Originally, we had planned to spend two days at Epcot, but we worked through it so quickly that first day we decided to use our spare day to visit Disney-MGM Studios. To make sure we had enough energy to get through the day, we fueled ourselves with chocolate chip pancakes. Although the servings were oversized, they were delicious.
Star Tours
First stop at MGM: Star Tours, a simulator that sped us through the Star Wars universe. We ended up riding it three times over the course of the day! After the
third time, we got into a spirited debate over the chronology of the ride’s storyline. Does it take place after Return of the Jedi, when the war is done and space travel is relatively safe? Or does it occur during A New Hope, since the ride features the destruction of a finished Death Star? That seems most logical, except that R2-D2 rode with us. Hmm. That's one for the philosophers – or commenters, if they feel so inclined! The gift shop outside Star Tours offered Transformers that looked like ships from Star Wars. It was like a huge conspiracy to take Josh’s money. He did ultimately purchase a sealed pack of random, collectable Star Wars minis, after the clerk kindly helped us find one with the Star Tours ship in it.
MuppetVision 3D
Being big fans of the Muppets, we were excited to see MuppetVision 3D, yet were somewhat disappointed. The script lacked pizzazz, instead focusing on effects. But it was cool to see once.
Kim Possible
By happy coincidence, we happened to catch a photo op with two people dressed as Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable, the stars of Annie and Josh’s favorite Disney show of late. Annie had a fun little conversation with them – well, at least with Ron. Kim didn’t say much. (For the uninitiated, "Boo-yah!" is a favorite catchphrase of Ron Stoppable on the show. And also, Annie is a huge dork.) Annie: I love your show!
Ron: Hey, you’ve got good taste! So where are you from?
Annie: Washington, D.C.
Ron: Cool! I think that’s the capital, but I kinda failed that subject...
(Josh snaps the picture)
Ron: Thanks! Have a good day and keep watching the show!
Annie: Will do! Boo-yah!
Ron: Boo-yah!? See, she TOTALLY knows the sitch!
"Buzz-Buzz-Buzz Lightyear to the rescue!"
We stopped into Pizza Planet, a restaurant based on the famed eatery in Toy Story, where Josh spied a vending machine with little Kim Possible charms. We
proceeded to spend $9 in the hopes of getting a complete set. We came close, but never got the villainous Sheego. After that, we found a photo op with Buzz Lightyear, which Josh enjoyed. Sadly, though, Buzz subscribed to the silent treatment approach that most costumed Disney actors take, and was nowhere near as talkative as Ron Stoppable.
Great Movie Ride
Ironically, the Great Movie Ride was anything but great. It’s Walt Disney World at its worst – it's slow, populated with bad animatronics, suffers from lame acting, and seems horribly dated. Annie had been looking forward to the Aliens component to the ride, but that brief segment was neither scary nor intense. And they somehow managed to make Sigourney Weaver’s animatronic look ugly! Sorry, Disney, but this one gets two thumbs down.
Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular
The coolest part of this show – which captivatingly demonstrates as many Indiana Jones stunts as the name implies – was that Annie was chosen to be in it. She was among a handful of extras that were chosen at the beginning of the show. She was put into a costume and got to interact with the show on stage. It was a great experience, and a fun one for Josh to watch. Backlot Tour
The backlot tour has its ups and downs – mostly downs – but Josh was chosen to be a part of the pre-event show. He was given rain gear, put on set, and deluged with 1,000 gallons of water so as to demonstrate how special effects are done. Sorry you missed it? Don’t be. Check out the movie here! (Note: There is no sound.)
Another highlight of the tour was the backlot's "boneyard," where old and discarded movie props are lying around. Among the highlights were the alien ship from Flight of the Navigator, a desert skiff from Return of the Jedi, and a model plane from Con-Air.
Disney Animation Tour
We also got to glimpse some behind-the-scenes animation work and learn more about the animation process while we were at MGM. Computers were set up where passersby could lend their voices to a scene from Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and other Disney films. We tried a couple scenes, voicing alternate characters. (In one attempt, Annie was Iago and Josh was Jafar. Ah, the hilarity!)
Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater
For dinner, we went to the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater, where we sat in forward-facing booths made up to resemble "cars" (complete with taillights and everything). While we ate, trailers from B-movies, old cartoons, and archival newsreels played on screen, drive-in-theater style. It was such a cool concept that was well executed, and the food was great. For dessert, Annie stopped in a candy store and grabbed a snack of four marshmallows on a stick dipped in chocolate and rolled in mini chocolate chips. It was rich – but yummy.
Fantasmic!
One of the greatest highlights of our week in Walt Disney World was seeing the "Fantasmic!" show that concludes each day at MGM. Words can’t adequately describe this amazing, after-dark spectacular, but imagine a show that combines fireworks, pyrotechnics, stage acting, and water effects to create a big ol' extravaganza that features a host of Disney villains. For those who understand the comparison, it's like a live-action rendition of Kingdom Hearts, including a battle between Mickey and Malificent's dragon. Suffice to say it was very, very cool, and an amazing end to the day.
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