Birthday Trip To The Lodge - Day 9 Dec 4 DHS, Slinky Dog and Biergarten

Back to the Studios today as I had managed to get coveted Slinky Dog Dash FP's!! Whoohoo!!! Arrived in what I thought was good time but there was a LOT of people at the park that day, so many they had to open more security gates to reduce the crowd waiting. Once in, straight to Toy Story Land and as had a bit of time to wait and TSMM had a 10 minute wait, went in there. Once in, we asked to go through the "no walking" line and so used the accessible car. No-one else waiting for it so straight on which is a first for us! When we got back they said as no-one else waiting so would you like to go round again? Of course we said. I still scored worse than DH, but one day....
Next up was Slinky Dog Dash, as DH has a new heart condition needing a lung and possibly heart transplant ( we'll hopefully know next hospital appointment ) I must have asked a hundred times if he was sure he wanted to ride. He was and on we got. WE LOVED IT!!!! It's sooooo much fun, the 2 launches, Slinky "talking" as we go round, the camelbacks. Fantastic ride. Getting off though DH's heart was racing so he needed to do nothing for a while, so he pin traded and chatted and I got myself a DAS to ride again. It was about an hour to wait but got talking to the CM's on the little merchandise cart. My DAS time came and I was a little nervous going it alone in the crowd but the people around didn't crowd me and in FP line there was empty queue space to one side so I was fine. As a single rider a lady with 4 children asked if minded riding with one of them as ( I think ) too small to ride alone. I said I don't if they don't, so I sat with a pre-teen who hadn't ridden before. She totally enjoyed it, as did I.
Afterwards we headed to Star Tours, and got a ride with film we hadn't seen before so that was good, and after a quick Mickey bar decided to head over to Epcot via the boat.
Once arriving through the International Gateway ( that bridge is hard pushing a wheelchair ), there was a Photopass CM on the bridge by France so lined up to get our pic with the Eiffel Tower. Looking at the app, Frozen Forever After had a about an hour wait time so headed there and got a DAS for it. We spent the wait time in the shops and the Church which had an exhibition on the Norse Gods in there. Worth a look if you have the time. We enjoyed the ride, especially the "ice" and lights as you go backwards from Elsa but the line is crowded and tightly packed. If you've read my previous posts you know I have GAD and crowds are an issue I'm working on, but alone and without either a FP or DAS there's no way I could have done that line without seriously freaking out.
Our ADR at Biergarten was coming up so headed there with fingers crossed we get more chatty tablemates than our previous visit. We did. Boy, did we ever. They put us with 3 other couples of around our age or bit older and we got on FAMOUSLY!!! So much so that nearing 2 hours ish later we got our checks without asking and an unsaid "we need the table, get out" LOL. We did swap e-mail addresses but unfortunately somewhere between packing up and the UK they went missing :-(
Coming out refreshed, we decided to stay for Illuminations which we hadn't seen before. We went to the disabled viewing area opposite America and by now it had got cold! DH bought me a fleece throw with WDW icons on such as the Castle, Tree of Life etc to keep me warm. We'd seen lots of other people wearing them and it did the trick. Illuminations was pretty spectacular but near the end it was fingers in ears time for me as it was LOUD!!!
After the show we joined the throngs heading for the exit, DH holding a mini Maglite so I could see where I was pushing him and not hit anyones' ankles ( why are the parks so dark? ). Liked the glittery walkways and "Happy Christmas" projected onto Spaceship Earth in different languages.
It was a long day ( for us ) but a good one. :-)