Saturday, November 17, 2018

The Walt Disney Family Museum San Francisco, CA October 8, 2018


A little over two years ago I won four adult admissions to the Walt Disney Family Museum at a charity event silent auction.  The tickets had no expiration date and I thought this would be a great experience for our Disneyphile family.  The trick was that our Disney loving family actually has five members.  Saturdays and Sundays are full of sports and church activities and Mondays (the day I don't work) during the school vacation quickly filled with day camp and summer jobs, so we found it very hard to actually use our prize!  The window finally opened on a Monday my two remaining highschoolers had a day off school and my husband had off for Columbus Day.  Though we probably should have used the day to look at a college for my junior, off to the city we went.

First of all I must say that the setting is absolutely lovely. The address is 104 Montgomery Street, right in the middle of the Presidio.  The museum is set right there facing a gorgeous lawn area.  The "back" of the museum, an exhibition hall that houses rotating exhibits, faces the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco Bay.  On this particular day, the water was full of boats and the sky was clear, just gorgeous.

The adult admission is 30$.  The youth ticket (6-17 year of age) is half that and students and seniors receive a small discount.  This includes general admission to the museum plus admission to the rotating exhibit housed in the Diane Disney Miller Exhibition Hall, a few short steps away.  The price is 5$ less is you chose to leave out the rotating exhibit, however, the exhibit, at least in our case is worthwhile, and worth the extra few dollars

The museum is not about Disneyland.  It is purely about the history of Walt Disney, his personal life and his empire.  Disneyland opened in 1955 and a heck of a lot happened before then. The museum chronicles in meticulously labeled pictures and documents Walt's humble beginnings on a farm in Illinois, his time spent in the war, and his move to Hollywood.  Then it was onto the development of his first drawn character, Oswald, which, though swindled from him in a bad business deal, became the inspiration for Mickey Mouse.

Walt used animators to start stringing pictures together to create short films featuring his characters.  It was amazing to see how in the complete absense of technology, the short films worked and were successful.  Short films added sound and then color.  In 1932 Disney won his first academy award for Best Short Film (Cartoon) for his creation, Flowers and Trees.

Not long after, Disney embarked upon his greatest adventure yet, the full length motion picture Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  He got plenty of pushback from those who said no one would go to the theater to watch a 90 minute cartoon.  The film was released to the public in 1938, and was a critical success, and to this day, adjusted for inflation, is among the top ten North American performers.  Though Snow White did not receive an Academy award in 1939, Walt Disney received a special award for screen innovation that year, especially fun as it was presented as one large statue and seven mini statues.

The room describing the animation of Snow White is again amazing, particularly the development of the dwarfs and their individual characters.  Animators watched live figures to see how Snow White's skirt might flow when dancing, or how a squirrel might run across a room.  My favorite is the way they watched a fat man dance to simulate how Happy's tummy might bounce while dancing a spirited jig.
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After the success of Snow White, it was off to the races for Walt Disney.  Along came Dumbo, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Bambi, Peter Pan, and Alice in Wonderland.  He started to make live action movies without animation like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Old Yeller.  Then came the movies that combined animation and live action, like Song of the South and of course, Mary Poppins.
One particularly cool document is Walt's typed letter to Julie Andrews asking her to consider the part of Mary Poppins.

The upstairs winds down to an Walt's full scale imagining of Disneyland as it was to look on opening day. This a sight to behold and it's fun to see how many rides you can recognize and see their change in location from 1955.  From here we get to see technology from a lot of the original rides (animatronics were a Disney invention), the evolution of tickets, and thoughts for the future.  We also see the evolution of The Mickey Mouse Club, the Sunday night classic The Wonderful World of Disney and all the live action classics, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, the Parent Trap, Freaky Friday, Herbie the Love Bug...  How many can you name???

Walt Disney passed away after a short and sudden illness in late 1966 at the age of 65 .  The last room is poignantly dedicated to how the world mourned.

Though we all know that the Disney legacy goes far beyond the date of Walt Disney's death, I find it quite suitable that the museum, which makes itself a celebration of the life of the king rather than his kingdom, closes its story in this way.

The Main Building also houses a movie theater which plays changing Disney films, some that are quite obscure.  While we were there, I believe it was the 1949 movie The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad,  that was playing.  Currently, it is Fun and Fancy Free and Make Mine Music, among others featured this month.  The film screenings are an extra charge of 10$ for an adult and 8$ for a youth 6-17.

The Main Building also has a cafe and a pretty good gift shop that I would almost classify as a bookstore.
Returning to my previous mention of the Diane Disney Miller Exhibition Hall, the current featured exhibit (which will run through January 7) is titled Walt Disney's Nine Old Men: Masters of Animation.  The exhibit is a collection of sketches, concept art, first drafts of each of Walt's main animators.  Each enclave is dedicated to one animator.  Animators were responsible for the development of certain characters and the exhibit shows how a lot of these characters evolved.

Anyway, I think I have gushed about this museum enough.  It is delightfully done and well worth the time and the money.  I highly recommend it to all Disney enthusiast!

And now for some pictures!  I clearly did not take all of these but found them on the internet.

This is one of my favorites.
Walt Disney and Shirley Temple, circa 1939

Meet the Nine Old Men!





Lots of sketches such as these in the Nine Old Men exhibit

Clear skies over San Francisco Bay

Thank you Walt Disney!

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Where my little water sneakers have been...Maui/Kauai July 2018

Two days ago we returned from another glorious two week vacation in Hawaii, split evenly between our two favorite islands, Maui and Kauai. The laundry chore began immediately and included as always the process of getting the mildewy-still wet-red dirt covered shoes into the washing machine.  After a heavy wash cycle followed by 12 hours on a sunny ledge, my tan Columbia water sneakers emerge, not completely free of muddy evidence, but certainly in better condition than they were going in.

I have said in previous posts about Hawaii that the closed toed aqua sneaker was an absolute imperative on any Hawaii trip packing list.  I have first hand seen the bloody feet, stubbed toes, nasty slips taken and adventures altogether avoided by the smarty part individuals who left these at home.  I purchased my sneakers nearly ten years ago for about 40$, but they are worth their weight in gold!  As I tuck away my footwear until the next time it should become useful, my mind recalls the places this footwear has been!

Kauai-the Wailua River Secret Falls Trail:

Well, pretty much any travel guide will tell you that for those who can physically handle the challenge, a kayak trip up the Wailua River is an absolute must.  Many companies, such as Kayak Wailua or Wailua River Guides, offer a 4-5 hour guided tour, sometimes with lunch included, for about 60-90$ (I guess depending on if your guide makes you a sandwich or not).  
Everything done on this tour can be done independently at about half the price.  We have
c/o lonelyplanet.com
Kind of hard to take a camera while paddlesurfing
kayaked the Wailua three times and never did we take a guided tour.  Double kayaks at Wailua Kayak and Canoe, located right at the river, eliminating the need to haul your kayak on your car, rent for 90$ for 5 hours and include a dry bag.  Kayak Kauai is 95$ for the whole day, but you have to load it on your car, the dry bag is not included (but essential--think iphones/carkeys), and you don't need the darn thing for the whole day.  You WILL be done in 5 hours.

Kayaking independently allows you to manage your activities at your own pace.  You are not limited by the pace of those who bit off more than they could chew-and boy, we have seen it.
You will not be alone on the river.  Groups of up to 10 kayaks depart regularly.  The later you go the more people will be on the river and the more will be on the Secret Falls trail.
Kayaking is not easy work.  Intelligent coordinated paddlers will need strength and endurance to complete the paddle.  It always seems to be harder on the way back.
In the interest of old age, progressively tightening hamstrings, and variety--we stand up paddled the river this time.  This can be done through Kauai SUP.  $40 gets your the board and dry bag for the whole day.  It is waiting for you at the put in point and when you are done you just pull it out and call the store and they come get it.  Now that's convenient!  Prepare to avoid novice kayakers learning to steer!


c/o kauaipaddleboard.com
Okay so what does all this have to do with the water sneakers?  Well, nothing really, except for the fact that if you are going to kayak, it is pretty likely that when you get to the fork in the river, you are going to paddle right, continue up the river another few minutes, where you will encounter a beachy area littered with kayaks.  It is here that you will abandon your vessel and take the trail to Secret Falls, which is apparently the worst kept secret on the planet owing to the multitudes of people with the same plan.  It is here that you water shoes become your best friend.
The mud is serious!
No flip flops!
The trail to not so Secret Falls is only about a mile and mostly follows along a river bank, so there is little elevation gain, but this hike is a physical challenge for two main reasons, stream crossings and the slickest mud you will ever meet.  If the water is running a bit high, like it was when we were there, your foot disappears into the murky waters as you stream cross.  The first stream crossing requires hanging onto a rope while the water pushes against you at knee level (higher if you aren't tall).  The other three are less challenging, but much safer without the added fear of injuring your foot.  The water shoes don't do much to prevent slipping on the mud, but they do prevent you from slipping on your own footwear, as with muddy slippery flip flops.  The mud is serious.  There are parts of the trail that are akin to a bobsled run.  All over the trail all the tracks of the slips that went before you.  The mud flicks up and lands on your legs, back and hair. There is also the occasional hiker that just slides unsuspectingly right into the mire, sometimes covered from head to toe on one surface until they can wash off at the falls.  Actually this happened to my daughter who left her water shoes in the room.  What was she wearing?  Flip flops.  Listen, far more seriously, we came upon a lady on a guided laying flat on her back in the mud with an ice pack around her ankle.  She was being tended to by her guide.  The gossip around the water hole was that she had broken her ankle and had to be evacuated by the coast guard.  Extreme care must be taken--you do not want this to happen.

Now back to water sneakers--when you get to the falls--you can take a refreshing bath/swim.  This also is much easier with a closed water shoe!  Entry is rocky and so is the pool bottom.  Sharp rocks hurt! Another thing you will see a lot of foolhardy tourists so is swim right under the waterfall.  This is ill advised.  All the rocks below your feet as you swim were once at the top of that 120 foot waterfall, if you catch my drift.  Even a small rock from that height is going to feel like a meteor when it lands on your head.

Though I tried to scare you, I like this hike, which is why I chose to do it for the fourth time.
It actually is a must do.  I didn't slip or stub a toe or cut my foot.  And what was I wearing on my feet????


Kauai-Queen's Bath:

Queens Bath is located on the North Shore of Kauai, in the town of Princeville.  Queen's Bath is a large pool of volcanic rock slightly inset from the ocean, making for an idyllic swimming spot allowing you to take a peaceful swim while the occasional wave crashes over the rim refreshing the water.  The ocean waves often deposit a fish or two, so it is not unusual to see some snorkeling going on here.  It is completely invisible from any road, but it is easy to find the access point with a map.  I highly recommend visiting as early as possible, especially on the weekends, for one, because the area can be frequented by young locals who can really take over the place and for two, because the parking situation really stinks.

I have heard it said this is one of the most dangerous places in Kauai??  I really don't get it...

We have found the pool in ideal and not so ideal situations. One year it was really low--borderline stagnant.  So we just walked around to the other side and jumped off cliffs into the cove.  This is far more like jumping into the open ocean and usually is unsafe.  We have not been able to do it again--but it sure was fun when we did.

OK-back to the shoes.  Right out of the parking area a muddy path leads steeply down from the parking lot.  It's not always muddy, but it rains a lot on the north shore, so more often than not it is.  There are areas you have to hang on with your hands and place your feet just so.  Down at the bottom a hard left turn and a 5 minute walk over some uneven lava rocks will lead you to Queen's bath.
Once you get there you are going to have to negotiate the rocky lava to get in and out.  This is far more comfortable in a closed water sneaker.  Queen's Bath is definitely a place where a slip can leave you bleeding, so why risk it.  
Another favorite for the young at heart (yes, I do it!) is to jump off a 10 foot precipice into the pool.  The jump requires a little push out, which can hurt bare feet.   Do not do it in flip flops.  I prefer having my feet protected!

Now I have never seen anyone have to be medically evacuated from this area, but I must say that though my mom and dad used to enjoy this area with us, I have now forbidden them from joining.  It's just too risky with too much potential for a life altering injury.


Also not my picture, but ain't it pretty  Youtube.com
Maui-Olivine Pools:

Olivine Pools is another one of those secret gems that requires some effort in terms of drive and hike, but provides the reward of limited company and maximal fun!  
The Olivine Pools are akin to Queens Bath on Kauai, but the area is a bit larger. It is basically a series of pools created again by shoreline lava.  The same swimming and jumping from a precipice opportunities apply. I feel like it's harder to get to, more off the beaten path, and therefore, less crowded!
Olivine Pools is located on "the other road to Hana," basically the road taken when you drive as far north as you can over the west side of Maui, past Kapalua and Honolua Bay, to the less traveled "back side."
The road to Olivine Pools is really not that bad.  It's windey and hilly, but wide.  That is if you drive over from Maui's west side.  The last two times we have come to Olivine Pools, we came directly from the airport. When your plane lands on the islands at 9am, and you can't get into your room on Kaanapali until 4, ya gotta do something, and the road up to the pools is scenic and adventurous...and not for the faint of heart.   There are definite okole squeezin' spots on the road where two cars better suck it in to be able to pass side by side. Just past the town of Kahakuloa, (home to Julia's Banana Bread Snack Stand) not far before the pools, there is a long cliffside stretch you had better take quickly if you see that it's clear, because if you come face to face with another car, someone is backing up.  I understand that its the person coming downhill that does the backing up.  If another car comes behind you, then both of you are backing up, and so on.  The locals drive fast and do not seem to be worried about scratching their cars.  No rental agreements here!  We always hold our breath here and take the ready set go approach.
Anyway, it is not rocket science to find the pools, because it's pretty much where you see cars parked, though the area is not clearly marked.  A little pathway will quickly lead you to a "Don't Die here" sign that will let you know you are there.  The tricky part is getting down, because it looks like a long steep way down to the ocean, and it is.  Anyway, there are several vague paths you can take, but the correct one is to the left.  Shortly the pools will appear below you.
SHOES ALERT!  Honestly, it would not be overkill to take the trail down to Olivine Pools in actual hiking boots.  No joke.  It is steep and rocky, the kind of small rocks that can roll under your feet.  Anyway, at the very least, you need your closed water sneaker.  They also come in mighty handy when your reach the pools, walk across the lava, enter and exit the pools and of course, take the obligatory jump off your chosen high point into the refreshing salt water, the perfect way to shake that dusty trail!
I have seen many a flip flopped individual either at the top lamenting the fact they are minus the footwear to get down this danged hill, or at the bottom bleeding.
Anyway, is it safe?  There is no question that the Olivine Pools are a calm haven directly next to an open raging sea.  There is also no doubt that during high surf a large wave could yank an individual (usually one who pushed the envelope too far) off the rocks and into the water.  It has happened.  During the summer, this situation is rare and we have never felt in danger while in the pools.  My husband and I went once, however, when the surf was higher.  We were far back from the ocean but a large wave still managed to knock us over and drag across the lava.  Soaking wet towel, wardrobe malfunction, lost bandana, blood.




Maui- the "Temple Falls" at Pua'a Ka'a State Park:


The much maligned Hana Highway is a favorite spot for many water sneaker adventures, but I would have to say our favorite is the forbidden and hidden fresh water falls and ponds at the Pua'a Ka'a State Park.  
The Pua'a Ka'a State park is nothing more than a potty and stretch your legs break on your trip down the Hana Highway.  There are some picnic tables and a couple of little falls and a pool you can hop the fence and swim in, but very few do.  The real prize is across the stream and up behind the lower pool and the best part is that pretty much no one knows about it.  Do I dare sharing our secret play spot??
The one catch is that just about the first thing you have to do is scramble up the trail past the "Trail Closed" sign.  There is no one there to enforce it, and the sign doesn't say anything like no trespassing or violators will be prosecuted or anything.  So the only obstacle you may encounter are the stares of the 35 tour bus riders watching you blatantly disregard it (that is going there AND coming back by the way).  Anyway, that does make me minimally uncomfortable so best to get there early.
Why is the trail closed?  Well, because its narrow steep and MUDDY.  But what am I wearing on my feet??  The trail is easily followed up and along the opposite side of the stream to an aqueduct that crosses a large chasm.  You walk along the aqueduct over the chasm on about 18 inches of plank, using the handrail provided.  If you fell into the aqueduct, you would fall about 6 feet onto to the concrete floor.  Probably not life altering but it would leave a nice bruise and then good luck climbing out of there so better to hang on.  I hang on with both hands.  A few steps to the right and what a beauty lies below...a gorgeous 25 foot waterfall and your own personal fresh water swimming pool.  
The water is chilly and the force of the waterfall does make for some athletic swimming.  Our favorite thing to do here is make a little climb to a ledge and jump the 12 feet or so to the cold water below.  Getting up there requires some big steps and some arm strength, but it's not a big deal.  I didn't do it last time.  This time I totally did it.  How much time do I have to have this kind of fun with my kids?
We were there for about an hour.  No one joined us.  No one knew we were there!


We didn't mind having only each other as company!

And we each did this about 10 times!
Hard to get enough!

I guess I should apologize somewhat that many of these pictures weren't taken by me.  As these places are slippery, muddy, and often connected to water--lugging around your SLR, or even your iPhone, is a risk.

Well thank you for reading this post.  I hoped you enjoyed and will get out to some of these places where your feet need a little extra love!!



Saturday, April 28, 2018

What's New at Disney World? April 9-16, 2018

Well, it has been a long time since a blog entry has been posted.  It's not been that I didn't have anything to write about, it's much more that a just didn't have time to complete an entry start to finish, but let's see if I can crank this out.
It came up early in the school year that we would be able to travel during spring break this year.  As Craig and I were about to turn 50, and wanted some way to blow a wad with our family in celebration, it was quickly determined that we were going back to Disney World.
The last time we were there was just over two years ago, but in that time in true Disney fashion a lot had changed and was new to experience.  Most was great, with only a few disappointing exceptions.

ANIMAL KINGDOM:

Of course, when Disney goers talk about what's "new", they are most often referring to the biggest, most thrilling, and most innovative new rides.  Well, at present they are at Animal Kingdom, both within the the brand new Pandora: Land of Avatar, which opened May 27 of last year.
The more popular of the two is "Flight of Passage" which is by far the most technologically advanced ride of any currently in the Disney Parks.  The ride mimics riding a
Photo courtesy of disney.go
Banshee through the land of Avatar via use of VR and other effects.  It is almost like a combination of  Star Tours and Soarin', though more beautiful and more thrilling than both these rides.  I came out smiling so widely that I practically split my head open.

I am not the only one that feels this way.  Everyone seems to know how great Flight of Passage is, making this ride wildly popular.  As we were not staying at a Disney property, we were unable to get FastPasses for this ride.  If ya don't have one and you want to ride this is pretty much how it's going to look.  We arrived at Animal Kingdom at 803 am, just about one hour before the park opened.  Within minute the turnstiles opened and we proceeded promptly toward Pandora where we were stopped by cast members behind a large crowd ahead of us.  
THIRTY minutes prior to park opening the crowd was escorted to the ride and a queue was formed by cast members.  The queue area is extensive and themed in detail.  I would say we were on the ride within 25 minutes, but by 920 am the wait time was 210 minutes---3.5 hours! The line never dropped below 90 minutes.  My daughter was dying to ride it again.  It never happened.
The other new ride is the Na'vi River Journey.  This family friendly ride is less popular, though still never got to less than a 60 minute wait.  I was able to FastPass this ride, but had to wait until mid-afternoon to ride.  The ride is a 4 minute float down the Na'vi River.  It doesn't really do anything, but it is still well themed and makes great use of light, music, color, projections and animatronics--so I thought it was enjoyable.
Even without the rides, Pandora is a must see, especially at night when little by little , as the sun drops down, the land, including the ground, begins to glow, actually, to luminesce.
Animal Kingdom is open at night now, previously having only been open until 5 or so.  There is now a night show over the rivers of Asia titled, "Rivers of Light," but we were out of energy and didn't stay to see it.

MAGIC KINGDOM:
"Happily Ever After"
We DID stay to see the new fireworks at Magic Kingdom. On May 12 of last year, "Happily Ever After" ended the seemingly eternal run of "Wishes," which my children had memorized.  This show was so over the top fabulous that we saw it 3 times, twice from right under Cinderella's castle (once during rain) and once from the beach at the Polynesian following dinner.  The show was completely superlative, like nothing I had veer seen before, a mesmerizing combination of perfectly choreographed fireworks, colorful projections onto the castle, and music from every Disney film imaginable, including a lot of the newer favorites like Frozen, Tangled, and Moana.
Position is critical to enjoying this show, because the projections on the castle produce so much of the effect.  We were not there during peak season, so we were amazed at the ability to just walk up and grab a spot right in the middle of the hub just 20 minutes before the show.  I would imagine this is not the case during busy times, so get there early!


"We wants the RedHead," or should I say, "...The life of a pirate for me.?"

Let's face it.  From the day of its opening (1973 in WDW), Pirates of the Caribbean has
Yeah, it really is pretty bad....
well, no longer...
never been what I would call a politically correct ride full of strong heroes and moral messages.  For goodness sake, it's about PIRATES, and PIRATES are generally not upstanding citizens!  In one iconic scene, a row of women, roped together, some of them crying, are being auctioned off, aka sold, into a life of bridal slavery.  As your little boat floats on, the next scene used to show these same poor women being chased through the inn by the men with the goal of  bedding them against their wishes.  Wow, Walt! Nice work! The scene was made more livable in 1997 when a refurbishment altered the scene to show the women carrying food, so at least they weren't chasing them for sex anymore. Well, now at Magic Kingdom and coming I hear to a Disneyland near you, the bride auction has been removed.  Now it's just a regular auction of the pirate's loot, causing a collective groan from Disney traditionalists.  People are lined up selling hens and portraits and other stupid stuff.  The chase scene following still exists but now it really makes no sense.  The pirates still go on to burn up the city and brag about it in the little ditty you will know your entire life, "we pillage and plunder and rifle and loot...and don't give a hoot."  Nice try, guys.  Even without the "wench auction," your ride still glorifies crime.  Apparently these new reformed nice pirates don't disrespect women, but they still "maraud, embezzle, and even hijack."


EPCOT:

I said this two years ago and I'll say this again, Epcot is in bad need of a facelift.  Vacant pavilions and boarded up entrances already exist where tired attractions went to die (case in point--Ellen's Energy Adventure), but so many outdated attractions still remain.  The films in Canada, China, France, and in Living with the Land are so outdated the featured populations all look like they could have appeared on Three's Company.  And don't ever drag me onto that Journey into Imagination with Figment again---that journey into imagination is more like popping LSD.
Well, in some effort to spruce things up, Epcot has introduced 3 ride "layovers" that either replaced old rides or made an attempt to improve old ones.
The first of these three is "Frozen Ever After," a dark boat ride which replaced the worn out viking tale "Maelstrom" in the land of Norway.  "Frozen Ever After" opened on June 2016
Anna, Elsa, and Olaf
finally enjoy summer in Arendale
and is Epcot's newest attraction, but its lack of thrill factor and its semi distant location within the World Showcase keep the crowds somewhat reasonable.  The ride is a sweet re-tell of Anna and Elsa's adventures.  We liked it and rode it twice, both times with a FastPass.  It's a big improvement on what was there.  Epcot really needed to bring some "kid factor" to the World Showcase, and with "Frozen Ever After, " Disney succeeds.

Soarin' Over California was revamped and released as Soarin' Around the World in June 2016 (seems to be a popular date..) We used to LOVE this ride.  I actually used to say this was my favorite of all Disney rides, but the CGI effects in the new version have kind of killed it for me.  Many of the images now, like elephants running under Kilimanjaro (which strongly smell like grass, not elephants) look really fake.  Another huge yuck is that if you are not sitting in the center bay (aka Bravo), the tall images, like the Eiffel Tower and the Taj Mahal are NOTICEABLY distorted.  C'mon Disney!  Anyway, one nice bit is that the last scene is actually Epcot, not Tinkerbell flying over Disneyland like it was before.
Lastly, Mission: Space has "relaunched" its Green version.  Now you don't go to Mars, you just circle the earth.  It's like Soarin' Around the World but higher up.  It's stupid and boring and I let my second Fastpass for this ride actually expire.  I had no interest in riding it again.

DISNEY'S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS:

This park is being given a bad rap these days because of all the construction going on.  Recently, DHS has said goodbye to "The Great Movie Ride", "Light, Camera, Action" and the extreme stunt show to make way for huge changes, including Toy Story Land, which will open June 30 of this year, and Galaxy's Edge, a full scale Star Wars Land which will open sometime in 2019.  
The kids thought we would be bored in this park and thought we would be out of things to do quickly, but we stayed busy until about 5 and then returned only about 2 hours later for Fantasmic and fireworks.
DHS is quickly becoming THE park for Star Wars junkies, and as they wait impatiently for the opening of Galaxy's Edge, DHS has come up with some simple but fun and creative entertainment to hold over those of us that just can't get enough.
About 7 times a day on the hour, in grand Imperial fashion and to a grand imperial soundtrack, Captain Phasma and her band of First Order stormtroopers make their way
"Star Wars:  A Galaxy Far, Far Away"
down Hollywood Boulevard, pausing to check out bystanders before proceeding to Center Stage where they continue to intimidate in a short production before they March on down the street again.  The March of the First Order is both cool and hilarious and I tried to catch glimpses of the event several times during the day as we passed by on our way to other things.  

For those of us that can't resist a Star Wars film montage, the "Star Wars:  A Galaxy Far, Far Away" is a 15 minute must see.  Film clips from all 9 Star Wars movies are shown on three large screens while our buddies C3PO, R2-D2, Chewbacca, Darth Vader, BB8, and Kylo Ren take their turns appearing on Center Stage.
At 9:15pm following Fantasmic, all Star Wars fans will want to return to the same three screens to watch "Star Wars:  A Galactic Spectacular, " Hollywood Studios night show featuring a combo of projections, film clips, music, and fire.  It's awesome, and even better, EASY to get a great spot far up Hollywood Boulevard to watch.

Well, I could write more, but this seems like enough for now! Not headed anywhere for a while but I'll try to post when I do!
Thank you for reading this post!
Here are a few more pictures!!  Family Selfies in every park!


Hollywood Studios:  waiting for Fantasmic

At Crystal Palace celebrating with Pooh


Animal Kingdom:  Kilimanjaro Safaris

Okay...at Epcot no selfie!

Just threw this in cuz it's so funny
I swear the best part of Splash Mountain
is posing for the picture!





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