Trip Report: Disney World 2015 – Part 2
It’s time for Part 2 of my Disney World Trip Report! Today I’m recapping our first day at Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. To read the other parts in this series, check out the links below:
Day 2 – Magic Kingdom
- An Early Start
Unfortunately, the day began with a minor disappointment. Earlier in the year, I had read about a mini ceremony/rope drop that takes place each morning at Magic Kingdom when the park opens. I persuaded my parents to get up and come with me, but when we arrived at the park (with about 2 min to spare), people were already streaming down Main Street. Confused, I had to ask a few different workers before discovering that a special event caused the park to open early…with no ceremony. Sigh.
As it turns out, they were filming the performances for the Disney TV special that would air on Christmas Day. No one knew who would be performing until they actually stepped on stage, but nonetheless the area in front of the stage was PACKED. Throughout the day we checked back in and got a glimpse of Jason Derulo, Arianna Grande, and Andy Grammar.
Andy Grammar happened to be on stage later in the day when we were snacking on an amazing waffle stuffed with Nutella and fruit, so we got to eat while listening to his hit “Honey, I’m Good.” Perfect timing!
We spent the day strolling through the park, riding anything that was less than a 30 min wait, and used Fast Passes for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Peter Pan’s Flight.
- Dinner at Boma
We left the Magic Kingdom early for dinner reservations at Boma, an African buffet at our resort. My parents raved about this place, so I was eager to try the food. It was even more delicious than I imagined! We went a little out of order and got our main dishes and sides first. I sampled pork shoulder, strip loin (with a peanut sauce), a samosa, sweet corn and spinach puree, mashed sweet potatoes, mashed regular potatoes, and bobotie (a ground beef and egg dish).
Up next were the soups, salads, and breads. We stuck with familiar foods such as hummus, mini corn muffins, pita bread, and butternut squash soup. Again, everything I tried was extremely flavorful and made me want seconds and thirds. Unfortunately, I was getting pretty full by this point.
However, I still had the dessert course!! I’m pretty sure I sampled 3/4 of the offerings : ) This plate was completely empty by the time I was done. Shown below are the bread pudding with vanilla sauce, zebra dome (an incredible concoction of chocolate mousse, amaretto, and cake), brownie, red velvet cupcake, and pumpkin cheesecake.
Luckily, we were dining near the savanna, so we took the opportunity to head outside, walk off some of our dinner, and spot some wildlife (giraffes that night!)
Day 3 – Hollywood Studios
- The Old and the New
We arrived at Hollywood Studios bright and early hoping to get on either the Tower of Terror or Rock’n Roller Coaster before the lines got too long. Unfortunately we missed that window of opportunity. They both had at least 40 minute wait times, so we ended up at the Great Movie Ride instead. This is a must-do for our family, but they made a few unwelcome changes such as plastering the name of the new sponsor, TCM Turner Classic Movies, EVERYWHERE. A bit aggravating.
Our Fast Passes were spread throughout the day and included Toy Story Mania, Tower of Terror, and the Frozen Sing-a-long. This was my first experience at the Frozen Sing-a-long and I absolutely loved it. The hosts were hilarious and it was precious listening to all the kids (and adults) singing along with the music.
Another new-to-us experience was the Carrot Cake Cookie at the Writer’s Stop. Let me tell you, it’s massive. More like a whoopie pie than a cookie, there are two carrot cake rounds smooshed together with cream cheese icing. Mmmm.
The bakery/shop also had some adorable kitchen merchandise and a selection of cookbooks. I was thisclose to getting a Disney princess cookbook : ) Maybe for Christmas??
During the day, we also got to see a 10 minute preview of the new Pixar movie, The Good Dinosaur. This movie takes place in a world where the meteor that killed the dinosaurs missed Earth. The story centers around a young caveman-like boy who befriends a lost dinosaur. The preview actually changed my mind about the movie. I’d seen a few trailers that weren’t very intriguing, but getting a chance to watch more of the story makes me want to see it in theaters now. Plus, it’s hard to go wrong with Pixar, right??
By the time it started to get dark, we ventured over to the Osborne Spectacle of Dancing Lights. This is one of my favorite Christmas traditions at Disney and I’m extremely disappointed that it will be closed after this year. The area is being refurbished to host more Star Wars attractions 🙁 There’s something special about being in Florida surrounded by millions of twinkling lights while “snow” falls all around you. I’ll certainly miss it.
Only time will tell if the new Star Wars attractions bring Hollywood Studios back to it’s former splendor. As of now, I’m still missing the old and hoping they don’t take anything else away.
Stick around for the final part featuring a second day at Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom!
What are your favorite attractions at Hollywood Studios? What would you like to see in the new Star Wars area?
Great post! Boma looks incredible. I always appreciate those unique restaurants that you can immediately tell so much passion is put into it.
Thank you! I agree, it was unlike anywhere I’ve ever dined before. Disney sure knows what they’re doing : )