WB TOUR EXPERIENCE

So the guy comes to take us across the street, and standing on the corner right next to us is Kathleen Wilhoite (who played Chloe on ER and Liz on GG) talking to Abraham Benrubi who plays Jerry the desk clerk on ER. So we went in and whatever, and they took us to the gift shop place to see the movie. And everyone kept laughing at our SH shirts, and were like, “Oh GG.” And during the movie they showed, “Stella!!!” and we were giggling and going nuts. Also, they were showing Harry Potter in several languages, and the last one was Hebrew, and the only thing Harry said was “Shalom.” And the way he said it, lmao it was hilarious.

So after that we got in the carts to go to the museum, passed by some *gasp* Lois and Clark sets, and we took our Dukes of Hazzard pic. So then we were looking at the actual foosball table, Pat the dog, the recliner, the “Six of One” script, the finale scripts, the Rangers Jersey and Chandler shirt, Monica’s door, the table and chairs from her apartment, the mugs on the wall, Monica’s clothes from TOW The Pediatrician, Rachel’s clothes from TOW Rachel Goes Back to Work, Phoebe’s clothes from TOW Monica’s Boots, and some of the guys’ clothes I didn’t recognize from a specific episode. Also, Monica and Chandler’s wedding invitation, the “ball,” Science Boy magazine, M&C’s wedding vows and their wedding picture, the bracelet from TOW The Prom Video, the brown bird cookies, monkeyshine beer, the Fizz drink, Emma’s sonogram and bracelet, the Geller Cup, M&C’s engagement and wedding rings, Phoebe’s porn movie “Buffay the Vampire Layer,” the “Be Your Own Windkeeper” book, Ross’s ID tag at the museum, his list of 5 people he can sleep with, and Joey’s stethoscope from DOOL. *deep breath* So needless to say, I was hyperventilating. There was also a Superman and Lois costume (which I just had to touch…come on…Dean Cain’s cape!) and some clothes from other shows. And upstairs was Harry Potter stuff, and I was sorted into Hufflepuff. There was also Rory’s Chilton Uniform, a Lorelai’s outfit, some Full House clothes and a collage of pictures, Steve Urkel’s clothes, etc.

So after that we got back in the cart and we went to the sound place. But on the way we saw The Friends Stage (24!) (squee!). So we went inside and they were fixing sound on the a Malcolm in the Middle episode and then Dean (our guide) told us that Gwenth Paltrow was dubbing her voice for a movie in the room next to us. So from there we went to this place where they do sound effects, and we were killing ourselves because we spent like 10 minutes watching them put in footsteps for a new show “Eyes.” But we got inside there too. And Mr. Annoying on our tour asked like 50 questions.

So then he tells us he’s taking us to see props, and it will be worth it and to get my camera. So we go through the door, and I saw Central Perk, and I almost died right then and there. And since it was the Deluxe Tour we got our pics taken on the couch, and we went all through the entire set! My god it was amazing. And then Dean’s like, “Here’s some Friends Trivia. Who worked behind that counter for 10 years?” And I said, “Gunther.” “Ok, well here’s a question for a real fan. What’s the actor’s name?” And I said, “James Michael Tyler.” And Dean said, “Wow. That’s the first time anyone ever knew the answer to that question! Do you know how he got the job?” “Because he was the only one who could work the espresso machine!” Haha I impressed him, and everyone was laughing at me.

So then we saw some other props, which was cool, but we wanted to leave lol. So then he was like, “Let’s see something Gilmore Girls before lunch,” and we went to Emily and Richard’s house. SO COOL. Heather kept saying, “Ring the doorbell!” but I couldn’t find it lol…I was in too much shock or something. So inside the sound stage was the exterior of the house, with barely enough room for a car and the backdrop for the houses across the street. And we went inside all the room, saw some floor markings. We touched all the chairs, pictures, EVERYTHING! There are two pictures of Lorelai and Rory on the table. We went inside Richard’s office, and it was just surreal. Oh and spoiler alert! Still only 3 place settings at dinner! And we took some candies out of the jar on the piano. The house is SO SMALL. It’s ridiculous. It’s amazing how they make it look so big on tv. Outside the house was some crapass patio furniture. Also in this studio, right next to the house, was the inside of the Twickham house, which was in a round shape. There were the statues or “dioramas” of a caveman, a hippie, and a cowboy, and others I can’t remember. So we looked at that for a minute and left.

So then we went to lunch, and apparently all the stars always eat there. This is where Dean told us he’s friends with Melissa McCarthy and if she was there he’d get her to talk to us, but they were on location. So we’re sitting and eating, and we’re like, “Can you tell us anything about Gilmore Girls?” and he said, “Well we’ll see if Luke and Lorelai get married by the end of the season.” And we all looked at each other and we freaked out and were like, “WHAT?!” And he said, “Well when the chuppah moves we’ll know it’s coming.” He also told us that we shouldn’t worry about season 6, because it’s gonna happen.

So then a girl in our group was like, “Hey. Shane West is outside.” And I’m like, “What?! Where!?” And I look outside and he’s standing there with the red head guy from ER. I can never remember his name! So I was like, “We have to go out there…” So I said I was gonna go to the bathroom, which was outside in another building, and I convinced Heather and Sarah to go with me. And I couldn’t stop laughing, and they were like, “You have to stop before we go outside!” So the three of us put on straight faces and walked right past them, and holy shit, he’s so godamn hot. So then we started laughing because we couldn’t believe it, and on the way back they were inside the cafeteria and then Shane left with Parminder Nagra, the girl who plays Neela. We also saw Mekhi Phifer sitting eating.

So we were sitting on the bench and I said, “Hey isn’t that Lois’s apartment? And the brownstone they moved into after they got married?!” And Dean said, “Geez you should give this tour. You only have to go through half the training because you know everything.” Hee! My pleasure! It’s also Luke and Nicole’s townhouse.

So after lunch we went to the Dragonfly! We were realy confused at first, because this means that the R&R scenes when Kirk is running and when they actually kiss is either at the house, or the kiss was at the soundstage and the Kirk running part was at the Walton House lol. But anyway, we were like, “Ooo right here! The kiss!” So we went inside, and on the planner thing on her desk it had Michel’s lines from 515 about hearing a bang! So then we went throughout the whole thing and in the kitchen Heather and I were like, “That’s where he puts his hand on her stomach!” We saw some markers on the floor too. The lobby area is SO SMALL. Seriously, I don’t know how they fit in there. And there was a pantry set up with cameras, and Dean told us they were shooting in there.

We also got to go to the interior of Lorelai’s house. But we couldn’t go inside because it was a hot set. But seriously, Rory’s bed is SO SMALL. I don’t know how she and Dean fit…*shudder*

We were sad to leave, but after that we went to see a lot more prop crap. Just tons of photos, and props, and the making of the props, and the movies they rent out, etc.

Then he took us to the set for “Two and ½ Men.” I would have loved to see the Joey set, but they were rehearsing. Dean told us about all the crap, but we were jut anxious to see the backlot.

At one point, I can’t remember when, he drove by the main entrance to the WB, and he said, “Judy Garland came right through here when she came to film “A Star is Born” and we started cracking up.

We were back in the cart, and we went by the West Wing White House, and also the building they used as the airport in SGTDM, and also as Star Labs in Lois & Clark! So then he let us take out our cameras, which could only mean it was time for the backlot! So we saw Chris’s house, which is the Joey Production Office, and he kept driving around and we went to the Pond/Swamp place used in Stars Hollow. There was a boat there, but no bridge. I also think that it was used as a set in Lois & Clark. Also, the little shack there was Lorelai and Rory’s first home! That’s also a set from Million Dollar Baby.

So finally, we went to Stars Hollow. I was taking pictures like crazy, of practically every house in sight. And it’s a good thing I was taking pictures of the area we didn’t get to walk around at. I got a picture of the Chat Club and of JoJo’s Restaurant! And also Weston’s Bakery, the video arcade, and tons of other things. So we got off and he pointed out all the houses – the Growing Pains house, Kims Antiques (Which is also Monica & Ross’s parent’s house), the Twickham house, Dean’s house, Lane’s apartment, Sookie’s house, etc. I took a video and Dean was like, “la la la la la. Gilmore Girls music!” Then we went through Sookie’s garage, saw the boat, and then we were there! The chuppah! The car! And it was the one with a California license plate. So Heather then told me that there was a script in the car on the passenger seat. And the door was open! So she opens it a little, and tried to read it. And I looked in the window and started reading it as fast as I could, but it wasn’t anything new. It was the garage scene from 517. So then we got some pics of us on Lorelai’s steps, and we were being so rushed. Dean told us he was gonna lock us in the garage! Fine by us! But the house lawn was all blocked off, so I don’t know how they make it seem like she’s driving up. I think it was anyway. I also saw Babette’s house but the sun was right there, so I didn’t get a good picture of it.

So then it was Stars Hollow time! We ran up into the gazebo and we took pics, and I was running around taking pics of everything. Seriously, everything, including the traffic light, and the clock that they used in Friends posters. So then he’s like, “Let’s go to Luke’s!” *insert extreme excitement* We went in and it was surreal. I took pictures of all the tables and of the mugs, and of the sink in his kitchen, and inside the menu (which btw, has crazy prices), and what else…just everything. I looked for the order that his dad took on the side of the counter, but it wasn’t there...so sad. Oh and then Dean said, “Hey look at that patched up hole in the window! Something must happen between Luke and Taylor. Hint hint. Wink Wink.”

He made us leave, so sad…but it was okay. Then we saw Miss Patty’s, and the park, which is also where Ross plays Rugby. And there was a swing set next to it.

We also saw the bush, corner thing from A Messenger Nothing More, and Rory’s study tree which is Central Perk in Friends in TOW Phoebe Runs.

We saw some ER stuff, and they were putting up snow. It’s made of a plastic bag or something and mixed with some substance, and he gave us some. So I saw the ER alleyway, and the ambulances and everything, which was cool.

Then we went to some movie sets. We saw a lot of where they shot Spiderman, and we got to walk through the Annie orphanage! And um what else…where they shot the Godzilla scene in Austin Powers, and a few Lois and Clark buildings. It was so sad to leave, but then they took us to the gift shop, which had nothing but crap, and we left.

Thursday

So we were sitting there talking and the guy who takes people over to the studio starts talking to us. And he says, “Wanna know the truth? Lauren Graham and Scott Patterson don’t get along at all.” I was like, “*gasp* That’s like the Friends not being friends!” He went on to say that it’s not hate, but whatever. So then we asked him if he could tell us any spoilers. And he said, “Well you saw the episode with Emily locked in…” And I’m like, “NO!” And he saw that he was giving away spoilers and he said, “Oh I can’t really tell you.” And then, it clicked. “Wait. Is Emily locked in a pantry?” And he’s like, “I can’t tell…” And I said, “Please! It’s my birthday!” And so he said, “Yeah. The episode aired a month ago but they cut out the entire story.” So…*thinking cap*….he’s just covering up, because he’s not supposed to tell us anything, and they still had the pantry set up, and well, it just makes sense.

So then it was like 10:00 and we went into the WB lot again, and we had to sit at the crappy gift shop forever, and we saw a girl from Texas who was on our tour yesterday. And she said, “Oh I went today again too. And the tour was crappy. Our guide didn’t take us anywhere we wanted to go.” And so then we went inside the girl shop and they had the Friends ep TOW The List on so I was seriously reciting it…I think they just had the DVDs on…and they were seeing how much I knew.

So at 10:30 we went in to see the movie again and our tour guide was Andrew – aka the Jackass. And haha, Hina called me to wish me a happy bday during the ep. Anyway, he told us that he’s into the technical stuff so that’s what he was gonna show us, which pissed us off. So he took us to the museum, we took the Dukes of Hazzard pic again. So once again took in everything, and they were testing me to see how long it took to name the Friends ep on the big montage thing. Haha so sad I am. So then we finally got back on the tram, and Vicky, Heather, and I sat in the front row and we asked him very politely if we could see as much Gilmore Girls as possible. And he said, “We’ll see. You’ll have plenty of time on the backlot.”

We passed by Keiko Agena’s car and it was this old beat up thing, which gave us a laugh. Plus, it’s far away from everyone else’s. Oh, and David Sutcliffe has his own spot. And then he gets a call saying that Stage 18 is a no go, which is The Dragonfly, because they were filming. And the entire tour we did not even see it in the distance. It like went from Stage 16-Stage 30 with no Stage 18 in the middle. So weird…like aisle 13 in the supermarket. Or in Wayside School!!! lol

From there we went to the “Two and ½ Men” set again. We had to sit through the whole lecture again and we were going crazy, and kept checking our watches. Finally we left that damn place, and we drove by the Gilmore cars again, and all the spots were taken.

So then he’s like, “I’m gonna take you to Stage 14. Wait, I’ll take you to Stage 12 first.” Stage 12 is the grandparent’s house, and Stage 14 is Yale, which we didn’t see the first day. Instead of looking around, he took us right inside to the outside and showed us “how to do a scene.” He said, “I know we have tons of Gilmore Girls fans here but I’m gonna use someone who’s not a fan.” Jackass. So he picked this guy to play Luke, and then Sarah for Lorelai. Heather and I were “lights” and we kept roaming around so we could sit on all the benches lol. Babette’s tour group was in the dining room, and we were so tempted to jump on in with them. He took us back to Richard’s study, and said you can figure out a character by their room. And then he didn’t take us to Yale! Instead he took us to the stupid West Wing “off white” house for the 100th time.

We drove to the pond/swamp thing again, and he told us that through the path was where they shot the Rennaissaince Fair, so I took a pic.

So after that we were finally going to the backlot. So we got out the cameras, and he drove us through Stars Hollow SO FAST and he said we couldn’t get out and walk around because they were going to be filming. I felt SO BAD for Anja because she came from Germany and didn’t get to see anything!

So then he drops us off back at the gift shop and I had timed the tour. 1 hour and 55 minutes…not 2 hours and 15 minutes. We were all standing there really pissed off, when all of a sudden….

The guy who took us from the parking garage to the start of the tour YESTERDAY came by and saw us! And he said, “Hey Stars Hollow girls! How was the tour?” And we said it sucked, we didn’t get to see anything, and Andrew deliberately didn’t take us to what we wanted to see. And he was shocked! He said, “Hop on. That’s just not right!” And he gave us a PRIVATE TOUR! He said, “Hide your cameras I can get fired for this!” And omg…he took us to Stars Hollow and said, “You have 5 minutes,” and of course Josh called me when I was getting my camera. So we were running around like crazy. There were people inside Doose’s setting up for the next day I guess. And the Soda Shoppe was also open. But we couldn’t go into Luke’s because it was a hot set. And he also said, “If you see Jennifer Graham you can’t scream!” lol. And we went back to Lorelai’s house and there was guy watering the plants. And he wasn’t supposed to, but he let us take pictures of the old and new Batmobiles and Mr. Freeze’s car.

That was it. And basically, it was the best experience of my life!!!

You can find the pictures of the WB tour here

WB Tour Pics Here's everything about the WB tour from last Wednesday 3/9 and Thursday 3/10: