DitP "Gets Together" At The Walt Disney Studios: D23's "50 And Fabulous" Screening Of The Parent Trap

Freebie!

Over the years, we at Days In The Park have always wondered what it would be like to step onto the Walt Disney Studios Lot. For a long time that thought was only a dream for us. Then a couple of years ago with the creation of Disney's Official Fan Club, D23, that dream got a lot closer. We've been waiting for the right opportunity for our first trip out, and when Chad was given a D23 membership for Christmas, and saw that quite possibly his favorite Disney movie, "The Parent Trap", was screening at The Studios for it's 50th Anniversary, that time had finally come. As quickly as his fingers would fly across the texting board, Chad asked Mark if he would like to go as his +1, and just as quickly (well, as soon as he picked himself up off of the floor anyways), Mark replied with a "YES!!!", and the rest is, as they say, about to be written about on our blog.

We've known for several weeks now that we were going to  attend, so of course as the weeks slowly went by the two of us have waited more and more anxiously. It's been like waiting for Christmas morning around here! Then the time came to head out to Burbank (which is about an hour from where we live), and you could tell just how excited we were by our actions; Chad tearing down the freeway at a whopping 110 MPH, and Mark screaming at other cars to get out of the way. Okay, maybe we didn't really do that, but by golly, don't think that the thought didn't cross our minds!

The Walt Disney Studios Theatre

We finally arrived at The Studios and were greeted at the gates by a security guard with an approved list of people to allow on The Lot. We don't think Mark has ever grinned as broadly in his life as when he saw his name on an official guest list at The Walt Disney Studios, and once the guard had found us, we proceeded in and found a parking spot. We arrived a little early and just sat in the car watching other people show up, talking and imagining what it was going to be like on the inside, just like a couple of giddy schoolkids.

The Lot was set to officially open up to us at 1 PM, with the movie set to begin at 2 PM, so after a while we made our way over to the line that was forming outside The Studios itself. After a while a D23 Team Member came out and began to lead us inside and where we needed to go. D23 had set up a little shop right inside where you were able to purchase D23 "Members Only" items, and some of them pretty darn cool.  There were some "50 and Fabulous" items exclusive to the event on sale, but we opted to refrain. Let us tell you though, we were tempted to buy everything in sight, with the exception of "The Parent Trap" remake poster. No Lindsay Lohan for us, thanks.  It's all about Hayley Mills!

After we had poked around for a bit inside the makeshift shop, we moseyed on over to the Theatre where Disney would be screening the film. We had heard a lot about the Theatre on the lot prior to going, but we have to say we don't think the descriptions did it justice. The words "state of the art, 400 seat theatre" just didn't mean as much when we walked inside and got our first look of the place. They had told us not to take pictures inside, and we respected that (though some didn't), but it was enough to think about just how many other Disney greats had sat inside this theatre, and how many other great films had been screened here in the past. The thought of it all was a bit overwhelming, and we spent a few minutes just standing in the aisle and looking around, imagining some of the history that must have taken place inside the building. The idea that we were a part of it all, in some small way, was just amazing.

At the risk of being shoved out of the way though, we soon found ourselves heading down the aisles picking out which seats we wanted. Once that most important of duties was done, and believe us, seat placement is important, we started playing with our seats. They reclined. A lot. Every seat in every movie theatre across America should aspire to be a seat in the Walt Disney Studios Theatre. We spent the next hour or so just looking around, talking, and the words "freaking cool" may have escaped our lips just once or a hundred times. Once everyone was seated, and the clock struck 2, the curtain lifted in what has to be the most epic "curtain raising" we've ever seen. It was like we were seated in a gigantic jukebox! The deep red lights (we're thinking they must have been LEDs of some kind) that were all over the room changed from a red, to a purple, to a blue, the crowd "oohed" and "aahed", and the cartoon finally began. Cartoon?! Oh yeah, it was a Disney movie alright, complete with a classic Donald Duck cartoon showing before it began, just like in the "good ole days". In this case, we were treated to "Donald's Double Trouble", a true classic and one we'd not seen in years! We've never heard so much applause during a cartoon before, and at one point we realized it was mostly coming from us, so we shut up pretty quickly.

Then "The Parent Trap" began. The crowd cheered, giggled, and genuinely laughed uproariously as we watched a young Hayley Mills, starring as both Sharon and Susan who, having been separated as babies when their parents divorced, fortuitously stumble into each other at a summer camp (in a way only Disney can make you truly believe), and trade places in the ultimate "switch-a-roo" to get said divorced parents back together again. We can't think of a better movie to have watched at our first (hopefully of many!) Studios screening. It doesn't get much better. Hayley Mills, Brian Keith, Maureen O'Hara and award-winning songs by the legendary Sherman Brothers, with a title track sung by Tommy Sands and Annette Funicello?! It's enough to make our Disney fanboy-heads explode! Let us just say how much we love this movie. Mark hadn't seen the movie since he was about 10 years old, and Chad knows it to the point of recitation, but we both enjoyed it in equally gleeful measure. The plot is absolutely brilliant, the characters truly unforgettable (even though we would like to forget Vicky's mom's voice), and the jokes will leave you laughing; not just chuckling, but laughing. If they don't make you laugh, you have no soul and we have to wonder what on earth you're doing on a blog dedicated to Disney. If you haven't seen the movie, you must immediately. "The Parent Trap" is one of those classic films that will leave you wanting to watch it again and again. We know because we have.

But all good things must come to an end. Once the film was over, that was pretty much it. We were free to go. We wound up running into our friend Sarah from Magical Days With The Mouse on the way out of the Theatre, but after we had milled about for a bit, we did what any typical tourist would do, we took pictures!

Shortly after Mark was escorted off the premises for trying to sneak in

Chad was soon found trying to take the sign. Dopey Drive called to him.

Care to guess why only 3 of Pluto's paw-prints are present in the cement? Ah, Disney...

The entire experience really was a dream come true for us. It was just a simple film screening (we came, we saw, and we left), but at the same time it meant so much more to us. For Chad, it was a way to relive so many wonderful childhood memories of watching Disney films with the family and a chance to finally see one of his most loved on a big screen, and to do so at The Walt Disney Studios made it just that more amazing. For Mark, it was a chance to finally see some of The Studios and to rekindle and expand on his love for classic Disney films. A total win-win if you ask us.

We can't wait to make it back to The Studios one day and hopefully take a tour with Chad's (or Mark's for that matter) D23 membership. We think it's absolutely amazing and generous that D23 makes things like this possible, and for free! All we had to do was sign up. There was a $5 surcharge for the tickets, but the tickets themselves were free. Let's be honest, who wouldn't want to do something like this for 5 bucks?! We'd jump on it a hundred times if they would let us. It's worth it if you live anywhere near the Los Angeles area, or Disneyland, to sign up for D23 membership for opportunities like this. If you haven't already, check out the D23 official website and weigh the options for yourself. With events like the D23 Expo, screenings and tours at The Studios, member-exclusive merchandise and more, we think that the $35 a year for membership at the base level, and the opportunity to bring a non-member along as a guest for most events, makes it well worth the investment.

Thank you again, D23! We had an awesome time. Can't wait to see you again real soon!