Day 6 - 5/26 – Hollywood Studios and a Birthday Luau
She had been wearing her birthday pin religiously throughout
the trip thus far, but today was DD’s actual birthday. When we had started
looking at weeks in May for a trip, our initial priority was to pick a week
before it got ridiculously hot (we have frequently gone in August) or
ridiculously busy. Since most schools would still be in session in May, we
thought that would be a great time to go. It dawned upon us that we could
combine the trip with DD’s birthday – what better party could you hope for?
We packed some of DD’s birthday presents (books, Star Wars
action figures) but left her largest present (a Littlest Pet Shop set) at home.
We printed a picture of it and included it with her card and a note explaining
that it would be waiting for her when we returned. Here she is pointing to the
picture we printed.
After presents and a hurried breakfast, we hustled over to
Hollywood Studios, arriving a little later than we usually do. We were a little
nervous when we saw how long the lines at the turnstiles were.
We implemented the DHS Rope Drop Plan. After we went through
the turnstiles, I collected the tickets and quickly (but without running)
worked my way as close to the rope as I could. DW and DD, meanwhile, made their
way up at a little more leisurely pace.
When the rope drops and we’re led over to Toy Story Mania, I
stay as close to the front as possible, nimbly dodging four-year-olds being
dragged by their parents, bags falling off strollers, etc. I get right into the
FastPass lane and get FastPasses for the three of us. Meanwhile DW and DD head
over to the standby line.
We usually arrive at the standby line at about the same
time, and we ride together, with FastPasses in hand, and without subjecting DW
and DD to most of the mayhem.
Once in the standby queue at park opening, it moves pretty
fast. There’s always a holdup by the Mr. Potato Head while people take
pictures.
After Toy Story we headed over to MuppetVision. Normally
people would be heading over to Rock n’Roller Coaster, or Tower of Terror Tower
of Terror
On the way over we spotted these Star Wars shackles. They
leave them up all week, even though they’re only used for Star Wars Weekends.
Given some stuff that’s been going on at our house lately, I could have really
used a set of these.
I like how everything at MuppetVision has a joke worked in.
After Muppets, the plan was to take DD to “The Bug
Playground” while DW rides RnRC a couple of times in the Single Rider line. We
had to stop for some more photo opportunities, though. Looking at this snowman
picture gave me the idea of taking some Christmas Card photos at WDW during our
October trip. Maybe bringing Santa hats or something.
We parted ways with DW, grabbed a quick trip on Star Tours
riding standby, and then headed over to the Bug Playground. DD loves to
organize the kids to pretend they’re ants and whenever the sound of the
grasshopper plays, they all have to run and hide.
When she was younger I used to keep a closer eye on her, but
now I camp out in a shady spot near the exit and ask her to come by every five
minutes or so to check in. That way, I get to watch all of the parents on hands
and knees crawling through tunnels after their kids, and I reminisce, which in
my head sounds a lot like laughing.
After a couple of rides in Aerosmith’s super-stretch limo,
we joined up with DW and had lunch at Pizza Planet. We had a really bad
experience. The line took about 20 minutes to get through. This was at 11:30
with literally four people in front of us. None of the lines were moving. There
were about 10 CMs on the other side of the counter looking alternately at us,
and then back into the kitchen. But none of them were actually serving food.
Once we were served we went upstairs to find a table. They
were all pretty messy (again, even though this was well before the lunch rush)
but at this point we weren’t being picky. We wiped it down and ate.
This was a short day at DHS, because we had a birthday
surprise for DD. We had reservations at the early Luau at the Poly. So we went
back to the hotel for some swimming, and then got ready for dinner. DW found
this tropical-themed dress for DD.
One of the things DD talked about a lot was how she wanted
to drink out of a coconut. Since we read that they offered a tropical alcoholic
punch in a coconut, we asked if they could bring milk or just water in the same
thing. The waiter was more than happy to (charging us $10 for the souvenir
coconut), and DD was excited.
The food was pretty good, but I thought the Spirit of Aloha
show was really not very good. It was super campy. There’s a story line about a
cousin leaving her family to go off to college. There were some fun parts,
though. At one point they invited everyone celebrating a birthday to come up to
do a Birthday Hula.
They also had a fire dancer who was really great. I’m not
sure if he’s the same guy who juggles fire at the Festival of the Lion King
show, but it was kind of like that, but a lot more intense.
After the show we made our way back through the Poly, with
DD stopping for some photo opportunities. She broke into an impromptu hula
dance by this palm tree.
We drove back to the hotel and went to sleep, with DD
proclaiming it was the best birthday ever. It was no Chuck E. Cheese, I’ll tell
you that much.
Tomorrow – Gramma in the hizzouse.
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