We got tickets online to go to on a WB tour. Cirdan wasn't too sure about it but this was MY trip so we did want I wanted to do. Ha ha. We arrived at the building and waited about 30 minutes. All of us were then shuffled into a small theater like room where we watched a short film about movies and Tv shows that have been created by Warner Bros. They then split us in 3 groups and took us outside where the tour buses were waiting. Our tour guide was great and asked all of us what our favorite WB shows were so that he knew what to focus on. This kind of stuff makes me so happy. It's like Christmas to me. I LOVE every minute of it. Riding around in the cart....looking at locations where things are filmed.
Here were some of the buildings we drove past. I wish I remember all the tv shows/movies that he told us have been filmed here. I think I need to go back soon to do it again!
They build the buildings so that the first one is largest and then it progressively gets shorter. When you watch it on TV you can't tell. It's just one of the cool illusions they do.
So at the time of the tour Cirdan and I had never seen Pretty Little Liars. I knew it was a really popular show and our Nanny loves it. That is the only reason why we took this picture. Since we have been home we started watching it and have been obsessed! We have already gotten thru all 3 seasons and just started 4 the other day (1-3 are on Netflix and 4 we are having to watch online for free). Another reason why we need to go back to WB again. This time I will pay WAY more attention to all the PLL stuff. We walked around the set and I remember a lot but now that I am invested in the show it would be amazing to see again.
Rosewood High School - this is always shown on the show. There is nothing on the other side of those doors. It is all filmed a ways down on a stage.
A little fun fact - the guide said that
Where they tape Two and a half Men
The Asylum where they tape PLL
The grass area where Phoebe ran in one of the episodes. On the show it looked a LOT bigger.
Mike & Molly parking spots
The stage where they filmed Friends
Props
Wardrobe area - Oh how I would love to go in there
Where they build sets
We got out of the tram and got to take pictures with these cars
Great Gatsby car
We also were taken to the set of friends. It is so much smaller than what I thought! We were able to sit on the couch and take a picture.
This was left exactly what it read on the last show
They also took us to where they hold props. There were a TON of things. When the people who are setting up the set they come to these warehouses and check things out. There were tags on a bunch of items that said for what show and when they needed it. It was interesting reading the tags to see what they would be used for.
This was used in the Hangover
A bunch of lights people can use
Here was a couch that was used in the Hangover
At the end of the tour they took us to a museum where things that were used in films are stored for people to come look at.
This was used in Gravity. Loved that movie!
These were things used in Friends
The piano in 2 1/2 Men
Lots of Harry Potter stuff
A couple more random pictures...
Seeing this building made me think about the Ellen show. We crossed the street here to go sit in the audience. I have been trying to get tickets again for the last couple of years. One of these days!! Never give up. :)
We got back to the hotel to take the shuttle to Universal Studios. We were going to spend the rest of the day there. It was nice staying so close. We would wait for the shuttle and it was a quick ride over.
Dog and Beth: On the hunt bus was outside of the hotel. They must have been staying here the same time we were.
While we were waiting for the shuttle I noticed something in the clear blue sky. It says Start Creating.
When we got to Universal there were these guys standing outside in a little podium. I am not sure if there only job is to get people to go on the VIP tour but one approached us and asked us if we wanted to purchase tickets for it. At first we said no. Then he kept talking a bit more and the things he said was very intriguing. No lines, we would be only one on the tour (last one of the day and it was starting in like 5 minutes), tour guide would walk us around universal lots, vip catered lunch etc. We decided to pay the extra price and were whisked into this separate room to pay and get our VIP passes. We then walked up these stairs where there was food for us to take as much as we wanted. Our tour guide was there soon after and waited for us to finish what were were eating. He gave us some water bottles and some ponchos in case we would be going on the Jurassic Park ride.
The room where we waited. I already felt special.
Cirdan getting some food
These pictures are out of order. We then went to ride on some rides. I went on the Transformers ride. It was fun! One of the perks about being VIP is the guide takes you to the front of the line and sets you on the ride. Then says, "I will see you at the end". You go on the ride, walk out and there he is waiting to take you to wherever you want to go next! Amazing.
Since I am not a ride person I told Will (the guide) to go with Cirdan on the Mummy ride. I stood out and people watched (which is always fun).
After the rides we went to a Special Effect show. Will sat us down in the VIP area and told us that they usually ask the VIP guests if they want to be part of the show. I immediately told Cirdan that this was MY vacation and I WANT him to volunteer. He said, "no way jose". But I pleaded. Right then one of the guys from the show walked up to us and said they needed a male and female to help them. CRAP. That meant me too. I said yes before I could say no and they took us back stage. Once we were back there they had these forms for us to sign. That is when I started panicking. Ummm what would we be doing? I tried asking the lady helping and she just said, "don't worry about it...you"ll be fine!" Which made me even more nervous because she wouldn't tell me what it was. At all! I had to put a lab coat on and they had Cirdan put an astronaut suit on. It all happened so fast. The next thing I knew they were taking me right on the other side of the curtain that would lead to the audience. The host of the show was standing there (I had no idea who he was) and was asking me how many kids I had etc. Then the next thing I knew the little curtains were being opened and him and I were walking out on the stage. The adrenaline was rushing and I was trying not to concentrate at all the people in the audience staring at me. He led me to a table and long story short he told everyone he was going to cut off my arm. He took a knife and as he sliced down blood started to come out of the knife looking like he had in fact cut my arm. He had me scream to make it seem like I really was getting it chopped off. It was intense and very fun! It was totally out of my comfort zone but I am so glad that I did it!
They then brought Cirdan out and we sat in the audience and waited for Cirdan's turn. We still had no idea what was going to happen. When they called us back up they introduced Cirdan....asked us a few questions in front of the audience and then took Cirdan behind a moving wall and said they needed to put his helmet on him. Everyone (including me) thought that is exactly what they were doing but instead they switched him out with another guy. When he came back out the new astronaut was attached to some ropes and was being pulled up and down and all around (above the audience). I was the one controlling where he was flying by this little button that was in front of me (the main guy was helping me). The whole time I truly thought it was Cirdan and I was freaking out inside worried that he was getting sick or mad because I was pushing a button that was making him going all crazy. When that was done the guy gave me a hug and I thought for a split second..."that didn't feel like Cirdan". The person seemed taller. Then they had Cirdan come out from the back of that stage and I was in shock!! It wasn't even Cirdan flying around. They had tricked me and the audience. I was laughing so hard.
After that we went backstage to take off our suits and to get our stuff. They have his wall with everyone who helps in the show gets to sign. That was pretty cool. We also got a picture with Jerry...one of the main guys.
After the Special Effects show we ate some lunch. Since we were the only ones on the tour it was very personal. There was a chef and it was set up as an all you can eat buffet. We had the restaurant and the patio all to ourselves, the patio had a great view. We had the whole staff to ourselves, it certainly was VIP. The food we got and few minutes of relaxing and the lunch was worth the price alone. There was plenty of yummy food. Lots to choose from. I think the dessert was my favorite
Despicable Me ride. Coming soon!
This is where we ate lunch
After lunch we went down on the bottom lot to do the studio tour. This was by far one of the coolest things I have ever done!
This is a picture of where some of the workers/actors eat while working.
Will took us to where they shoot Parenthood. This tour is better than WB because you can take your camera everywhere unlike WB where they make you put your purse, cell phone and cameras in a locked case.
We were able to take some cool pictures of one of the houses.
Will said that for every book that is in the show (on these shelves) they have to get permission from the publisher to have it on the show. There were hundreds of books.
It was so fun to stand in the kitchen and look at all the details. The people who create these sets have a pretty fun job I think. making these rooms look like real lived in areas. There is so much detail that goes in to it.
If you watch the show it looks like the house is really in the woods. This is what it really looks like. A house in a warehouse with a screen in the back that makes you think it is the real outside. Crazy!
With some lighting you can change it to look so different!
This is Mindy's apartment from the Mindy Project
Well at least the outside. If you were to open those doors there would be nothing there.
This was at the beginning of our day on the way to the rides
Back to the tour - more buildings.
You can't really tell from the dark picture but since these trees are used for so many different scenes they take fake leaves and staple them to the trees to look like spring. They can make it look like fall by just taking them off.
Here is the house from Parenthood again
Funny to see shoes laying out from the show from one of the characters
You can kind of see all the lights above. I bet it gets super hot in there when all of them are on.
These are used in a bunch of movies. One of our favorites is Home Alone when one of the bad guys gets hit in the head with like an iron or something?
At the end of the street is a painting of buildings. A mirage but it looks so real!
City Hall from Back to the Future and Batman??
Took this for Kaiya
One of Lady Gaga's music videos was filmed there on the stairs
The bricks look real except they aren't. Here is an area where it was peeled off. If you knock on it, it sounds like plastic.
He took us inside one of the buildings. There was nothing in there but an area where they could plug in high voltage filming equipment.
The mirage closer
On the bus. All to ourselves
Our awesome tour guide...Will
He would tell me stories about the stars that come in. There are only a few VIP guides that work with the stars and he is one of them. He was talking about the Kardashians and how nice they are and how Eminem brings his kids in but just stayed to himself and didn't really talk much. Also, Leonardo Dicaprio and how he smokes CONSTANTLY and couldn't handle not smoking for even a 20 minute show. He has also watched Brad and Angelina's kids. He said they are both very nice.
We also did some things that the regular tour people do
Wisteria Lane
Whoville
On the regular tour you don't get to get out of the bus but you can on this tour. We had seen some of these areas the other times we have come but this time we got to get out, walk around, go into the buildings, take as many pictures as you want etc. The regular tour you also don't get to go on any of the sets.
Which was fun until we started walking around the set from War of the Worlds
I was so creeped out it wasn't even funny. I hate flying anyways so seeing this plane crash was making my head think crazy thoughts. I took some pictures and wasn't even able to look at them again until we flew home. It was so real and scary looking.
After the tour we went to the Water Works show. It was actually pretty awesome! Lots of action.
Save the best for last. We went on the Simpson Ride which is my all time favorite. Then we said good bye to Will and made our way out of the park.
Jerry
The wall we signed
more of our lunch....
more from the tour
These pictures were taken from my phone so they aren't with the others
We also went to a prop warehouse. This one was much larger than WB.
Here is the organ used by the Munsters
Switchboard used by Angelina Jolie
A big shopping cart used in some modeling ads and movies. I need one of these for all my kids!
On our way out we stopped by and bought a yearly pass to Universal Studios. It was only like an extra $30 and now it will make us go back again!
I made reservations to eat at Sur but the only opening was at 10pm. It was late but I am VERY happy that we were able to go. I have watched the show Vanderpump Rules since the beginning and I have watched Real Housewives of Beverly Hills since Lisa Vanderpump has been on (I think?). This place was in West Hollywood and was very swanky. When we were walking in the Carson from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy was outside with 3 of his friends saying goodbye/talking. We told them we were there and they asked us if we wanted to wait in the bar. We did (I was hoping to see if Jax, Tom or Ariana was working). None were but it was an experience to sit there and watch people/look at the decor.
Instead of coming to get us they called us on my cell phone and told us that our table was ready (weird). It is a pretty small restaurant. Makes me wonder how they are able to get all the camera crew even in there to film. There were a lot of people in a small area and it was loud. The music that they played was good though and it went perfect with the ambiance. Our waitress was kind of stupid and not the friendliest but I didn't expect them to be super nice either. Peter was the only one from the show working and I got a picture with him. I also saw this kid walk back and forth and he looked exactly like the Vanderpump son, Max. I didn't think it would be him but as soon as he opened his mouth to talk and I heard his accent I knew it was him. Even though they are so super rich he still works busing tables. I liked that.
I would go back...but next time I need to take someone who has also seen the show. It was nice of Cirdan to go but would be a different experience with someone who knows who everyone is. :)
Seriously one of my most favorite days of my life!
