Disney Studio Lot - Light Up The Season 2017
On December 9th (I know I’m super late in posting this, but still thought it was worth the effort!), I went to the Light Up the Season event hosted by the Disney Studio Lot in Burbank, California. This is a wristband/ticketed event that is hosted for Disney Studio Lot employees and their friends/family. Since I am not a Disney employee, I attended as a friend. It was my first time on the studio lot and I had so much fun. If you get the chance to visit, especially for an event like this one, I highly encourage you to take it. If anything, just for the ‘gram – as there are so many picture opportunities with iconic buildings, statues, and costumed characters.
The BF and I spent most of our time browsing and walking around, not spending very much time anywhere in particular. We began by looking at some lobby displays in one of the open buildings. These displays included old Disney memorabilia, iconic Disney Shoes through the decades, and space for new and upcoming displays. Black Panther movie theater cardboard cutout prints held down the “new and upcoming” fort when we were there.
For those Disney family members that enjoy a drink on their night out, there were a couple of small bars selling wines, beers, and cocktails. We didn’t get any drinks, but it was a nice spot away from the hubbub of the rest of the event, to relax and chit chat. In terms of food, there were food trucks (The Habit, Grilled Cheese Truck, Health Food Bowls, etc.) located throughout the lot. In addition, the cafeteria was open, serving up Christmas favorites like pot pies, turkey legs, tamales, and tons of desserts. The BF and I shared some fries from The Habit and an UBER delicious and gigantic Pistachio Macaroon from the cafeteria. YUM – I’m hungry just thinking about it!
Event goers were encouraged to give some Christmas goodness in addition to receiving. Charitable booths were scattered throughout the venue, including booths for Toys for Tots, US Marines, and Dog/Cat adoptions.
In front of the main building (Seven Dwarfs Building – pictures shown), there was live music with rotating scheduled performances in front of a sea of chairs and bean bags for people to snuggle into. This was one of my favorite parts of the night – listening to a bell choir while watching families with little ones play in the bean bags. In this quad area, you could also find a Christmas tree, an emblematic statue featuring Walt and Mickey, and columns lined with hand prints of Disney magic icons over the years.
INTERLUDE: OMG, super embarrassing and random, there were porta potties and I needed to use the restroom but apparently, I didn’t lock the door correctly and was walked in on! TMI? Maybe, but let this serve as a word of caution to always check the porta potty lock!
Before venturing into the crowded down by the cafeteria, tree, and local shop stands, I made sure to get a super cool air brush tattoo of Darth Vader! I avoided dirtying or washing my forearm for like three days just to keep it looking fierce. The artist was so nice and was so attentive, asking me for my favorite colors and making sure I was delighted with the outcome.
On to the star of the evening, the “crowded” area – as I have no reference on how else do describe it. The center of the studio lot is where the event was really poppin’. (Excuse my use of lame pop culture lingo, I’m trying to be cool – and I also awkwardly throw these into my speech as well.) Walkthrough tours were set up to visit holiday clad Disney classic characters or to peer into buildings with pieces of Disney studio history.
The scene was reminiscent of walking through Disneyland on a packed holiday night. There were stages for live performances, lights aglow everywhere. It was charming, albeit a bit cramped. The lines for the free cotton candy and popcorn had to be at least half an hour long, if not more. We didn’t partake, maybe it’s an adventure for next time, cause it sure did smell good.
Instead, we had just as much fun venturing into the craft stations (one of which allowed event goers to could make their own ornaments). One little girl was so happy to be there and was having the best time showing everyone how to make their ornaments as glittery as possible. Here’s a photo of our simple ornament that was a feature on our tree. As well as one of our tree, because I thought it was so beautiful and couldn’t help but share.
To end our night, we ventured through the row of local shops, looking at homemade art, baked goods, jewelry, and more. After purchasing some gluten free vegan cookies and gingerbread and then munching on them while we looked through a studio lot theater with a Star Wars The Last Jedi banner atop, we headed home.
Overall, I had a lovely time. Everything was cheery and sweet and was a great start to the holiday. Talking about holidays, I’m so sad Christmas is over! At least, I can hold onto the nostalgia until next year. But until then, I hope everyone has a happy and safe upcoming New Year!