disney thrill rides

I have mentioned in the past that I do not share my husband and daughter’s fondness for thrill rides, and am in fact, a pretty major ride wimp. 🙂 There are *some* thrill rides that I will do, like Test Track or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, because they involve speed but no big drops. But for others, it’s just not happening for me….and that’s ok, it’s all good. They do the ride, and I do something else….

That “something else” is an evolving thing for me, and is in fact, one of the things I enjoy the most at Disney World. This is not to say that I don’t love doing things with my family….but an hour here or there to just explore to my heart’s content, doing just what *I* want, is pretty darn awesome.

So today, I want to share with you a little of how I spent my time this past trip at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, while DH and DD were riding those Thrill Ride Twins: Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. Let’s explore a little!

Sunset Blvd., the street leading to the Twins, is a fascinating place to wander around. I have always loved how each of the stores has a very unique “personality”: it is fun to browse around in each because you will find some items that you may not find elsewhere.

Love the Disney villains? Visit the Villians in Vogue store for things to commemorate your favorite anti-heroes, as well as Fantasmic items.

Are you a big movie buff? Check out the Legends of Hollywood store or the Planet Hollywood Super Store for things related to all kinds of movie-related (including Disney themed) items.

Looking for jewelry? Check out Sunset Club Couture. And if you are on a budget, no worries, you will find inexpensive items along the way.

Be sure to check out the architecture and details all up and down the street that are all meant to convince you that you are in 1940’s Hollywood: movie theatre, signage, old cars, and even a Victory Garden. Plus, there is the Beverly Sunset sweet shop with fudge and your favorite Disney-themed candy. 🙂

I popped into Starring Rolls Café, as usual, for a latte and one of their pastries.

Sometimes I will skip breakfast at the resort altogether and just do breakfast there: they have a great selection and the tables outside are perfect for relaxing a bit. There are also benches all along Sunset Blvd, which is a great place to people watch.

And by people watch, I am referring to the “residents” of Hollywood who are Disney castmembers who will just spontaneously start a conversation with each other, bringing guests into it, and just having a merry old time in the process. Stop and watch one day: I once spent close to 30 minutes enjoying the Hollywood Police Officer stop various guests, making sure they were obeying the “laws”. Of course, his “laws” were a bit, um, unusual, which made it even more fun to see people’s reactions to being cited for “wearing a shirt from an Unapproved Theme Park”….. 🙂 Other times you will find filmmakers in search of aspiring actors: Be careful, or you might find yourself auditioning for a role, whether you want to or not! It’s all in good fun, and a fantastic way to spend some time!

(Thanks to Brenda for the DHS residents of Hollywood pictures!! 🙂  )

My new favorite place is the Writer’s Stop, which is on the other side of the park, over on the Streets of America.  It was here that I went in search of the renowned Carrot Cake Cookie, and while I found the cookie, I also found a lovely, quaint, and honestly hidden little coffee/book shop where you can find all kinds of Disney-related books. You can get a latte or coffee here as well, and curl up in a cozy chair to read, relax and rejuvenate for a bit. Add in the Carrot Cake Cookie and its pure heaven. Our writer Kelly recently wrote a great review of the Writer’s Stop on her blog, Disney Guru: be sure to check it out to learn some fun facts about this lovely little store!

I always have a GREAT time while my family is off thrilling it away, and I usually smile to myself when we are reunited, because for some reason they are sorry for me! They think I am “missing out” and they feel guilty for leaving me while they are “off having fun”……

They don’t believe me when I tell them that I had fun too….but that’s ok with me. It’s my little secret. 🙂

Now you know it too!