Trip Report - Walt Disney World - 07/19/2011 - Part Two

In my last trip report, it was time for a mid-day break. The heat was really getting to us and we needed to cool down quick. So back to Pop Century for a nice long swim. We go swimming for about two hours. Oh yeah, I forget to apply some sun tan lotion. Again. And I will pay for this soon. Dearly. Its also at this time that I start feeling a bit sick. Is it a sore throat? Is it a cough? Am I getting sick? At Disney World? In 95 degree heat? Yes to all the above. More on that later.

So after our swim and rest, it was time to head back to the Hollywood Studios for dinner and more. We had 6pm reservations for 50's Prime Time Cafe. Its been a long time since I ate there. I remember how fun and 'retro' the restaurant used to be. So I'm hoping it's still a good place to eat at. We get to Prime Time and check-in. After waiting about 10 minutes, our table is ready.

Well the place still looks like it did when I first ate there years ago. Now that I am older, I can appreciate the 'kitschy' vibe of Prime Time. The 50's decor, the old fashion furniture, the black & white TV programs. I really love the retro bar and 'living room' waiting area.

We get seated near a corner, under a old fashioned TV. The TV is showing clips of various 50's programs. One of the clips shown is that of Walt Disney presenting the dedication of Disneyland from 1955. Then I remember that the day we arrived at Walt Disney World, Sunday, was the 56th birthday of Disneyland. This year is the 40th anniversary of Walt Disney World. Really amazing isn't!

Now time for business: what to eat? Our server, Richard, recommends the fired chicken. So I order that. My nephew will have the grilled chicken strips with macaroni topped with marina sauce and mozzarella cheese. Before my meal, I had the blue claw crab cake served in succotash with chili sauce and crispy onions. Yummy!!!

Here's my nephew's meal...

And here's my meal...

Since we are on the dining plan, we also get dessert with our meals. Here's my nephew's dessert...

And here's my dessert...I love cheese cake...!!!

After dinner, its time for more rides. We walk over to Star Tours to see how long the wait is. Its about 20 minutes. As we near the main entrance, we are stopped by a Cast Member. Why? Because Darth Vader needs to take his space shuttle back to his Death Star! OMG! I tried getting a pic, but as you can see below, I was a bit late.

As you can tell, we now LOVE Star Tours. I still can't help but love all the new enhancements to this attraction. We end up riding two more times.

After Star Tours, we see what we can ride next. We walk towards Toy Story Mania. We see that the line is way too long at 180 minutes. Then we head towards Walt Disney: One Man's Dream. I have not seen this in awhile and I think it would be a great history lesson for my nephew. This new, younger generation needs to be properly educated about Disney and his films.

We have about 15 minutes before the next film, so that gives us time to view some of the displays that cover Disney's life and history. I especially love the model displays of the various Disney Parks around the world. Here are some of the displays...

Now its time to see the attraction film. Its a great film. My nephew loves that fact that Disney was born in Chicago. I'm always fascinated by Disney's history. Every move he made lead to the Disney legacy we know today. After we see the film, we head back out to the park. Its now getting dark. So it must be time for Tower of Terror!!!

I love this attraction. I love the mix of The Twilight Zone and Disney. If you ever get a chance to ride this attraction, I highly suggest you ride at night time. The darkness outside makes things even scarier inside. I decide to film our reactions on this ride with my video camera using night-vision. Here is video of our ride:

As you can see, we had a 'scary' time on Tower of Terror. Now there is one last thing to do. Catch the second showing of Fantasmic!

I have to admit. With the summer crowds and the visiting Brazilians, I thought we might not get a chance to see this show. When we walked over by the entrance to Fantasmic!, the line was so long. I have never seen the line stretch all the way down Sunset Boulevard! We jumped in line and waited to see what happens. Slowly, the line began moving into the amphitheater. At one point, the crowd stopped moving. So here we are, in the midst of a huge crowd, on the pathway in complete darkness, wondering what is happening up ahead. Is the show sold out? Are they letting in people slowly? Did the show get cancelled for some reason? It turns out they were slowly letting people in. We finally get our seats in the second to last section on the right hand side of the stadium. There's plenty of seats, so I wonder why all the extra pre-cautions. But as it gets closer to 10:30pm, the stadium is packed with people. I don't I've ever seen it this packed. At around 10:35pm, the lights go out and the show begins. I really enjoy Fantasmic! I've seen both Disneyland and Disney World versions of this show. While I enjoy both versions of the show, I really appreciate that about 10,000 people can actually sit on a bench and watch this show comfortably at the Hollywood Studios.

Well after Fantasmic!, its safe to say we are very tired. Time to head back to the resort for a snack and then bedtime. The next day should be a more relaxed day. We are scheduled to visit the Magic Kingdom for the second time on this trip. Until the next trip report, have a Magical Day!

John