We return to Hollywood Studios, briefly perhaps, to see what other changes are going on around the Park. There have been several recent updates:

We’ll also return to go through my rope drop plan from the morning of May 5th shortly. Above is otherwise across from Mama Melrose and next to the Muppet Vision 3D exit.

You can see the rubble piling up above the wall. These are the most recent aerial shots that I’ve seen.

More like the Tearful Tower amirightguys as Disney tore it down overnight last week. I have just photoshopped the tower out of this picture. I am not really sure why I bother visiting at all when I could just draw the pictures myself.

The situation at the Streets of America is otherwise the same.

Whoever is making the “charcuterie and cheese boards” looks to have gotten their act together and is at least replacing the items that they sample off each one. Also they added back the Carrot Cake Cookie since I’m sure they got a couple dozen requests a day asking about them and then a couple of dozen blank stares when cast told them to go to Sweet Spells.

You might remember that there used to be some ummmmmmm “variety” in the offerings.

There are a few new items that commemorate the current name of the Park:







We’ll always have Great Movie Ride.

Disney is installing what are currently some pretty ugly projectors in front of the stage that’s in front of the Great Movie Ride building.

These will be used for the projections that go along with the upgrades to the Star Wars fireworks expected to debut next month.

Speaking of the most popular franchise in the world, these new designs are cool:















The Endor/Haunted Mansion mashup particularly stands out.

There is of course a multitude of stuff available. I will post some more merchandise the next time I am in the mood to copy/paste 1,000 pictures of t-shirts into six or seven posts.

I’m not sure if you’re missing much.

Rosie’s All-American Diner, which is part of Sunset Ranch Market on Sunset Boulevard on the left as you head towards Tower of Terror, added this Fried Green Tomato Sandwich back in September.

This is also where Fairfax Fare and their barbecue menu is located along with Catalina Eddie’s for pizza, Toluca Turkey Leg Co. for only the freshest garden salads turkey legs, and Anaheim Produce, which will try to convince you that Leinenkugel Shandy is craft beer.

$9.49 with Jalapeño Ranch, Pepper Jack, and Arugula on Ciabatta Bread served with Coleslaw or French Fries. What I initially thought was kind of strange was that the sandwich was topped with two thin slices of deep fried green tomato on top of two much larger, thicker slices of regular red tomato.

But that is apparently normal. Maybe if they fried all four slices the sandwich would be too greasy or “too much fried” as if that’s possible. Otherwise, I was more impressed with this than I was expecting to be. I would never be so dramatic as to say I was “dreading” trying it, but tomatoes are historically not really my thing, at least when it comes to the core components of a sandwich. But I really liked the spiciness of the cheese coupled with the spicy ranch dressing and the fried portion offered a nice crunch along with the raw tomato and arugula providing fresh vegetables in each bite. The fresh roll provided plenty of cushion for the fillings without being too thick. I think vegetarians are in luck here and while the whole bread, cheese, and deep-fried thing isn’t “healthy,” those looking for something that isn’t a gut bomb might also appreciate it. Surprisingly good I thought.

How does one reconcile that this has become their life? If you know the answer, you could save me a lot of money in therapy. In my online dating profile what do I write for profession? “Primarily updating the general public on changes to fast food menus at Walt Disney World Resort. Negatively. Very negatively.”

You may remember that portions of the Sunset Ranch Market seating area were behind walls over the last few months. They’re all out from behind walls now and Disney did a nice job with the new copper gutters and detailing, in addition to adding heat lamps throughout the area for the two or three nights each year that anyone in Florida would want to be in the same state as a heating device.

As previously mentioned, Oasis Canteen next to Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular dropped the popular funnel cakes when Studio Catering Co. closed. Presumably that’s to increase the number of installations offering “entrees” rather than desserts.

As I mentioned previously with Pizza Planet closed for another six months, Studios has limited options.

I am somewhat surprised that Disney doesn’t offer more sauces at the various quick services that serve up chicken nuggets.

Backlot Express used to serve what I thought were very good Buffalo Chicken Nuggets, which are no longer available. Why they couldn’t change the name to Millennium Falcon Buffalo Nuggets and stick a BB-8 figurine into the top of one of them I will never know.

As is tradition.

50 cents buys you a Sweet Chili-Glaze topping.

And I would go on the record and say the sauce is the exact same as what Mr. Kamal’s used to toss their nuggets in back in the day.

Disney typically does a nice job with their nuggets. They’re lightly breaded, meaty, and have a nice crunch with no grease or oil residue whatsoever. The sauce here really livened them up with an acute spiciness up front that is immediately tempered by a sweet aftertaste. I am not sure how long these will last as the only other people that I’ve ever seen in line were either buying a bottle of Diet Coke or asking where they can buy funnel cakes. But if you’re looking for a fast, no nonsense stop and the glaze sounds good then you might elect to try these. The one deterrent is the side of vegetables, which are garbage. You’ve probably tried this variety of old, soft, yucky carrot before. There’s nothing fresh about them. Fries would be a lot better imo.

In bad menu news, Brown Derby’s popular fettuccine is no longer a part of the lunch menu. Nothing says “Florida summer” like a heavy cream based sauce and pancetta I always say.

The Chicken Burger is still outstanding though and less money than two of Flame Tree Barbecue’s current quick service entrees. The burger is stellar as well.

“Cosmo.”

Anyone ever see anybody use the braille map? At least Disney updated it to remove Streets of America. They didn’t update the New Fantasyland version for years.

Ehhhhhhhhh.

That’s why they pay me the big bucks. Disney actually pulled down this canopy late last week. Hopefully temporarily.

I don’t get it.

The word “selfie” seems to be the same in every language as technology continues to bring us together so long as we don’t have to look up from our phones to experience it firsthand.

I’ll be back.