The Life of a VIP - Adventures By Disney Backstage Magic About This Page:

[mojjo]

Can't go wrong with a Mickey waffle. Sounds like quite a lot packed into just a morning.

[chezp]

Oh wow, another great update - this tour sounds so cool!

[Desurae]

Loving the tour!! It sounds amazing so far!! Can't wait to hear more!

[KMB733]

Great update! Sounds like the tour is off to an amazing start. Loved the pictures of the Alice in Wonderland props!

[mcc0313]

Wow talk about a filling morning (that I am sure started much earlier for you then teh resot of your touring group . What a great spot for breakfast, and you can't go wrong with a mickey waffle for breakfast. You seem to have covered so much in such a short period of time. It is really cool how much was on the same block as your hotel.

[mommapants]

lovin' the TR, keep the updates and photos coming.

[OhToodles!]

Awesome!

[dsteiny23]

Originally Posted by PrincessSharon

Dawn, I totally thought of you when I typed that! And I'm so excited for Sunday, but so sorry it's ending, too. But I can't even guess what's going to happen!

Well, at least you didn't say "crack of..." my least favorite expression.

Now, is there really any choice between eggs and a Mickey waffle?? (And I do love me some eggs.) Love the Alice decorations at the theater, especially right on the organ. Very cool. Did you look around for the ghost after he mentioned it?? I mean how cool to see some kind of hip happening cat ghost, right? Either that or Jim Carrey is running around with his Mask costume on.

[PrincessSharon]

Originally Posted by mcc0313

Wow talk about a filling morning (that I am sure started much earlier for you then teh resot of your touring group . What a great spot for breakfast, and you can't go wrong with a mickey waffle for breakfast. You seem to have covered so much in such a short period of time. It is really cool how much was on the same block as your hotel.

And this wasn't even our busiest day! The ABD folks really keep you moving!

Originally Posted by dsteiny23

Well, at least you didn't say "crack of..." my least favorite expression.

Now, is there really any choice between eggs and a Mickey waffle?? (And I do love me some eggs.) Love the Alice decorations at the theater, especially right on the organ. Very cool. Did you look around for the ghost after he mentioned it?? I mean how cool to see some kind of hip happening cat ghost, right? Either that or Jim Carrey is running around with his Mask costume on.

I almost did use that expression! Then I thought about you and didn't. Actually, I was going to say "butt crack of..." Even worse, I guess. Disney's Soda Fountain doesn't serve breakfast except to ABD, so that's why our choices are somewhat limited. And I didn't see the zoot suit ghost. There have been other ghost sightings there too. Not sure I'd want to walk around alone in there.

[PrincessSharon]

Standard disclaimer: This is a detailed TR with many spoilers. If you don’t want to know all the details, stop reading. Also, there are some things listed on the itinerary and some things not listed on the itinerary. For things not listed, I will post an additional spoiler warning, in case you want to read about it but not spoil all the little surprises.

Also, some of these photos were taken by my fellow Adventurers Lynne and Heather. And my self-imposed Memorial Day Weekend deadline is fast approaching, so this is a long update (with lots of pictures). Hope you enjoy it!

Day Five, Part Two
It was just an honor to be nominated!

There was a coach waiting for us behind JKL, so we climbed aboard. We were heading to Jim Henson Studios, but on the way, we got a mini tour of Hollywood. First we passed the In-N-Out Burger a few blocks from the hotel.



We passed the well-known comedy club the Laugh Factory.



And the infamous Chateau Marmont.




Our driver continued to point out points of interest.











We did hit a little traffic, but it wasn’t too long before we approached the Jim Henson Studios. I could tell when we got close.



The Jim Henson Studios used to be Charlie Chaplin Studios (and after that the home to A&M Records), and there are still many tributes to the old days.











Many studios in L.A. give tours, but not Jim Henson Studios. The only way to get on the lot is to be working there or to take this ABD. Since we were ABD, they opened up the gate for us.



I’d been on the Warner Brothers and Universal lots, so it really struck me how small this lot was. And since it was in a residential area, all the buildings were designed to look like bungalows. It was actually kind of charming. And inside, there were more Henson touches.





We took a group photo before splitting into two groups. The guides offered to take pictures with our cameras as well as their cameras. This was always a long process. Today, they got smart and recruited some of the Henson employees.





Our tour guide was Grant, who’s also the host of the Henson.com podcast. We weren’t allowed to take pictures inside the stages (they locked our cameras in a box). The creature shop unfortunately was filled with computers because they’re working on motion capture projects right now. We were able to go in a studio and see the motion capture computer program and how the puppeteers use it. I’m not doing it any justice at all, it was pretty cool.

Then we went into a small theater and saw a film showing the history of the studio starring a couple of puppets (they have to say “puppets,” because Disney owns the “Muppets”). It was hilarious, of course. It was a sort of “man on the street” type interview show, and the interviewer guy was really annoying but very funny. I forgot the name of the puppet, but he was great. He was a pig with a combover and his partner was a bull. The pig guy was doing his interviews, asking ridiculous questions and everything and then when he found out that “We Are the World” was recorded at the studio, he got all fanboyish and stalkery and they ended up getting thrown out. The movie, we later found out, was made especially for the ABD tours (because as I said, they don’t give tours to regular people ).

Then we got to see the big soundstage where they film Sid the Science Kid. It was just a big black room with a bunch of little dots stuck to the walls and set pieces, which were like cubes made of PVC pipes in the basic shape of what it’s supposed to be. The computer uses the little dots to determine placement and scale, and then it replaces the PVC cube with whatever it was supposed to be. We also saw a short film about how they do the motion process capturing for Sid the Science Kid. That movie is cute too – Sid asks his parents where he came from, and then the answer is this really complicated computery/engineery answer.

And finally, Grant gave us a demonstration of how they film with the puppets. The puppeteer is positioned below the stage, and he needs to hold the puppet high up over his head. They have a monitor so they can see what’s going on, but they need to learn how to do things in reverse, since what they see is kind of a mirror image of what they’re doing. It takes a lot of practice!

When that was over, we got a group photo with just Michael’s group.



We had time for a restroom break and I wandered around. I found Charlie Chaplin’s footprints made with his famous tramp shoes.



When the other group was done with their part of the tour, it was time for lunch. There is a little tiny kitchen (since they don’t normally hosts so many guests at once), so they had the food set up for us in advance. They had some picnic tables set up for us.



I had the shrimp pasta with a salad and chocolate chip cookie for dessert. It looked pretty good.



It was just okay, but I can’t really expect more considering what they had to work with. The salad and cookie were yummy! Grant came out and offered to pose with us with his panda puppet, which he’d used for the demo earlier.



And once everyone posed, Jaime got in on the act, too.




Both our guides were so great! I expected them to be, because that’s a big selling point for ABD, but still, they were great!

There was a big dinosaur there that was used in one of the Flintstones movies.



Then we got to go into their reception area. That was very cool. We were allowed to get pictures, so you’ll see for yourself. Kermit was there to greet us!


You’ll notice I dressed for the occasion













This is where they have the awards won by the Henson Company.



And we got to hold one of the Emmys!



“It was just an honor to be nominated”

Once everyone had gotten to take a picture with the Emmy, our guides posed.



And then, they hammed it up!





Love those guys! They’re the best! We were done, so we headed back to our coach, saying farewell to Kermit.



Continued…

[chezp]

Superb update Sharon - I am loving this report!

[PrincessSharon]

The next stop was a surprise. SPOILER WARNING! Skip to next post to avoid spoiler. We were on our way to Griffith Park to see Walt’s Barn. This isn’t listed as part of the itinerary because the barn is run by volunteers and they’re not always available to open it. You can visit the barn for free and ride Walt’s train on the third Sunday of each month, but since it was Wednesday, we were the only ones there.





One of the volunteers gave us a history of the barn and the train. Walt Disney’s love for trains is well known. He had a miniature train built in his yard and would give rides to people in the neighborhood. He also built a barn to house the workings of the train and had the barn designed after an old barn on his family farm (he even had it built with sags in the roof and over the door, just like an old barn). He wanted it to have a weathered look and the volunteers maintain that today. In fact, the barn was looking too “new,” so they recently repainted it with the special “old barn” paint.





The train can only hold a dozen or so passengers at a time, so we split into three groups. My group ended up shopping first. There were books, pins, shirts, etc. I bought a pin and a wooden block thingy that mimics the sound of a train whistle (which my nephew, Isaiah, loves). It’s surprisingly realistic.

Our next shift was inside the barn itself. This was my favorite part. I could really feel Walt’s presence inside the barn. There was a lot of memorabilia inside. I took tons of pictures.




















The original plans






The last remaining piece of original track






That is a Disney Legends award

















I think you can read what the card says about that hat. It made me think I would really like both Lillian and Walt. I definitely love Walt’s snarky sense of humor!

You could really sense that Walt spent a lot of time in there. He used to go out in the morning and actually shave at the sink in the above photo. The train was a minor point of contention between Walt and Lillian. She wanted flowerbeds in their yard and he wanted a train. He actually had a berm built up so that they could both get what they wanted, and had a legal document written up to say which part of their yard he could use. That’s the only way Lillian would agree to it. It was really wonderful to get to visit Walt’s barn and I’m so glad I got the chance (I visited Griffith Park, but the barn wasn’t open to the public during my stay). I can highly, highly recommend this to fans of Walt Disney, and all Disney fans in general.

As wonderful as that was, our time wasn’t over! After posing for another group photo…



It was my group’s turn to ride the train.





I was surprised at how long the track was! No wonder Lillian was concerned! The ride lasts 11 minutes and is about half a mile. It goes through many scenes and even a tunnel. The landscaping is right next to the track, so no photos are allowed while riding the train. One of the guides got our picture as we departed.



It was a really wonderful experience. Once we got back, there were snacks and drinks available. We still had a little time, so they offered anyone who wanted another ride. I decided to go again, not knowing if I’d ever get a chance to do it again.

Then it was the end of our day with the group. We headed back to our coach.



It was a pretty short ride back to our hotel from Griffith Park. We didn’t visit the carousel, since that’s only open on weekends, so it was a good thing I did that on Saturday. On the way back, we passed the Disney animation studios.


It’s behind those trees. You can see the water tower and giant sorcerer’s hat.

We also passed the Hollywood Bowl (I saw that on my helicopter tour, but didn’t take a picture).



During the bus ride, they held a raffle for a dozen tickets to Jimmy Kimmel Live! I won, but I wasn’t interested in any of the guests, so I passed. A group of people were planning to go to In-N-Out Burger (I was one), and the guides offered to walk us over. We were told to have our luggage ready for pickup the next morning at 7:00 (good thing I’ve been waking up at 4 a.m.) and that breakfast would be at Twist, in the hotel, between 7 and 8. The people going to Jimmy Kimmel Live! were to meet Jaime at 5:30 and the group going to INOB were to meet at 6:30. As we got off the bus, we were given that day’s pin.



It was only the first full day, and already I was thinking the trip was absolutely worth it.

Whew! That was a long spoiler!

Continued…

[PrincessSharon]

I returned to my room, put my purchases away and checked in at home. Then I headed out to get some pictures and people watch down on Hollywood Boulevard.

My first stop was Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. It was a lot more crowded than it had been that morning, but I was still able to get photos, I just sometimes had to wait for people to get out of the way.






























Then I got some pictures along the Walk of Fame. I walked down the street to make sure I got Walt Disney’s star, and then returned to the hotel, to get ready to meet the INOB group.











I mentioned people watching. There are, of course, hundreds of tourists, but the best entertainment comes from the broke-down versions of characters you see (who have the nerve to want you to pay for taking their pictures with their raggedy costumes ). I saw a busted-looking Mickey Mouse, a fat Darth Vader, a homeless-looking Dora the Explorer, and SpongeBob, looked like… well, I’d rather not think about it. One of my tour mates saw Jesus shopping for Swatch watches. I wasn’t about to pay anyone for their photo, so if you want to see for yourself, you’ll have to go to Hollywood.

I returned to the hotel through the Hollywood & Highland mall. This is the area that’s the red carpet area for the Oscars, but here you can see the mall surrounding it.





That morning, Jaime had told us that the floor in front of the entrance of the Kodak Theatre had been designed like a Busby Berkeley musical (think the first scene in the Great Movie Ride) and we could see it from the top. It was pretty cool, but difficult to capture on film.





I never saw anyone playing that piano. False advertising!

So I met up with the group and both Jaime and Michael walked with us to INOB. It was only a few blocks away, but I guess they wanted to make sure we could find it. It’s not the best neighborhood and they didn’t want us getting lost and wandering around in an unsavory part of town, I guess. But really, it was like, go to the corner, make a left, walk three blocks and you’re there.


I can’t look at this picture without hearing Jimmy Durante’s voice saying “It’s under a big dubya”

Surprisingly, Michael and Jaime didn’t eat with us. They wanted to go somewhere where they could be served (which is understandable). Before they left, they took our picture.



After my little lesson in the “secret” menu from Kathy, I decided I wanted… the regular cheeseburger. I didn’t want it double-double or animal style or anything. I did ask for my fries well done, though, so I guess that’s part of the “secret” menu. I also got a chocolate milkshake. It was pretty busy, but we managed to find a couple of tables all together with enough room for our group (a couple of people missed out on the above group photo).



So did it live up to the hype. I’d say so. It was a pretty dang tasty cheeseburger. I will definitely return to INOB my next time out west. After dinner, Tonya, a fellow ABDer decided it was time to dress her flatties (little paper dolls of her friends that couldn’t take the trip) for the next day. She found a spot on the sidewalk just outside the restaurant. She had a bunch of stuff and spread it out. A woman came by and noticed. That’s being polite. She stared with a look on her face like “what the #*$@ are these nuts doing?” And as she was staring at us, she continued walking, right into the drive-thru lane. She was nearly hit by a car! Don’t hurt yourself, there, while you’re judging us, lady!

We walked back to the hotel, walking on the other side of the street, so I got some more WOF pics.





Someone in the group wanted to make their Disney Soda Fountain purchase (they didn’t want to carry it around all day – I just left mine on the bus). Our 10% discount was still good, we just had to show the little ABD contact card we were given (it listed our guides’ cellphone numbers, in case we did wander off and end up lost in an unsavory neighborhood). They were set up for another party, so I got a picture.



Once that was done, I was ready to call it a night. I got a few more WOF pics on the way back to the hotel.







And some night shots (taken by Lynne, since we were on the wrong side of the street for these!).









Back at the room, I packed up since I knew I needed to have my bags ready to go the next morning at 7. I had been waking up super early, but I figured the next day would be the one when I’d get used to the time change and oversleep, so I set the alarm and turned in. It had been a fantastic day! Could the next one be better? Well, we were going to Imagineering, the Disney Studios, and Disneyland, so I think it could!

Up Next: It gets even better

[disneydani]

That was an absolutely fabulous day with so many wonderful stops along the way! I think this would be a fabulous tour to take and you are only on Day One so far. BTW, AJ heard you ~gave away~ tix to Jimmy Kimmel....he wants to know who were the guests????

danielle

[mcc0313]

That was one amazing day, how cool to get to visit the Jim Henderson Studio's and then getting to go see Walt's barn and ride his train...and its funny as I am reading this I was thinking the same thing, I can't believe this is all on their first day. The tour definitely sounds worth it ten times over, and to think you day has not even ended yet