27.1 This Not That: Hollywood Studios (Magic Version)

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[00:00:30] Sehr gut, sehr gut, sehr gut. Sehr gut? Visumsteuer ist sehr gut. Das sagen ganz viele. Cool, wer sagt das? Stiftung Warentest, Computerbild, Focus Money, Chip, Finanztipp, such dir was aus. Mega, aber das ist doch bestimmt kompliziert. Nö. Einfach Foto von der Lohnsteuerbescheinigung machen und fertig. Klingt sehr gut. Ist sehr gut. Hol dir dein Geld zurück. Mit Visumsteuer. Hey there M&Ms, welcome to a magic version episode, where we revisit content that helped build this podcast.

[00:00:58] The conversations our listeners still reference. The advice you still message us about. And the moments that created the community we have today. This isn't a replay. This is a reimagining. The same heart with more experience and yes, still the same opinions. And as a magical reminder, if you hear any vintage terminology from our vintage channel, you hear them reference today, disregard, bring the new information with you. Enjoy the vintage content and learn as much as you can in today's episode.

[00:01:31] Hey there everyone. Welcome to another episode. I am your host Allie and I am here. That sounded like Hallie, didn't it? I'm Allie. I am here with Stacey. I'm here with Becky. And we're so excited because we're talking about, I mean, one of my favorite places to be. I know it's one of Becki's favorite places to be in Stacey. You too, right? You love Hollywood Studios. Oh yeah, absolutely. This is our, this park is our jam. This is such an underrated park. We are in the middle of our right way to do these parks series.

[00:02:00] And gosh, this is underrated just as a place to be in general. So we're going to make sure that we remind you all the right way to do Hollywood Studios so that you are having the best time you possibly can. And we can get this park, the flowers that it deserves. Oops. Uh, but as you record this, we are right in the middle of award season. We are right at the end of our big giveaway. And it just has me thinking a lot about just winning in general. Have y'all Stacey?

[00:02:28] I know I've talked a lot on the show about how I used to be this insanely competitive human. And I felt that really diminished inside me a lot just as I've gotten older and more tired. Um, Stacey, I know you've won a lot of really random things in your life. Random things. That's a good way. Yes. Donnie and I, uh, we used to play a lot of radio games. I feel like they're not even a thing so much anymore, but back in the day, young children, there were radio.

[00:02:57] That's a thing that's in your car and in your house. Sometimes it comes through the airwaves and you would put it on a channel and just like, leave it there all the time and you would listen to ads and they would do giveaways. And it would be like, Hey, if you call in now or whatever, and we played those a lot. And I won so much stuff. Um, I had a pair of diamond earrings. I wore forever and ever and ever that I won off the radio, uh, sofa. No, it wasn't a sofa.

[00:03:24] It was a recliner, recliner, um, new, a new set of tires, a trip to, okay. Hey, Bama fans, the citrus bowl where we played certain Buckeyes. It was, I think that's who it was. I'm pretty sure that's right. The citrus bowl down in Orlando. So we won a trip to Orlando, got flights, got, uh, we went to Disney world and the football game. And, and then the biggest thing we've won off the radio was a car. What?

[00:03:53] We won a car when my first baby was just weeks old and Donnie was still home with me. And a radio station in town was switching over from being a pop station to a country station. And when that switch went, they started playing 102 song country songs in a row. And at the end of that 102nd song, it was like, be the 102 caller and you win a Mercury

[00:04:21] cougar because it was cat country. Cat country was giving away a cougar and we didn't have a cell phone to call by. It was just the landline. He was on the phone and they said, you're the 102 caller. What's your name? And he said his name. And then the phone went dead and he was disconnected and he was upset. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. So he's calling back, calling back and thinking it's just going to still be busy. And thankfully he gets back through and thankfully he had said his name.

[00:04:50] If he had not said his name before it disconnected, we would not have won that car. But that is crazy. Yes. And I'm sure it was a person who had been answering a call, hanging it up, answering calls. Somebody in the studio was going answer, hang up, answer, hang up to go through all those 102 callers. And they probably accidentally cut him off. Oh my gosh. From that rhythm. Anyway, we won the car. It was so fun. So cool. And was this a, was this a new car? Brand new. Yeah. Oh yeah. Mercury Cougar.

[00:05:20] Oh my gosh. And what was, and we did have a brand new baby and the Cougar was a two door and we talked to them at the dealership when it was time to pick it up. And we traded in my car that I originally had plus the winning and actually ended up getting a four door Mercury Sable. Oh wow. So, um, yeah. So we didn't end up actually getting the car we won, but they made that deal with us. So it was great. Yeah. That's crazy. Wow. I've never, I haven't won anything on the radio, but my dad, he did his whole career

[00:05:48] was working for our local rock station here in Cincinnati where we're from. And they ran a radio contest kind of early, I think in his tenure there. And my mom called in and actually ended up winning. And she was so excited. She's like, Oh, I won. I won. Yeah, I won. And my mom is like really hilarious and just so excited about life and things. And she's so happy. She won this. Then of course she says who she is. And then she of course can't win.

[00:06:16] She's like, they're like, dude, you very much could not be the winner of this. Um, so her winnings ended up being taken away, but that, have you ever been lucky? No, like, no, I think, uh, the biggest thing I've ever won was a Backstreet Boys CD. Yeah. Which one please at least tell me it was millennium. It was millennium. And I won it when I was at a German fair.

[00:06:42] Like I took German when I was in middle school and every year they would go to a German fair where you have German food and practice speaking German, whatever. I won a Backstreet Boys CD. And that, that literally feels like the biggest thing I've ever won in my entire life, which is just sad. Oh, I don't know. I look at Stacy and like, you want a recliner? What a random thing. A set of tires. Nope. Good gracious. Yep. I know. I did win. I won two vacations this year. I don't know that that feels like that's winning, right?

[00:07:12] Is that like earning? What? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I won one through my dance studio. Oh, I want a cruise. Wait, that feels like your mom winning at the radio station though. A little bit. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. My dance studio performed at a high enough level at an event and they, the top earning studio won a cruise vacation and we're going to take it. Okay. Okay. Okay. Well, congratulations. You, yeah, I did not know of that. That's awesome. I think you did.

[00:07:41] Cause we're going on an adult cruise. I think I told you that. Just cause you're going on a cruise. Doesn't mean I know where it came from. That's fair. Cause you're always cruising. That is fair enough. I won this one and then I, I won another trip in the, in a picker wheel. Dang. That's cool. That's right. I do remember that. That's good. Yeah. I've won awards. I've won awards and like earned cool things. I went on a Disney cruise for, I guess, I don't know if I say that I won that or did I earn that. Yeah. Yeah. I feel like that that's an earned thing. We're down the rabbit hole now. Yes, we are.

[00:08:11] Well, I want to go win things. I want to go earn things. But today we're going to talk about Hollywood studios, which is fitting because Hollywood is in award show season and we're talking about Hollywood studios. And I seriously just not, I hope I know that by the end of this episode, if you're listening and you're on the fence about Hollywood studios, you're going to have your mind changed. Or if you love Hollywood studios, you're going to be like, ah, thank you girls for giving it its justice and making everybody understand why it's such a great park.

[00:08:38] And we're going to take a quick break and then we're going to jump into our this, not that Hollywood studios. This episode of moms behind the magic is brought to you by baby quip, babyquip.com. Use code magic to get $30 off of any order of $150 or more. Baby quip has grown. It's not just about babies anymore. Baby quip offers a huge range of baby and toddler gear, cribs, strollers, car seats, toys, and more. And now they're also renting your pet essentials and beach gear, which is such a game changer for family trips.

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[00:10:37] Let's talk a little bit about Hollywood Studios, what it is, and what are the highlights in this park. Becky, just give me a synopsis overview of this park. This park, some days it's my very favorite park. I say I jump between two parks as my favorite. Today, this is my favorite park. What I absolutely love about this park, and I know all three of us are passionate about this, is the amount of live performers and shows that exist in this park.

[00:11:05] So this is jump back to old school Hollywood. In fact, there are historical elements to production of TV shows, movies, et cetera, in this park. And so when I think about it from my childhood, it feels a little bit reminiscent of Universal Studios in Hollywood, not necessarily Universal Studios in Orlando. But it's a beautiful mixture of high thrill rides, a storytelling in rides, maybe the best storytelling in rides in all of Disney.

[00:11:33] Live production, Broadway quality, music, everything just kind of comes together, as well as some of the best IP that Disney owns lives inside of this park in lands. Yeah. Just like every park, you kind of have areas, lands, and with the addition in the next few years of Monstropolis, Monsters, Inc. area, I do believe that this park is about to just implode. Not implode. Not implode. Explode. Implode is bad. Implode is bad.

[00:12:04] Explode is great. You know what I think? I think I was thinking, I think I was thinking it's going to have an influx of people and it's going to explode. And I just immediately said implode. But you're right. It's going to just evolve in a way that I believe is going to make it even more popular, much more popular than I think it is now. So we're going to break this down by each area in a this, not that style of conversation as we have for the other parks that we've covered. And explain what we think you should be doing in these areas.

[00:12:33] We're going to talk about rides, food, shopping, snacks, really just a great overview. I'm excited. Let's start with the entrance of the park, right? We have Hollywood Boulevard. Becky, Stacy, who wants to take a shot here at Hollywood Boulevard? Talk to us. Talk us through this to start. Hollywood Boulevard is an interesting introduction into the park in comparison to some of the other ones.

[00:12:57] And we've talked about this before, how there's not a big grand thing at the end to see. Like there is a castle, like there is the big globe there. A globe. Spaceship Earth. Spaceship Earth. Yes. Oh, and the tree. Of course, we cannot forget in the tree. The entrance here is such a vibe. It is such a vibe with the palm trees. And there is the Chinese theater.

[00:13:21] The feel as you walk in is different than other parks, but this vibe, the music that you hear immediately upon walking in, sometimes you've got your characters there that are so fun lining the areas that when you're walking in, the vibe is instantly, I am in Hollywood. It has that Hollywood feel to it. And I think even when you're talking about the IP, when you list and think you've got Star Wars, you've got Pixar, you've got then with Tower of Terror, that's kind of your

[00:13:51] spooky stuff. It's such a mix of things. And yet it makes sense because it's Hollywood. You know, it's like turning a channel. Like, you know, I can watch this. I can watch this. I can watch this. And it's all so fun. And they're really up in the Mickey and Minnie game over there. And that makes it really fun. Kind of bringing in that. I think it was a time where it didn't feel the Disney vibe quite as instant as it does now. I feel like that's really becoming a thing. And Hollywood Boulevard is where all of that tone is set right there in the beginning. I like that you said it's setting the tone.

[00:14:21] And it really is like the front of the park is backlot and scene setting. And then the lands in the park are like you've actually stepped into these films, right? And that's, it's kind of the two vantage points that you're experiencing when you're in Hollywood studios. It's the setup that makes it make sense. Yeah, for sure. Becky, what about you? What do you think about Hollywood Boulevard? I feel like Hollywood Boulevard is the perfect representation of what actual Hollywood is, right?

[00:14:48] One of our highest exports as the United States is entertainment. And Hollywood is fundamentally where the heart of that entertainment world lives. So having been a California Disney person growing up, we would go to Disneyland and Universal Studios and we would go and wander down by the Chinese theater in Hollywood. We would go and walk the shops and eat in the little restaurants along. Like, so when I'm seeing Hollywood and Vine, I'm seeing all of these things that are kind of in that area. Of course, that's a little bit off.

[00:15:17] But that feels like Hollywood. It feels like it is walking down the street. I love that the names are reflective of actual Hollywood locations. It's setting the scenes perfectly. Stacey, I think that you captured that perfectly. It is leading up to each of these individual things. Allie, you said that in a way that I'm like, yes, you're stepping into these lands and you're kind of stepping into a movie. You're stepping into a set of each of these. I've never thought about it that way, but you are 100% right.

[00:15:46] Yeah, that's what makes me so excited for the Monsters, Inc. area. Anything that they're going to add there, it all just seamlessly glides in and it allows you to not only tell stories, but live in stories. And that's what people are missing about Hollywood Studios. One thing I want to point out, and Becky, you said this prior to recording, it doesn't have a lot of skippable things. A couple of areas, right? But mostly all of it is worthy and you can do all of it in a day.

[00:16:13] An underrated thing, in my opinion, on Hollywood Boulevard that you should take some time to do is spend time in that little walk of fame area or handprint area in front of the Chinese theater, which is a replica of what they have in real Hollywood. But they are real handprints. You know, these celebrities and these people, these film stars, they did actually give handprints for the Disney. It's not really a walk of fame, right? That's more the stars, just the handprint area. The handprints. Yeah.

[00:16:41] And I mean, if you haven't had your little one go put their hands in Shirley Temples, you know, you might be doing this wrong. You should have pictures. You should look around and find people from movies and shows and film and TV that you love or have loved or have meant something in your life. And you should be taking the time to get those pictures and see those because it is a unique thing that's easy to walk by. Do you all do that or have you done it? We do it every time. And it's usually when we're heading to Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway because that's

[00:17:09] really the heavy hitter of this space is at the end of the street. That is what you're walking towards. The Chinese theater is where Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway is housed. And of course, on your way there, you're walking past a Starbucks that's very well disguised. I don't know that everybody realizes that that Starbucks is there. You're walking past some really great shopping opportunities, but don't stop and do those when you're walking in the park, please. Get into the adventure by just getting the vibe of this Hollywood Boulevard and get yourself into one of these areas.

[00:17:40] Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway is where the Disney story starts. I almost even love the poetic piece of walking in here and that being the first thing that we're stepping into if this is where you're starting here. But either way, whether you're starting there or not, having Mickey and Minnie's be the front of what we're walking into is just kind of poetic for Disney. Okay, so here's my this not that take for Hollywood Boulevard and tell me if y'all agree. Unless you're rope dropping Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway or have an early lightning

[00:18:08] lane time for it, like right when you enter the park, unless that is true, then Hollywood Boulevard should not be the first area that you spend time in in Hollywood Studios. It should be a later in the day shopping on a break, shopping when it's close to the end of your day. Definitely shopping. I've talked a lot on this show about how I love those shops. Eating at the Hollywood Brown Derby later in the day when you can enjoy that flight that they have that's so good or a glass of wine out in the terrace area where you can just observe and watch and take in.

[00:18:37] Hollywood Boulevard better towards the later part of the day. Completely agree. And in fact, Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway is going to get a long line fairly quickly. And in the afternoon, that line tends to reduce quite a bit. Yeah. Okay. So that's Hollywood Boulevard has a lot of magic, has a lot of vibe setting, a lot of tone setting. Enjoy it when you walk in, experience it later. All right. Animation Courtyard. Is this the worst area in any Disney park across the world? Wow.

[00:19:06] Well, that's some harsh feelings right there. I know. I know. I got to call it like it is. Why don't you speak first? Yeah. Tell us how you really feel. Truly though. Is it? Because I thought for sure this was going to be where Munchdopolis was going to go. Like no question in my mind. Of course, it's not where it's going to go. Animation Courtyard is kind of up off of Hollywood Boulevard. You veer right and you go under the Hollywood Studios sign that's very old and cool.

[00:19:34] And you have an empty courtyard ghost town. That's changing. That is changing. Yeah. But it is a little weird right now. But I'm excited about what's coming back there. Isn't it Alice in Wonderland? Am I dreaming? I think you're dreaming. Oh, are you talking about the playground you're going to put in? All of that's in there. I think that is. Yes. And that's actually, I think Mary Blair, is that her name? One of the very original Imagineers has inspired what they're going to put in. I actually just read about that, Stacey.

[00:20:04] I hadn't connected that it was Alice in Wonderland, but I think you're right. Yeah. Okay. Thank you for, sometimes my dreams are very real and I thought I had totally. There will be a new indoor playground called Drawn to Wonderland inspired by Alice in Wonderland as part of the Magic of Disney. Yeah. Cool. Okay. That would be cool when it happens. Yes. Okay. Goodness gracious. Y'all made me totally. You were looking at me as if I had totally fallen out of a tree and look at that. I remembered something properly.

[00:20:30] Well, I, people that remember MGM back in the day, former Hollywood studios will remember the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Playland. I believe we've even talked about it on the show. That was one of the coolest things that Disney had at that time. And when people went, people that went to Disney in the nineties fondly remember that for sure. Having something anywhere remotely close, that would be cool. Even at Disneyland, my family just went, I've talked about it. They have that Pixie Hollow area. It's honestly not that great.

[00:20:58] Like there's not a lot going on back there, but it is great enough that we spent significant time and my kids absolutely loved it. I don't think it's going to take much to do something worthy and cool to spruce that area up back there because right now it really is ghost town. It's Star Wars characters kind of out of their element. And that's changing. See, that's all coming out. That's where all the playground stuff is going to be. So we have good things coming. And other than that, Disney junior stuff also changing out. We're so excited that mermaid show is back.

[00:21:28] The little mermaid show is right there. And I do like, she has a nice marquee. So that helps it not be quite so dead looking. And have y'all seen the new version of it yet? Because so good. Amazing. Stacy, I didn't know you were such an animation courtyard fan. Neither did I. See, here's what happened. Just like the barnstormer. You and I have been to Hollywood Studios many times together. And I can't recall one where we spent extended time in the animation courtyard. No, no, no.

[00:21:58] I think it's when y'all come after something. And I'm like, that is unfair. That is not a fair criticism. I'm going to stand up for the little guy. I'm going to stand up for the little barnstormers. I'm going to stand up for the little animation courtyard. Next time we're at Hollywood Studios, when we're walking through, I'm just going to be like, all of us are heading this way. But Stace, I know you need your time over here in the animation courtyard. So we'll meet up later. You can go. Well, listen, though. I'm going to go to animation courtyard for the little mermaid show. I'm absolutely going to do that. And I cannot wait.

[00:22:26] I cannot wait for the magic of Disney animation. I don't know fully what it's going to be, but please replace that Star Wars launching pad area. Like that is so out of space. But if it is anything like the Animation Academy area of California Adventure, either of you gone in there and they have these larger than life, like moving posters that is playing Disney soundtracks. It is Disney perfection. If we could have that in Hollywood Studios, it would be amazing. And they're using some of that film that came out, what, last year maybe?

[00:22:55] That was that conglomeration of all the different characters in the Disney studio. I forget what it was called, but it was pretty viral on the internet. Do you know what I'm talking about? They've been using that as kind of marketing towards this new animation area. And it is tear factory. You know, like I loved it. Even though I don't remember the name of it. If that is going to be their inspiration for any of this area, we're going to have a spot that even Allie is going to like. You know what else is also there is meeting the live action Little Mermaid.

[00:23:25] Yes. Is something you can do there. And if you aren't like I'm seeking all of the rides person, that little museum that's down in the Walt Theater kind of walkthrough is really cool Disney history. It's a great way to get out of the rain. It's a great way to get out of the heat. And sometimes you can even get a sneak peek of what's Disney's next movie coming out. So it's like another like hidden gem. I wouldn't seek it out. Like I have to go do that. But if you're in the area, I think it could be a good space for certain people.

[00:23:54] I think so too. I still think this area is getting its much needed upgrade because right now it's zero on the list. It's lowest on the list. But I agree that it's going to be great with its upgrades. And if we're looking at it from a do this, not that, spend your time here, not there vantage point, you're going to go to Animation Courtyard no matter what, because you're going to walk by it to get to Toy Story Land more than likely. And when you are in that area, you should absolutely be doing The Little Mermaid show. Absolutely. No questions asked.

[00:24:22] It is a banger of a show. It is one of the best that Disney has to offer. And it should not be skipped. I know a lot of people fall down this rabbit hole of Disney is about rides. And I think that's why Hollywood Studios gets a little overlooked because it doesn't have really that many attractions if you compare it to Magic Kingdom, let's say. And especially for little ones. But that's because it's all about storytelling and shows. And if you think your kids aren't going to like shows, you're very wrong here.

[00:24:50] They are going to be immersed and happy and loving it so much. So I am all about seeing Little Mermaid in Animation Courtyard. And for now, that's really all you need to prioritize. Yeah, for sure. Do not skip The Little Mermaid show. I do think, though, that it is worth calling out now, kind of towards the top of this show, how important it is in this park. If going to see the shows is going to happen, you have to get there early because these shows do not run clear until park closing.

[00:25:17] Some of them stop at like 5 p.m. some days. So be very aware of that. You have to use your planning tools in your app to check show times and know when you need to be in specific areas. And even as experts, sometimes that can be really complicated to think, OK, we need to be in this area by this time to catch this show. So it does take next level strategy, I think, to make sure you get it all in. But you can. Yeah, you absolutely can. And also, though, inside of Hollywood Studios with the evolution of The Little Mermaid show

[00:25:45] is if you're just if you're not doing lightning lanes, just get in line. The line's going to look long. If it's out into the courtyard, you're probably not getting into the next show because it is a very small theater. All right. OK, go. What? I did look up the name of that film that they're using as a little bit of a springboard, I believe. It's called Once Upon a Studio. It's from 2023. And it is worthy of checking out. If you haven't seen that, it will make you cry.

[00:26:10] If they're I'm going back to say that if they're focusing on that in this area, we're going to win. Well, I want you to win. I don't want to stand on this. Like, I I don't want to stand on the side. The animation courtyard stays like not a place to explore forever. I want you to win. And when you do, I'll give you your trophy or whatever. I was meaning like we in general, we are all going to win. I did not mean a little competitive brain who jumped to that immediately.

[00:26:36] We all need to be hitching our wagon to Stacey because she is the winner of winners, apparently. Yeah. Only if it requires luck and not skill. Then I'm there. I'm your girl. You're so lying. I am in a way. I can't be the next person to start the conversation about the next area. Oh, well, it's because. I really love Hollywood Studios and I don't want to give off the wrong impression. So I need somebody else to start this conversation. This is probably true. Becky, why don't you pick it up? Yeah. Pixar Place is a character meet and greet area.

[00:27:06] That's literally what it is. It's such a missed opportunity for what could be. And I hope that this continues to evolve. It's kind of the gateway, although not even the gateway to Toy Story because you actually have to leave the pathway to get into Pixar Place. It is a hidden gem. Think of it as a space to just meet Pixar characters. And honestly, the lines for these characters are non-existent. You can meet the Incredibles. Most of them. Mrs. Incredible, Mr. Incredible.

[00:27:36] Frozone's often in there. You can also meet Joy. I think I've seen Sadness, but I don't know that she's there all the time. And I think even some Monsters, Inc. interactions can happen there sometimes. And there is a dedicated space to Edna Mode that is really, really cool. And as a mom to a child who loves costuming, going through that line to meet Edna Mode was a really, really cool thing. She's funny. Yeah. I'm glad you started. See, this is why I needed you to start.

[00:28:03] I was just immediately comparing it to Pixar Pier, and that's not what it's supposed to be. It's not what it's supposed to be at all. And I'm glad you said that because it put me in a better headspace. I have talked. I drafted when we did our Hollywood Studios draft. I drafted the meet and greet with Sully. I think it's not only best character meet and greet in Hollywood Studios. I think it might be the best one across any of the parks. He is so impressive.

[00:28:26] I know I have a personal core memory tied to his meet and greet, but somebody posted in our Facebook group, too. They're meeting Sully and how much they loved it and how impressive he was. And he really, really is. So you're right. Meeting characters is as much a part of Disney as anything else. And these are some of the best characters to meet. I'm glad that they're here. I'm glad they sort of found an identity for Pixar within Hollywood Studios. And sadness is my girl.

[00:28:52] And honestly, though, most of these characters, multiple times I've been in this area and just had them walk up to me. There are not massive lines to meet most of these characters. It's really, truly just kind of like an interactive space with characters existing. I wish that there was more of that throughout Disney World. I agree. I like it. Have you met characters in the alley? Because if I'm being really honest, I met Sully elsewhere. Now, I believe he's back there, but he used to be inside.

[00:29:18] I have met Frozone out in the Hollywood Boulevard area. But I believe now he's back there as well. So have you taken the time to meet people back there? Yes. We've met Mr. and Mrs. Incredible. We've met, like I said, Edna Mode was worth the wait. Although I wouldn't wait more than 10 minutes to meet her. Come back later and it will be shorter. Yeah. But she has a really great dedicated space. Yeah. I have met Joy in there as well. And there's often in like after hours at Hollywood Studios, Jollywood Nights, for example,

[00:29:45] they do dance parties in this area and it's a really, really good vibe. Yeah. Look at this as not a skip over place and you have to actually seek it out. I think it's a really easy, we're running to Toy Story Land. Oh, there's characters. We'll hit it later. Seek this out. This is like Becky said, the museum in animation courtyard is cool, but it's maybe not a seek it out thing. This really is. It's kind of out of the way, but not really out of the way. It's on your way. You just have to make an intentional choice to walk there and you're going to knock them all out.

[00:30:15] And it's really cool. It's really fun. So it's interesting that y'all say it's out of the way. And I guess that it kind of is, even though it is the straightaway, right? When you're coming from Mermaid, it is in the straightaway. Yeah. But Toy Story Land is such a draw, which is, I know what we're talking about next to the right. And so it turns your eye, it turns everything towards that way. People are ready to go ride things back there. Frozone has been the one I feel like is out in the walkway the most, trying to grab people's attention that, hey, we're over here.

[00:30:44] And I always feel so bad for him when it's so blazing hot. Cause you know, people are just like, come on, man, make it cold, make it cold, prozone. And he's like, you know, can't do anything. So I'm always wondering about that. Like, why don't they put him inside in the air conditioning and put somebody else out? You know, I think that that space is easy to walk by because you're going to hear Jesse hollering at you from the roller coaster right at that area. Right. Yes. Just prioritize popping in and seeing some characters here. But truly you could make this like a 15 minute part of your day.

[00:31:14] It does not need to be any big bulk, but let your kids see the characters that they have connected in the movies they've watched. Yeah. I agree. It is so fun. Yeah. That's going to be a good segue then to Jesse calling us on over to Toy Story Land. And pretty much everything in Toy Story Land is a must do. No, you don't think so? No. The swirling saucers are not bad. Allie, they are a carnival ride. You could go on that ride anywhere. You know what? I get sick now. I probably, it's been a few years since I rode the saucers.

[00:31:42] I actually don't know if my stomach could still handle it. But when I rode them, it was because my little ones wanted to. And I was like, oh, this is a carnival ride. This is silly. This is just like the teacups. But it's not. It's more like a scrambler. Like, is that a, if I say scrambler, is that a ride, you know? Yes. Yes. At a carnival. Yes. I'm not saying it's not fun. We have a scrambler. We have a scrambler at our amusement park and we all love it here in Cincinnati.

[00:32:09] And it's more of that vibe where it's propelling you from side to side, but it also goes in multiple rooms and it slingshots you. I actually think it's really fun. No. Do not waste. If the line is 10 minutes or less, by all means, go ride Alien Swirling Saucers. But what you should not be missing in Toy Story Land is Slinky Dog Dash and Toy Story Mania. Yeah. That's hard stop. That's what you should be doing. Those are two of the best rides on Disney property. Slinky Dog is in the conversation for being the best little kid coaster.

[00:32:38] What else is even in the conversation? Just way better than Barnstormer. Barnstormer is not in the conversation. So it's this or it's Seven Dwarfs. This is better than Seven Dwarfs. Oh, way better than Seven Dwarfs. I think so too. I think so too. So this is in the conversation or arguably wins when it comes to best little kid coaster. It's worth the wait. It's fantastic. You should be trying to get a lightning lane for this or rope dropping it, honestly, because the wait, while worth it, is going to be long pretty much all day.

[00:33:05] And then Toy Story Mania is, in my opinion, one of the greatest non-height required rides. Do either of you off the top of your head remember where it ranked? We ranked every non-height requirement ride at Disney World and it had to be top, definitely top five, right? Oh, I'm sure. I don't remember where it ranked. That's definitely a good callback that people should go listen to that episode because especially if you have littles or timid riders who aren't wanting to ride the big thrills, that's a really, really good episode to tune into. But y'all, can you believe that Toy Story is 30 years old? No, it's not.

[00:33:36] Oh, Toy Story the movie. I thought you meant the ride, first of all. But yes. Okay. First of all. Yes. Because that makes me really old. But second of all, okay. I'm glad that it was not that you were saying Toy Story Mania. I was like, there's no way Toy Story Mania is 30 years old. Okay. I just put up my notes and I don't think this is a spoiler because I don't know if this is right. Do you want me to say or should I make Smarties go listen? I think I have the order that it landed in. Yeah, that's fine. I think it was third behind two. That seems about right.

[00:34:06] You think so? Yeah. Top three. You know what was ahead of it, I think? I don't know, but it should be the people mover. No, I don't even think that makes a list. No, because we didn't do. Because we didn't move. We did Magic Kingdom on a set. We did Magic Kingdom on a set. Oh, you're right. You're right. You're right. You're right. Magic Kingdom was separate. Yeah, it was separate. Okay. So anyway, go back and listen to that. It's in the conversation for being in the top three. I believe we placed it there when we were ranking. It's just so much fun. This is how rides that are games are done well.

[00:34:34] And it is just, I've never ridden it and not died laughing. It's so fun. So fun. If I had to say this, not that, I would definitely be saying do Toy Story Mania, do Slinky Dog Dash and skip the Alien Swirling Saucers. But if you have time to do it all, it's worth it. And then we would be in deep trouble if we didn't give a shout out to Woody's Lunchbox. I don't know that Roundup Rodeo is the must-do dining in Hollywood Studios. I'm actually disappointed that it's not a Toy Story meet and greet meal.

[00:35:03] I kind of feel like that may be a missed opportunity. But I think that the thinking is probably that Woody spends so much time meeting people outside of the restaurant. He couldn't possibly also spend time inside the restaurant. But maybe they could have been creative and had some, like maybe Bo Peep is in there or something. Yeah. I actually think that Roundup Rodeo is one of the better options. It is kind of pricey, but I think that there's some Disney magic in that restaurant that other restaurants are missing the boat on in this space. Yeah. Which we have an episode about that too.

[00:35:33] Yeah. Yeah. In that episode, I was very much a very big fan of Roundup Rodeo. Still am. It's a great place. I think the reason it's not a character meet and greet is because it's tight. They put a lot of people in there and I don't think there's room for characters to walk around in there. Yeah. So that's just my observation. If they're going to be eating in Toy Story Land, are they going to Roundup Rodeo or are they going to Woody's Lunchbox? I would actually choose Roundup Rodeo over Woody's Lunchbox. Although I think Woody's Lunchbox is great.

[00:36:03] Everybody will probably find something that they like. Although the menu is pretty simple, so maybe not. Well, and the tough part on this is if you're going to do a sit down restaurant at Hollywood Studios, I believe it needs to be a Fantasmic Dining Package and it is not an option there at the Roundup Rodeo. So that's the hard part. I really think that's such a great way to use your dining. You're only eating once in Toy Story Land. I'd probably go with Woody's Lunchbox personally for the grown-up lemonade, the tachos, easy

[00:36:31] quick meal on the go. Easy quick meal. But if you have a diehard Toy Story lover in your life, you're going to get a lot more Toy Story vibes in Roundup Rodeo than you are at Woody's Lunchbox. Yeah, 100%. Although I'm excited that they're expanding. They're expanding the seating area. No, they expanded the seating area and it is still tiny. Is it? And it's still very much, it's still very much feels like you're in a lunchroom trying to find a place to sit at one of the tables. Like, I don't know, you're sitting on like little baby bells for your seats.

[00:37:01] It's really cute. Baby bell cheese seats are cute. Yeah. My kids love baby bell cheese. Still pretty tight over there. Yeah, it's tight. I was hopeful. I do think it's better. I will acknowledge that it is better, but still did not fix it completely. Yeah, I agree. Okay. Toy Story Land. Do it all if you can. Eat at one of the restaurants quick or sit down. Ride Alien and Swirling Saucers if you can, but absolutely do not miss. The characters don't miss. Slinky Dog don't miss. Toy Story Mania. And try to see the Army Drum Corps.

[00:37:31] That's a really great little nugget of entertainment that's walking through there. Absolutely. Okay. If Animation Courtyard is among the worst, is Star Wars Galaxy's Edge the very best? Yes. I think there's no question. Yeah. No question? Yes. No question even if I say this or Pandora? Oh. Well, I was thinking. I'm talking all of Disney World. Okay. That's a tough one then. In Hollywood Studios, it's absolutely.

[00:38:01] But is it the best in all of Disney World? Because it might be. It might be. I think it's bigger than Pandora. Is it? Land-wise? I feel like you take a long time to work through. Yeah, I think so. I mean, I certainly don't know numbers. Galaxy's Edge is massive. I think the reason I have any hesitation at all is because, one, I've never been a huge Star Wars fan. So I don't have the instant like, oh my gosh, I can't believe I'm in the movie. But it does feel that way, that you are, oh my gosh, in the movie.

[00:38:29] Also, it is a very hot desert field. So it's not as, whereas at Pandora is waterfalls and flowers and vegetation that makes me feel maybe a little cooler. I don't know. Maybe. I think that's somehow inside of me that makes me not just go, oh my gosh, yes, it's the best one. Okay. I have two questions for you then. Okay. For Smarties listening. Galaxy's Edge. If you're not a Star Wars fan, should you still be spending time in here? Should you still prioritize doing it?

[00:38:59] Or will it fall into, we don't have appreciation for this? You should absolutely still. No, absolutely. Smuggler's Run is a fantastic ride. Yes, if you have motion sickness, it can be a little uneasy for those riders. But you should not be skipping Rise of the Resistance. It was a game changer in rides. At this point, there's other rides that have kind of used that same technology and even maybe taken it one step further, but completely worth it. And then there are also characters wandering around.

[00:39:28] There are dining options here. There is a bar option here at Oga's. So this, this is my next question then. I don't mean to cut you off, but my next question, you finish what you're saying. Is Galaxy's Edge a do-it-all area? Is anything skippable? I don't think it is. I think that assuming you have no restrictions in terms of motion sickness, you should be doing it. Even for the littles. If you have littles who have to find things to do while others are riding on the rides, I feel like Galaxy's Edge provides to that. There's enough visually going on.

[00:39:57] There's enough characters going and seeing Darth Vader over by his stage area where they sometimes do that show. And then in the Play Disney app, I know I keep bringing this up, y'all, but in the Play Disney app, there is something called Datapad Games, and you can interact with the Play Disney app throughout Galaxy's Edge. There is so much happening in this space. And honestly, I have historically said that I think Pandora is the best, but thinking through this on what's included here, I actually think this might be it. Galaxy's Edge has to be the best.

[00:40:27] And I agree with you. It's a do-it-all area, and that's rare. So Smuggler's Run, I have said on this show many times that it was not for me, that it made me sick, that it was skippable. Disneyland has an exact replica. They are the same. World and Land, Galaxy's Edge, they are exactly the same. Layout offerings, the whole deal. It's copy-paste. We rode Smuggler's Run for the first time in a few years. It's been a bit since we rode it.

[00:40:54] Honestly, one of my best memories from the trip, which just goes to show you that even if you have an opinion on something at Disney, I'm extremely opinionated, obviously. A different day, a different experience, another try, and it can be completely different. Smuggler's Run, we were scream laughing. I mean, just crying, laughing so hard with, I think the secret sauce here is if you have little ones too, who are trying to fly your ship or trying to be the gunman, you know, all that.

[00:41:22] Like, it's pretty hysterical when you have little ones, especially as the pilot. The videos are very funny. Obviously, we were videoing our kiddos trying to fly the ship. So I don't think, unless like you said, Becky, you have a restriction for motion because it is a motion sickness heavy ride. But the other Star Wars attraction in another area that we haven't talked about yet, that one is a stay away for me. And this one really isn't. This one isn't quite as bad. You know, they're doing a really good evolution though on Smuggler's Run because they're updating

[00:41:50] the role that the engineer plays. Because right now, the engineer was very much like a, oh, grandma can sit in the engineer spot because she's not going to really contribute. They're adding that. And they also, I feel like on a pretty regular basis, they reevaluate, should we update the story on this? Disney does a really, really good job with these rides in particular, but even not just little kids. I have teenagers at this point and even heading into like young adults. And we still hysterically die laughing when we are doing it because trying to drive that

[00:42:19] thing and be productive is like trying to drive an Autopia or a Smarterland Speedway car. Like they're just not meant to be smooth. So it's meant to be like an experience. And our teenagers still, like we get off and we're high-fiving about how many collections of the cans we've got. It's just a vibe. It's so fun. Do not skip it. No. And then. Where y'all die laughing, I do die because of the motion sickness. And they put me as a pilot one time and I was like, what is happening here?

[00:42:46] And because I didn't know very first time riding it, I did not know what was going on. They put me as a pilot and I was instantly sick. And so therefore I cannot even look at where we're going and I cannot drive the ship. It is a total disaster the entire time. I want people to understand that if you're sensitive motion-wise, you should be careful. Otherwise, it really is fun. Rise of the Resistance, obviously it's a must-do, one of the top rides at any park. Oga's Cantina, don't skip it. Even if you don't drink alcohol, they have fun mocktails.

[00:43:16] And honestly, just the environment of being there, it makes it one of my favorite lounges in all of Disney World. And notice we keep saying, that's one of the best rides at Disney World. This is the best land at Disney World. This is the most immersive land at Disney World. Oga's is the best lounge at Disney World. So much of this area of this park is the best that Disney has to offer. Yep. Except for those snacks at Oga's. Those are still bad. Yeah. And green and blue milk is not for me. Still not for me. Oh yeah, we've tried the milk and it just makes us sick every time.

[00:43:45] The character interactions here are immersive. They make you part of the story. They recruit you to the force and to the resistance. And it's just all very fun. Pro tip here for anybody using the quick service dining plan or the Disney dining plan and you're looking to use one of your quick service credits. We were on a trip together and I just wanted to best the system. We talked about this in the dining episode. And so I was seeking out what's the most expensive quick service meal I can possibly find at Hollywood Studios to use my quick service credit. We were starving. It was raining.

[00:44:15] It was actually kind of miserable. We were cold and wet and starving. And I was like, I just want to get my bang for my buck. The meals that we got at Docking Bay were among the most expensive you can get and a great way to use quick service credits. They go a long way. The food is really good. You can get some healthier options, but then you can also get mac and cheese if you're cold and wet like we were and it's great comfort food. So I, again, this is just another reason nothing is skippable. And then droids, sabers, the best souvenirs you can bring home.

[00:44:44] And even if you're not building a full on couple hundred dollar saber, the droids, like Allie said, but also you can build little or little sabers that you don't have to spend all of the money. Like let your littles experience that in a way as well. Probably some of the best souvenirs on all the property. Oh, and I got a really cool popcorn bucket there that was, I don't know, what's the Death Star? Oh, yeah, I've seen that one. And then the Millennium Falcon one, the Millennium Falcon one is also there all the time. It is. And I have a Stormtrooper helmet. That's very cool. Yeah. Can't skip this area.

[00:45:13] Yeah, this is the one. Yeah. And they have, I know he's, his name is Grogu, but Baby Yoda. We always still call him Baby Yoda. Gosh, that is such a cute little meet and greet area as well. So it is a fun area. I agree. Yep. All right. Do it all. Don't skip anything. Spend time there. Shop in the Black Spire. Go to Oga's, even if you're not a drinker, or if you are a drinker, the cocktails are great. Get a Fuzzy Tauntaun. My kids love the kiddo drinks there. They just love them so much. Do it all. Ride, eat, experience.

[00:45:43] Build, do it all. Okay. Let's keep walking through. That's going to take us to Commissary Lane, Grand Avenue. Kind of just a dining area. Yeah. This is the dead space. Like when you said, is this the worst spot in the park for animation courtyard? No. Commissary Lane and Grand Avenue is just kind of a passer space or you're grabbing food. I really don't even look at this area as a section of the park. This is just a street to get you to the next place. But isn't this where Mickey and Minnie are?

[00:46:12] Wouldn't you say that they're in this area? Because they're right across the street. No, they're definitely in Hollywood Boulevard. Mickey and Minnie's as qualified as Hollywood Boulevard. Tap House is a really unique space. Yes. Think about if you're the type of person that loves a craft beer and you love to hang out like at a brewery in your town or something. Baseline Tap House is a cool place to just hang. There's outdoor seating where you can be watching people go by.

[00:46:39] They have a giant pretzel that's really delicious and a great charcuterie board. We have been known to get those things. My kids are happy just chilling there. So I think that and Stacey, I know you'll disagree with me because the ABC commissary is there and that is your preference. But I think the best thing about this little area is the Baseline Tap House. It's a really unique, cool spot. Is it priority in your day at Hollywood Studios? No. But if this is the type of person you are and the type of hangout you like, it's a great, fun option. Tap House is amazing.

[00:47:09] Even if you're just grabbing a drink while you're walking through this, like you're transitioning out of Galaxy's Edge and heading towards another ride or attraction. There's this place called Ice Cold Hydraulics that has some really unique flavors. Really a really good diversity that you're not going to find in other spaces. And then there's also the Sci-Fi Dine-In, which we have a love-hate relationship with on this podcast. Mostly just the dining. You can also, in this area, meet Mickey and Minnie. There's a walkthrough. That's what I was just saying.

[00:47:38] I was like, Mickey and Minnie are right there. Not Minnie, you're bad. Oh, I thought you meant Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway. I was like, wait a minute. I know I'm not losing my mind again. I thought you meant Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway. No, the characters, they're right there. I'm like, they bring something to that area. See, once again, I'm having to stand up for this. Y'all are trying to bash it. And I'm like, but Mickey and Minnie. And you're like, nope, they're not there. Wait, yes, they are. I have another question for y'all then. Okay.

[00:48:07] Mickey and Minnie are in every park. Yes. Do you meet them in every park? No. No. Is this where you meet them? Yes. It's Sorcerer or Mickey. Actually, no for me. I'm just asking. I'm not judging. I'm just asking. Yeah. For me, it's Sorcerer or Mickey. I usually don't hear just because of what we've mentioned before, how much there is to do in this park and shows and things like that. I actually end up not doing characters here that I can do somewhere else because there's so many unique ones. I want to hit the unique ones.

[00:48:36] But in argument for Becky, he is in his Sorcerer Mickey outfit, which is pretty unique. So it's the best. I meet Mickey and Minnie at character meals. Yes, exactly. Pretty much exclusively, honestly. So I don't take the time to meet them in the parks. I honestly don't know if I've ever. No, that's not true. I did meet Minnie and her Holly. Maybe that was Daisy. I don't know. I mostly meet them at meals. Yeah. If you're not meeting them at a character meal, meal, meal. I can't say it. Sorry, guys.

[00:49:07] We gave up on you. If you're not meeting them at a meal, then for me, this is where I'm choosing because I love Sorcerer Mickey because of my draw to Fantasmic, which we know is coming up in our conversation as well. So meet Mickey and Minnie if you want. Otherwise, it's kind of a pass or through. That brings us to one of the other great areas, Echo Lake. Rides, shows, dining. This is a great area. Echo Lake is really fun. It has Gertie the Dinosaur, right?

[00:49:35] Big staple of Hollywood studios. And it has two of the best shows. One of the best shows and another great show. That's fair. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Indiana Jones and the Frozen Singalong. It also has star tours and great dining options. Okay. How do we want to dissect this first? If we're only, if we're doing it this, not that style and we're looking at shows, what's the obvious answer here? Frozen. Frozen.

[00:50:05] Only number one answer option. Don't tell India said that. Yeah. It's definitely Frozen. But that said, again, we don't really think anything is skippable here. So if you're looking at it from a do this, not that, it's Frozen, not Indiana. But if you can do both, you absolutely should because the stunt spectacular, also very fun. Yep. I think star tours is the most skippable ride ever. I used to love it when I was younger. That was just my favorite. My family knew like Allie had to get on star tours. Now it's not good.

[00:50:36] When was the last time you wrote it? Maybe you need to try it again. No, I thought that too. I wrote it with my dance studio when we all went on that trip that I talk about all the time here on the show. We all went on it. And I think I've, I think I've told this story too. At the end, we were all just sitting there and we just looked at each other like, do we have to go home now? We were not, we were not good. It took us a really long time to recover. Not good. I actually did that too. Not too many years ago. It was, it's been in the last just a couple of years. I gave it another try.

[00:51:05] I was like, you know, I've got my Dramamine going strong right now. Maybe this is a good time to give it a try and agree. It was still pretty rough, which is a shame because historically, you know, if you watch some of these behind the scenes, Disney history kind of thing, the story of this ride is very interesting and fascinating. It was very kind of groundbreaking for the way rides are done with some of the hydraulic systems and blah, blah, blah. It's a nauseating experience. It's tough. It is.

[00:51:32] And I really dislike that it's not in Galaxy's Edge. How much space was there really between those that they couldn't just like shift? I don't know. Here I feel like I need to defend this place again. You know, I just know. You don't need to defend it. It's because of its original location. Yeah. I mean, I get it. Why? Just can see where it didn't fit in the Galaxy's Edge, but I am really curious. Something they could move. Right. I think they could move it. I'm so curious when Katie is going to hit the age that her stomach no longer cooperates.

[00:52:01] She is the youngest out of all of us. She's not much younger than me, but she is younger than me. And it happens fast where all of a sudden there is a switch. It is. Yeah. I am curious on her evolution and is there going to be a time in the next two years, let's say, where all of a sudden Katie says, you guys, I get it. I can't ride this anymore because that's what happens. You know, you don't think it'll happen to you. And then it does. 50s Primetime Cafe, a staple and my favorite sit-down dining experience.

[00:52:28] And you can get it with the Fantasmic Dining Package. Honestly, I've said this before. I'll say it every time. Food is just okay to me. Just okay. Definitely not the best fried chicken you're going to have. Definitely not the best vegetables you're going to have. But a great experience overall. And they have that TuneIn Lounge, which is a little hidden gem also if you're looking for those types of things. So I love this option as a place to eat in Hollywood Studios. Anna, this, not that.

[00:52:56] I would 100% choose 50s Primetime over Hollywood and Vine time and time again unless doing a character meal would be high on your list. But even that, like I ate there a couple months ago when Katie and I went to do the show, show dedicated day. And it's just not it. There's a lot better character meal options than Hollywood and Vine in my opinion. And that's changing soon. In fact, by the time this is out, I think it will be, it may be done. That we're not going to have the Disney character breakfast anymore.

[00:53:24] It will be Minnie and Friends throughout the entire day. The Disney Junior, right? Yeah. Yeah. Disney Junior is going away. Kind of sad, but also needed. We've talked about how they just can't keep up with that. So probably for the best. And it's like a little costume. Minnie and Friends, they're always changing. They follow the seasons. So I like that a lot. Yeah, that's cute. Okay. Last area. Sunset Boulevard. This is, I think I've said this. If Galaxy's Edge is the best that Disney has to offer, this is my favorite that Disney has to offer.

[00:53:53] I could not love Sunset Boulevard more. I could not agree with you more on how amazing this area is. It's my favorite space as well. You should not be skipping Sunset Boulevard. And if you can be on Sunset Boulevard around sunset time, it is pure magic.

[00:54:10] The lights turning on, having Hollywood Tower of Terror in the distance, knowing that you're walking up to the villain show, that you're having Rock and Roller Coaster, whether it be in its current iteration or making the shift to its new in the coming years. Beauty and the Beast, of course, definitely not worth skipping, but Fantasmic is here. And that is my Disney why you cannot skip it. Sunset Boulevard is everything. I can't wait for the Rock and Roller Coaster change. Tower of Terror is the best ride at Disney.

[00:54:39] You guys, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is such a phenomenal experience. How did they do that in the 90s, right? It is so unbelievable. It is such an accomplishment. That pre-show still gives me chills. I still get antsy. I still get excited. The ride itself is long. It is fun. It is thrilling. It is starting to make me sick. I refuse to stop riding it. Oh, no. I refuse to stop riding it. Oh, no.

[00:55:06] I'm finding ways to hold my breath and do deep exhales. You know? Oh, goodness. Because I refuse to stop riding that ride. I would rather throw up than stop riding the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. You guys, this is where it's at for me. Plus just the vibes of Sunset Boulevard. We love to get quick service at the Rosie's Cafe and the pizza place. It's all very good. And the mimosas in the morning, of course, very good. This is the best. It's amazing. In its time when the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror came out,

[00:55:36] it was just as groundbreaking as, say, Rise of the Resistance when it came out. It was changing something, right? It's one thing to have an elevator ride. It's another thing to have an elevator ride that does what the Tower of Terror does. It's not just up and down in the end. It is so much more than that. It's fantastic. So good. Yep. It is. It's a favorite. You know, we've talked about, you know, the what's your favorite at Disney? And Tower of Terror is it.

[00:56:02] The only problem I have had is now we have this dang Guardians of the Galaxy that I love so much. I know. Now do I say that's my favorite? I don't know. It breaks my heart to not say Tower. You and I are so the same here. This is where we're very aligned here. I love it. Yes. I love it so, so much. This is the ride that, and I mean, you're gonna have to do some Dramamine, Allie. I will never stop right here. You don't have to worry about it. I'm never stopping. You're gonna have to put the Dramamine into your daily Disney procedures.

[00:56:29] But it is just, I love it. Oh my gosh. So much. Yeah. It's worth any physical toll you need to take to ride this much action. It's so good. You want to do Hollywood Studios the right way, ride it. My kids have been riding it since they were three. It's a very low height requirement. Yeah. I told the story on the show about when I got to ride it for the first time, right? You all remember that story? I don't remember that. We- Your first time? Yeah. Yeah. We would go to Disney World all the time growing up.

[00:56:57] We were in MGM the year it opened, or at least my parents were. I don't know if I was there that year. But anyway, when Tower of Terror opened, it was all the talk. We all knew this exciting new attraction. Well, I am very short. And so you can imagine as a child, I was really, really, really small. And it was this thing. Every time we would go to Disney World or our local amusement park, I was just never tall enough for anything. I was always crying at the entrance of rides because I desperately- I was a daredevil that was too short.

[00:57:25] And so I desperately wanted to ride all these things. I wanted to ride looping coasters. And I wanted to ride Splash Mountain. That was like the one I could never ride. You know, I just- every year my mom would be like, you're going to be tall enough this year. And every year I just was not. And so cue the tears. Aw. So Tower of Terror was new and it was all the rage. Everybody was talking about it. My dad and my brother would go off and ride things and my mom would take me to go see Beauty and the Beast or whatever. You know that the entrance to the line is up that long winding path. And that's where the height stick is and everything.

[00:57:55] So we said goodbye to my brother and my dad because clearly I'm super short. I'm not tall enough for anything. And I was really sad and probably crying. And my mom is cheering me up. You know, we'll go to the shops or we'll go ride Beauty and the Beast. And we say goodbye to my dad and brother and they walk up the line. And all of a sudden, you know, we're turning and walking and we hear my brother screaming my name, yelling it so loud. And so we turned around and I'll never forget it. He's like yelling, Allie, I think you're tall enough.

[00:58:23] And I just perked. I ran with him. I ran so fast up the path. Sure enough, I was tall enough. It was my first experience ever being tall enough for something. And I always remember my brother telling me. So I got to ride it with my family for the first time. I was terrified. It is a scary, scary ride. But I loved it so much. And I've loved it ever since. It's the best. Oh, I love that. Laker still hates it. He will ride it at this point.

[00:58:50] But he hates the drop feeling and he hates the eerie cobweb feeling. But our family dies laughing every single time. And Allie, I bet that your heart breaks for your because you're you go through that with your kids as they're not old enough or not tall enough. Oh, I bet that hits extra hard for you. My twins are literal mini me. Like they are daredevils that are just, you know, they're not quite there yet. And so it's been hard every the last couple of years we've had those experiences. But we are so close, y'all.

[00:59:18] We are almost to the we can ride everything height. We're so close. That is so exciting. We are almost the tears are almost gone. Like next year, I think I am thrilled. It's going to be great fun. But yeah, anyway, that's my Tower of Terror story. So do it all. Do it all. Eat it all. See it all. Experience it all. Sunset Boulevard. That is greatest, greatest, greatest. Absolutely. So nothing's really skippable in Hollywood Studios. So you're going to do the things we just told you.

[00:59:44] We've kind of laid out what, you know, you can miss if you if you have to. But Hollywood Studios is one of those parks where you could probably do it all. So you probably should and you should probably know what order to do it in and where to find yourself in these different places. We're going to take another break and then we have some trivia. Stacey and I are never very good at this, but we're going to give it a go. Oh, I'm so excited. Kaffee in seiner besten Form mit der neuen Cubo One Kapselmaschine von Chibo.

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[01:01:31] Was officially opened on May 1st, 1989. Okay. What was the name of the park when it opened? MGM. MGM. That was easy. Yay. Yes and no. It was MGM. It was MGM, but it was called Disney MGM Studios. Oh, get out of here. Oh, fine. All right, next one. If you read, oh, sorry. It was renamed to Disney's Hollywood Studios to reflect its shift from a working studio to

[01:01:59] a more immersive entertainment land-based park. What year did they change the name? Okay. I hate your questions. This happened sometime during my Disney hiatus. There was a period of time when I stopped going with my nucleus family from growing up and the time I started going as an adult. It happened somewhere in there. I'm going to say sometime between 06 and 08. Stacey? I have no idea. Stacey, did you go when it was Disney MGM? Yes, I definitely did.

[01:02:28] I definitely did. I don't have a single bit of anything to hang in on. But honestly, if it's in that 06 to 08 area, that would make sense. I was at the height of baby making and baby raising and no real good memories stuck then. It's true. Fair enough. Yeah. Yeah. From one team of moms to any mom who is sitting in that baby making, baby raising era of life. We see you and we know you.

[01:02:58] How hard those years. Totally. Yeah. Yeah. It was 2008. Hey. Okay. You got it. There we go. Yeah. That's so interesting. That feels so late. Honestly. Yeah. That feels so late. But 08 was. Okay. Can you believe that 08 was really a long time ago though? It feels like it wasn't, but it really was. Almost 20 years. It was a long time ago. Yeah. My Laker was not a human being at that point. Yeah. He was not. He was not even conceived yet. All right.

[01:03:25] The park was originally intended to be a working film and TV production studio. And it actually was for a while. Name something that was filmed there. I have no idea. Oh, I don't remember anything. I don't know. Allie, do you know any? Nothing. I know nothing. All I remember is that backlot tour we used to take. Was something action filmed there? I have no idea. Okay. So first of all, the new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse from 89 to 94 was filmed there. So that is like the. That's pretty cool.

[01:03:53] Discovery space of some pretty impressive pop culture figures in our society at this point. Ernest Saves Christmas. Wait a minute. Ernest Saves Christmas was filmed at Hollywood Studios? Even before the park opened. Yep. Thunder in Paradise and Will of Fortune was often filmed there, which I remember watching those episodes and a movie called The Lottery. But the new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, that is what I grew up on.

[01:04:19] Like it was on when I was five, between five and 10 years old, which was like peak time for me to love it. And so many people came from there. Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera. As they say. Carrie. Felicity. Yes. So many. Relevant to millennials, at least I would say. Yeah. Music figures and actresses, actors have come from that new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. So that was filmed there. Yeah. Very cool. I had no idea. All right. What is the longest running show in Hollywood Studios?

[01:04:49] We know there's a lot. Which of them is the oldest? Is it going to be Beauty and the Beast? I'm going Beauty. First thought too. I'm going Beauty. It is not Beauty and the Beast. It is. Oh wait. Is it Indiana Jones? It is Indiana Jones. Oh. Yes. Dang it. Of course. Of course. It is the one that opened with the park in 1989. Yes, it did. That makes more sense. Oh. Okay. All right. Stacey, you consider yourself an Indiana Jones. You are the representation. I thought for sure you were getting that.

[01:05:18] That's why I went. You shouldn't have had that one. That's why I made those noises. I know. I know. We just needed to give you more time. So next time we'll give you the space. You can put the ticker in for yourself. Into your entity. Oh my gosh. Yes. Yes. Lord have mercy. All right. Next one. Toy Story Mania has made several changes between 2016 and 2018. They made several changes. What changes did they make to the ride from 2016 to 2018?

[01:05:47] I know my very first thought that is for sure is the entrance to the ride. Where we lined up the queue, everything. It is total opposite side of where it is now. Yeah. It would have been where Pixar places now. Like where you go and meet the Incredibles. That's where the entrance used to be. Is on the other side of that building. Mm-hmm. So I think I wrote it maybe, maybe once when it was there. But that was also right at the end of my little Disney hiatus. It started going back about 2018. So yeah, I don't.

[01:06:17] There's two other changes. Any other thoughts on the other two changes? Oh. Was it always 3D? It had to have been, right? It was always 3D. It was. I feel like we didn't always have that staircase section. I don't know. Did that, was that there? I feel like something interior like that. It does have something to do with that. The potato head? No, I feel like he's always been there. Nope. He's not new. That's been there for a long time. They added a third track. So there are now three tracks. So it used to be two. Right, right, right, right. So that second, the, yeah.

[01:06:44] How there are, sometimes you go to the right when you're coming out of the line. And sometimes you go to the left and go up the staircase. It's because they've added a third track since then. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That makes sense. Yep. The last one? I don't know. Tick, tick, tick. I don't know. They changed the name. Did you know they changed the name? Midway. Midway. Midway Mania. Oh. Midway Mania. Yeah. It used to be called. Midway Mania. Used to be called Toy Story Midway Mania. Now it's just Toy Story Mania. Yeah. Wow. I did know that. Yeah. Yep.

[01:07:14] That slipped my mind. I think somewhere in my brain, I still just think of it as Midway Mania. It took me forever to adapt Hollywood Studios. I just flat out called it MGM for years. Yeah. Yeah. I just ignored that forever. Even after they made the change? Oh, yeah. Yeah, for sure. I think I only started calling Hollywood Studios maybe five years ago. I'm not even kidding. I just ignored the fact that it wasn't MGM. You're like, if I'm going to host a podcast, I probably should call it It's Right Name. Yeah. That's so funny. Yeah. That is so funny.

[01:07:44] That just did not exist to me. My very vivid memory, particularly of where the entrance is, was when this came out was really in the heyday of the paper fast passes. And I have such vivid memories of my husband and my father-in-law being in charge. They had everybody's key cards. We did not have any magic bands or anything like that. They took everybody's key card and would rush. And they had a little system where they would go and get these fast passes first thing upon rope drop.

[01:08:13] Like they were way ahead of us in all our strollers. And they had a system of scan, get the paper, scan, get the paper. And that's how I knew for a fact that entrance was not where it is now because I could picture them doing that. I remember when they made the shift to digital fast passes and there were kiosks just outside of that old entrance to midway. What used to be called Toy Story Midway Mania that you would go and you could go search for a new time if you wanted to swap your time right there. Yeah. All right. Next question.

[01:08:43] Rise of the Resistance in Galaxy's Edge is one of the longest Disney rides that they have ever made. How long is Rise of the Resistance? Okay. I have timed this. But it also counts when you enter pre-show, when you enter the pre-show. So, uh, Ray. Yes. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. I timed it from there and I believe it was like 26 minutes or something. It was somewhere between 25. It was like 25 to 30 minutes from Ray to exit. I was going to say it was at least 20 minutes.

[01:09:11] So, I'm good with saying 25. It is short of what you said. It is about 18 minutes from pre-show to Ray to exit. Depending on how long, depending on how long you end up standing in that middle, the different pieces, right? As you're transitioning, waiting to get loaded into the pod things. It's obviously going to vary. That's true. I'm telling you, my timer was in the 20s. Yeah.

[01:09:36] And I was going to say, I actually, I noted the last time I wrote it, how fast I felt like we moved through in it. So, it may be a procedural difference that has dropped it down to the 18 minutes because I felt like when you got to the point where they were sending you to your, you know, your blue dot, you know, go stand on your whatever number and blue dot. I felt like that whole process is a lot faster now than it used to be. They, they're not spending as much time doing interactive play there, you know?

[01:10:06] Which I don't think is a good thing. Yeah. I agree on that. Well, yeah, it's, you're losing out on some of what it has been, but it certainly is getting more people through the line faster. So. It is. And a single rider option that is sometimes available is also another way that you would skip the bulk of the ride. Like that's essentially just taking you straight to the ride portion and you're skipping the, the pre stuff. Yeah. All right. Last question. The sorcerer hat. Everyone knows what I'm talking about, right? I do. The sorcerer hat. Yeah.

[01:10:35] It was in the park for 14 years and then they removed it to allow for visibility of the Chinese theater. I wish they would not have done that. I missed the hat. So, so badly. How tall was that hat? Okay. First of all, I don't miss the hat where it was. You could put the hat somewhere else and I would like it, but I agree. It was a bit of an obstruction. Yeah. And my sounds once again are because I don't have a clue. This feels like, you know, we got a little bit of hate when how many stories high. Yeah. Yeah. Things were, it wasn't as long as much.

[01:11:05] It's the, the hat was as tall as the water geyser at wilderness. Probably pretty accurate. Like if you were to guess how many feet? One foot below flying regulation. No, it wasn't that tall. No way. It is nowhere near Cinderella castle. Okay. But I was a little girl and I was short. It was very tall to me. You are still a short girl. Yeah. I'm not even going to say a number. I would really sound probably pretty dumb if I guess a number. So just. I'm not giving a number. I refuse to. Is it more than a hundred?

[01:11:34] I'm not. I'm not answering that. Oh my gosh, you guys. That's not how trivia works. I can't say I can't. I am such an idiot when it comes to height and feet. Like don't do numbers. I don't. I don't either. I don't. That's why when you started asking about 65 or I'm not answering a number either. 65, 65 feet. Okay. And Stacy's forfeiting her. It was 122 feet. Definitely smaller than spaceship earth. Definitely smaller than Cinderella's castle. I miss it.

[01:12:05] I really, really miss it. But you could tell me that Cinderella's castle is 80 feet and I would believe you. I just have no concept. We have no concept. Same. No concept. Yeah. And we have totally different height perceptions and we are the same. We have no perception. I'd be like, oh yeah, 80 feet. If we put two alleys on top of each other, would you be taller than Stacy? I don't know. I don't know. How tall are you? I mean, wait. Wait a second. Wait a second. That felt. I feel like that was just a really stupid thing. I'd be taller. What did you just say?

[01:12:33] Two alleys is that taller than me? Yes. Two alleys is taller than Stacy. For sure. I am not 10 feet tall. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Two alleys is like 10 feet tall. You guys are hilarious. Yes. All right. Oh my gosh. Let's just say we are lucky that I can ride everything. Okay. I made it. You guys think that the view is better to have the Chinese theater? I feel like the Chinese theater is kind of underwhelming. You know, I have mixed feelings on all of this because they don't, they're not even using

[01:13:03] the Chinese theater as the icon of this park. So they use Tower of Terror as the icon of the park, which I feel like that almost needs to be shifted to Chinese theater if we're going to have it front and center. You know? But the icons are the things you can see outside of the park. I do not think sticking a 122 foot hat in the middle of a street that obstructs the beauty is the answer to the fact that this has a little bit of a lost identity to its icon. Yes. The icon, the icon is a thing like it should be, you should be walking in and seeing the icon. I agree.

[01:13:32] That's going to do it for us on another episode of the Moms Behind the Magic podcast. Make sure you're joining us in our social media feeds on Facebook, Moms Behind the Magic podcast. Get all of your questions answered so you feel even more like a pro. And until next time, we are sending you some fun, love and joy. And you send us back some five-star reviews on Spotify or wherever you listen. Hashtag FLJ. And we'll see you real soon.