The Disney studio opened its doors to the public for the Princess And The Frog special engagement. As I got there, I was greeted with a big poster of the movie and a sign where to park. Parked on the second level and the employee told us to follow the frog prints to get to the theatre. We went into a big soundstage where Disney movie props were displayed. The highlight for me was the black and white life size Centaur from Chronicles Of Narnia. It actually looked better as a statue than in the movies. In the center of the soundstage was a concession stand where John Spartan was already in line for popcorn and coke.
Afterwards, we came out of the soundstage and were on our way to the theatre. We passed by the Mickey Mouse water tower and several soundstages. As we got closer to the theatre, we saw Mickey on a podium with the Princess And Frog logo behind it. Mickey was taking pictures with the fans and he was more animated as usual. Kind of weird but the people didn’t really mind, it seemed like they enjoyed it more. I also noticed that the parents were enjoying Mickey more than the kids. The kids were excited but not as much as the parents who took several pictures to make sure they had a good shot. The movie was supposed to start at 9:30 pm but the line to get in was still long. Getting in was time consuming because you had to check in your cameras but they weren’t as strict as at D23, where you also had to check in your cell phones. An employee said the movie will start once everyone is in, so we were relieved.
We probably got in around 9:45 and the movie started. We were seating in the VIP section but the theatre wasn’t stadium seating and it was a bit small. I guess it was the original theatre where Disney would do in house test screenings. I liked the small venue because it was more personal and reminded of theatres when I was a kid. After the movie ended (you can read the review here), we were directed to another soundstage where it was used for Pirates Of The Caribbean movies. As we go in, we were greeted with a whole bunch of Princesses in their own diorama. I didn’t expect this at all but it was pretty cool. I walk around and see the Princess And The Frog area where you can play games and go through an obstacle course. My favorite was the voodoo darts, I was kicking butt with the bulls eye shots. They were also selling cupcakes but I didn’t bother looking at the prices since I knew it’d be pricey.
John was lining up to meet Pocahontas while I reserve a time for the studio tour, 12:30 am! I go back to John and we meet Pocahontas one at a time. It’s a trip talking to her, she gives you her full divided attention and treats you like a 10 year old. She was really into her character and would not break it. Even as you’re leaving, she kept saying bye and waving. As we met the other princesses(Snow White, Ariel, Jasmine, Cinderella, Mulan, Tianna, Aurora), they all acted the same. They’d ask you what was your favorite part of Princess And The Frog and talk about the movie. But then you also have fun with them by asking them related questions about their characters. To my surprise, they actually have answers for everything, like when John asked Belle where the Beast was at. Bell answered by saying he’s in the castle preparing for Christmas, LOL. We had time to spare before going on our studio tour so we checked out the movie costumes that were on display. I already saw most from D23 but the girls were loving it and were taking pictures like there was no tomorrow. There was also an area where they teach you how to draw like a Disney animator.
It was finally time for the tour! I was looking more forward to this than the movie itself. There was probably around 12 in our group. The guide started out by telling us the history of Disney. Afterwards, we headed to the animation studio right across from the movie theatre. This was the favorite part of the tour for me because they had awesome drawings on display such as the transformation of the Beast and Lion King sketches. We were looking at the drawings so much and taking pictures of it that the next tour was coming in and kicked us out of the building.
We caught up with our group and the next stop was the building with the seven dwarves from Snow White. I couldn’t really hear what the tour guide was saying about it but if you watch the history of Pixar on Wall-E’s 2nd Blu Ray disc, they talk about it. In front of the building, it had a small statue of a castle with Mickey’s hand on top of it with a magic wand, this Fantasia. Behind it was a statue of Disney and Mickey and in between was a statue of Minnie and Disney.
Next up we entered the archive building which included their own Starbucks. They had old school Disney merchandise on display and more movie props. The guide talked about how animated movies are made and showed us the process on making the cartoon have the 3-d effect. Once we were done, we left the building and made our final stop, the building where Walt Disney made his drawings! We didn’t actually get to go into the building as we were just outside but the guide pointed out the room. She also said they have tunnels all over the studio so the drawings can be transported without getting debris all over it. Afterwards, we were brought back to the Pirate Of The Caribbean soundstage and that was it for the tour. The tour probably took 45 minutes. Overall, I thought the info the guide was giving us was pretty generic. I did enjoy just walking around the studio and getting an idea on the animators’ daily life.
Having Princess and The Frog shown at the Disney studio was a great move by Disney. It really made you feel special that you had access to different buildings. Talking to the Princesses was definitely a weird experience that was both fun and bizzare at the same time. Kids and adults will definitely enjoy the experience. Once again, Disney has created a magical experience that exceeded my expectations. Check out the video below from the tour and make sure to check out the rest of the pics in our photo gallery:
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