Journal: Our California Adventure - Part 3

The tour here began looking at the famous handprints across the forecourt of the theatre. Again, I had to get my picture with a few of the famous names featured:


We were then joined by the tour guide for the theatre, Levi, who began by telling us a little bit more about the exterior of the building and explaining how the famous handprints became a tradition for the theatre. The very first concrete slab actually happened purely by accident as the Hollywood star Norma Talmadge accidentally walked through the wet cement so theatre owner Sidney Patrick Grauman jumped on the opportunity to quite literally leave a mark by asking her to also provide her handprints and the tradition was born.

The tour then proceeded inside to the main foyer of the theatre where popcorn was provided whilst we viewed some of the well known costumes from movies that premiered there. The architecture in here was astounding and the paintings that covered the walls were just stunning, reflecting upon Chinese culture.

That architecture followed through into the main screen room which had recently upgraded to support IMAX. Unfortunately they were unable to show us anything on the mammoth screen as they were working on some equipment ahead of a premiere but that allowed us a little more time to marvel at the beautiful ceiling sculpture and artwork. I cannot really explain in words just how beautiful it was in there. It was breath-taking and certainly a far cry from the multi-plex cinemas of the modern age. They really do not make them like this anymore and that is a crying shame. There was a feeling of glamour and opulence in this building which I can only imagine would make the cinema going experience a true event. If more venues had this level of detail and beauty perhaps more people would head out to a cinema?

The stunning ceiling in the screening room of the TCL Chinese Theatre

The Chinese Theatre and attached multi-plex rounded off our walking tour for the morning before heading back to the hotel to board a coach to our next destination, The Jim Henson Studios.


The Jim Henson Studios were originally built in 1917 by film star Charlie Chaplin and he can be seen standing just outside the entrance in a mural painting. Jim Henson's children actually purchased the studio in 2000 to be the new home of the Jim Henson Company. For me personally, I couldn't think of a better company to have moved into the original 'home' of Chaplin, given their stock and trade in making people laugh. There is a certain poetry to it that makes me feel that the Henson Studios truly belong there.

This studio lot was definitely in stark contrast to that of Warner Bros. which we had visited. Naturally, we expected the Henson to be a lot smaller but there was also a very different atmosphere within the grounds. The whole backlot felt more personal, like a family business would. The Jim Henson Studios have always been very much a family run business and I am glad to see that ethic and atmosphere has endured at the lot with Mr. Henson's children operating the business.

Our large group was split into two in order to get around this smaller studio with our group heading off to a meeting and rehearsal space to get a masterclass in puppetry. It is incredibly fascinating watching how much life can be brought to the characters with what is essentially two sticks and a well dressed 'sock-puppet'. Of course, I am being glib and making this sound far more simplistic than it really is, as we soon discovered when the guide opened up for the floor to have a go. He directed the volunteer in how to control the arms and mouth and how the body language would suggest certain things. As a puppet master, you cannot directly see the puppet so you would also be required to watch the puppets performance live on screen in front of you in order to make sure everything is looking good. There is a great deal of multitasking involved and what seems like a relatively simple task in making the puppet perform really does turn into how to breathe life into (and out of) a character and show off their personality. It is remarkable to watch and was great fun learning a very quick lesson in puppetry. I'd certainly love to give it another go someday.

When the groups switched over we were taken to a small archive space where a very large Kermit plush and a real Emmy Award Trophy was waiting for us to have pictures with.


I should also point out (and you may have noticed in the pictures) that I paid my own respects to the studio that brought us the most wonderful film of my childhood, a film that I still hold in my ‘very top favourite movies of all time’. The Jim Henson Company released Labyrinth in 1986 (UK) and has become a cult classic to boot. Naturally, I was there wearing my movie artwork shirt with David Bowie as The Goblin King emblazoned across the front. They had a fantastic cabinet filled with Labyrinth memorabilia both young and old, some of which I'd love to get my hands on. I'd quite happily give my little brother to the Goblin King to do so.

After our tour there was a final chance to get some photographs with the puppet and puppet master and one final group picture before we were soon boarding the coach to head off to our next destination.



Our next stop was called The Tam o'Shanter Inn and was our dinner stop. The Tam o'Shanter is known as one of LAs oldest restaurants having opened back in 1922. It had an even more significant relevance to our group because Walt Disney was a frequent patron there. Michael and Summer-Rose also dropped another bombshell whilst we were en route. We were to have a very special guest join us for dinner. Now, if I say Margaret Kelly, that probably wouldn't mean a great deal to you. What about if I mention Tinkerbell, one of Walt Disney's most famous pixie creations? Well, Margaret was the original actress upon whom Tinkerbell was based. Yes, the absolute original Tinkerbell would be joining us for dinner! To say the group was excited would be a ridiculous understatement. For those who don't know, the Walt Disney animators would have actors come to the studio to perform the character parts so that they could observe the way in which the actors moved to ensure they were translating all of the character and personality (as well as accurate movement) to the animated character.

Once we arrived it struck me that this truly was just like an old Scottish (or British pub), everything from the wooden beam architecture, right down to the smell of roasting meats and pub food as we entered. The name of the inn comes from the epic poem of the same name written by Robert Burns. In it, Burns evokes a very vivid image of the drinking classes back in the old Scottish town of Ayr in the late 18th century. This was 'theming' at a level I would imagine Walt Disney would have admired.

The Tam o'Shanter, CA 90093

We all made our way around the tables with Marc and I joining Adrienne and Vince for a nice table of four. Shortly after, Tinkerbell introduced herself to the group and explained that she would be joining us at each table and was very clear that we should have lots of burning questions to ask. I will add here that Margaret is 88 years old, not that you could tell. There was an abundance of energy and vitality just beaming from this lady.

We didn't wait too long for her to arrive at our table and when she did, we realised that between the four of us, we had no questions ready. We were all nervous about eating whilst Tink herself was with us for starters. I threw the question about how much involvement Walt had when she was performing in front of the animators and she enthusiastically fired off into telling us all about the experience, full of anecdotal stories whilst also reminding us to actually eat our dinner throughout. It was really hard to pay attention to food when she was retelling these wonderful experiences and her enthusiasm was infectious. We did not want to miss a word. It didn't seem very long before she was being guided to the next table and we were left, jaws dropped, at just how wonderful she was.

No sooner had we finished our food (which I should add, was absolutely delicious) the four of us were taken into an adjoining room and taken to a very specific table. The table had a plaque bearing the words:


We were invited to take a seat and as ridiculous as it sounds, I felt a little uneasy, it was like I was being given permission to put my hands on the Mona Lisa. For someone who once worked in a museum this was pretty much as sinful as it gets. Of course, this Inn was no museum or gallery but has a very definite historical significance, especially to a Disney fan. To know that Walt would have sat there with his imagineers, in what I can only describe as humble settings, making plans for Disneyland was somewhat mind blowing!

Marc and I at Walt's Table. Note the poster at the top of the image with the slogan 'Imagineers of the Tam'

At this point everyone had eaten, had visited 'Walts' table and had conversations with Margaret but the surprises did not stop there. Margaret, or should I say Tinkerbell, took to the floor to give a live demonstration of a specific scene that she acted out back when they were making Peter Pan. The scene was one in which Tink is ignoring Peter’s requests to find his shadow when she comes across a mirror and is less than impressed in the reflection of her hips, showing her distaste with her trademark tempered arm crossing. Margaret performed it perfectly. Every little nuance of the movement was absolutely spot on. She really was Tinkerbell! After some rapturous applause, we were then invited to each have a picture with her and receive two parting gifts; one was a signed picture featuring an image of Tinkerbell and a corresponding shot from the original animation session. The other gift was a signed copy of Margaret's autobiography, 'Tinkerbell Talks! Tales of Pixie Dusted Life'. Again, I haven't started to read this yet, but once I do, I will post a review.

Me with Margaret Kelly

Overall, meeting the original Tinkerbell was an emotional experience. To actually sit and talk with someone who had a massive impact on not only a classic Disney movie but also a character which has been synonymous with the company ever since was awe-inspiring. I was so very close to the happiest tears but apparently, the day was not over.

Upon boarding the coach I thought that we had now finished up the day and would be heading back to the hotel and Hollywood itself, however I was mistaken and the adventure guides had yet another surprise in store. We were now driving up to Griffith Park. Again, this in itself would not mean very much to many people but where we were going was incredibly significant.

Griffith Park is a very large (4,310 acres) municipal park at the edge of the Santa Monica Mountains with many attractions including the observatory where you can also view the famous Hollywood sign. That is not where we were heading though, instead we were heading for a traditional merry-go-round or as some know them, a carousel and here is a bit of language trivia for you. The term merry-go-round is the traditional English (U.K.) name and they travel clockwise, carousel is the U.S. (and European) term and they travel anti clockwise. In other words the traditional U.K. versions travel on the left and in the U.S. they travels on the right! Just like on the roads. Every day is a school day right? (It should be noted that in more modern times it is highly likely that many U.K. 'merry-go-rounds' have been purchased from the U.S. and vice versa). That it makes very interesting that the signage all referred to this as a Merry-Go-Round.

The Griffith Park 'Merry-Go-Round'

This carousel was originally built in San Diego in 1926 before moving to its current location in 1937. It has 68 hand carved horses, all of which jump and a custom built Stinson 165 Military Band Organ and is very much famous in its own right, having being used in an incredible list of film and tv credits. That said, this was not why it was significant to us. This traditional carousel was so important to many as it is famed as being the place in which Walt Disney first struck the idea for what would become Disneyland. Walt would take his two daughters to the carousel and would become an onlooker from a bench whilst they took the ride. It was here that Walt thought that there ought to be something built, some kind of family park where parents and children could have fun together. This was the true birth place of the concept for Disneyland!

Images of Walt's Daughters at the Carousel!

You would think that not much could be said about a carousel but it truly is a beautiful piece of history. Each of the horses and the whole structure was in a very good condition, thanks to the current operator, Julio, who started out working as an attendant as a part time job. He was later gifted the carousel in the previous owner’s will. Julio greeted us and gave us an introduction to the carousel before inviting us aboard. Apparently he had selected a special song to play on the organ from the 1500 plus that were available. The majority of the group climbed aboard when invited and both the ride and the organ sprung into life. As the very first notes played out I viewed the scene to witness everyone with absolutely beaming smiles. Again, I felt a huge swell of emotion and I was comforted to see that I wasn't the only one. Looking around I could see a couple of others with the happiest tears rolling down their faces as 'Feed The Birds' from Mary Poppins played.

One of original hand-carved horses.

To experience something that was such a pivotal moment in my idol’s work and even his life was incredibly humbling and inspiring. This single carousel sparked Walt's imagination and led to what is dubbed the 'happiest place on Earth' - and for me, it truly is. I was filled with such a strong sense of happiness, both for myself but also for Marc and all the other Disney fans who were all sharing this moment.

When the ride came to an end, Julio then took the time to tell us more about the carousel, showing off its inner workings and inviting us to observe the finer details on both the carousel and the organ. His knowledge and reverence for the history of this small attraction was fantastic. He had made his life around keeping the carousel operating and still has such a passion for it which convinces me that it will continue to operate for many years to come.

It was now time to head off and I think several of us were ready. The last few hours consisted of strong emotions topped with even more strong emotions and I wager we were all a little dumbfounded. I know I certainly was. I remember thinking that I had had plenty of jaw dropping experiences for one day. Thankfully this was the last activity for the day although Michael and Summer-Rose had invited us to Ghiradelli for an evening ice-cream. Now, ice-cream, that I could do!


Ghiradelli can be found at both of the U.S. Disney resorts (amongst other places) and if you have never tried it, I strongly suggest you do. I finished up our evening with what I can only describe as the largest ice-cream I have ever had. Mine was called 'Ocean Beach' and was Vanilla ice cream, sea salt, caramel sauce and handmade hot fudge topped with whipped cream, sea salt and a Ghirardelli SQUARES Milk Chocolate. Marc had one called 'Muir Woods' which was Black Cherry Vanilla ice cream and handmade hot fudge topped with whipped cream, Ghirardelli Mini Dark Chocolate Chips and a cherry. Their deserts are beyond heavenly and were a perfect way to finish off the day.