Update 5/30. I'm going to Club 33 with 43 other DIS'ers PTR! W/photo's! ABD BSM Tour.

[3guysandagal]

Some more pics for y'all!

WB Studios

Karen and Kim

Anna and Kat's meeting (insert screaming here)

WB water tower

Self explanatory

Ellens parking spot

A familiar set.

Yamashiro

The view

Kat's Wagyu Steak

My Filet Mignon

Annas meal

Kims ribs

Sushi stuff (ICK)

Nightime view

 

[katscradle]

I pick the lanyard and Kim picks the pocket thing. We then start talking to Michael and Jaime for quite awhile. After that we decide to head for the hotel for some reason and run into Karen then Pete and Walter. Pete had a bag with a container with food in it. I see this and say "I see you went and got some food". This starts off a hour conversation. By the time we finally get to our room and get over to the Soda Fountain it was closed!!!!!! So we head back over to the Hollywood and Highland Center looking for something sweet to eat. The things we saw that we wanted to eat were closed. So we head over to the bar at the Renaissance and they had Warm chocolate chip cookies with whip cream. They were sooo good. They were only $2.00. As we were eating we see Katherine and John walk in front of the hotel and start having a a smoke. We settle the bill and head for the front door to see what they are up too. Just when we get to the front door Katherine walks in and SHOUTS "I JUST HAD A SCREAMING ORGAZM"!! We look at each other and then look at Katherine and say SHHH!!!! She was talking about a drink. At this point Katherine was pretty drunk. She had a few drinks at U WINK that night. At some point John says that the refrigerator uses a weight sensor to charge you for items inside. We are like are you sure? He said he was going to the front desk to ask about it. After he talked to the front desk John tells us that they do use the weight sensor. Kim and I decide we need to talk to the front desk about this. The lady says yes that is how they charge for items in the refrigerator. Kim then tells the lady that they should have a note post so people don't pick stuff up and look at it or put stuff in there and then take it out. Our fridge did not have a lock and we went to go put water in there, but before we put the water in there we looked at a few things in the fridge.

We picked the pouchs things as well as we have lots of lanyards and are about to owns a few more in the very near future.
Ok well they give you alot more booze in the drinks down there than they do at home.
That and I don't drink much, John calls me a light weight when it comes to drinking. It's doen't take much, and I think the screaming orgasam put me over the edge that night.
As for the weight sensors in the fridges this concerned John as I had lifted and looked at everything in our fridge.
I am in agreement with Kim they should have a note posted in plain site.
The yogurt was from another guest and had never been removed from the fridge!

OMG that is gross!

If John never told us about the weight sensor Kim would have been charged for the items we looked at. Thanks John!!!! I guess John and Katherine looked at everything in the fridge. Their bill would have been HUGE! The front desk was sending both of our rooms fridges to use for water for the rest of our trip.

Actually it was Tonya that told us about this, so thank you Tonya!
After we took care of this issue we head over to John and Katherine's room for a little while. They had a view of the Hollywood sign, but we couldn't see it in the dark. After about 35 to 45 minutes we left and went to bed. We had to be up early the next day and it was getting late. Kim and I got ready for bed and got in our beds and then started talking. This happened every night during the trip. It was our way of winding down. I think it was 1:00 before we fell asleep.



Next up Day three April 14. Our first full day of ABD.

I was so happy to be with Kim and you looped or otherwise!

 

[jacksparrowfan]

Day Two, Tuesday April 13. Word of the day is Mickey Mouse and yes that is two words. I didn't make this up ABD did. The theme of the day is It All Started With A Mouse...

We headed down stair and when we got in the lobby we saw ABD reception desk set up, so we went over and introduced ourselves to Jamie one of our ABD guides. Kim thought she would start off in the right foot with him and told him how stupid the ABD paddle was. It was pretty funny.

Michael is on the left and Jamie is on the right.

Hi! Enjoying the report. I loved this tour and these two guides! They are the best! We loved them to death! I have to ask, why was the paddle thought of as stupid? That is funny. My first group thought that paddle was the bomb! (And other groups after us.) Everyone happily said how they would follow it anywhere. It would take us places no guest gets to see. If I saw that paddle at the park, I'd try to hitch a ride! LOL! Many wanted to get it as a pin. I wish ABD would do that! Anyway, looking forward to more of your report to see the additions to the tour this year.

===>UPDATED after reading more: Okay, now I see why Kim said what she said. She is legally blind, as you noted during the game. I didn't realize that was the same person. Ok! (Love that paddle!!!!)

 

[Disneygrl36]

Sorry the food at Trastaverte was soooo bad. I remember it being pretty good the night we ate there....but I think Eric & I both had fish of some sort. We didn't like the tiramisu either which is why we went for ice cream at the Soda Shop.

Love those extra pics....the nighttime shots of LA from that restaurant are fabulous.

 

[aspen37]

Hi! Enjoying the report. I loved this tour and these two guides! They are the best! We loved them to death! I have to ask, why was the paddle thought of as stupid? That is funny. My first group thought that paddle was the bomb! (And other groups after us.) Everyone happily said how they would follow it anywhere. It would take us places no guest gets to see. If I saw that paddle at the park, I'd try to hitch a ride! LOL! Many wanted to get it as a pin. I wish ABD would do that! Anyway, looking forward to more of your report to see the additions to the tour this year.

===>UPDATED after reading more: Okay, now I see why Kim said what she said. She is legally blind, as you noted during the game. I didn't realize that was the same person. Ok! (Love that paddle!!!!)

I made her hold the paddle in Walt's Apt for our photo. I picked on her about hating it during the trip. We had fun with her dislike for the paddle.

 

[aspen37]

Sorry the food at Trastaverte was soooo bad. I remember it being pretty good the night we ate there....but I think Eric & I both had fish of some sort. We didn't like the tiramisu either which is why we went for ice cream at the Soda Shop.

Love those extra pics....the nighttime shots of LA from that restaurant are fabulous.

I hope they fix the problem with the food there. I was looking forward too that meal. The food was not very good at the Soda Fountain for breakfast either. I wish I got the Mickey Waffel it looked sooooo good. After that breakfast the food was AWESOME!

 

[aspen37]

Some more pics for y'all!

WB Studios

Karen and Kim

Anna and Kat's meeting (insert screaming here)

WB water tower

Self explanatory

Ellens parking spot

A familiar set.

Yamashiro

The view

Kat's Wagyu Steak

My Filet Mignon

Annas meal

Kims ribs

Sushi stuff (ICK)

Nightime view

Thanks John those pictures were great. I might need you to post more pictures in the future.

 

[aspen37]

I was so happy to be with Kim and you looped or otherwise!

We were happy to be with you too.

 

[aspen37]

Kim got up at 5:30 and I got up at 5:50. We had to meet on the mezzanine level at 7:00 for breakfast.

We were having breakfast at the Disney Soda Fountain. Before breakfast we got a short tour of the Hollywood and Highland Center. The HHC connects to Kodak Theatre. Jaime was talking about how they rig the lighting and all the curtains so they can hide all of the stores. The stairs are a very low rise, so when the woman can walk up the stairs in their gowns without tripping. He explained some other facts that I have forgotten. We then took a picture of the group on the stairs. I didn't give him my camera so I don't have a picture. We will get a CD of the pictures they took but it will take awhile. Kim was the first person on the reservation so the CD will go to her, then she will have to make me a copy and mail it to me.
Next we went over to Grauman's and Michael gave us some history about it.

This info came from Grauman's official website.

The grand opening of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on May 18, 1927, was the most spectacular theatre opening in motion picture history. Thousands of people lined Hollywood Boulevard and a riot broke out as fans tried to catch a glimpse of the movie stars and other celebrities as they arrived for the opening. The film being premiered that night was Cecil B. DeMille's “The King of Kings,” which was preceded by "Glories of the Scriptures," a live prologue devised by master showman Sid Grauman. A Wurlitzer organ and 65-piece orchestra provided music for the prologue. The theatre opened to the public the following day, May 19, 1927.

Authorization had to be obtained from the U.S. government to import temple bells, pagodas, stone Heaven Dogs and other artifacts from China. Poet and film director Moon Quon came from China, and under his supervision Chinese artisans created many pieces of statuary in the work area that eventually became the Forecourt of the Stars. Most of these pieces still decorate the ornate interior of the theatre today.
The Grauman’s Chinese Theatre was declared a historic-cultural landmark in 1968, and there has always been a restoration program in process to maintain the theatre's beauty. Following the 1994 Los Angels earthquake, geological experts were brought in to inspect the theatre and advise the owners with regard to protecting and strengthening the entire structure.


The theatre has undergone a major renovation. Timed to coincide with the opening of the Hollywood & Highland mall and the new Mann Chinese 6 Theatre, the renovation was designed to rejuvenate and enhance the Chinese Theatre. Additionally, several earthquake retrofits were required to protect the structure and ensure its permanence. With this facelift, the Chinese Theatre will continue to be the preferred location for the industry’s most prestigious premieres for years to come.

April 30, 1927: Practicing for the very first footprint ceremony, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and Sid Grauman (kneeling) later placed individual prints in two separate squares.


From what I remember Michael said Mary Pickford came up with the idea of putting the prints of Celebrity's in the concrete.

After Grauman's we headed across the street to the Soda Fountain.

Let me say in advance that the Soda Fountain is NOT a breakfast place. They do this for the ABD trips only. We go inside and find a place to sit. They have a small menu that you can pick from.

I order scrambled eggs, sausage, english muffin and coffee. The english muffin was cold when I got it, but that was fine. The eggs I got were went and the consistency of cottage cheese. I kept moving them around the plate to get rid of some of the moisture. The sausage was hot and very good.

After breakfast they gave us time to shop. You get a 10% discount on everything you buy that day. Sine I bought my pin the day before I didn't shop.

After Shopping we walked thru a connecting door over to the El Capitan. Wow is this place beautiful. We walked in found a set and listened to Rob Richards play and talk about the "Mighty Wurlitzer" pipe organ. Let me say that this organ was just amazing. Every sound is an actual full size instrument. I just sat there with my mouth hanging open. This organ blows and surround I've ever heard away. Someone asked how long does it take to master the organ, he said a life time. Rob said he is still finding new stuff on the organ even now.

Here is a link to a website that talks about the Theatre and the organ. Also is a link about Rob.
American Theatre Organ Society
The Disneyland Report - Disney News - Disney's El Capitan Theater organist Rob Richards named Organist of the Year


After the organ they played the Alice in Wonderland pre-show. It was very cool. Kim and I didn't have time to see a movie there, but it would be an Awesome place to watch a movie.

Next we went backstage. They talk pipes that make the Thunder sound and other various things.
We didn't have much time. Then we got to take a look at the costumes and set pieces that they have on display.

We were given a potty break and then walked next door to Jimmy Kimmel Live. The building where Jimmy Kimmel Live is filmed is an old Masonic Temple. This is a historic building and they really can't changed the building. We are not allowed to take pictures in the building. When you walked in the building on the right is a room with a fireplace. They had a stage setup for a concert for that nights show. On the left there was a green screen setup and a bar. We checked out the editing and production rooms and then we went to the greenroom. It was very cool. It was huge. They had a couple of nice sized dressing rooms , a rooThanksm with a pool table and arcade games, then a big room with flat screen TV's, couches and a bar. Then it was off to the studio. This studio was very small compared to Ellen's studio. We figured the only bad seat would be behind the camera. The guides were allowed to take our group picture on stage with their camera only. The last thing we saw was the outdoor concert stage, We were told all outdoor concert lighting is really indoor lights. They had to build a special rig so they could keep the light covered when not in use in order to get a permit from LA county.

I will have to finish this tomorrow because I left my charger for my computer at work.

 

[3guysandagal]

Since you are out of battery power, I will throw in a few pics here to keep up.


Waiting for uploads.....will post when ready.

 

[aspen37]

Since you are out of battery power, I will throw in a few pics here to keep up.


Waiting for uploads.....will post when ready.

Thanks! I'm posting this from my phone.

 

[katscradle]

I hope they fix the problem with the food there. I was looking forward too that meal. The food was not very good at the Soda Fountain for breakfast either. I wish I got the Mickey Waffel it looked sooooo good. After that breakfast the food was AWESOME!

You are right Tuesday's dinner was just aweful!

I got the mickey waffle and bacon and it was good!
However the waffle was cold, but the warm syrup helped that.
John got the eggs and sausage, and regreted it.

In my eyes:
Wednesday's lunch was just ok!
Thursday breakfast was very good!
and Thursday dinner was just ok.
Keep in mind this is just my opinion!

 

[katscradle]

We were happy to be with you too.

I am very glad I didn't scare you off!

 

[3guysandagal]

Kat found her favourite!

The group heading for our dinner on day 1

My dinner....Chicken???? I forget....it wasn't memorable to say the least.

And of course.....

Our group drew a lot of onlookers, it seems.
This guy filmed us going into the Disney Soda Fountain.....

Flatties in the Disney Soda Fountain...

The Wurlitzer disappearing into the stage...and a head......

More flatties at the El Capitan.......

You can breathe now, Honey!
(For those that don't know, that's my wife up there!)
I got hit for posting it, but it was worth it.

My flask.....

And then off to......

 

[katscradle]

Guess what honey I will be practicing my picture taking skills with you as my subject in preparation of our next trip.

You do remember the last time I practiced taking pictures of you don't you?

 

[tickledtink33]

Here is our group on the steps of the Kodak Theatre.

 

[Disneygrl36]

Love the pics of the Alice in Wonderland props & costumes. I regretted not seeing a movie there too. Oh well, there's always next time.

 

[aspen37]

Love the pics of the Alice in Wonderland props & costumes. I regretted not seeing a movie there too. Oh well, there's always next time.

I wish we had more time to check out the props. I pulled out my camera took a few pictures and we had to go.

 

[klam_chowder]

Doing a fab job with the report, Anna!

Great pics John

Nice to be finally caught up enough to check out the boards!

cheers,

 

[aspen37]

We were given a potty break and then walked next door to Jimmy Kimmel Live. The building where Jimmy Kimmel Live is filmed is an old Masonic Temple. This is a historic building and they really can't change the building. We are not allowed to take pictures in the building. When you walked in the building on the right is a room with a fireplace. They had a stage setup for a concert for that nights show. On the left there was a green screen setup and a bar. We checked out the editing and production rooms and then we went to the greenroom. It was very cool. It was huge. They had a couple of nice sized dressing rooms , a room with a pool table and arcade games, then a big room with flat screen TV's, couches and a bar. Then it was off to the studio. This studio was very small compared to Ellen's studio. We figured the only bad seat would be behind the camera. The guides were allowed to take our group picture on stage with their camera only. The last thing we saw was the outdoor concert stage, We were told all outdoor concert lighting is really indoor lights. They had to build a special rig so they could keep the light covered when not in use in order to get a permit from LA county.

We are now off to the Jim Henson Studio. We had Don as a bus driver. He was very knowledgeable about the area and took us on a short tour of Hollywood.

This is where I use to work back in the very early 1990's. It is next door to the Laugh Factory.

Chateau Marmont

Here we are!!! The sun was not in the best spot to take this picture.

I have too say I loved the grounds of the Jim Henson studios. You could not tell that La Brea and Sunset Blvd were right outside of the gates. This was Charlie Chaplins Studio back in the 20's. I think construction was finished around 1919. A&M Records was also located here. Both versions on "We Are The World" were recorded here. Jim Henson's children bought the property in 2000 and is now the home of the Jim Henson Company.
First thing we did was get our picture taken in front of the Jim Henson sign.

While I was trying to take this picture of the flatties with Charlie's prints I missed out on our group photo. Oh well.

We were then broken up into two groups. We were with Michael's group. We watched a short film then we were off to the Creature Shop. I was very sad that the Creature Shop is just full of computers now, so we didn't get to see it. We did get to see the entrance area in the building though. They set up a few puppets from different movies for us to see. They had a dog from Snow Dogs. The hamster from "Nutty Professor" I think. We saw Baby Sinclair from the TV show Dinosaurs. It was the baby dinosaur that said "Not the baby". Then he showed us the computer where they do the live animation. It was something you must see in person to understand.
We watched a movie on the history of the Henson company, then we were shown how they work the puppets. They use a TV to see where the puppet/Muppet is. Since it is on TV it is the opposite of what you are doing. I guess it takes a while to master it. Heather volunteered too learn how to work the puppet. We then watched another film, but this was a muppet film on the history of the property. It was very cute. Then we were off to lunch.
I had a Cheeseburger and a salad. Kim had Shrimp Pasta and a salad. Mine was very good.

After lunch we took pictures with a puppet.

Isn't the trash in the photos a nice touch?