Westward Ho! To Disneyland We Go!!!!

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

You had to be there 5.5 hours before taping started?  Ouch!

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

You had to be there 5.5 hours before taping started?  Ouch!

Close, we HAD to be there by noon. We got there about 11, they started letting folks in about 11:30

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Time to continue on. About 4:15, they opened the doors to the studio, and that is where there was a big sign that showed our Taping Number and Air Date. the Air Date was June 12th. We then proceeded upstairs and were directed to our seats. For larger groups, they did have blocks of seats marked off.

 

Once we got into the studio, it was VERY high energy, lots of music, lots of stage hands encouraging everyone to clap and yell, etc, etc. Once everyone got in, we could remove our numbers from our name tags, and then we got some instructions. When they were actually calling someone down, we needed to remain seated, so that it was easier for the cameras to pick up the person being called down.

 

Also, while there is a studio audience there, this show is definitely done for the cameras.

 

For one, you can't hear what Drew and the other announcer is saying half of the time, so when they call folks down, they put their name on a large sign and hold it up on stage. That's why there is often a delay from when their name is called and the person actually reacts.

 

You also can only see about half of what is on stage. There are three permanent doors, and inside the sections behind the doors is not really visible to the audience. Most everything is rolled in and out, including the Big Wheel, the Showcase stage, and most of the games.

 

Fortunately, there are monitors hanging from the ceiling, so the audience sees most of the show through those monitors.

 

They actually do the commercial breaks, and during the breaks, Drew talks to the audience, sometimes they do retakes on the filming of the merchandise, or do retakes on the voiceover describing the merchandise.

 

After the taping was over, they did a couple more retakes on merchandise, played some dance music and did some more audience pans, then Drew talked to the audience, and they had a couple of mini drawings for $100 prizes. The folks called down, but not on stage got $300 each.

 

and that was it. We exited the theater. Since we didn't have our phones or cameras with us, we avoided the long line to pick up our stuff, and were one of the first to the table to pick up our picture. Then we walked back to the shopping center where our car was parked. We saw one of the models heading into a grocery store while we were heading for our car.

 

Earlier, we had thought about having dinner at one of the restaurants at the mall, but decided we just wanted to get back. We got in the car, and started driving back.

 

It was still daylight, so got a few pics of the drive back.

 

 

 

 

 

Caught a couple of very light pictures of the Hollywood sign

 

 

We also passed Paramount

 

 

 

 

and another car wash

 

 

I think we grabbed some dinner at a drive through on the way back, don't even remember what.

 

Here we are back in our hotel room. We were hoping to catch some picture of the Disneyland fireworks....

 

 

 

We waited, and waited....

 

 

 

 

 

and no fireworks....

 

here I am checking the websites.....

 

 

Sure enough, for the rest of the weeknights, no fireworks, no Fantasmic!, no World of Color.

 

Now, to sum up Price is Right....

 

Did we have fun, Yes :)  Would we go through all that again.... probably not. It makes for a very long day, and even though the tickets were free, it's expensive!!  $24 to park, we probably spent another $50 on crappy food and stuff to drink, and the picture was $20

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I just got caught up with your report.

 

Thanks for all the details on the Price is Right taping.  I always thought attending something like that would be fun, but it doesn't sound like it was all that much fun.

 

I have to LOL at all the Car Wash photos.  It's odd that there are so many.

 

The regular parts of California that you show in your photos don't look all that great.  Who wants all that smog and congestion?

 

TCD

[Seals 111]

 

Now, to sum up Price is Right....

 

Did we have fun, Yes :)  Would we go through all that again.... probably not. It makes for a very long day, and even though the tickets were free, it's expensive!!  $24 to park, we probably spent another $50 on crappy food and stuff to drink, and the picture was $20

 

When I was a kid growing up in NJ they filmed Jeopardy in NYC and my Dad was a big fan. For his birthday one year my brothers and I got him tickets for the family to see Jeopardy taped. So he got to pay for the whole family to take the train into NYC and then to feed us. He enjoyed it but frequently reminded us not to get him "free" tickets again!

[keith_h 420]

My uncle adored Drew Cary. Seeing the show taped and being able to meet Drew was one of the highlights of his life. His account was much sunnier than I expected the real event to be but then again he was known to never leave a story unembellished. Your description of what the Price is Right is what I would have thought although a bit more expensive than I would have imagined. I still think it would be fun to see a show taping of some type just to be able to say I've done it. Maybe the next time I get out west to visit family.

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

I have been to a show taping of Who Wants to Be A Millionaire at Disney Studios back when they still had the "Play It" attraction and Meredith taped there for a week.

 

That was actually a lot more fun. I wasn't expecting to be a contestant. I just went to the Studios with my ticket, got in line to be seated and saw the taping. Lots of fun and cool :)

 

If we had planned better for Price Is Right, it could have been a lot less expensive. We could have probably had a good lunch at the mall just before getting in line, then only had drinks while waiting, then had a good dinner afterwards. We got in line way too early.

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

I really need to finish this one up.

 

April 21st. Our last full day.

 

Today was a catchup day, and we visited both parks today. Unfortunately, walked out of the room without the camera, so all of today's pics are cell phone pics.

 

First up was Alladin at California Adventure. We had tried to see it earlier in the trip, but when we visited, they had cancelled the shows for that day.

 

 

 

Not sure where we're at here, but some pretty flowers

 

 

Now, we've hopped over to Disneyland and rode the Storybookland Canal Boats. A lot of the same scenery as the Circus Train.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were actually clouds today

 

 

 

 

Now it's on to Mr. Toads' Wild Ride.

 

 

and Pinnochio's Daring Journey

 

 

and Alice's Ride

 

 

 

 

Then I wandered through the Tomorrowland Preview Exhibit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and that's photo limit

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Some more Tommowland pics

 

 

 

 

 

Supposedly, the initial idea for this movie came from somebody finding this box with notes from Walt and other "stuff" inside

 

 

 

 

Now it's time for the Disneyland afternoon parade

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the parade, it was time for a snack

 

 

Then a wandering I go

 

 

 

Rick was catching a bug, so went back to the hotel.

 

 

I decided to wander around the Disneyland hotel for a bite to eat and ended up at the Tangarora Terrace

 

 

Once again, counter service with real plates and silverware

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

I wandered into Trader Sam's for a few minutes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then more wandering around the hotel

 

 

 

Then I'm heading back for the hotel

 

This is the main Disneyland sign.

 

 

 

and that was our trip! Forgetting the camera on the last day kind of petered things out.  Rick had dinner at the hotel, we packed up that night, then on Wednesday, got our shuttle to the airport, and took our seperate flights back to Atlanta, then spent the night in Atlanta, then drove home Thursday.

 

I will close out with some random photos from Rick's phone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading!!  We are kindof hoping to get back out there for a long weekend before our Premier APs expire, but not sure. We have the airfare due to a bump I took last November, but the hotel points are a little low. We'll see. That is a lot of travel time for just a long weekend.

 

We love the differences that the parks out West have, and really appreciate how everything is really compact, and of course all the history is there. Someday, I'll pull the camper out West, but mainly to see our big country in between.

[mommy rainbo.....Bo 41]

Thanks for posting it was a wonderful read.

[momof3kids-Yvonne 596]

Thanks for sharing your Trip with us.

Hoping you get the chance to get back for a long weekend before your passes expire.

Oh just an FYI you have July 21 written down as last day above.

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Thanks for sharing your Trip with us.

Hoping you get the chance to get back for a long weekend before your passes expire.

Oh just an FYI you have July 21 written down as last day above.

Fixed :)

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Great trip, and great trip report.

 

I didn't realize they had all that memorabilia on display in the Tomorrowland preview out there in Disneyland.  They had nothing like that at the preview they set up in the Imagination pavilion in Epcot.  I would have loved to see some of that stuff.

 

If you have passes, airfare and some hotel points, you should go back!  You didn't get to see any of the 60th anniversary stuff that's going on now, and some of it looks really cool.

 

TCD