Back to your childhood in WDW ^^

Walt Disney had many dreams throughout his life and although he is no longer with us, I'm pretty sure he'd be happy to know that in 2008, his parks are thriving and bringing magic to all who visit.  And after a recent trip to Hollywood Studios (formerly named MGM) it is still a splendid place for kids and grown-ups alike.

If you are a Florida resident, it will behoove you to buy your ticket online before you go.  Unfortunately, the Disney website is the only place you can receive this discount though.  Online it costs $67.50 for an adult ticket versus $75 at the park gate.  But you have to register with them first and it may be a troublesome process--at least for me it was.  So if you are set on the discounted price, don't wait until the last second.  Once you're inside the park though, hopefully you'll forget about the price you paid, whatever it was, because you'll be enjoying yourself so much.  

Going during the off season was a wise choice since the lines were short and the weather simply perfect.  It made the experience seem like a vacation even though we actually live in Orlando.  Disney also offers a service that helps you get to the front of the lines even faster--and its free of charge.  Unlike Universal's Express Pass where you pay extra to get VIP status at each ride, Disney's Fast Pass gives you the opportunity to plan ahead and know that you won't have to stand in line for 2 hours.  You simply insert your park ticket into the Fast Pass machines and out pops another ticket for that particular ride.  Printed on the ticket is the time range where you can return and proceed to the front.  It seemed to be a popular activity and when we chose to use this service we were extremely happy with the results.  Instead of waiting 90 minutes to ride Aerosmith's Rockin' Roller Coaster we used our Fast Pass and waited only 15 minutes.  Even though the coaster was awesome and set completely in the dark, it would have been disappointing had we waited even 30 minutes.

The park itself was very clean and well organized.  The maps were great, the bathrooms sanitary, and the staff very friendly.  The food choices seemed to have improved from my previous time there as a kid.  They had healthy stands serving fruits and cut up veggies as well as the normal park fare of hot dogs, pretzels and ice cream.  And of course if you wanted to sit down to eat they have the Brown Derby and a host of other restaurants to accommodate you.  

The attractions were, overall, enchanting.   Yet, some were definitely geared towards a younger audience such as Toy Story's experience.  But for two 25 year-olds, we were thoroughly amused the entire day.  Our favorites were the famed Tower of Terror, the Studio Back Lot Tour, the theatrical Little Mermaid Show and getting to meet Sully and Mike from Monster's Inc.   What can I say, it's fun to pretend you're only 9 again.