“That’s just a weird thing to be happy about”: A Backstage Magic ABD TR! UPDATED 11/24 X3 & COMPLETE

[pkondz]

You mean you didn't get any of the multiple carrier pigeons I sent?? They must have been held up at border control...

Those were from you???

Um… well this is embarrassing...

While I didn't get the message... they were delicious.

I've tried many, many things. Sadly all to no avail and we still only have one cat. I can't be a crazy cat lady with only one cat. That's not how it works.

I believe the absolute minimum number is 4. And even that barely qualifies.

It’s time for everyone’s favorite part of the TR- the ever exciting ~travel day~

Yay!!!

I feel absolutely neglected as an artist and MUST INSIST that you spend any and all of your available free time reading about ME and MY LIFE via the links in my signature, and thus validate my existence on this planet we call earth

Done!
I know everything about you now.



Everything.







everything

(and I got an entire episode of Stranger Things 3 in!).

Just finished binge-watching that.
Now wrapping up The Good Place.

We got to and through the airport in the normal quick fashion (hands in the air for small airports)

Woot!

Side note: For those of you who don’t know, I’m going through an Invisalign treatment so that I can straighten my janky crooked teeth. This was my first Disney trip with them and I might intersperse some anecdotes concerning them throughout this TR for anyone who is curious about how they affect traveling.

Ah! Explains the brushing dilemma.

I called the hotel to ask for the shuttle and they said it would be 20-25 minutes.

To go less than two miles.

25 minutes.

You could've strolled it in about 30 minutes.
Ah well.

Remember how I had refused plane snacks? Yeah that one came back to bite me (wish I had done the biting instead).

Well, that bites.

It was recently renovated and had nice rooms and free breakfast!

Love free breakfast. Even if the eggs always are terrible.

the sinking realization that I had forgotten to pack any lipstick.

This included finding out WWID (what would instagram do) about the lipstick conundrum.

Did they ban you from Insta?????

We started the day with a really good breakfast, including some premade smoothies that were amazing.

Really! I'd not heard of that either.

It was 100% a fire hazard. Thankfully the bus never caught fire and I didn’t get a chance to prove myself correct.

So... both good and bad?

No topic was taboo for Johnny. He talked about his kids, he talked about religion, he talked about addiction, he told us how he used to drive for a super rich guy who picked up a side chick then got addicted to drugs and now he’s homeless.

And that was the first 10 minutes.

oy...

Which meant I, the introvert who generally despises small talk, was left to deal with it all.

Ugh! No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jon had been to LA before but somehow missed seeing the Hollywood Sign so I wanted to make sure it was one of the first things we did.

This was me!
Went with my DD and... we caught one fleeting glimpse of it. That's it.
Next trip... "Oh. It was right there all along."

2 was slightly more practical. I had to get to Sephora ASAP so that my lips wouldn’t be naked for 9 whole days. God bless Sephora.

Oh yes. I know all about Sephora.
I live with 3 girls.
6 if you count the dogs and the hamster.
The hamster seldom shops at Sephora, though.

Unique Vintage is a vintage-inspired clothing store that only has one brick and mortar store in Burbank. Most of their business is done online. They’re super popular for things like Dapper Day and I have a few pieces from the shop (one of which will make an appearance in this TR!) but I wanted a chance to actually go in and try things on and look in person at all of the magnificence that is UV.

Ooohhh… do they have men's clothes too????

As soon as Jon walked in and saw it was a clothing store he promptly told me he was going for a walk.

Jon is schmart.

I don’t know about you all, but I get a kick out of shirts with someone’s front on the front and back on the back. You might say they tickle my fancy.

Spoiler alert: I never ordered the dress. It’s the dress I deserve but not the one I need right now.

Show it to Jon. Tell him it will complete you.

Jon & I met back up and walked down the road toward our next step but got sidetracked along the way by some dude trying to hitch a ride.

Weirdo. You're obviously walking. Sheesh.

We didn’t find anything we wanted but it was cool to browse through racks of clothes worn by TV stars!

I can see that. I'd like to do that too.

Dog Haus has an assortment of hot dogs and sausages with sometimes extravagant toppings. Jon got one called a Fonz and I got a cowboy and we shared some tots with some nice classic plastic cheese. It was absolutely delightful and I highly recommend it!

That looks... decadent! Filling! Artery clogging!

What's not to love?

We booked a tour at the Warner Brothers Studio for the afternoon.

We did that! Fun tour!

This tour was definitely different from the other one I did. I think because it was summer not quite as much stuff was filming so more of the big sets were open.

Ah! We only got on the set of Lucifer. We were happy about it though since we watch it.

Jon perfectly captured me yelling to the guide to wait for me because I couldn’t stop taking photos.

Upstairs was all dedicated to Harry Potter & Fantastic Beasts.

Nice Dobby impression. Nailed it.

After archives we visited Ellen’s sound stage, which has a smaller audience than I thought.

Wanted to see it, but...

There was also a second photo in the hallway of Penny and Leonard & Sheldon’s apartments, but they wouldn’t allow any personal photos there at all.

Really! Huh. Bit surprised.

This bee listens to Tool and shops exclusively at Hot Topic

My original plan was to go to Griffith Observatory and stay through sunset, walking some of the trails and doing some exploring to kill time.

Wanted to go there but just ran out of time.

via a Lyft with a delightful driver who gave us some good advice and suggestions, none of which we followed

This is where I discovered an Ann from history who was struck by a meteorite.

I know about that. Still the only person in recorded history to have been hit by one.

The chemistry nerd in me got way too excited and I definitely gave some dagger eyes toward a little boy who kept trying to shove his way into my photo op.

Did you skewer him with an elbow or a barbed word?

[This is perplexing. Is it meant to be a commentary on the juxtaposition of science and blogger moms who think they know science?]

"I don't want my baby to get shots. If he dies from Polio, it's not my fault!"

[It has a black bedsheet tacked over its bedroom windows and gets mad when you call it emo]

Nailed this description.

Our Lyft driver was apparently far too overwhelmed with traffic to come get us and we watched them take several wrong turns on the app and after about 15-20 minutes they just straight up cancelled the ride. Rude.

Similar happened to me this trip.

The other thing that happened was that some random dude told me I reminded him of Paramore.

To say that my heart burst at that moment would be a gross understatement.

Awwwww…

What we didn’t know was that the restaurant featured a live pianist and that the wait staff would serenade the customers on occasion.

Nice!!!

Out of nowhere he pulled out a picture of Frank Sinatra, put it on top of the piano, knelt in front of it as if in prayer, and said, “Forgive me Frank, for I have sinned.” He then promptly stood up, put the photo away and sat back down to play. All without missing a beat or looking around.

Love that! You should've asked him what the story was!

Along the way a Jack Sparrow impersonator looked at me and said in his best Johnny Depp voice, “Surely a mermaid!” Which burst my already burst heart yet a little more.

Awwww (again!)

 

[pkondz]

We got a note under our door the night before saying that our ABD guides would be in one of the main areas of the hotel all day to meet the adventurers.

But it's an adventure... so we're not telling you exactly where they'll be!

Our guides for the week were Shannon and Trevor and we knew from the start that they were amazing individuals and that we were in for one heck of a week.

we decided to go to the La Brea Tar Pits

Oooh! I thought I was the only one!

(fun fact- La Brea means the tar so this translates to the the tar tar pits)

Did not know this. And... funny! (Fun to say!... and just this side of naughty.)

Our driver this time had absolutely horrible language. I’m not fundamentally opposed to foul language but I think there’s a time and place for it and while driving someone around in a professional capacity is not one of them.

Not cool, Mr. Lyft driver.

[The lake pit smelled absolutely awful, but it was cool to see the tar bubbling up]

Huh. I don't remember it smelling bad.

Speaking of giant sloths…

On our way to LACMA we came across a cool art installation that encouraged people to take and post photos. I hardly ever need encouragement to do that so since they were practically begging us, we (read: I) knew we had to stop in.

Wow! Pretty dress! (And a pretty girl to go in it. )

We had heard from someone that LACMA was free so we went in and started looking around, but eventually got kicked out because ACTUALLY it’s not free and they don’t like it when vagabonds like ourselves come in and try to appreciate art without paying the appropriate fee.

You go through the line and get what you want then pay by the pound.

Interesting concept.

During my photo adventure I stumbled upon the world’s biggest watermelon. Seriously it was huge.

Like this?

​

One was a Charlotte Tilbury store. I didn’t recognize the name but it looked like a really pretty makeup boutique so I stopped in and realized that the reason I had never heard of it was because it was wayyy out of my price range. It’s one of those expensive places where it costs so much they don’t even display the price.

I've done similarly. Youngest DD and I wandered into a shop listing a sale... on Rodeo drive. She kinda liked a skirt that was... I believe 60% off. It was several thousand dollars.

 

[pkondz]

So if you see the text change to THIS COLOR, that’s a SPOILER.

Or... you can use the disboards "Spoiler" feature.
Just type [SPOILER][/SPOILER] around something and it will look like this:

Spoiler

not a very exciting spoiler

only to be shocked by how hot the water was. Not pleasantly warm, but actually hot.

Ugh...
I remember when we first got our pool. The kids kept turning up the heat (unbeknownst to me).
I went to go in and they'd turned it up to over 90.

Yeah... there were words spoken...

There was that awkward period when a group of strangers realize that they’re about to spend the week together and should probably break the silence but no one really wants to until that one brave soul asks one of those common questions like, “So when did you get into town?”

Ah yes... Hate that.

I, on the other hand, use every opportunity to perfect my camouflaging capabilities and see how well I can blend in with the blandly patterned wallpaper.

I'm sorry, my dear... but you could never blend into to anything but brilliantly vibrant wallpaper.

We started right off with a competition among the tables to see who would eat first. The challenge was to go through the alphabet and name Disney characters that started with that letter. Now I’m not a competitive person by nature but if the competition involves Disney knowledge then I’ve been known to roll my sleeves up. Our table tied for first place so it went to sudden death rock paper scissors, which unfortunately we lost.

That's actually pretty fun! Sorry you came in second though.

[Yes that is my absolutely wretched handwriting. I was kicked out of the cute handwriting gene pool for sure]

Meh. You haven't seen truly horrid handwriting until you've seen mine.

They also gave out the first of the pin of the day! I actually didn’t know that they did a pin every day so that made me super excited.

I'm not a pin collector, but... nice!

Which made the fact that he said at one point in the conversation, “Yeah, the Chiefs are winning the World Series this year” absolutely hilarious.

He hung his head in shame and spent the whole week avoiding everybody.

As well he should!

As we were leaving I asked one of the waiters if I could grab a can of Coke to go. He told me unfortunately that I would have to drink the Coke there and couldn’t take it with me.

We went to ask the guides a couple of questions and a couple minutes later he came back and gave me a Coke!

He probably mentioned it to someone who said "You dolt! That's alcoholic beverages. Give her a Coke!"

It wasn’t very late yet so Jon and I went on a hunt for Disney-related stars on the Walk of Fame. I specifically wanted to find Walt’s but we found a lot of others on the way.

You guys found tons!

In the midst of the hunt we came across Madame Tussauds. Every time we are near a Madame Tussauds Jon wants to go in but we haven’t been able to yet on any of our travels. We had the time so we thought “why not?” and went in!

​

I know it’s kind of a kitschy tourist thing to do but it was honestly really cool. A lot of the figures were incredibly realistic.

It was fun! DD and I did it.

Sorry to play that cruel joke on you with the title. Did anyone out there think I actually saw Beyonce?

Yes.

You are a very cruel woman.

Still gonna keep reading, though.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

And even that barely qualifies.

I have so, so far to go.

The hamster seldom shops at Sephora, though.

Ah more of an Ulta girl?

do they have men's clothes too????

They had approximately half a rack of men's. Mostly tweed and sweaters.

Still the only person in recorded history to have been hit by one.

I can only hope to be that specifically infamous.

Like this?

Has to be the same grower.

Just type around something and it will look like this:

Yeah I've used those, I just didn't want a ton of them in my report.

Still gonna keep reading, though.

~WHEW~ I knew it was risky but I'm glad it wasn't too bad

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Practicing my acceptance speech

My first note from this day says “Early morning!”

HA

HAHAHAHA

It’s cute that I thought the 8:10am call time was early. Later days in the trip would prove just how luxurious that call time was.

Our 8:10 call time was supposed to be after we ate breakfast, so we made sure we had plenty of time to get down to the restaurant to eat breakfast before meeting up. It was so cool to flash our ABD lanyards and get escorted back to the private room for our group.

The buffet breakfast was pretty standard but good! I mentioned in my PTR that I absolutely love breakfast so having a big breakfast pretty much every day on the ABD made me giddy.

Invisalign side note: like regular braces, with Invisalign you have to brush and floss every time you eat. I popped out a few minutes early to find a bathroom in which to do so, but when I found one it was locked! But there was a water fountain right there and the hallway was deserted so I thought heck I’ll just use the water fountain. So I’m there brushing my teeth in a water fountain in a really nice hotel and one of the other ABD guests comes down. We make awkward eye contact, I tell him (with mouth full of Colgate) that the bathrooms are locked and he left. Nothing breaks down your sense of pride like being seen brushing your teeth in a water fountain.

​

THIS NEXT SECTION IS ~SLIGHTLY~ SPOILER-Y, BUT ONLY CONCERNING LITTLE FACTS AND TIDBITS THE GUIDES TOLD US ABOUT HOLLYWOOD. If you are going on the ABD and want to learn those tidbits yourself, skip this part. If you want to learn some little fact nuggets about Hollywood then read on!

The itinerary for the morning started with a Hollywood excursion. First we walked right next door to the Hollywood & Highland shopping center, where our guides explained the massive elephant statues and other exotic decorations. I guess that site was originally a movie set for Babylon, and they didn’t have enough money to tear down the massive sets so they left a lot of big set pieces there. Eventually they were removed by the city but when they built the shopping center, they made replicas of the set pieces as a shout out to the area’s history.

​

At the edge of the shopping center is a little stone couch thing that faces the Hollywood Sign. We stopped there and talked about the history of the Hollywood sign. I don’t have many notes about that little chat but I do know that we took a group photo!

​

The shopping center has lots of little decorations and things that bring back the history of Hollywood so while you’re there, keep your eyes open for some! I particularly like the “road” that winds through the center that has different quotes from celebrities about Hollywood.

​

We also stopped near the entrance to the Dolby Theatre that connects with the Loews Hotel to talk about the Academy Awards (which have been held there for a while now). While we were gathered there, Trevor (the guide) announced that he had an award to give out for Best Person. Upon hearing this announcement I felt a slight buzz in my head and tremor in my hand. Finally, I was about to be recognized for my contributions to humanity based solely on my existence as a human. I recited in my head the acceptance speech that I have had prepared since the 2nd grade and prepared to take my place among the stars.

Imagine my dismay when instead of my name, the name that passed Trevor’s lips was that of the little girl in our group. I was devastated, but as with all who came before me I knew that I had to handle my loss with grace and dignity (although I would be lying if I said that Jon didn’t have to hold me back from trying to take the award anyway).

​

Anyway, the girl on our trip was a 9ish year old who was there with her mom. They’re from Malaysia and she is an absolute character. She had just finished attending acting camp nearby and you can definitely tell that she is going to be a star. She even made an adorable little acceptance speech for the award.

We moved on to the stairs that lead up to the theatre, which is where the red carpet runs during the Academy Awards. We learned that the stairs were specifically designed to accommodate the heels and gowns of the women who would have to walk up them. Then we all took turns taking photos on the stars and in my case, doing a few practice runs up the stairs so that I would be prepared for the day when I walk in gown and heels up and into the theatre to take my rightful place among the great entertainers of our time.

​

With stars in my eyes I followed the group on to our next destination, which was just around the corner. We stopped near Muhammad Ali, which is mounted on the wall. We paused to learn a little bit about the Walk of Fame, most of which I did not write down and have subsequently forgotten. But I do remember that Ali’s star is the only one that isn’t on the ground and he requested that specifically since he shares his name with the prophet Muhammad and didn’t want anyone stepping on it.

At the spot our guides also gave out the second award of the day. I don’t remember specifically what it was, but it was Walk of Famed theme and went to a really sweet young man in the group with special needs. Seriously, he and his family are some of the sweetest people I’ve ever met and have that kind, comforting Southern accent that belongs in commercials for things like butter and maternity wards.

Next up was a stop at the Chinese Theater, which many of you know is replicated inside of Disney’s own Hollywood Studios park! We got to walk around and look at the handprints in the concrete, then our guides gathered us and let us know that we were getting a tour of the theatre!

​

We met our guide and went inside and were immediately offered free popcorn and water. This was the moment when I realized that this trip was pretty much just constant free snacks.

​

Invisalign side note: I freaking love popcorn and one of the worst parts about Invisalign is that I have to say no to popcorn so often because I can’t or don’t want to take my trays out and then deal with cleaning my teeth after. Which meant that it also doesn’t make sense for me to get popcorn buckets until I have them out. So Jon ate my popcorn for me this time.

​

The inside of the theater is really cool and just as elaborately decorated as the outside. It’s covered with Chinese art and decoration. They host a lot of movie premieres there and the theatre only actually has one movie screen. It’s the 5th biggest Imax in the world and they actually had to dig underground to make the room big enough to add the new screen when it was installed several years ago.

​

We also learned about how the whole ‘handprints in the concrete’ thing got started (spoiler alert: it was an accident and they capitalized on it) and we also found out about the process for new handprints being added. While we were there they had just finished getting all the Avengers to put their handprints in. The concrete was still curing but should be installed by now!

​

When we got done we got more time out in the courtyard and the guides took photos of people near any handprints they wanted. Jon got his by Johnny Depp and I had to rep my fave droids and Sith lords.

​

Afterwards it was time to get on our bus for the first time, where we were greeted with waterbottles and the snack baskets (yet more free snacks). While we were on the bus our guides mentioned that later on in the trip we would be going places that required closed-toed shoes so if we hadn’t brought any with us, they ~soley~ recommend the Shoe Palace to get some.

​

I’m going to wrap this episode up here so that the next bit can be its own thing. Where would we go on our first bus ride of the trip? Stay tuned!

 

[DLo]

Looks fun so far . Looking forward to the next chapter. And more snacks

 

[dwonderz]

Just started following along - sounds absolutely fantastic so far!!!

 

[jrmint427]

Nothing breaks down your sense of pride like being seen brushing your teeth in a water fountain.

Too funny - I would have done the same thing!

I knew that I had to handle my loss with grace and dignity (although I would be lying if I said that Jon didn’t have to hold me back from trying to take the award anyway).

Haha! Well I’m glad there was no scene and she could enjoy her moment

We also learned about how the whole ‘handprints in the concrete’ thing got started (spoiler alert: it was an accident and they capitalized on it)

Interesting!

Looking forward to reading more!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Looks fun so far . Looking forward to the next chapter. And more snacks

All the snacks!!

Just started following along - sounds absolutely fantastic so far!!!

Thanks for joining in

Too funny - I would have done the same thing!

Glad to know I'm not the only water fountain tooth brusher out there!

Looking forward to reading more!

I hope it makes your dreams come true

 

[SimplyGoofy]

I'm not always one for tours but the start of yours sounds quite fun! I'm sorry your talents weren't properly recognized, but that little girl looks pretty adorable.

That's a bummer about the snacks you had to forgo! I had Invisalign a few years ago so I understand your pain at needing to brush your teeth constantly and be aware of what you're eating (and missing out on too many snacks). I hope if a stellar snack comes along there's a nearby (open!) bathroom so you can enjoy it!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

I'm sorry your talents weren't properly recognized, but that little girl looks pretty adorable.

She was pretty cute. I suppose if I had to lose then I'm glad it was to someone who was worthy.

That's a bummer about the snacks you had to forgo! I had Invisalign a few years ago so I understand your pain at needing to brush your teeth constantly and be aware of what you're eating (and missing out on too many snacks). I hope if a stellar snack comes along there's a nearby (open!) bathroom so you can enjoy it!

Invisalign solidarity!

 

[pkondz]

Ah more of an Ulta girl?

More of a Posh Pets girl.

They had approximately half a rack of men's. Mostly tweed and sweaters.

Need to check this out.

I can only hope to be that specifically infamous.

Minus the pain and massive bruise?

~WHEW~ I knew it was risky but I'm glad it wasn't too bad

You just squeaked by.

It’s cute that I thought the 8:10am call time was early.

Heh. That's called "sleeping in".

It was so cool to flash our ABD lanyards and get escorted back to the private room for our group.

Look at you, li'l Miss Hoity Toity!

We make awkward eye contact, I tell him (with mouth full of Colgate) that the bathrooms are locked and he left. Nothing breaks down your sense of pride like being seen brushing your teeth in a water fountain.

First we walked right next door to the Hollywood & Highland shopping center, where our guides explained the massive elephant statues and other exotic decorations. I guess that site was originally a movie set for Babylon, and they didn’t have enough money to tear down the massive sets so they left a lot of big set pieces there. Eventually they were removed by the city but when they built the shopping center, they made replicas of the set pieces as a shout out to the area’s history.

Huh! I was there. Had no idea.

The shopping center has lots of little decorations and things that bring back the history of Hollywood

Missed all of that.

We also stopped near the entrance to the Dolby Theatre that connects with the Loews Hotel to talk about the Academy Awards (which have been held there for a while now).

When we watch the Oscars, we say "We were there!"

Imagine my dismay when instead of my name, the name that passed Trevor’s lips was that of the little girl in our group.

Remember when they announced the wrong winner for best picture in 2017?
I'm sure it was a mix up like that.

I knew that I had to handle my loss with grace and dignity (although I would be lying if I said that Jon didn’t have to hold me back from trying to take the award anyway).

Well, it was rightfully yours. Makes total sense.

She even made an adorable little acceptance speech for the award.

Awwww.

We learned that the stairs were specifically designed to accommodate the heels and gowns of the women who would have to walk up them.

Really!

in my case, doing a few practice runs up the stairs so that I would be prepared for the day when I walk in gown and heels up and into the theatre to take my rightful place among the great entertainers of our time.

This has probably already happened as of this writing.

We stopped near Muhammad Ali, which is mounted on the wall.

Knew that.

have that kind, comforting Southern accent that belongs in commercials for things like butter and maternity wards.

Next up was a stop at the Chinese Theater, which many of you know is replicated inside of Disney’s own Hollywood Studios park!

then our guides gathered us and let us know that we were getting a tour of the theatre!

We couldn't get inside. Thanks for the photos! Had no idea.

Which meant that it also doesn’t make sense for me to get popcorn buckets until I have them out. So Jon ate my popcorn for me this time.

This is both tragic and wrong.

The inside of the theater is really cool and just as elaborately decorated as the outside.

Gorgeous!

we would be going places that required closed-toed shoes so if we hadn’t brought any with us, they ~soley~ recommend the Shoe Palace to get some.

 

[missangelalexis]

What a fun start!!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

When we watch the Oscars, we say "We were there!"

And now we can too! If we ever watch the Oscars...

This has probably already happened as of this writing.

Sadly I'm still waiting

Thanks for the photos! Had no idea.

It's so gorgeous! Very intricately themed.

What a fun start!!

It was!

 

[pkondz]

And now we can too! If we ever watch the Oscars...

Now you have to. It's an unfortunate consequence of going there.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

It’s time to play the music, it’s time to light the lights

Hey guys! So remember that I will be spoiling many surprises about the Backstage Magic ABD in this TR. I’m going to do my best to change the text to alert you that something is considered spoiler-y (meaning it’s not information that’s readily shared by ABD or just generally known). So if you see the text change to THIS COLOR, that’s a SPOILER. So if you want to avoid spoilers, skip over until it goes back to the main color. But just a warning that I may forget to mark something or might consider some information not a spoiler that actually might be, so read with caution if you are trying to avoid spoilers.


If you’ve looked into this ABD itinerary then you’ll know that it includes some time at the Jim Henson Studios. Well, that was our destination after boarding the bus! I’ll be going into detail about the things we got to see. I wouldn’t consider much of it spoiler-ish, but if you want to avoid major details then skip this next bit.

After a rigorous and exhausting approximately 10 minute bus ride (I’m not entirely sure why we took a bus and didn’t just walk? It was super close), we pulled up to the Jim Henson lot and were greeted by a massive Kermit.

​

We were led into Charlie Chaplin’s private screening room for a little screening of our own. If you don’t know who Jim Henson was, he was a pioneer in puppetry and creature creation. Jim Henson Studios is known for its work with the Muppets, along with many others including the Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, Fraggle Rock, etc.

The screening room was covered in movie posters from the Muppets (S/O to Muppet Treasure Island, the real MVP), had some great carpet and even a couple of bean bag chairs (which Jon & I promptly claimed). It smelled like the 90s in the best way possible.

​

The film we watched was an overview of the studios produced and hosted by the Muppets. And it was without a doubt one of the top 3 funniest videos I’ve ever watched. I don’t want to describe it in detail here because it just deserves to be seen on its own (and also I forgot most of the details). So for those who get to visit the Jim Henson Studios, prepare to cry tears of laughter. One of the best parts is the host of the video consistently pronounces Charlie Chaplin’s name wrong and TO THIS DAY I still will catch myself saying Charlie Chaimblin.

​

After the video we went back out to the courtyard (which is beautiful, by the way. This would be such a pretty place to come to work every day) to meet our tour guide, Vanessa. Vanessa wasn’t like the regular tour guides. Vanessa was…kinda weird.

​

And her weirdness has nothing to do with her appearance, which I was actually digging. She was the goth I never got to be (wonder if she hangs out with that bee from Griffith Observatory?) No, she was just a weird choice for a tour guide. When addressing the group, she really only ever looked at or spoke to the two kids. And I’m all about making sure kids get the proper attention, especially at anything Disney related, but I’m talking like a 9:1 ratio of kids to adult time here. She also went on a TON of tangents, one of which ended with her basically saying it’s okay to hit your siblings.

Anyway enough about Vanessa, let’s move on to the tour! First we walked around the outside parts of the studios and Vanessa pointed out little tidbits, like The Barn where a lot of the physical character creation took/takes place. We also saw a slab of concrete with Charlie Chaplin’s footprints. Along the way were some tributes to past Jim Henson creations.

[The Jo Bros have recorded in this studio!!]​

I also caught Shannon getting snuggly with baby Kermit

​

We split into two small groups for the tour since most of the spaces we visited were on the smaller side. Our group first went into reception, where they keep a lot of awards and memorabilia. Like a couch covered in stuffed Kermits.

​

We also had a chance to hold an Emmy and poke around to see what else they were showing off.

​

When we were done with reception we went out into the courtyard for yet another photo session (I say ‘yet another’ as if I don’t love each and every opportunity for a photo). We decided to have a little fun and do a maternity shoot with baby Kermit.

​

After that we went up to the boardroom, which was exactly what you might picture a boardroom to be. A big oval table and nice chairs where the bigwigs pitch ideas and make decisions. What made this one special (other than the location) were two things:

1-The giant mural on the wall that featured most of the Jim Henson Studio’s characters. The more you look at it, the more you find.

​

And 2- PUPPETS. Vanessa talked to us (read: the children) about puppetry and the different types of mechanisms that are in puppets to make them move a certain way. Then we all got a chance to be puppeteers for a hot minute!

Jon and I practiced with DJ the bear. Jon made him beatbox (one of his many talents) while I mostly just made this face.

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We had one more photo stop before finishing up at Jim Henson:

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That wrapped up our time at Jim Henson so we said goodbye to all the puppets (but mostly the Muppets) and got back on the bus and went off to lunch! But first we made a quick stop on a random road that turned out to be not so random but was in face the very first location of the Walt Disney Studios in Hollywood. It’s not a print shop but you can see their ode to Disney in the form of Mickeys in the window.

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Now on to lunch! On the way we watched The Muppet Movie, the natural choice.

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If you’re familiar with this itinerary then you know where lunch is on the Hollywood day- the Tam O’Shanter. This is a Scottish-themed restaurant that was a favorite of Walt’s and when you see the inside you can tell why. They went all-out with the theme, from the décor to the staff uniforms. It’s very Disney-esque.

We actually chose our food the day before when we checked in with the guides. There was a set menu and the only choice you had to make was your main course. I forgot what the options were (I think there were 3?) but we both got the prime rib. It also came with a starter salad, mashed potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, and creamed spinach. My note says that the food was all delicious and my tummy would agree with that statement.

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I feel like there was dessert but alas I did not take any photos of it. Sorry to all of my TR vets out there who feel personally victimized by my lack of attention.

We ended up at a table with two other couples and we realized that we were all DVC members! We had a fun time talking about our favorite resorts and we even got some advice on where to book for our trip in May.

During the meal each table rotated through to go visit Walt’s Booth, which was (as the name suggest) Walt’s favorite booth in the restaurant. It was his favorite because it faced the door and was kind of in a corner, so he could look out and see people coming in and observe the main dining area.

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Many ideas were thought of in this booth and many decisions made. When they were cleaning out Walt’s and some Imagineer’s offices they found napkins from the Tam with sketches on them, so they took the sketches and actually etched them into the wood. None of them were super recognizable but there were a couple dinosaurs, possible from the idea for the panoramas that you pass on the Disneyland Railroad!

[I have no idea what Jon is doing in this photo]​

After hearing stories about the booth we all got a chance to have our photo taken while sitting in it. The fact that my butt was where Walt’s butt was inspires an incredible feeling. Just imagine sitting there in the 50s with a bunch of men in suits and a haze of smoke while Walt & WED dreamed up ideas not only for film and TV but for an amusement park for the whole family…super cool.

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Does this look vaguely familiar? If you think it looks an awful lot like Snow White’s cottage and some other areas of Fantasyland then you might be on the right track. Word on the street is that the exterior of the restaurant inspired the Imagineers.

This is a super photo-heavy TR so I’m going to break here and continue with our day in the next chapter!

 

[pkondz]

So if you see the text change to THIS COLOR, that’s a SPOILER.

<immediately stops reading...>

So if you want to avoid spoilers, skip over until it goes back to the main color.

OMG! What's the main colour??? I'm seeing an almost equal distribution of the two colours! WHAT'S THE MAIN?????????????????

But just a warning that I may forget to mark something or might consider some information not a spoiler that actually might be,

I'm starting to get a headache.

the Jim Henson Studios. Well, that was our destination after boarding the bus!

Cool!

we pulled up to the Jim Henson lot and were greeted by a massive Kermit.

This sounds like a scene out of Ghostbusters. With Kermit instead of Stay Puft Marshmallow Man

We were led into Charlie Chaplin’s private screening room for a little screening of our own.

Wow! That's cool all by itself!

If you don’t know who Jim Henson was

...then smack yourself in the face and get Googling.

The film we watched was an overview of the studios produced and hosted by the Muppets. And it was without a doubt one of the top 3 funniest videos I’ve ever watched.

Fun!

Vanessa wasn’t like the regular tour guides. Vanessa was…kinda weird.

Uh, oh...

(wonder if she hangs out with that bee from Griffith Observatory?)

She also went on a TON of tangents, one of which ended with her basically saying it’s okay to hit your siblings.

I'm okay with this.

We also saw a slab of concrete with Charlie Chaplin’s footprints.

No way!!

(I say ‘yet another’ as if I don’t love each and every opportunity for a photo).

What percentage of photo opportunities do you love?

1-The giant mural on the wall that featured most of the Jim Henson Studio’s characters. The more you look at it, the more you find.

Like that.

But first we made a quick stop on a random road that turned out to be not so random but was in face the very first location of the Walt Disney Studios in Hollywood. It’s not a print shop but you can see their ode to Disney in the form of Mickeys in the window.

Wow! No, really! Wow!

Many ideas were thought of in this booth and many decisions made. When they were cleaning out Walt’s and some Imagineer’s offices they found napkins from the Tam with sketches on them, so they took the sketches and actually etched them into the wood.

That's... I'm kinding running out of exclamations.

Does this look vaguely familiar? If you think it looks an awful lot like Snow White’s cottage and some other areas of Fantasyland then you might be on the right track. Word on the street is that the exterior of the restaurant inspired the Imagineers.

Cool!

 

[sahu]

Love the sound of that video! Visiting the Jim Henson studios is a big part of why I want to do this ABD, so glad to hear it doesn't disappoint!

 

[jrmint427]

but was in face the very first location of the Walt Disney Studios in Hollywood. It’s not a print shop but you can see their ode to Disney in the form of Mickeys in the window.

Very cool!

Many ideas were thought of in this booth and many decisions made. When they were cleaning out Walt’s and some Imagineer’s offices they found napkins from the Tam with sketches on them, so they took the sketches and actually etched them into the wood.

How fun to sit where Walt sat. I am wanting to go on this tour more and more!

Does this look vaguely familiar? If you think it looks an awful lot like Snow White’s cottage and some other areas of Fantasyland then you might be on the right track.

I did think Snow White as soon as I saw that picture! It’s fun to see where some of the Disney inspiration might have come from.

 

[missangelalexis]

The Jim Henson studio sounds amazing! So many stuffed kermits!!

And sounds like an awesome lunch experience!