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

[dolewhipdreams]

I'm starting to get a headache.

Ahh my plan is working... make the system so confusing that people stop reading then wallow in self pity because no one is reading.

With Kermit instead of Stay Puft Marshmallow Man

Just as scary, TBH

No way!!

It's super cool! And they're even angled because he made them while doing his tramp walk.

What percentage of photo opportunities do you love?

114%

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

Oh I'm sorry to hear that.

Cool!

Cool is always a good exclamation to fall back on, good choice.

so glad to hear it doesn't disappoint!

It's so cool! I wish we had gotten to see more behind-the-scenes stuff like taken a peek into the Barn or something but even so it was a great time.

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

I can't count the number of times I got chills on this trip just thinking about how Walt was where I was while he was dreaming up some of our favorite things!

It’s fun to see where some of the Disney inspiration might have come from.

It was so cool!

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

And sounds like an awesome lunch experience!

All the kermit love hahaha

 

[NJlauren]

Oh this seems really cool! Do you listen to the imagined life podcast? It’s my favorite podcast (the only one I actually listen to regularly) one was on Jim Henson and now I want to visit his studios even more! If I go I will request not to have Vanessa ignore me for an entire tour!

Lunch looks good and going any place you know Walt was is pretty cool!

 

[Cloe Colton]

So cool to get to sit where Walt did! What a fun tour morning!

 

[pkondz]

Ahh my plan is working... make the system so confusing that people stop reading then wallow in self pity because no one is reading.

So that's how that works!

It's super cool! And they're even angled because he made them while doing his tramp walk.

Perfect!

114%

Little bit higher than I expected.

Cool is always a good exclamation to fall back on, good choice.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

“I like carousels more than grown men should”

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.

This whole section is pretty much a spoiler since none of it is listed in the itinerary, so ye be warned.

Our next stop of the day wasn’t listed on the itinerary but it’s pretty well known that, as long as it’s running, on the Hollywood day you go to Griffith Park to see the carousel. Now this isn’t any ole carousel, it’s actually the carousel where Walt would take his daughters and dream of a place where the whole family could have fun together (Disneyland. The place is Disneyland.)

​

When we got to the park there weren’t a whole lot of people around, and the carousel was only open for us so there was no one there except the people who run it. We got to meet Julio, who owns the carousel now. He has a great story of how he grew up working on the carousel and developed a nearly father-son relationship with the previous owner and it was passed down to him when the previous owner stepped away (or passed away? I’m horrible and can’t remember).

​

We stood around the carousel while Julio told us a lot about the history, none of which I really wrote down. I did note that the carousel still uses most of its original parts and pieces, including its 1916 motor, which is absolutely massive. I’m an engineer in a manufacturing facility so I see a lot of motors and I was dying to go in and get a look at one that old but alas, it was not to be.

[I love the expression on the boy here like "what are you doing??" and she's just being all coy]

​

Julio told us that the carousel can max out at 25 mph, which is actually really fast for a spinning ride, but new regulations put the limit at 14 mph (which is still faster than most carousels, including the ones at Disney parks). He also told us the difference between a carousel and a merry go around.

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Does anyone know what it is?

According to Julio, it all depends on the type of animals. Carousels only have horses and they all have to be “jumpers” (which means they go up and down) whereas a merry go round has different types of animals and some don’t jump. Now, if you google the difference between a carousel and a merry go round then you’ll find that most people don’t think there’s actually a difference or that it has to do with the direction that it turns. The official website for the Griffith Park Carousel even calls it a merry go round. But I trust Julio, so carousel it is.

Finally after much talking we got to take a spin (literally) on the carousel! It was nice and long and was fun. Something about carousels is so simple and really takes you back to being a kid where a ride on a carousel was a Big Deal. At one point Jon even said, “I like carousels more than a grown man should.”

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Side note: our local mall had a carousel in it but my dad was always too cheap to let me ride it. Every time we went I asked if I could ride and he said no. To this day I still have not been on that carousel. Or was it a merry go round?

We also learned a little about the organ and the sounds of the carousel and let me tell you, that is one heckuva loud organ. And also the angels playing music look like they would rather be absolutely anywhere else but on that organ.

​

Of course we also had to stop and look at The Bench. You know, the one that Walt would sit on and dream about his family park. Day one of the trip and we had already been to some of the most important places in Disney history- the places where all the ideas started. And what better way to celebrate those magical ideas than with a pin of the day???

I was going to insert a photo of that day’s pin but I guess I never took a picture of it. Oh well, you’ll see the whole collection toward the end of the TR. This one had Goofy and said Lights, Camera, Adventure! They all had a theme based on the activities for the day.

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With that, our visit to the carousel was over and we all boarded the bus to head back to the hotel. While on the bus, Shannon and Trevor let us know that there was one extra bit of magic for the day. It was totally optional but anyone who wanted to meet at Ghiardelli’s a little later would receive some free ice cream on the Mouse!

Wow, Ghiardelli’s! It’s been forever since we’ve had that!

Some more health-conscious people might have said “Oh pish posh it’s far too extravagant to have ice cream masterpieces two days in a row.” But we are not health-conscious and we strive for frozen dairy extravagance. So we went back to our room and packed up and rested then made our way back to Ghiardelli’s.

There were a few people from our group there already and the guides said we could pick whatever from the menu and just let them know that we were with the ABD group. I forgot exactly what we got but it looks like Jon got some kind of cookies and cream concoction and I got something with butterscotch. They were both delightful.

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[SPOILERS DONE!]

We hung out for a bit eating our ice cream and talking with the guides, especially Shannon. We talked to her about other jobs she has/had with Disney and about travel, since she loves to travel like we do! It was a really nice chill moment in the trip and I definitely appreciated it.

After that we talked about getting dinner somewhere but with the ice cream and all the snacks from earlier we just weren’t hungry. So we found another couple and decided to do some bowling! There’s a Lucky Strike right on Hollywood Blvd so we went in there and it was pretty dead. There were maybe one or two other groups.

We paid and picked a lane and settled in for a nice game (or two? I can’t remember) of bowling. It was really fun and nice to get to know the other couple. They were one of the couples from our table at lunch and were there without their daughter. The whole family loves Disney and the wife is actually a Disney TA. I tried not to ask her too much about her job since she was on vacation, but being a Disney TA is just really fascinating to me!

[Also look at this terrifying picture of Mickey]​

The setting was kind of interesting because the entertainment was just completely random. The music had no consistency at all and would go from like hardcore rap to bubblegum pop to oldies. Trying to cover all their bases, I guess? Then there was one massive TV playing 80s hip hop music videos (without sound) and another one with random sports. It was very strange.

On our way out we spotted this leaderboard for the bowling alley. Just take a moment to soak in all those names. This was also one of those times where we had been ~this close~ to meeting a celebrity since I guess Michael B Jordan (Killmonger in Black Panther) had just been in there the night before. Foiled, once again.

​

We split from the other couple and went to check out a sweet shop that we saw in the mall earlier, but mostly because I wanted to see this masterpiece up close:

​

It’s Eminem from M&Ms. How genius.

Everything in there was mega overpriced so we didn’t buy anything. We kept going and walked past a sock store and they had these super cool looking Star Wars socks in the window that I wanted. I went in and couldn’t find the Star Wars socks but did find these pairs instead:

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Side note: I have to wear a (pretty ugly) uniform at work and I can’t wear any accessories or anything so the only way I can show any kind of individuality is through my socks. So I’m really into socks.

None of the other stores looked interesting so we stopped at Auntie Anne’s for some pretzels to go and took them to our room to watch a little Netflix before bed. And that was the end of our first full ABD day!

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Up next: The day I was most excited about!

 

[jrmint427]

Now this isn’t any ole carousel, it’s actually the carousel where Walt would take his daughters and dream of a place where the whole family could have fun together (Disneyland. The place is Disneyland.)

How cool!!

Julio told us that the carousel can max out at 25 mph, which is actually really fast for a spinning ride

That does seem really fast for a carousel... and a merry go round.

He also told us the difference between a carousel and a merry go around.

I feel like I’ve heard this before but did not remember!

I tried not to ask her too much about her job since she was on vacation, but being a Disney TA is just really fascinating to me!

I would have been so curious too.

 

[pkondz]

“I like carousels more than grown men should”

Okay... maybe I'm a little too tired, but I first read that as "I like carousels more than grown men".


Not that there's anything wrong with that.

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.

This entire paragraph is now spoiled for me! Your warning came too late! Oh, noooooo!!!

on the Hollywood day you go to Griffith Park to see the carousel.

I'm sorry... the what?
I had no idea the carousel was there! I could've gone, but skipped it!

Now this isn’t any ole carousel, it’s actually the carousel where Walt would take his daughters and dream of a place where the whole family could have fun together

He has a great story of how he grew up working on the carousel and developed a nearly father-son relationship with the previous owner and it was passed down to him when the previous owner stepped away (or passed away? I’m horrible and can’t remember).

I love this. "It's a great story! So great that I don't remember it!"

Julio told us that the carousel can max out at 25 mph

Whoa!

He also told us the difference between a carousel and a merry go around.

​

Does anyone know what it is?

I thought the difference was, one was more hoity toity to say.

According to Julio, it all depends on the type of animals. Carousels only have horses and they all have to be “jumpers” (which means they go up and down) whereas a merry go round has different types of animals and some don’t jump. Now, if you google the difference between a carousel and a merry go round then you’ll find that most people don’t think there’s actually a difference or that it has to do with the direction that it turns. The official website for the Griffith Park Carousel even calls it a merry go round. But I trust Julio, so carousel it is.

Hmmmm… then according to Julio, this is a Merry Go Round, since you have a few photos of the "sled" which is neither a horse, nor goes up and down.

Something about carousels is so simple and really takes you back to being a kid where a ride on a carousel was a Big Deal.

At one point Jon even said, “I like carousels more than a grown man should.”

There it is!

Side note: our local mall had a carousel in it but my dad was always too cheap to let me ride it. Every time we went I asked if I could ride and he said no. To this day I still have not been on that carousel. Or was it a merry go round?

Okay. I'm serious...

GO. Do it.

And also the angels playing music look like they would rather be absolutely anywhere else but on that organ.

Of course we also had to stop and look at The Bench. You know, the one that Walt would sit on and dream about his family park.

Wait... another one? How many are there? I just read another TR where "the bench Walt sat on" was at the Disney Family Museum in San Francisco.

It was totally optional but anyone who wanted to meet at Ghiardelli’s a little later would receive some free ice cream on the Mouse!

Hello! Of course!

we strive for frozen dairy extravagance.

Good!

After that we talked about getting dinner somewhere but with the ice cream and all the snacks from earlier we just weren’t hungry.

I get that. <burp>

So we found another couple and decided to do some bowling!

Fun!

There’s a Lucky Strike right on Hollywood Blvd so we went in there and it was pretty dead.

I remember as a teen, going to the bowling alley and having to wait for a lane. Now, when I take my kids, there's almost always at least 20 empty lanes. (Out of 24)

[Also look at this terrifying picture of Mickey]

That's his private side.

"All right... how can we squeeze another nickel out of these rubes who keep coming to my park?"

On our way out we spotted this leaderboard for the bowling alley. Just take a moment to soak in all those names. This was also one of those times where we had been ~this close~ to meeting a celebrity since I guess Michael B Jordan (Killmonger in Black Panther) had just been in there the night before.

Huh!

It’s Eminem from M&Ms. How genius.

 

[NJlauren]

What a cool thing to get to experience! I’m totally going with this difference between a merry go round and carousel I’m about to blow my 5 year olds mind!

I do feel like lucky strike always has such a strange mix of music and environment!

Love the shark socks!

Not going to lie this report is making ABD seem even better then I already thought it was and it’s only day 1!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

What a great day on your tour! I'd LOVE to go to Jim Henson's studio - I've always adored the Muppets. I don't have a Swedish Chef character sitting in my kitchen for nothing!

Your lunch looks very tasty and was likely even better due to the history of the place. The ride on the carousel would be amazing! I never knew that much about carousels/merry-go-rounds... and I trust Julio, too!

Your evening also looked fun. Who knew Breckin Meyer was such a good bowler?! (Actually, I can see that being true. He seems adorably nerdy enough to be a good bowler. Keanu Reeves being so high on the list surprises me more!)

 

[dolewhipdreams]

I feel like I’ve heard this before but did not remember!

And I feel like everyone has their own version of what the difference might be. I still don't know what the difference is between a carousel and a carrousel, though.

I would have been so curious too.

It was so hard not to just pester her hahaha

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Okay... maybe I'm a little too tired, but I first read that as "I like carousels more than grown men"

I mean depending on the day that may or may not be true.

I'm sorry... the what?
I had no idea the carousel was there! I could've gone, but skipped it!

Well now you have to go back.

I love this. "It's a great story! So great that I don't remember it!"

This will be a recurring theme on this TR. So be prepared.

I thought the difference was, one was more hoity toity to say.

Well that's for sure a big part of it.

Hmmmm… then according to Julio, this is a Merry Go Round, since you have a few photos of the "sled" which is neither a horse, nor goes up and down.

*gasp* we've been bamboozled!

Okay. I'm serious...

GO. Do it.

I think I might just have to.

Wait... another one? How many are there? I just read another TR where "the bench Walt sat on" was at the Disney Family Museum in San Francisco.

They LIE!

Now, when I take my kids, there's almost always at least 20 empty lanes. (Out of 24)

Yeah I can't remember ever going to a bowling alley that was busy.

"All right... how can we squeeze another nickel out of these rubes who keep coming to my park?"

 

[dolewhipdreams]

I’m about to blow my 5 year olds mind!

It's the little things in life.

Love the shark socks!

Thanks, I wore them yesterday! They're also super soft which is nice.

Not going to lie this report is making ABD seem even better then I already thought it was and it’s only day 1!

Then I am doing my job.

I don't have a Swedish Chef character sitting in my kitchen for nothing!

That's amazing!

Your lunch looks very tasty and was likely even better due to the history of the place.

It really was exceptional. A super heavy meal for lunch but overall a great experience.

Keanu Reeves being so high on the list surprises me more!)

And Justin Bieber. Who knew?? I wonder if bowling is bigger in Canada? @pkondz can you chime in on that??

 

[missangelalexis]

Such a cool experience getting to see and ride the carousel!

And you cannot say no to free ice cream!

Sounds like a fun night bowling and walking around a little before crashing at the hotel!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Such a cool experience getting to see and ride the carousel!

And you cannot say no to free ice cream!

Sounds like a fun night bowling and walking around a little before crashing at the hotel!

The free ice cream was the perfect way to end the ABD part of the day! And now I'm craving butterscotch...

 

[pkondz]

I mean depending on the day that may or may not be true.

Ah yes, of course.

Well now you have to go back.

I intend to!

This will be a recurring theme on this TR. So be prepared.

Okay. I'm prepared.

I wonder if bowling is bigger in Canada? @pkondz can you chime in on that??

I can categorically say... how should I know?
I don't know if it's bigger or not... but I can say that it's pretty darned dead up here. I've never gone bowling in the past few years (which is only a handful of times with the DDs) and seen more than a handful of lanes being used, if that.

 

[DLo]

What a great first day . Bonus - free ice cream! Can’t wait to read more .

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Bonus - free ice cream! Can’t wait to read more .

Any day with free ice cream is amazing!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Mickeys, Mickeys everywhere

Today was our visit to the Walt Disney Studios & Imagineering. This section isn't so much a spoiler since it's on the itinerary that you go to the Studios, but I'll go into specific detail on what we got to see and experience.

Our call time this morning was slightly later than the day before, but since we were switching hotels our bags had to be ready to go by 7am. The special ABD touch was that bell services came to us, instead of us having to take our bags down somewhere. That was reaalll nice.

My notes say that we left the room a little later than I wanted because of ‘some makeup issues’ which probably means I messed up my eyeliner and had to do it all over again (typical). We got to the breakfast room with about 20 minutes to eat (and brush my teeth, in my case).

​

The breakfast spread was identical to the previous morning and I’m pretty sure I got identical plates. I did find a closer bathroom (that was unlocked!) but we were cutting it really close so I ended up flossing on the bus, while we watched more of the Muppet Movie. I know you’re all really here for the dental play-by-play so I don’t want to disappoint by leaving out any of the details.

​

This day of the ABD itinerary was by far the one I was most looking forward to. We got to visit the Studios, Imagineering, and get to Disneyland! Before long our bus was pulling up in Burbank and we started our tour of Walt Disney Studios.

​

With our very special visitor passes in hand we made our way down the lane and our first stop was the Sherman Brothers Stage. We learned many fun facts but the two that I managed to write down were that Pirates of the Caribbean, Tangled, and many Marvel soundtracks were all dubbed there, and that it’s also a building inside of a building, which reduces sound infiltration from outside.

[Full disclosure: I'm only posting this one because I just really like how cool my hair looks from the back] ​

Naturally, there are Mickeys everywhere at the Studios.

​

The next stop was really adorable. It’s a tribute to Pluto called Pluto’s Corner. The best part is the paw prints by the fire hydrant, where there are only three prints because the other leg is…well, you know.

​

Of course photos were necessary.

​

We also passed by a screening theater, which I can only assume is full of screens.

​

Then we proceeded into the Animation building! There isn’t actually a lot of animation that happens in there these days since there’s a whole separate Animation campus now, but this is the building where so many of our favorite classic Disney animations were created.

​

The walls inside are filled with art, cells, and sketches. We had a few minutes to wander around and take it all in while our guides told us a little more about the history of the building. There were a few things we (read: I) had to stop and get photos of.

​

One was the selection of cells from the Little Mermaid, since Ariel and I are somewhat (distantly) related.

​

I also grabbed a photo of some cells from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which is one of my all time favorite Disney movies and is also one of the most underrated in the Disney catalog.

IMG_2576 by Ann Eddy, on Flickr
​

Finally, we found a Steamboat Willie mosaic (not sure if mosaic is the correct term technically but it was Willie in the tiles) and since Jon was Disneybounding as S.W. I thought a picture was in order.

​

That was all we got to see of Animation. I'm not sure what else I expected to see since, like I said, most of the actual animation happens somewhere else.

On our way to the next stop I noticed that even the security vehicles at Disney get special signage.

​

Next up our group split, and our group headed to the Archives. The Archives are (is?) where they keep pretty much every Disney creation backed up to use as research for future projects. I was so excited to go in and see it all! So I was a little bummed to go in and see that it’s really just one room with a bunch of books behind glass cases and some pieces from the parks. Most of the archives are actually offsite in another location.

​

So we got to look around at what was there, which included some fun stuff like the redhead from POTC and a few things that look like they came from Adventurers Club!

​

We also got a chance to take a photo with an(other) Oscar, which made two for this trip!

​

Before we switched places with the other group there was one last thing to see- this little beauty:

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This is the multiplane camera! Even though it’s old tech now, it was sooo cool to be able to take a long look at the setup that really set Disney animation apart. They even had some scenes from Snow White left in the panes so you could see how the effect worked. (It was fun coming home and watching Disney movies like Sleeping Beauty and being able to see how the camera affected the animation)

​

After oo-ing and aw-ing over the camera we made our way out to switch with the other group, but this looks like a good spot for a break so you’ll find out what comes next up next!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

My hands are the same size as Alan Menken's

Just as in the last update, these aren't so much spoilers as very specific details about what we saw at the Studios.

Alright so last you saw us we just wrapped up looking through the archives and learning about the multiplane camera. When we finished, we swapped places with the other group, who had been exploring the Legends Courtyard. The Legends Courtyard is the space in front of the main, iconic Studios building. All the executive offices are in there, including Mr. Iger himself.

[I waved at Bob but I don’t think he saw me from all the way up there]





​

Our guides told us about the building and about the Legends program. I didn’t write down any notes on that but I do remember that the dwarfs hands don’t actually touch the building at the top. The structure is all supported internally so that there is no stress on the statues.

After a short spiel we were free to go and browse through all the Legends plaques and take as many photos as we wanted. Which for me was very, very many. Enjoy.

[Look my hands are the same size as Alan Menken's!]​

After regrouping, the guides led us down into ‘the morgue’ toward Ink and Paint. The morgue is an underground storage area/tunnel that links some of the buildings. The guides said that random stuff gets put down there and occasionally someone will find something really cool! I remember that they told of a particular item that was neat that someone found down there but, alas, I did not write it down. So you’ll just have to use your imagination. Something in the back of my mind tells me it was a snow globe of some kind that had special meaning…

A super cute thing happened in the morgue (how many times will I have the chance to say something like that?), because the only two kids on the trip had become fast friends and were holding hands while walking down the hall. It was absolutely precious and there were awws all around.

[Cue the heart eyes]​

We emerged from the morgue in Ink and Paint, which used to be much more important when animation was all done by hand. Now that it’s almost completely computer-based, Ink and Paint is really just there for nostalgia and the few artists that are needed for hand-drawn/painted items.

When Ink and Paint was an actual thing, though, it was entirely comprised of women because women were considered to have a steadier hand. They referred to it as the Nunnery. The guides also talked about how absolutely spotless the building had to be so that dust and dirt wouldn’t find its way onto the artwork.

I have a random note here that says ‘Disney uses Microsoft Outlook.’ I thought that was neat because we use Microsoft Outlook at work. I know it’s probably the most common mail platform for companies but hey, it’s the little things that make me happy.

​

There was one more stop on our tour and that was near the soundstages. We didn’t get to go into any, but we stopped outside and talked about them. I’m actually really bummed that we couldn’t go in at all, it would have been so neat to see.

Anyway, we learned that Sound Stage 2 is where both Mary Poppins and Princess Diaries were filmed and so they call it the Julie Andrews stage, which I absolutely love. They also told us that Mary Poppins was filmed 100% inside the stage. A google search has confirmed that information. Now I need to watch it again to see if I can tell if it was filmed inside or not because I definitely remember watching it and not thinking “Oh wow that looks like it’s all inside.”

Sound Stage 2 is also where Pirates of the Caribbean was shot. SS2 has the ability to be filled with water so it was good for a lot of the scenes where the actors need to be in or under water. There’s a really great commentary/documentary in the special features of the Curse of the Black Pearl DVD (goodness who watches DVDs anymore??) that I may or may not have seen more than once. POTC is my second favorite film franchise (behind Lord of the Rings).

The Mark Twain Riverboat was also assembled in a sound stage. I don’t remember why, but there’s a fun fact for you to file away and impress your friends later on.

That wrapped up our tour but on the way back to where we would eat lunch we walked by a few interesting things. One was a set being built right outside one of the sound stages. It was still really early in the construction so it was difficult to tell what it was going to be. The other was a bunch of tents and things set up for filming. The guides weren’t sure what it was, but it was cool to see movie magic in progress!

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After finishing our tour we had an hour on our own to eat and shop. I had my priorities in place so we chose to shop first, then eat later. There are two stores you can shop from that are connected to each other. One is the Employee Center, which has the majority of the merchandise that is specific to the Walt Disney Company and the Studios. It also has things for employees (obviously) like lanyards, badge holders, etc. I took as many photos as I could of what was available so here they are for your viewing enjoyment:

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The other store was the Studio Store, which had mostly merch you could get at any Disney store, although there was a little corner of more Studios-specific stuff. Here’s what we saw:

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While in the stores we found some cute Steamboat Willie and vintage Minnie plushes and we asked a CM to take our photo since that’s who we were Disneybounding as that day.

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I also had to stop for the Forky photo op #forky4life #iamtrash

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If you’re curious, here’s what we came away with from both of the shops at the Studios:

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Most of that is mine. The only thing Jon got was the Goofy badge clip. And the Mickey hand is a business card holder, which currently holds a place of honor on my desk at work!

Satisfied with our shopping, we headed over to the Commissary for lunch. It’s a pretty generic cafeteria but so cool to think about who we might be sharing the space with. There was no one that I recognized (not that I would recognize very many people there), but who knows if the biggest animators or next executives were in there having lunch with us??

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For lunch we got a voucher for one main, one side, one dessert, and one drink. I got a bowl of Walt’s Chili for my main (I thought it was fitting), some grapes, and some froyo, while Jon got a BLT with fruit and some of his own froyo (PS their froyo is self-serve and they have a bunch of toppings so I definitely recommend it as the choice dessert if you go on this tour).

[This super cute print was in the bathroom. How perfect??]​

We finished with lunch just in time to get back on the bus and get rolling toward our next stop- Imagineering! But I’m going to break here so you’ll just have to wait in suspense to see how that went!

 

[NJlauren]

What a cool day!

[Full disclosure: I'm only posting this one because I just really like how cool my hair looks from the back]

Wait is the another reason to post pics?

Some really cool facts and take aways!

Girl shopping before food all the time and always! Unless you get Hangry then i don't recommend