Dreamworks

 

Yesterday after I finished work we went to an annual passholder preview of the new kid area at Universal Studios. Previously the area was themed to Curious George, Fievel Goes West, and Woody Woodpecker. Now it’s to several Dreamworks properties: Shrek, Trolls, and King Fu Panda.

There’s a couple playgrounds and a small coaster. The Kung Fu Panda area has a screen where an animated character can interact with the audience, similar to the Turtle Talk show at the Seas in Epcot. We looked around and watched the show in the Dreamworks theater. It’s a cute show for kids, featuring songs and characters from Dreamworks movies, but it’s not something we will watch again. 

We also checked out the new Tribute store. It was cute, set up like an old video store and video arcade, and featuring merchandise and decorations from several 80’s movies.

Disney Dreams

This morning, Susan and I got up earlier to watch a special cast preview of a drone show coming to Disney Springs this summer. Cast members lined the walkway along the lake on the West Side of Disney Springs for the ten minute show.

The show was pretty neat, as the drones formed shapes of various Disney characters or objects while snippets of dialog, sounds, and music. I was pretty impressed. 

Yesterday we also went to Disney Springs. I wanted to get another light saber blade to go with the hilts we bought at the cast sale earlier this month, and to see if I could buy some Lego pieces I needed. We also looked around the World of Disney store and a few other spots. We ate lunch at Art Smith’s Homecoming for the first time. It was pretty good.

Star Tours

Last Saturday, Jenn organized another book signing for romance authors at her Barnes and Noble. Yesterday she and Susan drove up to Gainesville, where she met fans and signed books at a Barnes & Noble there.

Last month Disney added new scenes from the Ahsoka, Mandalorian, and Andor shows to Star Tours, so I’ve been wanting to get back to Hollywood Studios to ride it. Since Susan and Jenn were in Gainesville, I headed over after work and rode it twice. I love the way Star Tours rotates through multiple scenes because it makes it so repeatable, although this time I had the newest end scene twice. 

Today Jenn visited the Studios and Epcot with a friend, and rode my boat between the two. It was also the first day Friendship 5 was brought out of the marina with its new paint scheme.

Early May

On the first of the month, Jennifer helped with a book signing at a Barnes and Noble in Orlando.

The next day, she flew to Paris for a convention. It was held at the Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile, northwest of the Arc de Triomphe. She stayed with some friends at an Air B&B nearby. She attended the convention on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and flew home on Monday. 

Last Wednesday Susan and I went to Hollywood Studios, but only for a special sale for cast members in the store next to Muppets. Disney gave us great deals on some Star Wars and Marvel merchandise.

Yesterday evening Susan and I spent a few hours at Universal. We walked through Islands of Adventure and then took the Harry Potter train to the Studios. 

We then found out the park was closing early for a preview of the new Dreamworks area for employees. We walked over to do ET but it was closed for refurbishment, so we looked around a bit and did the new VillainCon attraction before heading home.

Book Conventions

 

Since becoming a writer, Jennifer has been attending a fair amount of book conventions and signings, and enjoying meeting with authors she admires.

This year she has done several signings locally, and last week she attended her first convention as an author, in Denver. Susan went with her to help her sell her books. It was held at the Gaylord Resort near the Denver Airport.

Meanwhile in WDW, work has continued on the new Cake Bake Shop at the Boardwalk. 

Other renovations are also ongoing. On Friday they removed the plaster from one section of the villas.

This weekend she attended a book convention in Washington, D.C. It was held at the Gaylord Resort at National Harbor.

Trains, boats, and monorails

I wanted to visit the Magic Kingdom last month to see the Easter Parade and the decorations at the monorail resorts, but we never made it. While Susan and Jenn attended a book convention this weekend, I decided to head in after work and check out the progress on the conversion of Splash Mountain to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. 

I went around the park on the train, but it was too crowded and hot to want to do anything else. I took a cruiser over to Fort Wilderness and had dinner at Trail’s End. 

I rode the ferry over and back and visited with the MK Watercraft cast members. While on the ferry, I took photos of the new DVC tower at the Polynesian Resort. 

I also rode the monorail to Epcot to see how the Communicore Hall was progressing. Throughout my time I asked the cast members I encountered for transportation cards, and was able to collect a few.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Monday after Easter we spent some time chilling at Typhoon Lagoon, and shopping at Disney Springs.

 

Last Tuesday we attended our first National League Hockey game. We arrived at Amalie Arena a couple hours before game began and enjoyed drinks and appetizers at the Cigar City brewpub nearby. Then we went in, grabbed some more food and drinks, and watched the warmups and game. The Lightning won, 5-2 over the Columbus Blue Jackets. It was a fun night.

Wednesday afternoon we met some friends from Oregon at Universal. It was their first time out to Florida. We walked through the Studio park to Diagon Alley, then took the train to Hogsmede. Then we walked through Islands of Adventure, stopping in Jurassic Park for a late lunch.

On Friday Jenn drove down to Coral Gables to attend an author signing event. On Saturday her Barnes & Noble held another event, at which she and several other writers signed books for readers.

Last night she went back to Tampa with a friend to watch the Lightning play the Buffalo Sabres.