Lights, Camera, Magic (1-day tour)

[HGLightlyj]

Leaving Monday 2/13 for DL trip. I'm on the fence with reserving this day trip. Wish we had a report of how it compares with the full BS trip. TIA

 

[mommy2mrb]

Leaving Monday 2/13 for DL trip. I'm on the fence with reserving this day trip. Wish we had a report of how it compares with the full BS trip. TIA

have you read any of the the posts about just this part of the tour compared to the full tour? I saw one and they said it was a great tour! forgot the exact person, but was listed under the ABD forum threads!

I am totally excited about going on this tour on the 17th

 

[LisaTex]

Hey guys. I went on the 1 dy trip 2 weeks ago and the Backstage Magic a year ago. My full trip report is almost finished but i will give a quick run down here real quick. 1st stop - Disney studios. we checked out the theatre, the "morgue" the music studio, took pics in front of the team Disney building, had lunch in the commissary and shopped in the CM store. we were supposed to have gone in the archives, but it wasn't open that day. differences from BSM - def. went in the archives for a while o/w not very different.

next - Hollywood - about 20 minutes to check out the Blvd.,Kodak theatre tour (which was actually pretty good) will be something different if you are taking the tour between now and the Oscars - no tours during this time. quick stop at the Disney Soda shop and then on to the bus. differences - of course we stayed at the hotel at Highland so lots of time to check it all out and we had a tour of the El Capitan.

bus tour through Hollywood, Beverly Hills - nice narration from our bus driver with old HW history and stories.(exact same as BSM)

20 -30 min stop on Rodeo Dr. (not on ABD )-

drive to Malibu for casual cocktails and apps. beautiful sunset! not on BSM

then back to DL by 7:30- 8:00PM (lots of traffic that Friday)

overall - well worth it - different enough if you have been on the BSM - if you really want to check out Hollywood Blvd - Grahman's, etc - very little time on this tour. tour guides are great as always (one was the same from BSM) tons of info and stories. BTW - the new D23 tour in DL sounds like it's almost an exact day of the BSM and Soooo worth it!!!

full report with pics to come - taking a while as i am happily busy getting ready for our S Africa ABD next week - will report on that as well.

happy to answer any questions!!!

 

[sayhello]

Lisa, that sounds great! Since I've never been on BSM, I'm thinking this would be fabulous for me (if they only extend it into May!!!) Thanks for the mini-review.

Have a fabulous time in South Africa! Looking forward to that trip report, also!

Sayhello

 

[mommy2mrb]

thanks for the report on the tour! looks like we will miss seeing the Kodak but sure they will sub with something else! really looking forward most to being at the studios....we used to live in S. CA so been to Hollywood a few times.

have a great time on your next adventure to South Africa!

 

[sayhello]

thanks for the report on the tour! looks like we will miss seeing the Kodak but sure they will sub with something else! really looking forward most to being at the studios....we used to live in S. CA so been to Hollywood a few times.

have a great time on your next adventure to South Africa!

The original announcement for the 1-day tour said this:

Kodak Theatre or Grauman's Chinese Theater (based on tour date)
Visit Kodak Theatre, the home of the Academy Awards, OR Grauman's Chinese Theatre, best known for its extensive collection of celebrity footprints and handprints. Both are located on vibrant Hollywood Boulevard.

So I'm assuming if you don't do the Kodak Theater, you'll be doing Grauman's Chinese Theater, which is also very cool!

http://disneyland.disney.go.com/spe...gic-adventures/?CMP=SOC-DLRUSENFY11Q4FBDM0175

Sayhello

 

[WeatherbySwann]

Hey guys. I went on the 1 dy trip 2 weeks ago and the Backstage Magic a year ago. My full trip report is almost finished but i will give a quick run down here real quick. 1st stop - Disney studios. we checked out the theatre, the "morgue" the music studio, took pics in front of the team Disney building, had lunch in the commissary and shopped in the CM store. we were supposed to have gone in the archives, but it wasn't open that day. differences from BSM - def. went in the archives for a while o/w not very different.

next - Hollywood - about 20 minutes to check out the Blvd.,Kodak theatre tour (which was actually pretty good) will be something different if you are taking the tour between now and the Oscars - no tours during this time. quick stop at the Disney Soda shop and then on to the bus. differences - of course we stayed at the hotel at Highland so lots of time to check it all out and we had a tour of the El Capitan.

bus tour through Hollywood, Beverly Hills - nice narration from our bus driver with old HW history and stories.(exact same as BSM)

20 -30 min stop on Rodeo Dr. (not on ABD )-

drive to Malibu for casual cocktails and apps. beautiful sunset! not on BSM

then back to DL by 7:30- 8:00PM (lots of traffic that Friday)

overall - well worth it - different enough if you have been on the BSM - if you really want to check out Hollywood Blvd - Grahman's, etc - very little time on this tour. tour guides are great as always (one was the same from BSM) tons of info and stories. BTW - the new D23 tour in DL sounds like it's almost an exact day of the BSM and Soooo worth it!!!

full report with pics to come - taking a while as i am happily busy getting ready for our S Africa ABD next week - will report on that as well.

happy to answer any questions!!!

Would you say it was enough of Hollywood to for someone who's never been to Hwood before? I'm wondering if we should allot another Hollywood day in addition to this, or if the tour will suffice. I guess the question should be...do you feel there is anything left out that you would absolutely not want a first-timer to miss?

We'll likely be traveling Saturday to Saturday in July, with the majority of the trip in Disneyland. I'm thinking either:
Stay in Hollywood Saturday night, tour Hwood on our own Sunday, arrive at Disneyland Sunday evening, ABD tour Tues, Thurs, or Fri
-OR-
Allot Tues, Thurs, or Fri for ABD and if it ends up not being extended, take that day to tour Hollywood on our own


Any thoughts are appreciated!

 

[HGLightlyj]

Hey guys. I went on the 1 dy trip 2 weeks ago and the Backstage Magic a year ago. My full trip report is almost finished but i will give a quick run down here real quick. 1st stop - Disney studios. we checked out the theatre, the "morgue" the music studio, took pics in front of the team Disney building, had lunch in the commissary and shopped in the CM store. we were supposed to have gone in the archives, but it wasn't open that day. differences from BSM - def. went in the archives for a while o/w not very different.

next - Hollywood - about 20 minutes to check out the Blvd.,Kodak theatre tour (which was actually pretty good) will be something different if you are taking the tour between now and the Oscars - no tours during this time. quick stop at the Disney Soda shop and then on to the bus. differences - of course we stayed at the hotel at Highland so lots of time to check it all out and we had a tour of the El Capitan.

bus tour through Hollywood, Beverly Hills - nice narration from our bus driver with old HW history and stories.(exact same as BSM)

20 -30 min stop on Rodeo Dr. (not on ABD )-

drive to Malibu for casual cocktails and apps. beautiful sunset! not on BSM

then back to DL by 7:30- 8:00PM (lots of traffic that Friday)

overall - well worth it - different enough if you have been on the BSM - if you really want to check out Hollywood Blvd - Grahman's, etc - very little time on this tour. tour guides are great as always (one was the same from BSM) tons of info and stories. BTW - the new D23 tour in DL sounds like it's almost an exact day of the BSM and Soooo worth it!!!

full report with pics to come - taking a while as i am happily busy getting ready for our S Africa ABD next week - will report on that as well.

happy to answer any questions!!!

Thanks for the report. Helps make my decision. First time to the LA area so want to see a little more of LA/Hollywood. Anaheim Visitor Center has several tours for smaller groups to LA so I think I'll go this way.

 

[LisaTex]

Lisa, that sounds great! Since I've never been on BSM, I'm thinking this would be fabulous for me (if they only extend it into May!!!) Thanks for the mini-review.

Have a fabulous time in South Africa! Looking forward to that trip report, also!

Sayhello

It is a great tour if you just have a day and don't care to see much in depth of Hollywood itself. Def. put BSM on your to do list someday!

thanks for the report on the tour! looks like we will miss seeing the Kodak but sure they will sub with something else! really looking forward most to being at the studios....we used to live in S. CA so been to Hollywood a few times.

have a great time on your next adventure to South Africa!

it's just really cool to be at the studios and listen to the history while you walk by - just picturing Walt in his office when we strolled by it was worth it it's not a very active studios though - the only thing that was currently filming was that show with Dana Delaney ( can't remember the name).
if it is Grahman's - we went on a non ABD tour of it the day before our BSM and it was very interesting! (then we saw Yogi bear in it - not so great

Would you say it was enough of Hollywood to for someone who's never been to Hwood before? I'm wondering if we should allot another Hollywood day in addition to this, or if the tour will suffice. I guess the question should be...do you feel there is anything left out that you would absolutely not want a first-timer to miss?

We'll likely be traveling Saturday to Saturday in July, with the majority of the trip in Disneyland. I'm thinking either:
Stay in Hollywood Saturday night, tour Hwood on our own Sunday, arrive at Disneyland Sunday evening, ABD tour Tues, Thurs, or Fri
-OR-
Allot Tues, Thurs, or Fri for ABD and if it ends up not being extended, take that day to tour Hollywood on our own


Any thoughts are appreciated!

well, we spent a whole day the day before the ABD just wandering and looking and checking out Grahman's, picking out our favorite stars on the walk, hanging out at the Roosevelt Hotel etc. I def. think there would be enough to do for a Sat. night - Sunday afternoon. There was literally 20- 30 minutes only on our 1 dy tour.

Thanks for the report. Helps make my decision. First time to the LA area so want to see a little more of LA/Hollywood. Anaheim Visitor Center has several tours for smaller groups to LA so I think I'll go this way.

Yes I heard there are really a lot of good tours to take!

 

[Mouse13]

enjoy! we go on it Friday 2/17 and I booked back in Nov, so Fridays were available before this. happy to hear the dates are getting extended for other to join in on the fun!

Hoping you have a fabulous time on your tour! Can't wait to hear all about it!

 

[mommy2mrb]

just home last night.....

the tour was AWESOME!!!

our guides were Dean and Michael ....so funny and full of energy!

we met at the Grand CA, got signed in and took photo then were treated to a snack at the bar area before we boarded!

took about 45 minutes to get up to the studio on the bus, it went quick with a short video about WDS and what we were going to be seeing.

toured the studio, and learned about the history of some of the bldg's! got to shop at the employee store, make sure to buy the Studio stuff, can't get it anywhere else, we both got a t-shirt!

lunch was so yummy! I got the chicken tacos and my DD got a cheeseburger and some of the best fries we've ever had.

we then boarded the bus for our trip to Hollywood! we got a tour of Grahmans and then a little bit of the Oscar history before heading across the street to the Disney Ice Cream shop, DD picked up a pin from there and we shared an orange float!

then off to Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive....our bus driver Don talked about the old days of hollywood and sunset strip....we got about 20 minutes to walk around Rodeo drive before heading out to Malibu for our yummy appetizers and drinks then some beach time and a beautiful sunset before our long 2 1/2 hour drive back to Grand CA, got to watch Wall-E and some older Disney shorts.

along the way we received little surprises and treats....but I won't spoil it for those of you still waiting to go on the tour!

we had such a fun day that we hope to do the six day tour in the future! learning about the history of Disney Studios and seeing all the artifacts from the movies and collections is a great treat! and if you get Dean and Michael, its the cherry on top!!!!

 

[Mouse13]

mommy2mrb, thanks so much for taking the time to share the details of your tour! I'm even more excited now! It sounds like so much fun and my crew can hardly wait for our turn to go on this adventure. I'm especially excited about touring the studios and shopping at the studio store. How many people did you have in your tour group? I'm a little worried about our tour getting cancelled or moved to another day and am hoping that we have enough folks sign up to make it a go. Also, thanks for letting us know about the surprises and treats but not spoiling them for us. I'm so glad that you and your DD had a magical time!

 

[jacksparrowfan]

Thank you for posting the day, mommy2mrb! Michael is amazing! Love him dearly!!! And, I understand Dean is just as awesome! Did they take pictures throughout the day? Do they let you walk around the Chinese Theater courtyard, at all? I'm hoping to see the new hand prints for Michael Jacksons kids. Or, walk up the steps to Kodak? Looking to do a quick step in to Crumbs. Been craving one of those cupcakes! LOL! But, it sounds like ice cream at the soda fountain is a stop. Yay! Next week for us! We can't wait!!! =)

Hope you do the full tour. It's a Disney trip of a lifetime. Seriously amazing!!! =)

 

[sayhello]

mommy2mrb, sounds wonderful! Thanks for the Report! I really, *really* hope they extend this until May!

jacksparrowfan, I think the Kodak Theatre is probably off limits at this point, as it's all set up for the Oscars on Sunday.

Sayhello

 

[mommy2mrb]

mommy2mrb, thanks so much for taking the time to share the details of your tour! I'm even more excited now! It sounds like so much fun and my crew can hardly wait for our turn to go on this adventure. I'm especially excited about touring the studios and shopping at the studio store. How many people did you have in your tour group? I'm a little worried about our tour getting cancelled or moved to another day and am hoping that we have enough folks sign up to make it a go. Also, thanks for letting us know about the surprises and treats but not spoiling them for us. I'm so glad that you and your DD had a magical time!

happy to share! we had 15 people total, so a nice size group! I wouldn't worry about it getting cancelled, Dean said they were getting a good response to the tour and were extending it out to May!

Thank you for posting the day, mommy2mrb! Michael is amazing! Love him dearly!!! And, I understand Dean is just as awesome! Did they take pictures throughout the day? Do they let you walk around the Chinese Theater courtyard, at all? I'm hoping to see the new hand prints for Michael Jacksons kids. Or, walk up the steps to Kodak? Looking to do a quick step in to Crumbs. Been craving one of those cupcakes! LOL! But, it sounds like ice cream at the soda fountain is a stop. Yay! Next week for us! We can't wait!!! =)

Hope you do the full tour. It's a Disney trip of a lifetime. Seriously amazing!!! =)

they really made the tour for us! sit up close on the bus behind them if you can, we got to talk during our drives with them! they do take photos during the day....you will get something as the end with what they took....we did get to see the courtyard and yes MJ's kids prints are there! the soda fountain is a fun stop!
we hope to do the 6 day tour and when my DD graduates high school we plan on doing a couple of the european trips
have a great trip!

mommy2mrb, sounds wonderful! Thanks for the Report! I really, *really* hope they extend this until May!

jacksparrowfan, I think the Kodak Theatre is probably off limits at this point, as it's all set up for the Oscars on Sunday.

Sayhello

it really was fun! Dean said they were extending to May so you should call and find out!
we couldn't go into the Kodak but the "red carpet" area and steps were still open to the public....would think for the tours next week would get to go to the Kodak though!

 

[sayhello]

it really was fun! Dean said they were extending to May so you should call and find out!
we couldn't go into the Kodak but the "red carpet" area and steps were still open to the public....would think for the tours next week would get to go to the Kodak though!

Thanks, mommy2mrb! I will check. Quick question. You say it took 45 minutes to get to the Studios, then 2 1/2 hours from Malibu back to GCH. I guess that would be why they don't want people meeting them in L.A. - since they don't go back that way. I'm staying in Santa Monica, so I hate the idea of driving all the way down to Disneyland, then all the way back afterwards... What time did you get back to Disneyland?

Thanks,
Sayhello

ETA: Oh, geez, I looked at a map, and the restaurant, Gladstone's in Malibu, is like 10 minutes from where I'm staying in Santa Monica. We'd have to drive within a couple of blocks of there just to get from Gladstone's to the freeway! Then to drive 2 1/2 hours to Disneyland, and at least 50 minutes back to Santa Monica... I have to see if there's some way to work this out!

 

[mommy2mrb]

Thanks, mommy2mrb! I will check. Quick question. You say it took 45 minutes to get to the Studios, then 2 1/2 hours from Malibu back to GCH. I guess that would be why they don't want people meeting them in L.A. - since they don't go back that way. I'm staying in Santa Monica, so I hate the idea of driving all the way down to Disneyland, then all the way back afterwards... What time did you get back to Disneyland?

Thanks,
Sayhello

ETA: Oh, geez, I looked at a map, and the restaurant, Gladstone's in Malibu, is like 10 minutes from where I'm staying in Santa Monica. We'd have to drive within a couple of blocks of there just to get from Gladstone's to the freeway! Then to drive 2 1/2 hours to Disneyland, and at least 50 minutes back to Santa Monica... I have to see if there's some way to work this out!

we got back around 745pm....left malibu at 530pm....friday night traffic in LA is awful....you might check to see if you can just take a taxi from Gladstones since you will be so close, maybe you could get a shuttle from your hotel to GCH ...they do give out some goodies when you get back to GCH, so they might be able to give them to you before hand.

good luck figuring it out, hope it will work out so you can take the tour!!

 

[disneymum58]

Is this tour something my DS12 would be ok on? This sounds like a fantastic tour and I would love to fit it in on our trip to DLR the end of March.

 

[mommy2mrb]

Is this tour something my DS12 would be ok on? This sounds like a fantastic tour and I would love to fit it in on our trip to DLR the end of March.

definately! as long as he is interested in Disney history and being on a bus tour around town! my DD is 11 and LOVED IT! there was a little girl about 6 and she did really great too!

 

[Mouse13]

mommy2mrb, I really appreciate all of the information you've given us about the tour! It's been so helpful.

I do have one other question....were you allowed to bring your cell phone inside the Disney Studios? I understand that photos are only allowed at certain times, but I would like to use my cell phone as my camera on the tour. I'm curious about this because I read in someone's Backstage Magic trip report that they had to leave all of their cell phones on the bus when they were at the studios. If that's true on the tour, too, I want to be sure to bring my digital camera. Thanks in advance!