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Wednesday, June 30, 1999 - Day 5
| Seth
and Elana feed the ducks off the back porch
(As our Saga continues, the Canetti family, bushed from a long night in Magic Kingdom,
are facing an adventure and surprise in MGM Studios.)
I slept until 10:00 and ran to Goodings for milk and got gas, while the rest of the
family got up and showered. I tried the detour to 535 to see where it took me. While
it’s a good alternative, it really does go a bit out of the way and since Hotel Blvd
isn’t that bad, I wouldn’t bother. |
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| The bus we took was marked MGM/EPCOT and I was told this was a
fairly recent change. The OKW bus route goes to both parks until 5:30, then become
individual routes. I decided to rent an ECV again, after my experience last night. We
decided to see Doug! first and while we waited for the next show, Judy and the kids
went to the Dockside Diner to get shakes. While we were waiting, Judy found out from a CM
that the Rock n’ Roller Coaster was having a soft opening. She told us that we should
wander by Hollywood Blvd around 7:00 to check it out. We were admitted and were guided to
the wheelchair area in the back row. You really need to pay attention, because I turned in
a row to early and hit a dead end where the control booth was. Boy, was I embarrassed. As
they were asking for volunteers, all three of my kids raised their hands.Elana was
disappointed when they announced it was only for older kids. We were wearing our DVC
online shirts and the red must have caught the CM’s eye, because he pointed to the
"boy in the back row." As Seth started to move forward, the guy said "not
you, the guy next to you" pointing to Sara! Well, her hair was tied up and it
was dark and we were in the back.... The show was cute. I’ve never watched the
cartoon, but my kids assured me that it was true to form. Sara got to play one of the
members of the rock group from the show and she was only on for what seemed like seconds,
but it was fun nonetheless.
By the time we got out, the sun finally started to break out and we headed to The
Great Movie Ride. Sure glad this queue is under cover. The line was mostly indoors and
the wait wasn’t too bad. I waited in line with everyone else, but when we got to the
inside area, where the movies are, the CM directed me around the winding queue line to the
front. Even if I had boarded at that point, it would have only been a small savings,
because once you get into that area, the line moves quickly. But the CM directing people
where to stand held us up for a while and I got the distinct impression that he was trying
to send us in the relative spot we would have gone if we were standing in line. We got the
gangster scene, which I’ve decided I like better.
It was getting close to our dinner reservation at Mama Melrose, so we headed to
Muppetvision
3-D (we surrender! We surrender!) and got out just in time for dinner. My bad, I forgot
to write down what we had, but as always, it was good. I know Judy had the salmon, because
that’s what she had at every meal.
After dinner, we did the Backstage Tour. We sat in front with the tour guide and
I found him extremely boring. He looked bored and was just reciting the script. After the
tour, we headed toward Hollywood Blvd to see if Rock n’ Roller Coaster was open and
as we got close, we saw people heading in. Yes! |
| You enter through two huge gates that appear to guard a private mansion.
Either because it was a soft opening or because of the queue lines, the CM said I
couldn’t take the ECV inside, that I had to transfer to a regular wheelchair. Since I
was told the line was short, I figured I could walk from there, so I parked it off to the
side. The line winds around what appears to be the outside of a recording studio, with
rock n’ roll memorabilia on display. The preshow brings you into the recording studio
where Aerosmith is wrapping up a session. The foreground is all real and the background is
a project on the rear wall of Aerosmith, their agent and recording personnel that looks
all too realistic. Their agent/manager beckons the group out to the waiting limo and as
they leave, one member of the group (Steve Tyler?) asks about us. The agent reluctantly
replies that we can come too. We go through a door an enter an underground garage. Through
the cyclone fence, we see a 50s style limo take off, with tires squealing. We’re told
to pick our lane, two to a lane and Sara and I get in one car, with Seth right behind us.
There are four sections to the car, six seats each. We get whipped around the bend and
with the same squeal of tires accelerate from 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds. Smile as the
flashbulbs pop, since you’re getting your picture taken. The ride whips us through
the dark with signs popping out at intervals, to make you feel like your on a California
freeway. The 120 speakers in the car and 900 speakers throughout the building blasts the
Aerosmith song Dude Looks Like a Lady. |
 Notice the
DVC On-line shirts! |
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I’ve been told that there are five different songs, including a
rewritten Love In An Elevator (Love In A Rollercoaster.) The ride lasts all of 105
seconds and we all agree it’s not long enough. Pardon my youthful exuberance but It
Rocks!
We exit through the obligatory gift shop and happily spend our dollars buying t-shirts, a
pin and the photo. As we exited, we found out how lucky we were, since the ride was
experiencing technical difficulties and was closed. It was raining and with the exit on
the opposite side of the building, I had to retrieve the ECV. They were closing the gates,
but the CM let me get my family together for one photo in front of the huge guitar.
You’ve all seen the picture, the one that morphs into a roller coaster track.Judy and the kids in front of Rock n' Roller
Coaster |
| It was close to 8:30, and despite the rain Fantasmic was still
on so we headed across the street into the entrance. As I made my way up the hill, a CM
greeted me and asked me if I’d like to be escorted. She found me a lovely spot in the
back, slightly to the left (I forgot to make note of the section.) Getting in 45 minutes
early seems to be a perfect time. We were entertained by Lou and Delman, two comics
pretending to be stage hands. Next the acappella group Four For Dollar entertained us.
Vendors sell assorted snacks while you wait. We bought five chipwhich like ice cream
sandwiches that were good, but frozen solid. The sky cleared as the show started promptly
at 9:15. What a wonderful show. We exited the way we came in and noticed that the Rock
n’ Roller was open again, but the line was out the gate. We headed toward Star
Tours, but first stopped off at the new sound show, Dangerous Sounds, which was
hosted by Drew Carey. I did not care for this new show. A warning for small children or
those afraid of the dark. Seven of the twelve minutes is spent in complete darkness. You
listen to the sound track through headphones. I won’t bother with the story. Needless
to say, it’s all about sounds and listening. I miss the first Monster Sound Studio
with Martin Short and Chevy Chase. We ended the evening with Star Tours and headed home. |
  
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