Animation Studio "Tour" ?

[Chipndalenut]

I am an artist from Wisconsin. My husband and I went to DL just one day twenty one years ago. We now have a seven year old daughter who is absolutely OBSESSED with Mickey (and that's putting it mildly!) We have taken her to WDW every year since she was 2 and now would love to visit DL. So I'm wondering if we CAN tour the animation studio and how many days would you suggest we stay at DL in order to see everything? We normally stay at WDW 7 to 8 days each year.

Also, I've heard the Mickey actually TALKS to you at DL...Our daughter will LOVE this....Have you talked with Mickey??:?

Thank you for your help and any other tips you think we should consider!!

Wendy

 

[Disney Dreams]

Hi Wendy,

I would suggest at least 4 days at DLR to see both Parks, especially with a little one that loves Mickey so much.

"Talking Mickey" was a test run when he has been out and about. He is not the norm, I would not expect him, and I certainly would not mention him to your daughter. The odds that you will see talking Mickey are VERY VERY VERY tiny.

The Walt Disney Studios are not located near Disneyland. They are up in Burbank which is an hour (plus) from Disneyland.

That said, there IS a way to see the Studios, if money is of no concern.

There is a special tour offered through Adventures by Disney. It is a 6 day / 5 night tour that includes:

- Special Access at Walt Disney Imagineering
- Behind the Scenes at Disneyland® Park
- Backstage at Jimmy Kimmel Live!
- El Capitan Theatre Tour

The details are here.

You may already know this, but at DLR in DCA there is the Animation Academy where you can learn to draw several Disney characters, have fun with Disney character voicing, and see an interactive show with Crush that is a lot of fun ("Turtle Talk with Crush"). Sounds like a definite "to do" for your family.

HTH,
Dreams

 

[amamax2]

What time of year will you visit? That will make a difference on how many days might be ideal for you.

WDW is very different from DL, so it is good that you are gathering information.

Also, if you search this forum, Hydroguy has put together a number of excellent threads about the best time to visit, differences between DLR vs WDW, etc that would be a great place to start your planning.

Not to say that we all wouldn't be more than happy to answer your questions, but his threads are very comprehensive and might answer most of your questions in one sitting. Then you might need to just find out answers to more specific questions, like the ones you asked originally.

 

[Chipndalenut]

Thank you both for your help. Yes, I have been reading all of the threads from Hydroman...he's AWESOME !! So helpful!!! We are looking at going the first week in June and still debating whether to stay at a Disney resort or a good neighbor hotel. We always spend all of our time at the parks at WDW and I'm sure we'll do the same at DL so I hate to pay for deluxe accommidations. But it's DISNEYLAND !!!

Are there any other special encounters with Mickey that you can think of that our daughter would go crazy over? I know WDW so well but am really having to do my research for DL just because we haven't had the chance to spend nearly as much time there. We've been to WDW 15 times since 1996 and our daughter has been there 6 times, so she knows when and where to find Mickey. She just finished making him a special Halloween card...she said how much she misses him and can't wait to see him again. Now she's thinking of a Thanksgiving card to make for him !! It's all about Mickey!!!

Thank you again for your help. We truely appreciate it !!

Wendy

 

[amamax2]

That is so sweet that your daughter loves Mickey so much!

Early June should be a great time to go. As you probably know from your research, hours during the week will be shorter and usually no fireworks or F!, but if you are here over a weekend, you can get that. But the trade-off is lower crowds!

There is truly nothing like staying on-site at one of the DLR hotels for the whole experience, but they are pricey! We used to stay on-site for almost every trip, but this year switched to some of the hotels within walking distance to save money. While it is not *quite* the same, we can't justify the cost any more. But depending on your budget, there might be some deals within your price range at the DLR hotels at that time of year.

One of the great things about DLR vs WDW is everything is right there, so even if you stay off-site, you're only a few minutes away from the parks and DTD.

As far as special encounters with Mickey, I can't really think of anything besides the obvious ones of Character Meals, Mickey's House, etc. He is usually out several places for pictures throughout the parks. Sorry! Maybe someone else will chime in or try posting a new thread with that specific question so more people will see it.

 

[3BoysRDisneyFreaks]

hello fellow cheesehead!

we visited DL in June 2010. mid. The crowd levels were great and so was the weather.

I would stay at a good neighbor hotel and walk. Everything is so close it is scary. You truly aren't missing much by staying on site. You get extra magic mornings and that is about it in my book.

Have a great time. Oh and the long flight sucks. I enjoy the 2 hours to WDW more than the 4 to DL.

 

[Chipndalenut]

Thanks everyone for your help again. We are really excited about this trip to DL, especially since our little girl has never been there. I just really need to do my research and figure out all of the different places we can find Mickey because that's ALL that matters to her!!! It's exciting to take her to his original home !!! This house if full of "Disney Nuts" so my DH and I can't wait to be in "Walt's original park"!!!!! We took the "Mickey's Magical Milestones" tour last month at WDW....Macy was tickled pink!!!!! She learned quite a few new things about Mickey and Walt. Her favorite part was getting to see Mickey in Toon Town Fair during the tour. He autographed the picture she drew of him and at the end of the tour we all got our own set of official ears with our names on one ear and Mickey's signature on the other. That is currently Macy's prize possession!!!!!

And to my fellow Cheesehead DISer..I know I'm not crazy about flying either (unless it's on "Soarin'"...LOL) But as long as I know Mickey and friends are on the other end, I'll be OK.

 

[amamax2]

Wendy,

Your enthusiasm is just contagious!

Your best bet would be to start a new thread titled something like "All the places to find Mickey Mouse?" or something like it, asking all the places people have seen Mickey. Then you'd get a list quickly, versus having to do a lot of searching for the answer.

My kids aren't into the characters like that, so I don't have a ready list for you - sorry. I did see on another thread that the only character meal with Mickey is the Surf's Up one at PPH, but it sounds really great and like she would get quite a bit of face time with him there.

Off the top of me head, I know Mickey is at his house in Toon Town (and I guess there are three different ones there, so you never know which one you will get to see); he's usually near the front of Main Street; and I've seen him several times at this beautiful gazebo on the bridge just past Ariel's Grotto in DCA.

 

[Kayla's Mom]

You can also see Mickey (and Minnie) at the birthday party celebration they do at Plaza Inn on Main Street. I believe it's $15.99 per person. Each person gets a little cake to decorate with frosting, sprinkles, etc. Pat E. Cake is the host and Mickey and Minnie make an appearance at the end (no autographs though).

We see Mickey quite often right after you walk through the tunnels when you enter on Main Street, as well as Toon Town and the gazebo at DCA that was previously mentioned.

 

[disneyfan4ever54]

I think your DD would enjoy the Discover the Magic Tour. The kids follow clues that lead the group to different attractions at the park. The last clue leads everyone to Mickey's House for a private visit with him. It's a lot of fun and the private meet with Mickey is great!

 

[Chipndalenut]

Thank you...that tour sounds AWESOME !!! I really appreciate all of the help from everyone on the DIS boards, especially while planning this trip to DL. I was happy to hear that the beginning of June is a good time to go. We really didn't think we should take our DD out of school anyomore this year because we all ready took her out for a week in late Sept to go to WDW. Her school gets out for the summer on May 27th so the first week in June works out great for us.

I am SO excited about this whole vacation !!! I really need to research more information regarding the Animation Studio. I feel HONORED to get to tour that studio, especially when I think of all of the incredible artists and imaginears who have worked and currently work there! It's where all of the Disney magic begins!!!! As an artist, I paint just about every day and have had so much of my inspiration come from Disney.

Thanks again to all of you DISers....I'll start a tablet to keep track of all the info you've given me!!

 

[disneyfan4ever54]

I forgot to mention that the tour is usually only on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, so hopefully your visit will include one of those days. I think your DD will love it. She is the perfect age for it, and since she loves Mickey, she will really enjoy the visit to his house at the end of the tour. Everybody will get to take pics with him and receive a special pin. (I would love to see some of your art work if you want to post it on the community board. I can imagine how exciting going to the Disney Studios will be for you! I would be thrilled to go there too!).