Disney Details- Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios is another place that is fantastic for discovering Disney Details. I mean take the Streets of America for example, it is all about the details there. My favorite detail however does not come from the Streets of America… just too many to choose from, but instead from inside my favorite Hollywood Studios eatery… the Brown Derby.



These drawings are all over the Brown Derby. My sister and I had a fantastic time trying to see if we recognized any of the people in the photos. I have to admit I did not know many. But just walking around the restaurant with camera in hand (you would be surprised at how many people do this, I thought I was the only weird one) and taking photos of the drawings and saying out loud who you think it is and see how many others agree or disagree. If you can name any of the characters in this photos leave a comment. Let’s see how many you can get. I can tell you right now that in this photo I am not really sure about any of them.

Tomorrow we visit the resorts and I will share my favorite Disney Detail.

Character Greetings at Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios is one park where I need to definitely spend more time. I have only seen a couple of characters at the Front Entrance of Hollywood Studios but there are so many more Disney Characters to encounter in the park. Below is a list of the most common Disney Characters you will run into…

Front Entrance:
There are a number of characters that can show up occasionally at the Front Entrance. I have seen Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb, the Queen of Hearts and characters from Robin Hood and Pluto.

The Magic of Disney Animation:
Stars of Bolt daily from 10:30am to 1:30pm and 2:10pm to 6:00pm.
The Incredibles can be found here daily from 11:35am to 2:30pm and 3:45pm to 7:00pm
Mickey Mouse can be found in this area daily 10am – 7pm.

Streets of America:
Characters from Monsters Inc can be found daily from 11-2:40pm and then again at 3:40-6:15pm.

Backlot Tour:
Power Rangers can be found daily at 9:30am, 10:30am, 11:30am and then again at 12:30 and 4:30pm.

Journey Into Narnia:
Prince Caspian hangs out in this attraction daily 10am to 6pm.

Luigi’s Garage:
Meet the characters from Cars daily 10:am- 6pm.

Animation Courtyard:
Characters from Playhouse Disney will be here daily 10:30-5:30pm

Pixar Place:
Woody, Buzz and other characters from Toy Story are here daily 10-12:45, 1:30, 2:30pm and then 4:10-7pm.

Although the above list is the most common characters you can find throughout the park there are sometimes surprises so make to have your smiles and cameras ready.

Epcot Resort Boat- Epcot Resort Area

Now I already know what you are thinking… “Amanda those boats are not rides they are just transportation.” Yes they are transportation but as many smaller Disney fans will argue they can also be rides. One night Norwood and I decided to head over to Hollywood Studios and then make our way over to Epcot after Hollywood Studios closed to see the fireworks at Epcot. Unknowingly we left our car in the Hollywood Studios parking lot and hopped onto the boat that takes you to Epcot (beware Disney fans this is not advised as the boat will not travel back to Hollywood Studios). We had a grand time at Epcot and then boarded the boat again to fetch our car and head home. Just as we were taking off the captain of the boat asked who had parked at Hollywood Studios. We raised our hands and looked around… we were the only ones! We were then made aware that you are not advised to do so because the boat will not travel back to Hollywood Studios after it is closed. Confused an unsure of what we should do Norwood and I tried to figure out how we were going to get to our car. We were told that we could get off at the Boardwalk and follow the path to the parking lot at Hollywood Studios. Sounded like a good plan and we were readying ourselves for the long walk. Now here is where the boat from Epcot to Hollywood Studios became a brand new experience. All the passengers in front of the boat in the true Disney Magical attitude exclaimed that perhaps they could give us a ride to Hollywood Studios even though they do not travel that way after Hollywood Studios closes. Never in all my times of riding the boat had I come across so many nice people wanting to help out. Majority ruled and Norwood and I ended up having a private boat ride back to Hollywood Studios.

Fantasmic – Hollywood Studios

Out of all the years that we have been to Disney World we had never seen Fantasmic until recently. WOW! Now many of you know that I am a big fan of the stage shows at all the Disney World theme parks but I have to say that Fantasmic is by far the best one that I have ever seen. Without giving too much away (If you have not seen it really you must!) it is a show based on dream that Mickey Mouse has. When his dream turns into a nightmare he has to use the sorcerer’s hat to fight to make his dream have a happy ending. The stage show includes not only actors (tons and tons of actors in costume) that come out on stage on boats on floating stages etc… but also fireworks and water effects. It is truly amazing and a must see in Hollywood Studios. It is located on Sunset Boulevard between the Tower of Terror entrance and the Beauty and the Beast Stage Show.

Here are a couple of tips:
1.Get there early (like 90 minutes before the show … only one a night at 8pm (sometimes there are two on Sundays) it fills up quick and is really popular.

2.Sit towards the back unless you want to get wet (the water effects and the fire effects make it a little uncomfortable in the first few rows).

3.Look at the sign to your section when you sit down (we arrived early and I went to the bathroom and on the way back got lost!)

4.Ask guest services about the special seating you can have reserved for you by paying a little extra at one of the Hollywood Studios restaurants (I know that two places that offer special seating are Mama Rosa’s and the Prime Time Café).

5.Have Fun! It is a great show that you will not want to miss

If you would like to see more of my photos of Fantasmic check out my Fantasmic slideshow and the Hollywood Studios Slideshow.

The Writer’s Shop

Location: Hollywood Studios – near the Commisonary

Meals Served: Snacks

Reservations?: Naw… it is counter service just walk right up

Price Range: $14.99 and under (way under… you can get snacks for less than $2)

Type of Food: Coffee, cookies, muffins, candy, generally all things yummy

Review: The cookies and such are awesome at the Writer’s Shop. The coffee is decent (made on a small espresso machine). I particurlary like the frozen latte (although there is also a frozen cappacino on the menu it is exactly the same thing as the frozen latte). The best thing about the Writer’s Shop is the low prices on snacks for a toffee bar two frozen lattes and a HUGE sugar cookie we spend less than $5. The bad thing about the Writer’s Shop is that there are really only three places to sit and once those are full you are out of luck. Good news is that you can walk outside and sit in the outside seating of the commisnary (not recommended for non-smokers) or inside the commisanary.

If you want to see some of the items that they sell check out the Writer’s Shop Menu.

Studio Backlot Tour

Studio Backlot Tour is a nice slow ride through props and sets. While on this 35 minute tour you will get to see how special effects are added to movies (some lucky few will actually be able to be a part of the movie!), walk through the prop house where I just happened to see a couple of Hidden Mickey’s (check out the old refrigerator in the prop house), and ride a tram through an actual set. This is always one of my favorite things to do while at Hollywood Studios. I absolutely love when we go through the wardrobe rooms and we have the chance to see all the costumes that are worn by the princesses or even Jack Sparrow himself. It is located on the Streets of America and if you time it right you may just see the Stuntmen from the Lights Motors Action Extreme Stunt Show warming up.

Want to see more photos? Check out my Studio Backlot Tour photo set and check out the always running Hollywood Studios Slideshow.

Lights Motor Action- Hollywood Studios

Have you ever wondered just how those car chases in movies are done? Well we did and we were excited to see the extreme stunt show at Hollywood Studios. It is located in the Streets of America and usually runs 11:00am, 1:20pm and 4:30pm on Saturday and Sunday and 1:20 and 4:30 pm Monday through Friday (times may vary depending on the weather). During the show they not only have great car stunts but they also let you in on the techniques they use when filming the blockbuster stunts. For example, did you know that sometimes they will have an actor where a jumpsuit with a face on the back so they can use the same car from the front and the back? Their whole approach to the show (like many of the shows in Hollywood Studios) is that they are making a movie and they let you in all the behind the scenes. It is exciting as well as interesting and no matter where you sit in the bleachers you will have a great view of the action below. It can get a little loud so those of you with little ones may want to sit higher up.

To see more of the photos from the Lights Motors Action Extreme Stunt Show check out my Lights Motors Action Photo Set.

Beauty and the Beast

“Be our guest!” Okay I admit it. I am thirty years old and I have and will continue to watch the Disney movies as they come out. I have many, many times seen Beauty and the Beast. I absolutely love this movie and I can remember crying at the end when Beast dies and than later transforms into the handsome prince. So naturally the Beauty and the Beast musical is one of the attractions that is on my must see list in Hollywood Studios. This being the last say of highlighting live entertainment at Mouse Beat I decided to not only end on my absolute favorite live performance but also pull out the pictures I took from the first time I saw the show in 2003. Back then I was not as camera happy as I am now so each shot (although not good) was much more calculated. The three shots above are my favorite moments in the show. It is a fantastic show and if you have not stopped to see Beauty and the Beast definitely make time for it the next time you visit Hollywood Studios (oh a little note… if you click through on the picture you may notice that the title of one of the photos reads…MGM… yep the first time I saw the show it was still MGM. Does anyone know when it was changed and why to just Hollywood Studios?)

The show is located in Hollywood Studios across the street from Rock N Roller Coaster and next door to Hollywood Tower of Terror. Show times can be found in the show times guide that you pick up with your guide map.

The Hollywood Tower of Terror – Hollywood Studios

Wow! Talk about getting to know your stomach intimately. “The Hollywood Tower of Terror” is a series of drops both in the ride and your stomach. I did have fun on the ride the first time I rode it in 2003, which is why I agreed to ride it again this year. It seems that my memory was not entirely accurate when it came to the ride. I remember in 2003 thinking it was pretty mellow… I remembered wrong. Drop after drop I thought to myself… “I wish I had not eaten at all this week!”

Okay I am being just a tad dramatic. It is fun and not so bad. After all I did not see a bunch of adults laying outside with sick looks on their faces like I saw at Mission Space (more next week). My favorite part of the ride though is not the ride itself but the queue before the terrifying drop after drop. Even the boiler room is neat to look at. Why I did not take pictures inside is beyond me, but I hear if you need to ditch before the elevator transport to the Twilight Zone it is entirely possible.

Rocking on the Rock N Roller Coaster- Hollywood Studios

One of my favorite things about many Disney rides is the story line they use to get you onto the actual ride. “Rock N Roller Coaster” is no exception. Imagine just stumbling into the recording studios where Aerosmith just happens to be recording their songs! And to top it off they actually acknowledge your presence and invite you backstage at their concert! The first time I went to Hollywood Studios in 2003 I thought the story behind “Rock N Roller Coaster” was the neatest thing. It was the first time I actually paid attention to the story and realized, “Hey a lot of the Disney rides have story lines!”

Okay so by now, Mouse Beat readers know that if it is fast and well basically if it moves, I will say something like… “Well being a ride chicken I probably will never ride this again…” If you thought that I would say that about “Rock N Roller Coaster”… you would be wrong. Besides “The Great Movie Ride” “Rock N Roller Coaster” is my favorite Hollywood Studios attraction. Yes it is fast. Yes I screamed the entire time. Yes I will ride it again. Unlike some other roller coasters it felt smooth and it actually did not leave me with a sick feeling at the end like Expedition Everest, Mission Space (more on our experience on that later) and Hollywood Tower of Terror (more tomorrow).

Both Norwood and I recommend the ride and we really recommend that during peak seasons (like right now!) you get fast passes for the ride. When we rode it this year the line wait was longer than for “Hollywood Tower of Terror.” “Rock N Roller Coaster” wait was 75 minutes and “Hollywood Tower of Terror” was 60 minutes—I know that is was not a big difference but since you can only have one fast pass at time might as well go for the longer wait, and I figure by the time you ride “Hollywood Tower of Terror” and then recover from “Hollywood Tower of Terror” your fast pass will be ready to go for “Rock N Roller Coaster”.

The Great Movie Ride- Hollywood Studios

Movie fans unite! “The Great Movie Ride” is a celebration of all great movies. Located on Hollywood Boulevard and housed in a replica of Graumann's Chinese Theater the “Great Movie Ride” is 20 minutes of pure entertainment. Norwood and I (and many other guests) had a great time remembering the movies highlighted on the ride. What we love about this ride is that not only are viewing famous scenes from what Disney deems the great movies, you also have the opportunity to be part of one yourself! We were lucky enough to have our host kidnapped by a gangster and left to fend for ourselves. Luckily our host was brought back unharmed thanks to movie magic.

My favorite movie represented in the ride is the Wizard of Oz. I have always loved the movie, although when I was younger I did have nightmares about the monkeys for awhile. Norwood’s favorite movie represented in the ride is Raider of the Lost Arc. The only part of the ride that I do not like is the “Alien” scene. It was just a little too graphic for the infamous ride chicken.

The line was quite long when we went and unfortunately there were no fast passes available. However, waiting in line was interesting because we were able to see such movie memorabilia as the merry- go-round horse from Mary Poppins. If you have PAL Mickey bring him along, he has fun facts for his listeners.

Toy Story Mania

Passionate Toy Story fans from all over must have all gathered at Hollywood Studios last week because when Norwood and I arrived around 5pm to take advantage of the extra magic hours we were confronted with this…



Now it should not have surprised me because I read all the Disney fans tips on getting there early and getting a fast pass immediately upon arrival to Hollywood studios, but I thought, “No worries, it is extra Magic Hours night we should be able to get on no problem.” I was wrong. Now people were getting on the ride, but they were standing in the hot line for at least an hour! We are heat wimps so we decided to skip it and wait until the next time we were at Hollywood Studios (and next time we will get there early). But even though we did not get to ride the ride and play the 4-D game with our favorite Toy Story buddies cheering us on I did snap a few pictures of my two favorite guys and here they are for your viewing pleasure in case you have not had the chance to ride Toy Story Mania too…




Have a Disney Day all!

The Force was Strong Last Weekend

This month we have been spending a lot of our Disney time at Epcot for the Sounds Like Summer Concert Series. We knew about the other special events at Disney, but we just could not pull ourselves away from all the great entertainment at Epcot. But we did. We did not want to miss even a little peek at the Star Wars Weekend at Hollywood Studios so we spent an evening on the last Star Wars weekend. It was packed! We actually did not get to see much (I think we arrived to late) but we did get the chance to see some of the Jedi Training Academy (pictured above). I tell you some of those young Padawan were giving Darth Vader a run for his money. Luckily they all were swayed by the dark side.

Disney Picture of the Week - Villans at Hollywood Studios

Last weekend Norwood and I decided to tour around Hollywood Studios and see if we could possibly ride the infamous Toy Story Mania (I will tell you about that adventure later this week). After successfully making it into the park (Friday my annual pass was rejected several times) we walked into the park and find a place in the shade so I could clean my camera lens. Almost immediately after I cleaned the lens I looked up and noticed that several people were grouped around something very interesting. So naturally I stood in line too so I could see what all the interest surrounded. Here is what I saw as the crowd thinned…





Excited about getting a picture I prepared myself to reach the front and pose with the characters, but alas I was just too late, by the time I was close to getting to the front they were already departing back to their respective movies. At least I snapped a couple of shots of them from the crowd.