updated  May 2, 2001

Our stop April 3, 1998 on the way to Hollywood-by-the-Sea

Friday

We arrived at about 5pm. Most of the parking lots were already full! We had to park near the Planet Hollywood, but out near the road.

We stopped at the new Lego store. The Lego sculptures are great. We especially liked the Dad camera man with plaid shorts and the sleeping man on the bench with sound effects. The prices in the store were a bit high (duh!). They were even charging for the catalog! The Magic Kingdom Club card did NOT work here. This store is not owned by Disney and therefore does not honor the discount.

We had dinner at Wolfgang Puck's Express. This used to be Minnie's Italian restaurant (although I don't think that was its name). The line looked long, but it moved quickly. It is cafeteria style serving. You have to know what you want to order before they will let you in the door. Seemed strange, since it would be nice to see the food first. Anyway, it kept the line moving well. The food was good and not too expensive. There is a real Puck's in the West Side. I imagine that the wait is much longer there. The wait at the Rainforest Cafe and Planet Hollywood was 2 - 2 1/2 hours according to the sign.

Yes, there is now a McDonald's at the shopping village. It is next to the Lego Land. Our son ate there with his grandparents. They said it was a very nice McDonald's.

The big, no, huge Disney store is neat. But, everyone thinks it is neat and there were so many people in there that it was hard to move around. Remember to use your Magic Kingdom Club card here, as it saves you 10%. Many of the items there were ones that we had just seen at The Character Warehouse at the Belz Mall at the end of Kirkman and International Blvd. The Character Warehouse is owned by Disney. It is a discount outlet. We found a great thing this year. They were selling blank shirts, t-shirts and polo shirts, at a discount. Then you can have them embroider any Disney character you want on it. You can also add your name. This saves money and is fun to watch.

We had dessert at Ghiardelli's (sp?). The ice cream was good, but the shop is crowded, confusing and noisy. We ate outside where it was quieter.

By this time it is 10pm and we are exhausted. As we are pulling out of the parking lot we remember why we came, it was to see the new Disney West Side. We never made it there. We will save that for the next visit.

Back To My Home Page