In March of 2020, I was in a staffing before an ARD meeting at Brentfield. It was my last work day there, but I had no idea. Someone mentioned something about Disneyland closing in California due to COVID that was spreading. I read the article Gretchen sent me - both of us a little anxious that our upcoming trips in June might be affected. "Surely, by June, they'll reopen," I assured myself. After all, we had been planning a surprise family trip there for months, and I was super excited to take my little boys there. The flights, hotel, park admission tickets, stroller rental, and car reservations were booked. But, you all know the ending... the schools braced for virtual learning, spring break never really ended that school year, there would be no such trip, and Disneyland would stay closed for quite a while longer. So... fast forward five years, and we finally got to take our trip to California!
We kept this a secret from the boys... well, at least as long as we could. Quinn ALMOST caught us. In June, shortly before he left for camp, he found a Google doc on my laptop entitled "California 2025," and when he admitted he had seen it to me late one night, I told him I'm sorry he saw that - that we had planned to go to California, but that our plans had to be cancelled once we knew we were moving - that we couldn't do both. I asked him to please not tell his brothers so they wouldn't be disappointed. That did the trick. But, Sam wasn't so prepared when, with only 10 days to go, a colleague on speaker phone told Sam to have fun in Disneyland right after Banner got in Sam's car after school. I was terribly disappointed that Banner found out, but Banner vowed to keep it a secret from his brothers - and a bribe of extra souvenir money helped him keep his promise. When I asked him if he wanted to help us tell Quinn and Knox, he said no, that THAT part of it could be a surprise to him. He isn't a huge fan of surprises and was glad he found out about the trip ahead of time. He was super excited about going - which made me relieved because teenagers are so unpredictable, and I was worried he would have been annoyed at leaving his friends during fall break.
When Sukkot was finally over, it was time to do the big reveal! In 2023, we surprised the boys with a trip to Disney World doing a little hunt around the house. They asked that we do that again for any future surprise trips, so I obliged, but because they'd already done something so similar, it was pretty obvious what was coming. It was still fun, though - to make this memory in a new house! Also, because they were surprised with family joining us in 2023, they kept waiting for me to tell them that the rest of the family would be joining this time, as well. I assured them that was not the case, but Knox, especially, didn't believe me and even at the airport the next morning kept looking around for Grandma and cousins! The links to our videos for the reveal are here, here, and here.
The flight was quick and easy - a late afternoon flight made the morning perfect for packing and getting geared up. As the boys have gotten older, traveling has gotten easier. Traveling is a great way for them to learn patience and flexibility, too! They have to learn how to entertain themselves, await instructions, cope with boredom, and so on. We flew in to Santa Ana/Orange County (John Wayne Airport), picked up our rental car (that smelled grossly dank), and headed to our hotel which was right across the street from the Disneyland entrance! After we unpacked and settled in, we headed to Downtown Disney to see if we could find some dinner (although it was only 6:00ish in California, the boys were well past their dinnertime). Luckily, we found a fantastic little Mexican restaurant we could sit outside at and enjoy the weather and ambiance of "Halloweentime" at Downtown Disney. We made a little toast to our trip and enjoyed the food! Then we headed back to the hotel to rest up for the eventful day to follow!
DAY ONE: DISNEYLAND
We got up early to have a complimentary breakfast at the hotel - well, to be clear... "motel." The boys continued to remind me that it was a "motel" not a "hotel" because when we arrived they thought the place looked "sketchy." I assured them we were safe and it would be just fine ... and we were and it was! But I digress... The morning was very rainy. We knew ahead of time that rain was 100% going to happen all morning and into the afternoon. How much rain, though... that was a bit of a surprise. We kept telling the boys not to judge California by this uncharacteristic rainy day; usually California would be great weather this time of year, we just happened to be starting our adventure on an atypical day. Lucky us! The first ride we headed toward was Peter Pan's Flight. The line was about 40 minutes long, and we were getting drenched - even with ponchos on. Quinn, Banner, and I wore crocs or flip-flops. Sam and Knox were in tennis shoes, even though we warned them not to wear socks and shoes that would get drenched. Once under the awning, we were a little better, but it was cold and we were pretty wet wherever the poncho wasn't covering. Getting in rides with backpacks and ponchos was not easy and not totally enjoyable. But, I kept my friend's mantra in my head throughout this experience: "Whatever happens, it will be an adventure!" And we all knew we'd look back at this day and laugh. We headed to Space Mountain. After that, we stopped at Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage which Sam really enjoyed (and I didn't particularly care for but was glad to be out of the rain for a bit). Then, we went to Matterhorn Bobsleds where the boys and I rode after a short wait when the ride was closed for a repair. We headed to Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway next, and after that we had lunch at Cafe Disney. We were about to head to another ride but Knox was shaking from being cold and wet, complaining about his socks and shoes, and ready to cry from misery. We decided enough was enough and headed back to the hotel to wait out the rain.
Leaving the boys to rest and screen out for a little while, Sam and I headed to Laundry Land to wash and dry everyone's wet clothes and/or shoes. When we arrived there, we needed laundry cards to use the machines. We went to the dispenser, but the dispenser was "out of cards." We needed help, but the attendant wouldn't be back until 3 more hours. We were out of luck... until Sam found a random card sitting on the counter. He asked everyone in the laundromat if it belonged to them, but everyone said no, so we put more money on it and used it! EEK! After about an hour there, we headed back to get the boys. By then, the rain was subsiding, so we put on our dry clothes and shoes and headed out. That break was the BEST decision, and the rest of the day only improved from there!
The rest of the day we spent ping-ponging around the park based on ride wait times and our Lightning Lane selections. In no particular order we rode: Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Haunted Mansion Holiday (my favorite!), Indiana Jones Adventure (which Sam was reluctant to go on but inevitably joined and loved!), it's a small world (I may have gotten a little teary on this one - feeling nostalgic and taking in the message of this beautiful ride, even though my kids can't stand this ride), Jungle Cruise, Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Pirates of the Caribbean, Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin, Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. We took a short break to see the show in the Tiki Room - a show the boys did not appreciate one bit! In between all of that, we grabbed dinner at Tomorrowland's Galactic Grill and enjoyed some churros along the way. We were able to watch both Halloween Screams (a projection/light show) and Paint the Night parade, which was phenomenal and so nostalgic! I very much enjoyed sitting on the curb on Main Street with my boys, eating popcorn and sipping delicious hot chocolate from the Corner Cafe. Exhausted and ready to crash, we headed back to the motel where I have never seen my kids fall asleep so fast!
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| Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run |
DAY TWO: DISNEY'S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE
After the first day's rainy start, we were excited to see the sun and had a plan to "rope drop" at DCA to beat the crowds at popular rides first thing in the morning. When we arrived at California Adventure, the boys and I joined the large (but not overwhelming) group awaiting rope drop with about 10 minutes to go before opening. Sam had gone to Starbucks to get some coffee that would hopefully be better than the mediocre complimentary breakfast that Best Western was providing us. It was at this point that our strategic plan to get to Radiator Springs Racers with an early start went completely awry! Quinn said he was going to get to the front of the crowd and try to get a spot in line ahead of us and just took off. He did not have his phone with him; he had given it to Sam. Knox ran after Quinn. Banner stayed with me, and when Sam got back with his coffee, we had no idea where the younger boys were. As the rope dropped, I was certain we would find Quinn and Knox just off to the side waiting for us, but no, no such luck. I was certain they would be in the line at Radiator Springs Racers, so Banner held a spot in line for us while I stepped out of line and walked ahead to see if I could find Q and K. But, again, I couldn't find them. I went all the way to the entrance of Radiator Springs, and I never found the boys. I went back to Banner in line, while I called to Sam who had gone back to where we originally started. He was going to see if the boys had gone there. Banner and I agreed that there was no way they would have gotten on the ride without the rest of the family, so we stepped out of line and decided to go to the Information desk to get help finding our lost kids. Sam decided to walk to Soarin' since we had discussed that being the next ride we would do; maybe the boys had gone there? While Sam walked the park, Banner and I were speaking with the Information desk lady who got Security involved. Banner was getting more and more agitated that this was so unfair to him, as his day was getting delayed while searching for his brothers. While I agreed, I was also more concerned for their safety with each passing minute. While I knew they had our numbers and knew what to do if they were lost (find someone who works at Disney and have them call us, never leave with anyone, etc), I was worried they were worried or anxious or scared. Who knew if they were in the bathroom with a stomachache or had fallen somewhere or anything?
40 minutes had passed, and we still hadn't found the boys! The woman helping us granted us an extra Lightning Lane pass to help us gain our time back, which was really nice, but we still didn't have the boys. Finally the security guard got to us, and he walked Banner and me into the exit of Radiator Springs and we walked all the way up to the ride, still no boys in sight. We had given descriptions of them and shown several cast members what the boys looked like and what they were wearing. The guard walked all the way through the entire queue, and he didn't find Q and K. There was an all-call put out so that all cast members would be on the look out. As we were leaving the exit of Radiator Springs where we had just entered about 5 minutes earlier, Banner spotted Quinn and Knox waiting near the entrance to the queue. I ran over to them and hugged them, saying, "Where have you been!?" Quinn said, "We rode the ride." I was flabbergasted! "We've been looking all over for you!" I reprimanded. We thanked the security guard and let them know we were all okay now. We called Sam to let him know we were okay and on our way to Soarin' and would meet him there. As we walked, they had quite a "talking to" as I let them know all the chaos that had just gone down. When we saw Sam, we reconvened and everyone calmed down, resetting the tone of the day. We put this incident behind us and were able to have a great time moving forward.
From Soarin' we went to the Pixar Pier where Quinn and Banner rode Incredicoaster and loved it! They took Knox on it when they went a second time while Sam and I enjoyed some ice cream treats! We decided that Sam, Banner, and I would buy a separate Lightning Lane for Radiator Springs Racers since we didn't get to go on the ride with the other boys. We later went and used that pass, and Quinn waited in the single riders queue so he could ride a second time. Knox got to have some screen time while he waited for us. The Radiator Springs ride was amazing - I could have done that ride over and over again. Definitely worth the single Lightning Lane purchase, and after that we did a little shopping (Banner got a Lightning McQueen backpack and Knox got a Spider-Man web shooter) and ate lunch at Flo's V8 Cafe. The rest of the day, we rode (in no particular order): The Little Mermaid- Ariel's Undersea Adventure (love this one!), Monster's Inc. Mike & Sully to the Rescue (so creative and adorable!!), and Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure. We loved Turtle Talk with Crush, but we were all too mature for Mickey's Trick-or-Treat Party. (Although, while he'd never admit it, Knox seemed to enjoy it a little bit. Sam and I loved that he liked it, so while the other two boys stepped out and waited for us outside, we had a little one on one with Knox who didn't dare participate, but also couldn't look away!) We also did the Bakery Tour and loved watching the sourdough bread process. We ended up buying a Vampire Mickey bread loaf, and it was delicious!
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| Walking in to DCA - before we lost Q and K |
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| Banner watching the Spider-Man show |
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| The end of Monsters Inc. |
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| Incredicoaster about to take off! |
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| Under the Sea! |
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| Little Mermaid ride |
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The Bakery Tour   |
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Banner enjoyed photographing some bees while we took a break to eat Banner's new backpack :) |
We then decided to hop back over to Disneyland to try to hit some of the rides we missed on day one. We did Autopia and then walked through Sleeping Beauty's Castle, something Banner had really been wanting to do - much to our delight and surprise. We then headed back to the Star Wars area for more Blue Milk (which we had already tasted and liked on day 1) and the fun BB8 containers of soda. This is when the boys got to interact with some of the characters, mostly some Stormtroopers. We rode a couple of rides there before deciding to head back to California Adventure to see the evening show. On the way, Knox decided he wanted to buy his Stormtrooper mask here, and Quinn bought a lightsaber. We stopped for some "dinner" at Starbucks to hold everyone over. The boys got a couple more Incredicoaster rides in, and then I joined them on Goofy's Sky School before watching the World of Color Happiness!, a water and light show that we later learned we were seated way too close to actually enjoy. We didn't sit in the wet zone, but we later realized that getting there early and sitting closer was actually not worth it and sitting farther back would have allowed a better view of the whole area. In any case, the day was over, and we headed back to the motel for a much needed night of sleep!
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| Autopia |
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| In waiting area for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run |
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| Knox is on MY shoulders - but you can't see my face |
DAY THREE: DISNEYLAND AND OOGIE BOOGIE BASH!
We started our third day ready to get those final Disneyland rides in! I'm so glad we had this extra time built in, although we STILL didn't get to everything we could have! We still never explored Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer's Island, and Big Thunder Mountain was closed, along with Storybook Land Canal Boats and Casey Jr. Circus Train. But, we did get to do favorites again, including Matterhorn Bobsleds and Rise of the Resistance (this time for free because the queue was only 15 minutes!). Knox enjoyed wearing his Stormtrooper mask to Rise and got some fun banter with the cast members. This was the day we did the shorter/smaller rides: Snow White's Enchanted Wish, Pinocchio's Daring Journey, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, and the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Some of my favorite things were hearing/seeing the band play while riding the King Arthur Carrousel, seeing Mary Poppins and Bert walking through Fantasyland, and just smelling all the delicious smells. We rode the Mark Twain Riverboat; Sam really enjoyed the band on board. We stopped for lunch at Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree, a total flop! The brisket was pretty gross and fatty. We learned not to eat BBQ at Disneyland. :) We also rode the Disneyland Railroad and got to see the whole park while sitting on a train. Quinn and Banner rode Tiana's Bayou Adventure, and then we all did another round on the Indiana Jones Adventure ride. We caught a small parade of villains as we were heading out to make it into Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney's California Adventure. We were able to get a few family pictures in front of the Disneyland entrance, and I have to say, I was pretty sad to be leaving Disneyland. What a fun place it is! Even to just sit on Main Street and take in all the sights and smells. I guess that's why they say it's the Happiest Place on Earth - even if my kids did step on my feet more times than I can count and argue with each other incessantly.
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| While the boys rode Matterhorn Bobsleds and Sam went to the bathroom, I had some fun with the filters on the Disneyland app! |
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| On Mark Twain Riverboat |
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| Knox wearing his Stormtrooper mask on Rise of the Resistance |
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| The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh! |
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| At Pooh Corner |
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| Banner and Quinn on Tiana's Bayou Adventure |
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| On the Disneyland Railroad |
We made sure to be in DCA ahead of the 3:00pm entry for Oogie Boogie Bash ticket holders. Because we had park hopper tickets, we could get back in to DCA before the event began and ahead of people who only had tickets to the night event only. Some of the things we did before Oogie Boogie started: Toy Story Midway Mania!, Radiator Springs Racers again (this time it was only a very small extra price), of course more Incredicoaster, and ate dinner at Lucky Fortune Cookery. We got to trick-or-treat and meet some villains along the way. But the best was very short lines all evening, which finally allowed the boys to talk me in to riding Guardians of the Galaxy: Monsters After Dark. I was terrified to ride this drop ride, but Banner had a good point when he said, "Mom, it's your only opportunity." So, I joined them. It was suspenseful more than it was scary. I definitely lost my voice on this ride - screaming and smiling the whole way down! I was glad when it was over, though! We rode Luigi's Honkin' Haul-O-Ween, Sam rode Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind with Knox and Quinn (after all, that's what they had put us through the previous morning!), and I surprised the boys and rode Incredicoaster with them (in the very front!). The boys were able to talk Sam into riding Goofy's Sky School with us, and then we went to get seats for the Frightfully Fun Parade. I was mostly impressed with the costumes we saw, especially the Haunted Mansion characters in their ghostly colored clothes. I really wanted to make it to Villains Grove before closing, but the boys had persuaded Sam to ride Guardians of the Galaxy with them. With a couple servings of "liquid courage" he had in his system, he agreed to ride it, and they had a blast while I headed over to the Grove. I'm so glad I did that. It was phenomenal. I was sad the boys missed it, but I took lots of video for them to see. Before leaving, I hopped in line at Soarin' for one more trip around the world. I offered for the boys to come meet me there and get in line before leaving, but they were spent. So, I rode alone, and I left the park alone, and it was really nice! I got back to the motel shortly after midnight I think. Although I was sad to leave Disney, I was glad the next morning wouldn't be as rushed and early.
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| Toy Story Midway Mania! |
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| We had some fun in Radiator Springs line - playing with the photo app! |
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| About to ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Monsters After Dark |
DAY FOUR: ACADEMY MUSEUM OF MOTION PICTURES
We were able to sleep until around 9:00ish on day 4, a Friday morning. We packed up and headed to grab some brunch (at the next door IHOP) before leaving Anaheim for Burbank, about an 80 minute drive. We went straight to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. We learned and saw quite a bit here - from costumes worn by various actors, galleries of Oscar awards, exhibits about how certain effects are made in movies, a Jaws exhibit, a Barbie exhibit, and my personal favorite, Hollywoodland: Jewish Founders and the Making of a Movie Capital, which they've made into a permanent exhibit. We learned about how the filmmaking industry was predominantly established by Jewish immigrants who became founders of the Hollywood studio system. It was a fascinating exhibit, especially the video (can be seen here; scroll down on the link to see) they show there, and made my kids, especially Banner, feel proud of his Jewish roots. We got to play with some shadows and zoetropes and all kinds of early picture making tools. The boys also got to really see how much work and what kinds of professionals work on films - from the screenwriters to the costume designers to casting directors to set designers to sound and score production... the list goes on and on.
After we left the museum, we checked in at The Garland Hotel in Burbank. We got settled and unpacked, and then we headed to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. We walked for about 20 minutes, stopping to grab a couple slices of pizza to share as Sam and I pointed out various famous stars that the kids would know. Mostly they'd know their character, show they were on, or song they sang but didn't necessarily recognize the name of the famous person. They got to see where the Dolby Theater is, reading the list of Best Pictures as they went down the stairs from there to the Chinese Theater. I could have stayed much longer at the Theater, finding various names and hand/footprints of famous people, but they boys were getting bored and, in all honesty, a little skittish of the unique people they were seeing on the streets. So many of those names don't mean anything to the boys, although we tried to make it more relatable for them. It was deeply meaningful for me to find Diane Keaton's signature and prints within the same week news had broken that she passed away. Hearing about her death was really hard as she's one of those movie icons you think will be around forever. I adored her in Baby Boom, both Father of the Bride movies, First Wives Club, and The Family Stone. The boys liked finding Michael Jackson, Adam Sandler, and the Hunger Games cast. We headed back to the car passing more stars along the way and possibly flicking off Donald Trump's star as a woman nearby shouted "Yeah right 'making America great again!'" in a most sarcastic tone- to which I replied, "I couldn't agree more!" :)
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| This is a really cool photo. You can see Marilyn Monroe in the background - creating the prints in the foreground.  |
It was getting late, so it was time to head to dinner which we agreed would be Bob's Big Boy, known for having served a number of famous people. We sat immediately next to the Beatles Booth! Every Friday, they host a Classic Car Show, which we didn't know about ahead of time, so we waited about 45 minutes to actually get a table, but it was well worth the wait! Our waitress was phenomenal, and the food was delicious! Plus, we got to see all these old-timey cars in the parking lot. After dinner, we headed back to the hotel and got ready for the next big day of adventure!
DAY FIVE: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
We woke up bright and early to be able to grab a bite to eat at the hotel restaurant - which we would later find out was a mistake. We rushed from there to Universal, which was only a 7 minute drive from our hotel, thankfully. We had early entry access to Super Nintendo World, and we didn't want to miss a moment! It was all it was cracked up to be. It was like stepping into a Super Mario game. The kids loved it, and we could have spent a lot more time here, but after an hour and a half, it was time to meet our tour group in the VIP lounge. Oh.My.Goodness! We had wavered on whether or not to spend extra money on a VIP tour, but it was definitely worth it! And this is when we learned that our rush to eat an expensive hotel breakfast was a waste. The VIP lounge had a wide variety of breakfast foods we could choose from: muffins, fruit, veggies, egg sandwiches, coffee, juices, water, cinnamon rolls... but we didn't know this would be offered. While we waited for the rest of our group to arrive and for Gina, our tour guide, to begin the tour, we noshed and enjoyed just sitting for a moment.
Gina was able to take us to the front of every line we went to, scheduled rides and shows for us, and knew all the little secrets of the park. Before going to the WaterWorld show (The Purge: Dangerous Waters), we got to ride Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge again then get immediately on to Jurassic World followed by Revenge of the Mummy, which Sam did not want to ride. We had to skip the Transformers 3D ride to get to the show on time, which was a little bit of a bummer, but we planned to return to it after the tour. After the show, we headed to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which isn't as amazing as the Orlando Universal, but it's all still very impressive! We rode Flight of the Hippogriff (which made me want to puke even if it is only a 34 second ride!) and then Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. There were definitely parts of that second ride that I had to close my eyes on to avoid getting motion sick, but since I had ridden it in Orlando, I knew I would be okay. Such a fun, creative ride! We ended the morning with the Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash ride.
Then it was time for lunch, which we got to enjoy in the Moulin Rouge restaurant which is only open to VIP guests. The buffet there was simply amazing. It was quite a spread of various salads, fruits, veggies, sushi, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, roasted chicken, shrimp, roast beef, and plenty of desserts! We had access to a wide assortment of sodas and juices and water. Stuffed and satisfied, we still didn't want to miss the chance to get frozen Butterbeer from the Harry Potter area. That stuff is so yummy!
After lunch, Gina took us on a private bus ride through the Studio Tour. We got to get on and off the bus to walk into a soundstage and onto various back lots. We were able to walk into the warehouse where props and set designs are stored and catalogued. We especially loved the sets we could drive onto only to be surprised with special effects and interactive experiences - like the bus shaking, watching an impromptu flood, being a part of a subway crash, and seeing a Jaws scene reenacted. Really neat stuff, and we continued to learn just how much goes into the making of a movie or a TV show.
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| The Bates Motel |
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| Wisteria Lane - Desperate Housewives |
Our VIP tour ended when Gina got us straight on to Despicable Me Minion Mayhem. We said our goodbyes to her, and then we were on our own to get as much as we could in before early closing at 6:00pm for Halloween Horror Nights, which we did not get tickets for - much to Knox and Quinn's disappointment. We did the Simpsons Ride, and then Sam took Knox back to try to use his wand throughout Hogwarts. Banner, Quinn, and I tried to make it back to the Transformers ride before closing, but due to the special event, the escalators to the Lower Lot were already closed. We were really bummed and annoyed given that our tickets were still good for another 45 minutes. But we made the most of it and got in line for a Lard Lad donut called The Big Pink - which Banner and Quinn had been wanting to try all day anyway. After they split that, we went to meet Sam and Knox at Hogwarts, where staff members had roped off the area so we couldn't get in anymore. We told Sam and Knox to take their time, and then when they were done, we headed for the exit with all the other sad people who were having to depart earlier than we wanted! It had been a whirlwind of a day - "fast and furious" (ha - a shout out to the ride that won't open at Universal until 2026) but totally fun! We did a little bit of shopping at Universal City Walk just outside the park, and we ate a quick bite at Slice House. Then we headed back to the hotel to rest and pack up.
DAY SIX: WARNER BROS STUDIO TOUR
On our final day in California, we started our day at Warner Bros Studios. I will let Sam write about that:
We checked out of the hotel and made our way to Warner Bros Studios in Burbank, where we ate breakfast at the Starbucks inside. We then went into a first-floor exhibit where we read about the (Jewish) Warner brothers who moved their film business from the east coast west to California, unsurprisingly led by the brother named "Sam." ;) We enjoyed seeing some of the technology and history behind the company. Once we were done in there, we started our guided tour with about 8 other people in a small-ish movie theater showing a historical and promotional history of the shows and movies Warner Bros has put out over the decades. From there, our tour guide, Em, drove us around through various parts of the studios and gave us a ton of information about how the back lots and sound stages are booked, used, rented, and commemorated when there is a particularly successful show or movie used on a particular soundstage. We saw the outdoor set for Abbott Elementary and, more importantly, the actual fountain from the Friends intro (at the same site as the Friends reunion a few years ago). We went into a prop house and saw what was essentially a vast used furniture facility, but saw things like the emperor's throne in Gladiator. After that we got to go onto a soundstage being used for an ongoing TV show called All American. It was really neat to learn about how the soundstages are used and set, and how they manipulate the interior via camera angles and lighting to give the illusion of reality.
When the driving tour was over, our self-guided tour resumed. We first went to an interactive area where we got to sit on a set similar to Bag End from Lord of the Rings and test out camera perspective to make one person seem much larger than the other. We also got to dub lines like we were in a recording studio, and use a greenscreen prop to make our own Batman (me, Banner, and Quinn) and Harry Potter (Amber and Knox) scenes! They had all the original Batman costumes from Keaton through Pattinson and some others in a really cool DC Comics hall. There was also an interactive Harry Potter area where we could make potions, cast spells, and get sorted into Hogwarts houses. After that, our tour was over and we hit the road following a few small purchases in the gift shop. Just as at home, nobody at Warner Bros. was able to establish conclusively that I am not Batman. It was a great way to end the trip - learning about and being immersed in some of our favorite stories.
It took me nearly a month to get all of this written out and photos added. Life is so busy and fast. This trip was exactly what we needed to just be together, doing something fun and entertaining. Financially, it wasn't the best timing, but most of the trip had already been paid for prior to us even deciding to buy and (try to!) sell our house. Given that our house hasn't sold yet, going on a big trip like this wasn't the best use of our funds, but I wouldn't trade in the memories for anything! Our kids are only this "little" for a small time, and the days are slipping by quickly. Trying to carve out time from everyone's commitments and increasingly busy schedules is so hard. I don't see that getting any easier, so we just have to do it! We learned a lot on this trip, had some awesome conversations, got over 175,000 steps in, and made lasting memories. I so hope we get to go back one day!
