“Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. And dreams are forever.”-Walt Disney

Day 3: Hollywood Studios and Epcot

After totaling about 10 hours of sleep over the past two nights, we were up and ready to roll at about 6 AM and head to Hollywood studio. Our hotel, the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort at Bonnet Creek, was a gorgeous property. I wish we had another day so we could have explored it a little more. Although it wasn’t an official Disney World Resort, it was only about 10 minutes from the parks and was extremely reasonable for the price.

Hollywood Studios:

We took an Uber to Hollywood Studios and arrived just before it opened to the public at 7 AM. I also must add, the Uber option to the parks was amazing! There are special areas for the Ubers to come right up to the entrance and drop you off.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge:

When we arrived, everyone seemed to be power walking to the same spot...Star Wars: Galaxy Edge. Unfortunately, we just missed the new ride, Smugglers Run, by about a week but Mark was beyond excited to get onto Rise of the Resistance. We waited about 40 minutes or so to get onto the ride and it was absolutely worth the wait! The line moved quickly as we looped through the land of a galaxy far far away. The first thing we were greeted by was Chewy trying to fix a broken ship. When we got closer to the ride, we were overtaken by the life size Millennium Falcon. It was such a cool site to see!

The ride itself was absolutely worth the wait. When you get up to the front, they put you into a group of six where you are then given a task while on the ship. Mark and I were the engineers for the ride. It was very realistic and the technology was high-tech. By the time we were done the ride, the wait was well over 90 minutes.

Since most people that were in the land were in line for the ride at this point, we still were able to explore without much of a crowd. We took in the scene of the Millennium Falcon from a higher view before heading over to Black Spire Outpost on the Planet Batuu. In this village, there were shops with great souvenirs as well as a spot to get food and drinks only found on the planet of Batuu. We opted to head out of the galaxy for the time being...but we would return at 11 for a stop at Oga’s Cafe.

Exploring Hollywood Studios:

Attraction: Star Wars Launch Bay

Site: Meet and Greet with BB8

Wait time: 5 minutes

Rating: 4 out of 5

This was a great hidden spot on our way over to the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. There were a few characters that we could have met, but we opted to say hello to the one and only BB8.

Snack: KRNR Rock Station

Food: Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese-$7.50

Rating: 4 out of 5

Great stop for a quick bite before heading onto the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. We split this.

Ride: Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster

Wait: 20 minutes

Rating: 5 out of 5

This is a staple of Hollywood studios. I forgot how quickly this coaster starts off! Lots of laughing and screaming on this ride!

Ride: Toy Story Mania!

Wait: 35 minutes

Rating: 4 out of 5

So many people were waiting for the Slinky Dog Ride that it was less of a wait for this one. Unfortunately, we never made it onto Slinky Dog, but Toy Story Mania is a great alternative. While waiting in line, there are so many nostalgic games as well as some trivia questions to keep you occupied. The ride itself is a fun competitive 4-D experience that is fun for everyone!

OGA’S CANTINA

First of all, you absolutely need reservations for this watering hole. Although it does suggest not arriving more than 15 minutes in advance, we got there about 40 minutes prior to our reservation and were able to be seated. The Cantina is mostly standing room, allows for a 45 minute stay, and a two drink limit per person. This is not a stop for a typical lunch but you can get a small snack if you opt to.

Okay, now for the nitty gritty. The decor of this place was AMAZING! They had DJ-RX3 playing the music and the place felt like a dive bar that the smugglers and bounty hunters would definitely want to be at. Our “bartender” offered us a multitude of overpriced cocktails that were all very sugary but were really specific to the land. They also had specialty brewed beers from breweries in the U.S.

What we got:

The Outer Rim-- Patrón Silver Tequila, Cedilla Açaí Liqueur, Lime Juice, Pure Cane Sugar, with Black Salt and Exotic Fruit Purée ($17)

Dagobah Slug Slinger--Herradura Reposado Tequila, Bols Blue Curaçao, Citrus Juices, Ginger, Herbs, and Bitters ($16)

T-16 Skyhopper: Tito's Handmade Vodka, Bols Melon Liqueur, Kiwi, and Half and Half ($16)

Gold Squadron Lager: Blue Point Brewing ($13.75)

Food: Batuu Bits ($11) Crispy Galaxy Snack Bits with Spiced Chermoula Dip

Overall, this was a must-stop for your visit! We had such a great time. While it was very pricey, the cocktails (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) were all delicious! I understand why they keep the food to a minimum in order to keep things moving along, but I do wish there were a few more snack options.

Back to the park…..

Ride: Tower of Terror

Wait: 5 minutes (Fast Pass)

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

I love this ride (Mark does not). I am so scared of heights but this ride is one that I put my fears to the side. When the elevator door opens up to look out above the park, it is an exhilarating view and feel!

Attraction: Muppets 3D

Wait: 15 minutes

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Another classic attraction. Always get a good laugh out of this crazy movie,

Attraction: Star Tours

Wait: 40 minutes

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

We did have a Fast Pass for this ride for later in the day, but we were itching to move onto Epcot so we opted to wait in line instead. Love this ride! Not as high tech as the Rise of the Resistance but I still feel as though I am riding through a new galaxy.

We had a great morning in Hollywood studios exploring the new and old rides. At around 3 PM, we headed over to Epcot to start the second part of our day.

From Hollywood Studios to Epcot

I have to talk about the newest way to get from Hollywood studios to Epcot...the sky liner which opened just a few months prior to our arrival. This is such a cool addition to the parks as it takes away some road traffic or buses. The gondolas stop at four different resorts and three different restaurants. We hopped on in Hollywood studios and had to exit at the Caribbean Beach Resort before getting back on to our final destination of Epcot. It was a totally new experience to see the resorts and parks from a different angle.

When we arrived at Epcot, we were dropped off near the UK entrance. The park was PACKED and I was not mentally prepared for it to be honest. We unfortunately missed the food and wine festival, but the park just began the International Festival of the Holidays (which I think is fairly similar). We immediately got some Poutine from one of the booths in Canada. At this point it was the peak heat of the day and there were not many seating options once we purchased our food. We definitely needed some stimulation before we crashed hard. We made our way out of the countries and into the ride area where we began our short journey on the attractions.

Ride: Journey into Imagination with Figment

Rating: 3 out of 5

Wait time: 5 minutes (Fast Pass)

This ride always brings me back to 2nd grade when I first learned about Figment. I love the story of him and his curiosity and adventure.

Attraction: Disney Pixar Short Film Festival

Rating: 4 out of 5

Wait Time: 5 minutes

This was a surprise attraction that we found. It was such a cute compilation of Disney Shorts that have been made over the years. It was also 3-D which made it even more interactive.

After we went on these two rides/attractions, we attempted to go on Spaceship Earth, but the line wait went from 10 minutes to about 30 extremely quickly. We opted to be done with the rides and move onto drinking around the world for the International Holiday Festival. There was so much construction going on throughout the park that it was a little overwhelming. Between the construction and our exhaustion, it was only a matter of time before we called it a day for some relaxation.

When we made our way over to the entrance of the countries, the sun had begun to set as well as the temperatures drop. We decided to split one drink at each country & grab some food every so often. Here’s a little recap:

Country: Mexico

Drink: Horchata Margarita: Tequila, Horchata Rum, Cinnamon Whisky and Agua de Horchata

Country: Shanghai

Drink: Marco Boba: Amaretto, Iced Coffee, Milk and Boba

Country: Germany (Bavaria Holiday Kitchen)

Drink: Schofferhofer Pomegrante Hefeweizen

Country: Italy (Tuscany Holiday Kitchen)

Drink: Corbinello (Wine)

Country: L’Chaim! Holiday Kitchen (Jewish//New York Flair)

Drink: Schmaltz Brewing Company Chanukah Hanukkah Pass the Beer

Food: Smoked Salmon Potato Latkes

Country: Sapphire Holiday Kitchen (North Africa)

Drink: The Andalusian “Poinsettia” Cocktail-Sparkling Wine, Orange Liqueur and Cranberry Juice topped with Orange Blossom Water

Country: Shi Wasu (Japan)

Drink: Sapporo Draft Beer

Country: Rose & Crown Pub (United Kingdom)

Drink: Harp

We were really happy that we split a drink at each stop. It was a cool experience to taste different cultural foods and drinks with a holiday flair. After our trip around the world, we decided to call it a night. We exited at the same spot we entered and walked down towards the resorts. We sat along the small beach area to take in all of the beauty of the resort areas. We then explored the Yacht Club and their beautiful Christmas decor before heading back to our hotel. When we got back to our hotel we grabbed some sushi and a bottle of wine from the hotel restaurant and couldn’t have been more grateful to sit for an extended period of time while we reflected back on the last few crazy crazy days. Our last official day in Disney World was coming to an end….but our weekend was far from over!