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We spent one day at Hollywood Studios. My wife and I were at the "ropes" ready to enter. I headed for Slinky Dog to meet our family. It was a great attraction for young and old in the Toy Story section. And it's a good choice for a "rope drop" attraction.
My fave was the Star Wars area and the Rise of the Resistance- it's worth paying extra for this one.
There are shows, which allow for a needed break. My fave was the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular- Warning it's loud and some scenes can disturb young children.
Here's a video clip from one of the scenes.
We rode the Aerosmith coaster. The launch was the best part-flipping around in the dark didn't do much for me and I love coasters.
There are a lot more attractions here offering a day of fun for all ages. As usual, prepare to walk a lot--there are 17 attractions in 135 acres.
Some other family favourites
Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway
Frozen Celebration Sing Along
Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy
A Few More Photos
Notes from 2022
We stayed at the Carribean Beach Resort. The skyliner goes directly to Hollywood Studios from the resort.
We've been to the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida a few times but 2022 was special because it was the first time with our grandchildren and so well organised by our son and daughter-in-law.
I still love roller coasters so it was fun to ride the tame but classic Thunder Mountain with my son and grandson. We actually rode it twice! Note. My granddaughters have reached that age where they ride together without a parent or grandparent.
There are lots of shows, which offer a cool break from walking--especially on hot and humid days.
For example--
Monsters, Inc-- so many laughs
Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress-- a nostalgic throwback to the World's Fair exhibit, which I saw in 1964
The grandchildren loved many of the simple rides too like the Carousel and The Magic Carpets of Aladdin.
The Jungle Cruise was a nice rest break filled with silly puns.
Space Mountain was too dark for me. I like to see the action when on a rollercoaster but we did it anyway. And I'm glad we did.
When you hear the drums, you know a parade is coming.
So, we ate some good meals at the Magic Kingdom.
The Plaza restaurant was very good. My wife and I shared a meal so we could get dessert. The photo isn't our dessert but gives you an idea of a real treat.
On the last day at WDW, my daughter-in-law had reserved a late morning meal slot at Chef Mickey. We took the monorail from the Magic Kingdom, shopped, rested, then enjoyed good food with a great view and good service. We returned to the Kingdom for the long evening to take in the fireworks show.
The 50th anniversary fireworks show was impressive--we're glad we stayed even though we were tired after 5 long days.
Well, we did other things too. I don't have photos of everything.
If you are heading to Walt Disney World, Best wishes!
👉My daughter-in-law booked the park selection and restaurant meal times well in advance. It's hard to get in at the last minute. Friends wanted to join us on the last day but could not enter the Magic Kingdom because it was full.
👉 Getting light meals during the day requires ordering in the Disney Mobile app to get a good time at many food places. For example, book by 10 am for a noon lunch.
👉 My son and daughter-in-law were busy during the day booking us entry into rides and shows using Genie+ We all appreciated their hard work! We bought Genie+ on several days. It is an extra charge but I don't see how you could get a lot done without paying the extra fee that lets you quickly enter the lightning lanes on popular attractions.
👉 It's often sunny! So pack or buy sunscreen, protective clothing and a sunhat, and sunglasses.
👉 It's busy and the wait lines are long- suggestion- study a physical map and the Disney app before you go.
👉 The internet can be a problem. Some visitors reported losing access. Physical maps can be a lifesaver and a battery saver.
👉 In case you hadn't heard, food is very expensive but you can bring food and drink into the park and there are places to fill water bottles.
👉 Our Disney Wrist bands worked most of the time for park entry and entry into rides we reserved on Genie+ but they don't work all the time. Be prepared for short delays while staff sort the problem.
👉 Plan for "rope drop." For example, one day we arrived early and I quickly got in line for Slinky Dog in Hollywood Studios. If you stay at a Disney Resort, you can enter a half-hour early. BUT- not every section in a park is open early so have a couple of options in mind for a last minute switch.
👉 Buying and trading Disney pins is still popular.
👉 You can purchase professional photos for your visit. Look for people with pro-cameras and present your wristband to add the photo to your Disney collection. A group can share photos. It takes extra time to stop and pose but you get a few choices from each session and some fun shots added by the Disney IT folks.
👉 We needed to recharge our phones so you may need a portable charger. My son gave me an Anker for Christmas, which worked well with my Pixel phone. He had a charger that attached to the back of his iPhone.
👉 Attractions and times change. Some shut down during the day. Verify plans the day before and have alternate plans for last minute hassles. We were stuck on a boat ride in Epcot that broke down. Finally pressure on staff let us exit along the pathway and we got to our next scheduled ride.
Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida is our favorite park. I appreciate the creation of a massive garden with a creative blend of natural and artificial plants.
We were with grandchildren so our day wasn't just about the animals. We all enjoyed the Avatar ride in the Pandora section, which we headed for as soon as the park opened (called "rope drop").
Photo provided by Disney
We were wowed by the wood carvings in the baobab tree sculpture known as the Tree of Life. There are more than 300 animal sculptures. Our grandchildren delighted in finding them.
The animal safari ride is a must do attraction. This is the only time in our 5-day visit that I carried a small camera with a zoom lens instead of relying on my mobile phone.
Suggestion- walk past the falls to see the gorilla.
There's a petting zoo too.
If you need a break, there are shows throughout the park. My wife particularly liked the show from the lakeside arena.
Photo by Sandy*
And keep an eye out for character parades.*
After our grandchildren left, my wife and I walked the Tiger Trail.
And we sat down for a sesamee chicken dinner before taking the park bus to back to our unit in the Caribbean Resort. The best part of this meal getting quick service without having to plan ahead using a mobile app.
Animal Kingdom is the first of the parks to open. Hours vary. For us, the hours were 8 to 8. By staying on property, you get in a half-hour early.
We did not use Genie+ at Animal Kingdom and still got Avatar Flight of Passage and the Kilimanjaro Safari without excessive wait times.
I set my Lumix camera on the recommended sports scene setting to capture quick shots of animals during the safari ride. It's the only time I carried a camera so I could have a decent optical zoom lens but I wouldn't carry a heavier camera.
* Photos by Sandy Sutton using a Google Pixel 4 phone camera
Westminster Bridge connects the City of Westminster to Lambeth. In the distance you see the Elizabeth Tower (location of Big Ben) of Westminster Palace (Houses of Parliament).
The old Westminster Bridge opened 18 November 1750.
The current bridge was the scene of a terrorist attack 22 March 2017.
Below is a video clip showing the flowers on the bridge
It's a popular photo stop
The bridge was designed by Swiss architect Charles Labelye and was built by Charles Labelye and George Dance. The current bridge was opened in 1862.
London Millennium Footbridge opened for pedestrian traffic 10 June 2000. It's usually called simply Millennium Bridge.
On that first day, close to 90,000 people crossed the bridge.
Millennium Bridge is a steel bridge that crosses the Thames River between St Paul's Cathedral on the north side and the Tate Modern Art Gallery on the south side. The tall chimney in the distance is part of the Tate Modern.
Not seen but nearby is the Globe Theatre, which is east of the Tate Modern.
In the photo below, you see St Paul's Cathedral from the Millennium Bridge.
You might like this fun and
informative guide to British words and phrases.
The Millennium Bridge was designed by Foster & Partners, Arup Group and Sir Anthony Caro². It was London's first new pedestrian bridge for over a century². The design was chosen through open competition and was won by Foster & Partners and Sir Anthony Caro with Arup².
The bridge is 325 meters long and 4 meters wide.
Sources
Conversation with Bing, 3/26/2023(1) Who designed the Millennium Bridge in London?. https://yoursageinformation.com/who-designed-the-millennium-bridge-in-london/ Accessed 3/26/2023.
