This is Steve…my emotional support animal. Florida September 2025. Day 13

Last full day…sadness and mourning…this morning…

Stop rolling the ‘in memoriam’ feature Dean…it’s Hollywood Studios day!!! Low key probably my favourite park at Disney World…well; this or EPCOT. Leaving it until the last day? This may be a mistake..I just want to catch Fantasmic and ride Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster and I’ll be happy. Not that R’n’R is the greatest coaster or anything…but it’s due for a good ole Muppetting in the not too distant future; so gotta ride it with Gray before Dr Teeth spreads his Electric Mayhem everywhere (did that sound more of an innuendo than I intended??).

Anyways…arrive, park, through the gates and stroll down Hollywood Boulevard. Let’s not get caught up in the morning mayhem of rope drop Rise or Slinky…it’s straight to The Great Movie Ride!!! Wait? Sorry…Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Damn I miss the old movie ride…HOW DARE YOU STAND WHERE HE STOOD!!! (Yes I know…wrong park for this reference; stop judging me!!)

Mickey and Minnie trying to enjoy a nice couples day out and third wheeler Goofy just has to ruin the day. “Oooops, sorry folks, no idea what I’m doing”…yeah right Goofman, you just can’t let Mickey be happy can you??!!. Alaska, who is your favourite…”umm…I like the girls…all the girls”. The Spice Girls would have loved you kid…few decades too late; Guuurrrrrrlll Power!!!

Really fun ride…don’t get the daisy dance scene, but I guess they needed to shoehorn her in somewhere. The kids absolutely love this ride though…oh, yeah and the big kids too. Such a load of fun, and always great to see Gray and Alaska bouncing with excitement. Moments to thaw a frozen heart mun (there…a Disney reference…we’re back on track).

Make use of our photo pass outside the theatre (I’m slowly recouping this £200)…well; after another toilet trip for Alaska; she’s started a pre show pee dance now giving us a 5 minute count down to pee-mageddon. cheese 📸…lovely pic guys; really look like we love each other…between all the fights and tantrums.

Quick…Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster has a 15 minute wait…Grayson dons his bandana, and looking like a Van Halen ‘Jump’ music video extra we hurry before the limo leaves…time to get our backstage passes and hit up G-Force records one last time. An absolute classic…do Aerosmith have any Disney relevance anymore? Or relevance in general for that matter? No…but, you know…last run and everything…

Delays…always with the bloody delays. The limo broke down much like our transit van pre travel day, and poor Aerosmith are left stranded at the roadside with a 2 hour recovery window…bloody RAC. Guess we may have to miss the Aerosmith farewell tour 2025. Walked out like naughty groupies, we rejoin Jo and Alaska after a few air guitar poses outside the soon to be doomed attraction.

Catch up at the local Starbucks (Dean…resist the carrot cake cookie…) and head to Star Tours to see what mischief C3PO can cause now…honestly, just get your pilot license, this is ridiculous. Uh oh…that time of the day; Alaskas meltdown.

13 days is Alaskas limit…and this heat; my god it’s hot today (always is at Hollywood Studios). Poor thing breaks down and flat out refuses to watch C3PO’s catastrophe. Everyone knew about it…even the people actively telling Jo we should be smacking her to make her behave (bit of a juxtaposition surely…I’ll beat you until you behave; think that’s called ‘Fear’ not good parenting…I just don’t get it; this is Disney…the happiest place on Earth). Was reassuring to have the many others empathising and reassuring us that we were doing a pretty good job mind. It’s ok little Loo…luckily you have decent parents. Though I do feel like I could now negotiate a hostage situation after talking Alaska down…

I didn’t want to ride Star Tours anyways…cheers Alaska.

Gray and Jo have a pretty cool ride by all accounts…end up in Wookieville, then fly a half built Deathstar and have words with Vader…sounds pretty fun to be fair; thanks for nothing Alaska.

All that sitting in the sun, learning my new trade as a state of Florida Hostage Negotiator has really worked up my appetite and thirst…where better to go?; Baseline Taphouse. Our new favourite place for a light bite and beer in the sun; no not you Grayson…we’re in Orlando, not Merthyr…the drinking age is a little higher. You want overpriced Charcuterie and pretzels? This is the place for you…but we do keep coming back so…

Brilliant place to chill for half hour or so though and Grayson loves the meat (hmm, should we be worried??). “That cheese tastes like butts”…umm, when have you dined on butts Alaska? “Yeah it does taste like butts”, and when have you Jordan??!! Maybe we should talk…

Full of pretzel and feeling a little bit tipsy from my Mango beer (I blame the heat and tiredness…STOP JUDGING ME!!!), we headed to Galaxys Edge to help the resistance rise agains the First Order. “Nooo, I don’t want to help them…REN TIL THE END!!”. Calm down Alaska…just pretend you’re happy to be here.

80 minutes??!! Bloody hell…brace yourselves, place your bets…Grayson or Alaska; who’s gonna win. Ding Ding…Alaska in the first round, unlucky Gray…

“I’m a ninja…”, “sure you are..”. Ain’t no fooling the First Order kid, they just witnessed your sister lay the smack down on you (well..he’s been banging on about Dwayne Johnson all week…bout time I referenced him).

This ride really is incredible though…the pre shows, the second pre show, the Stormtrooper reveal, the third pre show (yeah…there are a lot of pre shows…it’s great the first time, but pretty infuriating to watch General Beck continually get us caught the more you ride it. Lots of fun…don’t you think Alaska; “I liked that!!”. Yep, kinda knew you did, you felt the same last time despite your protests today; was it really worth all the arguments babes?

Oh…hang on, Grayson has spotted a new pet to own. Batu market feels a little like a black market for wild caught galactic pets. Battle Armour Axolotl catches Grayson’s eye from a mile away, he’s decided…he needs this. Yeah, just like your bloody mother, a human magpie to shiny new animals (she did have dreams of being a Pokemon trainer one day; think she’s accomplished it). Gotta catch ‘em all…’Star Wars Galaxys Edge Wild Animal’ - mon; think the name needs some work.

With Steve at his side (yes Steve…it’s a pretty name), Grayson struts his stuff through Batu, casting aside Mando and Grogu…”Woah, watch out…there’s a wild pet coming through”. HEY!! Don’t speak about your sister like that (well…actually, given this morning meltdown, it’s probably accurate). Did he loudly announce this as he pushed through crowds of people like a Raptor trainer? Yes, yes he did. Did he leave people cowering at the wild animal? (No not Alaska, Steve)…also yes. Crazy kid mun.

Grayson joins the Batu fashion catalogue and has some cute ‘his and hers’ pet pics with Steve before heading to Toy Story Land for Alaska to finally ride Slinky Dog Dash. Literally all she’s wanted to do today (and her justification for her earlier meltdown). I get it…it’s awesome.

Absolutely love this little family coaster…and so does Alaska; like…she really really loves it. 60 minute wait…no problem, she’d wait all day for this and still be beaming with a smile. So damn cute. “OK…time for my slinky Dog Toy”. How can I say no? Like seriously…tell me how? I feel bullied by a four year old.

New toy acquired, Alaska now beaming with joy…time for inferior Maus Au Chocolat? Damn I’m so fickle…Toy Story Mania!!! We love this…little bit of family rivalry is a good thing right? Well only if I win…it’s a waste of time otherwise. Damn it Alaska, we’re an hour in…I really need to learn my lesson; make sure the kids are empty before we head into a long line. Come on then…

Luckily we’re allowed back just in time for me to trounce the rest of the family…luckily I had a little help from Grayson and Steve. “Dad…did I win?” Not even close sorry kid…but I have a feeling you’ll get better when you hit your teens 🙄😂.

Ok let’s give it another go…Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster is back open, and showing an inflated wait time…damn. Do we really need to ride it? Of course…how can I say I’ve ridden it for its last year otherwise?

An hour to get to where we were this morning…just a little further…delay; DAMMIT!!! This band are really milking their farewell tour. Just give me the passes and let us ride!!!

By now, daredevil Grayson was in full on panic mode, torn between wanting to be a fully fledged groupie (ummm…rockstar we want to be Gray), and just giving up on a shivering pile in the corner. Missing his new support animal; Steve (yes, he really has dubbed Steve his new support animal that makes him happy inside as well as out…awww), but wanting more than anything to throw horns into the camera as we’re launched like Lady Di in the limo (ooo, Dean…too much; my apologies…), we board the super stretch, and have the best final ride with Aerosmith (“who the hell are Aerosmith dad?”…).

Lots of fun, glad Gray experienced it (FRONT ROW at his request)…and of course; we got some merch; of course…over inflated like any good rock concert.

Meanwhile, Jo and Alaska had enjoyed the new villain show (and had taken Steve along to watch; Grayson was fuming). For now though…it’s time for Fantasmic!!!

The best show in Disney…sorry Happily Ever After; but you don’t have a Magician Mickey fighting water and villains.

Love this show, and always great to have Alaskas special Special Effects display…a solid lap farting; to be fair though…it was to the music. That’s impressive right?

Probably shouldn’t have sat so close to the front…think we’re in the splash zone. Fire, water…farts; we were doomed; and absolutely drenched by half time. Speaking of which…I’m sure the show isn’t supposed to stop here…oh no, why are the lights back on. More to the point…why are the water curtains still on??!! Left with a delay in the show, but not in the water effects…Mickey got the last laugh leaving us wetter than a poolside viewing at the Shamu stadium. Luckily though I had the farting princess to protect me…thanks Alaska babes.

The show finishes in the usual awesome fashion, and Mickey reins supreme once more…GOOOO MICKEY!!!

Despite the interruptions to service, the show was great as usual, so lush to see the kids beaming with joy and excitement, and we had a really nice chat to a couple from New Jersey. Lovely, down to earth people…it’s what we love about Disney.

Quick mad rush for some final shopping at Disney Springs, just about manage to catch Pizza hour at Cabana Bay (that’s not a real thing…but it should be), and get everything packed before bed.

It’s home time tomorrow…flight at 9pm though, so we get an almost full park day :)