Lunch at Hollywood Studios

My husband and I were in the area of the Disney parks last weekend, and when we got hungry we decided to head over to Disney's Hollywood Studios for lunch. One of the many perks of having a Disney annual pass is being able to go to the parks whenever we feel like it, even if its just for a quick visit! We chose Hollywood Studios because we like the variety and quality of their restaurants. My husband likes the buffalo chicken wrap from the Studios Catering Co., and I'm a fan of the fish & chips or chicken curry from the ABC Commissary. There's also Pizza Planet, the 50's Prime Time Cafe, the Hollywood Brown Derby, and more. On this particular visit, we decided to try out the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater for the first time (but not before running past the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror to pick up some fast passes for later).

When you first walk into the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater, there's not much to see. You're behind the movie screen, and the restaurant is on the other side of a large wall. They told us we would have to wait 15 to 20 minutes, but they called our name after 5. Once you walk down the long hallway and into the restaurant, its like you've been transported to another time. The large room is filled with cars converted into tables and booths. On one side is the movie screen, and at the back is the large concession stand/kitchen. It really feels like you're in a fenced-in lot, sitting under a beautiful star-filled night sky. Its pretty dark in the restaurant, so it was difficult to take any good photos. We were seated at a car with three rows of seats. A family of four took up the first two rows, so my husband and I sat side-by-side in the backseat. He ordered a cheeseburger, and I had the chicken sandwich. The food wasn't incredible, but it wasn't horrible either. The portions were very large, which meant no room for dessert. On the big screen, they were showing previews of 50's and 60's sci-fi monster flicks. No feature films here, like I had thought. Just quick, and entertaining, clips from various B-movies. It was a fun experience, and I'm glad we tried it.

We left the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater just in time to catch the beginning of the Pixar Pals Countdown to Fun parade. I love a good parade!

(check out my Facebook page for more pictures from the parade)

After walking around a little bit, we used our fast passes at Tower of Terror and headed back home. Just another fun and relaxing afternoon in Orlando!

Main Street in Motion

 Main Street in Motion was a special event hosted by General Motors, held in Epcot's parking lot on February 11th - 13th. During this event, visitors were invited to test drive Buick, GMC, and Chevrolet vehicles, and compare them side-by-side to their competitors. There were over 70 vehicles to choose from, including performance vehicles, sedans, truck, and SUVs. One of the biggest draws was the brand-new Chevy Volt electric car. The entire event was free, including free parking, entertainment, and snacks and sodas. There were salespeople available to answer any questions, but overall it was a no-pressure environment where you could test drive as many cars as you wanted all day long.

There were 6 different tracks available, the longest one being just a little over a mile long (for the Chevy Volt). You had to have a ride-along employee passenger with you for the Volt and the performance vehicles, but besides that you could drive any other car you wanted all by yourself or with your friends and family. There were even car seats available for kids (I saw a lot of families testing out the SUVs).

My husband had an absolute BLAST at this event. I mean, when else can you test out so many different vehicles in one day? And who knows when I'll get the chance to drive a Corvette again! By the end of the event, we had test-driven the Chevy Volt, Chevy Cruse, GMC Sierra, GMC Terrain, Nissan Murano, Lexus ES, Buick Regal, Buick Lacrosse, Acura TL, Chevy Camaro, Chevy Corvette, Chevy Silverado, Honda CR-V, and more! It's really cool when special events like this come to Orlando, and I'm glad we had the chance to check it out!

    
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Snack Shopping in Japan

Japan is probably my favorite of all the countries in Epcot. First of all, I love the yummy beef sukiyaki and teriyaki chicken from the Yakitori House. But the best part of visiting Japan, in my opinion, is browsing the massive Mitsukoshi Department Store. Stretching nearly the entire length of the Japan pavilion, the store sells Japanese clothing, toys, bowls and plates, tea pots, bonsai trees, pearls, kimonos, clocks, purses, books, collectibles, swords, and MORE. On this particular visit, however, I was interested in the food and snacks.

My husband loves the Japanese gummy candy, while I prefer rice crackers and Pocky sticks. This time, we both agreed on the "Hello Panda" chocolate-filled cookies. Most of the snacks are reasonably priced, usually between $2 and $4 each. Stocking up on goodies from Mitsukoshi is a MUST every time we visit Epcot. You can always find something new to try, and they are all delicious!