Adventures By Disney Backstage Magic, Day Two

The first full day of our Adventure by Disney began bright and early, with an 8 a.m. meeting in the Mezzanine. When all the intrepid adventurers had gathered, we hiked en masse across the street to the Mickey Mouse Soda Fountain next door to Disney's El Capitan Theater. There we gathered at large tables for breakfast. By far the most popular choice seemed to be the Mickey Mouse waffle! Next door at the theater is “The Little Mermaid Sing-a-Long,” so we had a special treat: a visit from Ariel herself! She popped over for a photo opportunity.

After eating, we browsed around the shop a bit (the El Capitan pins are a must for any collector). Then we were ushered over to the theater and treated to a tour and history lesson. Disney restored it to its original glory, and I must say it's breathtaking! It has to be the finest example of an old-time theater restoration I've ever seen; they've done some nice ones in Chicago, but El Capitan put those to shame. We went up into the balcony and also got to go backstage. As an added bonus, we were treated to an organ performance on the classic instrument saved from another theater. All too soon it was time to leave, as there was a show matinee coming up.

But we didn't have far to go, since the theater for Jimmy Kimmel Live was right next door. That was a fascinating tour as we got to see what goes into a daily television production. There were cables and cameras and equipment everywhere, and we were allowed to peek into just about every room, including the production rooms, dressing room, and even the green room (which is equipped with a bar, pool table, and various video games).

We had an added treat that isn't actually part of the tour. Uncle Frank happened to be passing through on his way to tape a bit, so he graciously stopped and chatted with us. He is such a nice, regular guy, just as you'd imagine from his persona on TV.

After touring the inside, we viewed the outside stage before boarding a motor coach to head off to the Henson Studio to see the Creature Shop, sound stage, and other areas where Hollywood magic is quite literally made.

We had a history lesson, learning that the Henson complex was actually built by Charlie Chaplin. Now it's a working studio/workshop but also a protected historical landmark. When we arrived, we saw a short introductory film created just for the Disney tours.

Next, we were split into two groups, Mickey and Minnie. Hubby and I were in Minnie, which meant that we went into the Creature Shop first while the others headed to the sound stage. Once inside we were surrounded by all sorts of creations, many of them familiar (for example, they had a Baby Sinclair used on the “Dinosaurs” show). We learned some history of how Jim Henson used television to revolutionize puppetry. By standing erect and using a television monitor, he could created fluid motion. We had a little demonstration which proved that's not as easy as it sounds! Sadly, no photography was allowed in the shop, but we did get to take pictures out in the courtyard.

Next it was our turn to head into the sound stage, where a show called “Sid the Science Kid” was in production. It was fascinating to watch the actors in their motion capture suits practicing moves that will be digitized for the show. As we had learned in the shop, digital motion capture is the next phase of puppetry. Now a puppeteer doesn't have to physically hold the puppet. He can manipulate it via digital controls to create movement on a screen in real time.

We were also allowed to go into the office building and see Brian Henson's office, as well as various trophies, figures, etc. Afterwards, it was lunch time so we took seats under a set of canopies and waited for the food to arrive. Most of it was right on time, but those who had ordered shrimp penne pasta (my husband included) had an extra wait. They didn't go hungry, since the first course (soup or salad, depending on what you had pre-ordered) was already there waiting, and when it finally did arrive hubby said it was worth the wait. Myself, I had ordered a cheeseburger and especially enjoyed the big avocado slices it was adorned with. Dessert was a chocolate chip cookie.

Just as we were finishing our repast, we had a special visitor: Sweetheart the puppet (At least, I think that was her name). She was quite a sassy gal and posed with all of us for photos, even allowing the more adventurous members of the group to to try her out. Also, our Guides have been taking lots of photos throughout the trip, and even in areas with restrictions they take one group photo if it's allowed. For example, they napped a picture of all of us on the Jimmy Kimmel set and one of everyone in the Henson offices.

Next up was a very special surprise (and that's really saying something, since the day had already been full of so many wonderful experiences). We were supposed to go on a bus tour of Hollywood, but instead we discovered we'd be going to Griffin Park to see Walt Disney's actual barn building where he worked on his model trains! If you're going on this tour in the future, this isn't something you can count on because the train exhibit is staffed by volunteers and only open at very limited times. We all counted ourselves VERY lucky to be treated to this experience.

We learned about Walt's passion for scale model trains, which dates back to his childhood. We were given a tour of the barn, which is jam-packed with the most wonderful memorabilia. It has been rebuilt in the park almost exactly as it stood at Walt's house, with the exception of the roof; city codes require that to be fireproof. The last two of the Nine Old Men were also train hobbyists, so there was memorabilia from both of them as well.

We also had a chance to ride one of the trains that run at the park (there was actually an opportunity to ride twice, which we happily took). The volunteers who run the exhibit and the trains are all members of the local steam train group (of which Walt was an enthusiastic member), and their passion for their hobby really shines through.

The guides laid out snacks, but I was still full from lunch and knew that I'd be having a big dinner, so I skipped those. All too soon it was time to go, but everyone in the group was flush with the excitement of this very special addition to our trip. On the ride back, we all received our special themed pin of the day.

Ironically, when I first booked this adventure, I wasn't all that enthused about the Hollywood Park. I figured I'd just be counting the days until we left for Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure. But I have to admit, the Hollywood part has exceed my expectations like I never imagined possible. Today we were out and about for eight hours, and it flew by in the wink of an eye. We were busy just about every minute, and with the most fun and interesting activities. I'm a bit sad that tomorrow is our last day in Hollywood before heading to the parks. Oh well, the visit to Imagineering should be a blast.

Meanwhile, back at the hotel we went over the bus schedule to figure our how to get to Lawrys The Prime Rib, where we'd be having dinner. Everyone was on their own for the night's meal, and as a Chicago native I am more than familiar with Lawry's. Their prime rib is to die for, and it's served with a whipped cream horseradish sauce that is blended by angels and sent down from Heaven. Now that we live in Florida, it's a rare treat for me so when I learned that the original location is in L.A., it became a must-do.

The trip required two buses, but I must say they sure do run frequently; we hopped off one and our transfer was already heading down the street towards us. Some of the neighborhoods we passed through seemed a bit questionable as we headed towards Restaurant Row in Beverly Hills, but we did make it in one piece. We arrived early, and happily they were able to seat us immediately.

Although the building is much different than the one in Chicago (which is located in an old mansion), there were little decorative touches that were the same between the two locations. The prime rib was just as wonderful, and although they didn't have Chicago's signature dessert (the chocolate bag), we contented ourselves with a delicious hot fudge sundae. Then it was back to the bus stop; thankfully it was still light out, as I would have been rather leery at night (the guy wheeling his shopped cart down the street didn't exactly inspire confidence).

Once again, the buses were prompt, but on the second leg of our journey we were apparently on the Tuberculosis bus, since everyone but us had a wicked hacking cough. I hope we don't leave L.A. With a raging case of TB was our souvenir.

We made it back to the hotel safe and sound and popped up to our room, since I needed to do some work (ugh!). In mentally reviewing the day, I was amazed at just how much we'd managed to fit it. It truly had been an adventure, and I couldn't wait to see what the next morning would bring.