Girls’ Getaway Weekend: Day 5 – Hollywood Studios

The final day of Girls’ Getaway Weekend was pretty laid back. Since everyone was leaving at different times, there were no official events. One of my roommates access I had planned to go to Hollywood Studios for the morning since our flight wasn’t until late afternoon. Our other roommate had a late flight as well and decided to join us.  We checked out of our room and stored our bags with luggage services so we could visit the park unencumbered.

We tried to get new FastPasses for the three of us, but since we were only going in the morning and it was same-day, we weren’t able to get the rides we wanted. As such, our game plan was to get there early and hit the major rides first thing to try to beat the crowds as much as possible.  We entered the park shortly after rope drop and bee-lined it to Toy Story Midway Mania, only to find the line was already out the door. We checked out wait times and decided to visit Tower of Terror instead. We arrived at the rusted gate to find that I was unable to take the electric wheelchair through the ride queue. While I was disappointed, I decided I probably shouldn’t jostle my back around anyway and waited in the “hotel” gift shop. 

Next, it was time for what I like to call the Breakfast of Champions (not affiliated with Wheaties or Kurt Vonnegut). There’s a little quick service restaurant on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard, next to Hollywood Brown Derby – Starring Rolls Cafe. Home to a variety of pastries, sandwiches, and gourmet cupcakes, this small restaurant is high on my must-do list. My personal favorite is either the Butterfinger cupcake or the chocolate peanut butter cupcake – for one dining plan snack credit! While not overwhelmingly Butterfinger-y (only crumbled on the top; pictured left), the mountain of buttercream on top may be too sweet or heavy for some – especially first thing in the morning. For me though, eating things you wouldn’t normally eat is a part of the vacation experience.  If you want to visit Starring Rolls, be sure to do so early in the day, as the shop typically closes after lunch, around 2:30pm.

After breakfast, we were walking toward the Great Movie Ride when we were interrupted by some of Hollywood Studios’ newest residents – the First Order. I’m not a huge Star Wars buff, but I thought it was really neat to see them marching in for the Star Wars-A Galaxy Far, Far Away stage show. One of them even approached my ECV and began questioning me There are definitely things I will miss that were casualties of the expansion, but I’m excited for the Star Wars additions to Hollywood Studios based on what I’ve seen so far. 

Great Movie Ride ended up having over an hour wait which is the longest time I’ve ever seen for the ride. I don’t know if it being the week before Memorial Day boosted the crowds or if it was just a side-effect of so many things closing at Hollywood Studios, but it was getting really crowded in the park. After checking the wait times on the My Disney Experience app one more time, we decided to give-up on trying to do major attractions. We walked through the One Man’s Dream exhibit, which I had never done before since I usually rush past it on my way to my next FastPass. I am such a Disney nerd and I loved seeing all the historical items celebrating the creation of Mickey Mouse and the Disney parks. If you’re a Walt Disney fan or interested in the history of Disney, be sure to check this one out! With lunch on the brain, we made our way toward the hotel buses.

Since we had some extra time before our flights, we opted to venture over to Art of Animation’s Landscape of Flavors food court for lunch. I had the Create Your Own Pasta with pesto and chicken. It was pretty good – not the best thing I’ve ever eaten, but certainly not the worst. The portion size was huge, probably enough to share depending on your appetite.

The biggest thing Landscape of Flavors has going for it is variety. Not only are there multiple stations where you can find a variety of food choice, but there are several “create your own” options that allow even the pickiest eater to find something to eat. I definitely think it was worth the trip across the Generation Gap Bridge (between Art of Animation and Pop Century) to check it out! Plus, Art of Animation is such a beautiful resort. I loved seeing the different sections representing Lion King, Finding Nemo, Cars, and the Little Mermaid. It truly feels like you are on the movie set – aside from not being a cartoon.

The Tragical Express