My favorite park happens to be Disney's Hollywood Studios. We visited this one first and I just love it, probably because it reminds me in part of California Adventure (my favorite park out of both Disneys). A good amount of the park's attractions can be done inside, which is great if you are expecting inclement weather.
I would have loved to try "American Idol Experience," but that takes a lot of time if you get accepted. I also wanted to watch it but I would have been the only one so this was skipped. I'm sure it's loud because of the music and the lighting effects seem true to the show. We also skipped over the over-a-half-hour-long "Backlot Tour," as it culminates in an explosion and flood. Sounds fun, right?
"Beauty and the Beast" was a fun break from the rain. I do wish that more than two of the actors were actually speaking their lines (most noises and lines were pre-recorded and blasted out of very, very loud speakers.) I also think that the costumes limited the characters at times, most significantly the Beast who seemed like he didn't know what to do other than throw his hands in the air every scene, but that's to be expected. They did a great job blending the songs 'Belle' and 'Gaston' together. Somewhere between finally getting the DVD and the 3D release I grew rather tired of the 'tale as old as time.' I feel that I would have enjoyed this a lot more if I hadn't seen any form of it in a while.
"Fantasmic!" includes fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, and some worthwhile special effects as well. It would probably be very entertaining to watch from a closed in (soundproof) surface, but this sensory explosion takes place in a spot as open as can be. Actually, that's not a bad thing. But still. Included in this show are villains in their creepiest forms: Evil Queen as the wicked old lady, Maleficent's dragon, and Jafar's snake. There are also appearances by princesses, but the show does have a dark feel. It's an interesting idea, but the noise, noise, noise is rather offsetting and prevents the experience from being as enjoyable as it could be, especially for our family.
"The Great Movie Ride" is just another example of how Disney tends to forget that their theme park is named DISNEY World. This could have been a wonderful blend of Disney moments from the classics like The Jungle Book to modern successes such as Tangled. However, they only incorporate Fantasia and Mary Poppins. The rest of the auto-animatronic filled ride consists of a mishmash of old movies. Kids should be fine with the likes of the two movies previously mentioned and Wizard of Oz. However, the trams are taken over by 'gangsters' and 'bandits' and there's even an Indiana Jones scene in there. What I find truly unsettling is the inclusion of Alien. If that film is anything like its R-rated prequel (I've seen plenty a foul ad for that) I refuse to touch it and neither should Disney. This is another one of those rides Disney places a precaution on, for this very reason. This ride is great for old movie buffs but those who aren't will become bored (this is really, really old technology folks), creeped, or both. Disney does- and should- include a few rides that offer more of a thrill factor to appeal to adult park-goers. This ride idea just doesn't seem like that type of thing, though. It seems like a fun family time where everyone can cool off. Sadly, this isn't the case. I would love to reinvent this ride.
If I had been allowed on "Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playground" I so would have done it. It reminds me of the general feel of A Bug's Land in Cali. There are lots of slides and things to climb with a giant Playdoh container visible from the area outside. I'm sure there's a height limit though. This park is also home to a couple of stunt shows. "Indiana Jones" has pyrotechnics, fire, explosions, crashes, fights, etc. Not something for me. From what I've read, the attraction is outdated and only really interesting the first time around. This isn't the creepy Disneyland ride but it still isn't for the faint hearted. "Lights, Motors, Action!" is basically the same thing with cars. Lighting McQueen is even featured nowadays. The idea of it, a glorified car chase scene with interesting facts regarding how such scenes are filmed, isn't a bad one. Nevertheless, there's still a bunch of fire and pyrotechnics. This was closed when we were there.
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