Who Wants To Be A Millionaire—Play It!
Amanda was really excited about this, having had watched the TV show regularly years prior.  It was actually kind of neat.  There was a live host, who was actually pretty entertaining, and everyone gets a chance to play along.  The prizes are pretty tame; pins, hats, etc.  Still, this was an interesting concept, and I’d recommend it to those interested in trivia games, or those inclined to win themselves a baseball cap.
Grade: B

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!
I remember being a kid, and seeing footage of this show on TV, wondering to myself if I’d ever actually see it in-person.  It’s a lot of fun; there’s thrilling chases, wild brawls, explosions, etc.  My favorite scene was when Jones was fighting these mysterious Arabian guys in this marketplace, and people were literally being knocked off roofs, etc.  This is a staple of Disney-MGM Studios, and truly a worthwhile experience.

Here’s some of the cast, discussing an upcoming stunt.
Grade: A

While walking around, it’s always nice to grab an occasional snack or beverage.  As nightfall began, we felt the classic Mickey Mouse ice cream treat was a splendid idea.

And, although I enjoyed it, it was Amanda who really loved it.  It’s easy to see why, too; dark chocolate, premium vanilla ice cream, and everyone wants to take the first bite and chomp off an ear.

The Magic of Disney Animation
I’m realizing now that I didn’t take any pictures inside the actual exhibits themselves for this attraction.  However, at the end, there’s a section called the Animation Station, which is where these photos come from.  It’s an interactive hands-on area, which is kind of neat.  Back in the day, before computer animation took over, this exhibit actually allowed you to watch real Disney animators working on drawings each and every day, right in their very own offices.  Now, the exhibit itself isn’t anything to write home about, as it feels largely uninspired.

VIDEO CLIP
One of the hands-on areas was voice dubbing, where you can do the lines for character in an actual Disney scene and then play it back with your vocals substituting the actual dialogue tracks.  Here’s the last few seconds of my rendition of a scene in The Lion King.

We just thought this was cool, as the lights were constantly changing and it was kind of hard to pull your eyes off of it, plus we thought it’d make an excellent wallpaper on your computer.

This hands-on activity allowed you to change the colors of classic Disney animated characters.  It’s relatively simplistic, but still worth sparing a minute or two for.

This is my creation—which I feel is 10 years ahead of its time and a truly remarkable mixture of color, hue, and unadulterated “asskick.”

Finally, we took an actual drawing class, which they hold every 15 minutes or so.  Each class teaches the drawing of a different character, and we just so happened to get Winnie the Pooh.  Anyway, Amanda’s is the really suave one on the right, and mine is the abomination on the left that looks like a hybrid of Winnie and The Toxic Avenger.
Grade: B-

Fantasmic!
All four parks have some kind of nightly fireworks spectacular, but this park’s arguable got the best of them all.  Fantasmic! contains laser lights, water effects, music, live action, fireworks, and so much more in one of what they’ve dubbed an “incredible nighttime spectacular!”

These photos were taken before the show itself started—we had pretty good seats, but trust me, apparently this thing feels up to capacity each and every single night of the year, including the off-season.  You’ve got to wait in line exceptionally early, sometimes to just guarantee a seat whatsoever.  But, it’s totally worth it, as there’s nothing else like this show anywhere.

This is a blurry example of some of the water and light effects, these “dancing fountains” were doing all kinds of things, they even somehow projected video imagery on the mist of the water at various points, in a surreal visual.  In terms of pure aesthetic value, this show is mind-blowing.

It was nearly impossible to take any decent pictures, giving the lighting and pure pandemonium going on in front of us.  Near the end, tons of Disney characters appeared in a breathtaking scene, all leading to a crescendo of music and dance, and finally, a huge firework display.

This boat passed by contains a cornucopia of Disney characters, and although less popular titles like Atlantis and Little Bear were not showcased, dozens of others were in a spectacle of the highest order.  I don’t know if my meager descriptions have done this justice, but this show is truly a remarkable experience and totally recommended to all ages.
Grade: A+

On the way out, we stopped at some of the shops and took the prerequisite tourist photos.  I’m holding some ridiculous multicolored plastic sword and a gyrating robed Mickey Mouse figurine, and wearing a special St. Patrick’s Day hat.

Amanda is overcome by Disney fever.

Other Stuff:
There’s always some rides and attractions that you won’t have time to see, or stuff that just doesn’t interest you enough to warrant waiting in long lines to experience.  Here’s a list of the stuff we skipped: Playhouse Disney—Live on Stage! because you’ve obviously got to be three, or have children of your own, to enjoy holding hands with the cast of Bear in the Big Blue House and doing the tango; Beauty and the Beast—Live on Stage, which we considered but didn’t have time for, it’s advertised as a “magical Broadway-style production”, so if you like that sort of thing then go nuts; and lastly, Sounds Dangerous—Starring Drew Carey, which received horrid reviews, and used the word “wacky” in its advertisement, so that was about enough to encourage me to pass it up.

We did do Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream, which is more for the older crowd interested in knowing background information on the main man himself.  It leaves out the dark side of the Disney empire, regretfully, but you can find access info on that online.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this peek into our adventure at Disney-MGM Studios.  Over the course of the next several weeks, be on the lookout for reviews on three more Disney parks.  Share your comments, questions, and personal Disney stories in the blog; later!

Overall Grade: A-
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- Brian