I love the movies! Do you? One of the reasons I love entertainment so much is the ability to imagine and get lost in lots of different realities. I also love that I can simply walk away when I’m over it. When I sit down to watch a TV show, or a movie I’m ready and willing to believe the unbelievable! Obviously, I don’t sit down and say, “Prepare to suspend belief,” it simply happens. That’s the magic!
Belle Haven Prison… good thing this isn’t our reality!
When done right, it’s so seamless, its easy to believe that what you’re watching is actually real. I love nothing more than the ability to settle in with my popcorn, (is there any other movie watching treat) and blissfully forget that it took literally hundreds of people working behind the scenes to create that seamless transition between the real world and places like Hogwarts, The Shire, or Gotham City. Three of my favorite alternate realities!
I literally forget that I can’t actually go to these places, and that Batman isn’t real. Wait! What? Batman isn’t real? I refuse to believe it!
Batman must be real, here’s his car!
Okay, now that we’ve established that one does not simply walk into Mordor, how do they make it look like we can? How do they make it look so real? Well, it just so happens that Los Angeles, the home of movie magic, is the perfect place to find out! During my recent visit to the Warner Bros Studio Lot we got behind the scenes peeks into many of our favorite television shows and movies both old and new!
After your tour stop by Central Perk for a coffee!?
Now, you might be thinking that a studio tour is incredibly touristy, and it is, but hey there’s nothing wrong with that if it’s touristy for good reason. Next you might say to yourself, but I’m not into theme parks, and to that I say, “Not all studios are theme parks, however some theme parks are studios!”
You’ll go inside actual filming locations!
Even the cynic in your group will be won over when they see the location of their favorite television show or movie. At least our resident cynic was!
You’ll be riding in a vehicle similar to this one!
Along the way you’ll have the opportunity to visit the homes and buildings from some of film and TV’s most popular places, including ER, Gilmore Girls, Dukes of Hazard, the original Batman TV series and Full house to name just a few. You might even get the opportunity to step inside some of them. Don’t worry there’s plenty of time for photo opportunities!
What you’ll see on your tour is largely dependent on what is happening on the lot on that given day. We were treated to exhibits showcasing props from Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Suicide Squad and Batman Vs. Superman.
My favorite exhibit had to be the Bat Mobiles, but we also got the opportunity to visit the sound stage of the Big Bang Theory, the coffee shop from La La Land, and even the set of Central Perk from Friends. If you’re so inclined you can even sit on the Friends couch.
Towards the end of your tour you’ll be given the opportunity to explore, at your own leisure, interactive exhibits dedicated to showing you just how the movie and television magic happens, including costumes, scripts, set dressing, green screens, forced perspective and more. We held Oscars, “rode” the bat cycle, explored movie props, and made a trip to the studio shop!
Tips and Advice:
- You’ll need to reserve your tour online in advance.
- Kids under 8 are not permitted.
- You’ll be getting in and out of the tour vehicle, so make sure to dress appropriately.
- The tour is three hours long, but the time flies by!
- The tour operators are very accommodating, so feel free to ask for a photo stop at any point along the way.
- Save time for a visit to the tour studio store, which features items from many well known films and shows and is only available on the tour!
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