobstructed view of the Chinese Theater, I couldn't help but smile as I realized how much better it all looked with that Hat gone. Thank God! Someone in charge finally figured out going back to the original intent made sense.
Certainly, a different group had to be in charge in order for 1- The Great Movie Ride to be taken down for good, 2- Toy Story Land to be built with so little shade, and 3- The offerings of Batuu to fall so far short.
To be truthful, Toy Story Land looks great at night (as do most parks- even the dismal and cheap California Adventure 1.0 had its charms under the moonlight). With the coming hurricane keeping the crowds low, Slinky Dog Dash was a mere 20 minute wait. Barely themed, deceptively higher than it looks, and exposed to all, this is no kiddie coaster! Rocking harder than I expected, I barely noticed the blue hue of the Galaxy right in view from the top of one of the hills.
A beautiful Florida night!
On the scale of the World's coasters, it's up there with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Not in charm or theme or beauty, but in thrills alone. This little park needs rides the whole family can enjoy together. There's still a height restriction here keeping the youngest guests unable to ride, but the ride's a lot of fun for those who can. Short lines led to two rides in a row, then it was time to move on. Both my wife and I were ready to let our stomachs settle.
Taken on our third visit to the park.
Well, at least she did. Taking our young granddaughter to shop since she wasn't tall enough, the rest of us took a ride on that wild limo with Aerosmith. Still smooth as glass! Dad and the boys were unsure of it all, but my daughter and I loved Rock 'n' Rollercoaster as we always have. When we regrouped, nightfall conquered the sun. It was time for the original and the best Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. My son-in-law was not told about the 5th Dimension experience, and I gather it took him by surprise. He, his boys, and my wife were not fans. I find it to be a peak of Imagineering in that season for the then struggling park. Can the views from the top be any better?
Toy Story Mania capped off the night as no one in our group was all that interested in taking in stage shows. We had two more visits here to go, so we were quite ready to let everyone rest up for the next day. A late night visit to Woody's Lunchbox helped us regroup. The sandwiches were particularly good, but I found the pop tarts rather ordinary. Don't believe everything you read- even here. Go test it out yourself. Things change so fast.
The frown indicates coolness.
He's really a very sweet kid!
Our next visit to the Studios placed Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and visiting Batuu at the top of the to do list. (We did not let them ride Star Tours before this one.) There was little wait to walk right into Galaxy's Edge, and the kids were so excited, I thought they were not going to be able to stand still. The response? Underwhelmed is the best word I can use to describe it. The approach to the land triggered a different response, and it was only the final sighting of the Falcon that raised their interest. The adults felt the same way.
Pretty, and pretty empty overall.
The standby line registered 40 minutes, but in reality it was happily only over 25. (We timed it.) The kids but not the adults knew Hondo Ohnaka, so the preshow kept their attention. Since we were a party of seven, we insisted their young family enjoy this all together as it was the one attraction they were all looking forward to more than anything else on the property. My wife and I were given the pilot's role, which we gave to a young boy and his dad instead.
In spite of what could have or maybe even should have been, the journey is quite fun! Everyone exited with big smiles. I expected a request to ride again, but it didn't happen. I assumed this meant they wanted to explore Batuu. Opting to stop for some blue and green milk, we enjoyed the blue, but found the green to be lacking.
Day two visit meant an encounter with Rey.
The kids were thrilled!
I was positive that everyone wanted to explore the land, and I was happy that we had one of those hard to get reservations for Oga's Cantina on our third day visiting Batuu. Surprisingly, the family was not interested in exploring. They wanted rides. I walked us through the Morocco inspired space themed bazaar, and the only interest was in using the restroom. A stop in the pet store wasn't of interest to even the youngest visitor in our group. The adults agreed to release our Cantina reservations and let someone else enjoy them. Particularly when we calculated the expense for seven of us. As it stands, it is a big splurge, even when the whole trip is as expensive as it can be.
I mentioned Star Tours, and the group lit up. Star Wars wins the day once again! Following directly after the newest simulator, you'd think this older attraction would feel stale and unneeded. Not so! The pacing and thrill factor was still there, and seeing some familiar droids in action just felt right. Are the suits themselves not a fan of the original trilogy? How could they bypass such an essential piece of what made those films beloved? Perhaps there's something in the yet-to-open Rise of the Resistance to pull it all together. Maybe there's some new plans to help the guests really connect with Batuu. This I know: Something has to change.
What was next? Muppets? No interest. Frozen show? Nope. Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast? Not a chance. Going through the list of shows offered led to a lack of interest. I was getting the message. What rides hadn't we done? Swirling Mater's. Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway can't come soon enough. What else was there to toss out as an idea? Nothing. We walked out of the area to their requested location and back to Slinky Dog Dash.
The Eastern Batuu has more deeply saturated colors
than the Western edition. Good call!
When your group wants rides and not stage shows, not shopping, or even character interactions (for the most part), Disney's Hollywood Studios falls flat. Even the second and third parks have many more physical rides to keep people happy. The suits and the Imagineers need to get on a "Phase Two" expansion. If for no other reason than to balance out the park. The Indy stunt show could be fun, but if you've seen it more than a few times (we have), it's not worth the time.
A perfect place to take the kids!
Happy kids and equally happy adults.
This was the day resort management decided to shut the Studios down at 2pm due to the pending hurricane. After Slinky Dog, it was time for our lunch at Sci-Fi Dine In, one of my very favorite Walt Disney World locations for lunch. I had not been able to get a reservation there since a trip back in 1992. I was pretty excited!
Hi there, Walt!
Our lunch here was our very first waiter service restaurant stop of the trip. The kids were fantastic as they happily munched and drank while watching one movie clip after another in the front of the convertible. Mom and Dad sat behind them as we were seated in the last row. Everyone was happy. Even happier because we had the Disney Dining Plan, as this place is not inexpensive. But the food was excellent and the service thoughtful and engaging without excess. In order to really get your money's worth on the plan, you've got to order one of the highest priced entrees each time. No problem! My steak ($37) was better than what I've eaten at some higher priced restaurants outside the world, and my alcohol injected refreshment was just what I needed to start the meal. Great onion rings as well, by the way.
I first captured this in 1989.
I did not remember it until years later
after I had already started the blog!
Even the lettering is similar
to the style I chose.
We finished just after 2pm, so we exited the park. As usual, I took my time to walk around Echo Lake, taking photos of Dinosaur Gertie and the surrounding area. It's a beautiful little park when you stop to take in the details. It'd be a perfect spot to stop and sip that Starbucks latte and take it all in.
Where is it headed? Can Batuu succeed?
It will be the most exciting journey
for the executives to pull it off!
Our last visit to the park was brief as it was also our day to return home. After our second and last ride on the Falcon (again, 25 minutes), I was pretty excited to talk them into stopping in at Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities. No reaction. But there was a winning moment ahead. The kids had saved their allowance for months, earning money to build a droid. Of course, they fell a bit short, so Grandma and Grandpa came to the rescue and filled in the rest!
It was soon time for our Fast Pass for Toy Story Mania. Slinky Dog's wait was short as was the queue for Alien Swirling Saucers. Within 40 minutes, we rode again and walked on to Mania. Yes, it's a fun little attraction, but it is certainly no "E Ticket". With this being perhaps Pixar's most beloved film series, you'd think they'd do something a bit more special with this land and what it offers.
A nice diversion, nothing more.
Remembering we had not gone to see the brand new Lightning McQueen Racing Academy show, we slid into a quarter full theater. Aside from the great Audio-Animatronic racer, it was nothing all that special or interesting. Oh well. We were absolutely melting under the heat of the sun, and deciding we wanted to eat indoors, we began to search for the right place. I couldn't think of a quick service location here. asking a cast member, they directed us to the Commissary. Great call!
One of the few indoor quick service offerings
in this little park.
I was quite surprised to find this place as nice as it was! The food was very good and the recently refurbished dining room was just what we needed to regain some sanity after a long day in the sun. having difficulty finding an indoor venue, I began to wonder if the suits really had a long term plan for this park or if they were flying by the seat of their pants, making additions without long range goals. Certainly, killing off the Great Movie Ride was a mistake in a park with so little epic rides, and creating a Toy Story Land with so little shade and a great indoor place to eat was a mistake. Don't get me started on the ups and downs of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge or the rather abandoned other side of the park. Even a desk jockey wanna be Imagineer could think this one through and come up with better ideas. But it was another great lunch at least.
Wouldn't be a trip report without Gertie!
I don't know why I like her, I just do!
You'll never guess what happened next. My daughter's family decided they wanted to go to Epcot and ride Test Track and check out some of the Food and Wine Festival booths. Leaving the park, we took a nice scenic, relaxing boat ride over to the International Gateway. The Skyliner was still in testing. That would have to wait for another trip.
So, with that, I leave you waiting for the next installment- a look at our time at my beloved Epcot... and my very long winded words about what the suits and Imagineers are doing and what should be done to this once groundbreaking theme park. Until then, thanks for reading this far!
(Photographs copyright Mark Taft.)
