Stars and FARTs - 01.24.26

Today was our first park day and we were splitting our time between Hollywood Studios and Epcot. Hollywood Studios is Avery’s favorite park due to the more intense rides while my favorite park is Epcot for the World Showcase. We started our day off bright and early by catching the Skyliner over to Hollywood Studios and rope dropping Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. This ride was less intense than I previously remember, which is a good thing for me as I am not the biggest fan of rides. After Rise we went on Toy Story Mania! which had a bit of a wait. I scored over 100,000 points but even with a combined score with Jen, Avery still single-handedly beat us by a significant amount. We then had a Lightning Lane pass for Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, a ride that I am a big fan of. Afterwards, we waited in line for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, a ride that Avery tells me I like even though my face suggests otherwise. For our last time on this ride before the retheming, we were sat in the very last row which had my head bobbing all over the place. For our last ride of the park, we had a Lightning Lane pass for Alien Swirling Saucers. Our original plan was to grab lunch at Hollywood Studios, but the park was abnormally busy, so we moved onto Epcot to grab some Festival of the Arts bites. 

We took the Skyliner over to Epcot where we grabbed some quick bites in Japan and Germany, despite the long lines and crowds. In Japan we went to Food Studio - Goshiki. I ordered the Sushi Doughnut (Doughnut-shaped Sushi with Salmon, Tuna, Shrimp, Cucumber, and Sesame Seeds over a decorated plate of Wasabi Aioli, Sriracha Aioli, and Eel Sauce) for $8.75 and the Wagyu Bun (Steamed Bun filled with Sweet-and-Savory Minced American Wagyu Beef) for $10.75. Avery and his mom ordered the Wagyu Bun as well. I enjoyed my food, Avery and his mom thought less highly of the Wagyu Bun. We then went to the Food Studio - Pastoral Palate in Germany. Here I ordered the Red Wine-braised Beef Short Rib (with Parsnip Puree, Broccolini, Baby Tomatoes, and Balsamic Glaze) for $8.79 and a Frozen Rose for $7.25. Avery ordered the Black Forest Cake (Chocolate Mousse with Morello Cherries and Chantilly Cream) for $4.99. Jen ordered the Red Wine-braised Beef Short Rib, and we split a Black Forest Cake. I really enjoyed everything here! With full bellies, we departed from Epcot to take a short midday break. We went back to the resort to rest before a long night back at Epcot. 

After our brief rest, we headed back to Epcot. This time, we were ride orientated. We got off the Skyliner, stopped in the United Kingdom at the UK Beer Cart where Avery and I got the Seasonal Hard Cider (pear) for $12.75 before heading over to Spaceship Earth. From Spaceship Earth we went on Soarin’ Around the World (Lightning Pass) and Living with the Land (Lightning Pass). We then got some festival bites at the Food Studio - Figment’s Inspiration Station at the Odyssey. Avery got Popcorn, Popcorn Chicken and Waffles - Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine (with Rainbow Popcorn, Popcorn Chicken, Mini Mozzarella, and Maple Syrup) for $6.79 and the Figment Fantasy Cake (Sponge Cake filled with Strawberry Whipped Cream topped with a White Chocolate Ganache, Orange Icing, and White Chocolate Figment Wings) for $5.79. The popcorn chicken and waffle were pretty decent, but we did not enjoy the cake much. From here we got bites and drinks at Choza de Margarita, one of my favorite spots in Epcot. We all ordered El Jefe (a grand expression of their traditional Fiesta Margarita (strawberry, classic lime, and mango)) for $18.00 each. I ordered the Tacos de Cochinita (Tender Citrus marinated Pulled Pork served on Corn Tortillas with pickled Red Onions and a Mango Habanero Relish with a side of Corn Esquites) for $12.95. Avery ordered the Pastor Quesadillas (Flour tortillas filled with pork pastor, Monterey Jack cheese, and pineapple relish with sides of salsa verde and esquites) for $13.50. Jen ordered the Tostada de Pollo (Crispy Corn Tortillas with Black Beans and Chipotle Chicken. Garnished with Crema Mexicana, Shredded Romaine Lettuce and Queso Cotija) for $11.95. There was a long wait for our food, but this stop is always worth the wait. After we were satisfied with the bold and delicious flavors, we went on Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros. We then headed to our Lightning Lane at Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. This was Avery and I’s first time riding the 2D version of this ride and we enjoyed it. From Remy’s we sped walked to get in line for Test Track before the park closed for the night. We made it with 2 minutes to spare and were some of the last people in line. This was also Avery and I’s first time on this ride since the new renovations. We waited nearly an hour, but it was the perfect way to end out our first park day of the trip.