Pirates at Disneyland!

[dwgm]

Thanks to niece gingersnapps, I was fortunate enough to attend the world premier of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest on June 24th at Disneyland. Here are numerous pix, and some narration outlining the day.



Virtually no traffic on the 5 (very unusual) and got down to the park, entered with a comp pass gingersnapps had given me, and met her where she was camped out on Main Street. She, along with numous others, had been at the park since 5:00 A.M., and entered when it opened at 6:30 A.M. She'd managed to claim a spot for us by the rail barrier, right across from the Blue Ribbon Bakery (and all the little stages where they would later be interviewing the actors, etc.), about halfway down Main Street. The barriers were about a foot from the curb, so we could sit in reasonable comfort and watch as the cameras, other equipment, and personnel were assembled.





The whole place was decorated for the premier, of course...

Looking toward Town Square -- note the huge piratey arch.


And this one is later in the day, after they'd lit those bright lights.


Having sent me these pictures of them setting up a couple of days before, gingersnapps told me to go off and take a look at the giant screen and bleachers, and the Columbia all decorated as the Black Pearl.

Here's the entrance to Adventureland, where the red carpet would eventually lead the attendees.




A Construction Zone Sign...


The banner over the entrance to New Orleans Square...


The revamped Cafe Orleans, which will now be a full service restaurant serving THREE KINDS OF MONTE CRISTO SANDWICHES (omg!)...


Some views of the bleachers lining the Rivers of America, and the Gigantic Screen on Tom Sawyer's Island...








And pix of the Columbia aka Black Pearl, dressed for the party...
















Here's some pix of the building that houses the ride, all revamped and ready for the attendees...






Lights (just waiting for cameras and action) at the entrance...


After that it was a long wait for the real action to begin. We had a nice time visiting with our neighbors around us. There were several of gingersnapps's friends (and more came out of the shops to talk to us), a really nice family who'd come out from Chicago and Wisconsin just for the event, and then corrielle and her friend Rei came down to talk with me for a bit -- such sweet girls, about ladymora's age.

It was hot, but could have been hotter -- only about 85 with a marine layer that made photography easier and lowered the heat while raising the humidity. About 4 or so (or was it 5, can't remember) they started sending out entertainers to walk the red carpet and keep us all happy. There were LOTS, and most dressed as pirates: 3 groups of singers/musicians (one group on stilts!), jugglers of all kinds, one with a trick parrot, a LotR elf asking "Depp or Bloom?" (the answer seemed to be "Depp" pretty consistantly), acrobats, a lady on stilts with an enormous balloon Black Pearl, etc. gingersnapps was in charge of the camera and was afraid she'd run out of room for the main event, so she only took one pic of them, this group of very good singers and musicians...



Finally at 6:00 P.M. the attendees arrived and started walking the red carpet. It took three hours for everyone to come in. The dress code was all over the place: lots of folk dressed as pirates, or in a lot of black and gold and other piratey colors; a few people very casual, in shorts and tee shirts; some suits and evening gowns; and everything imaginable in between. We were in a good spot, it turned out, as the stars would sign autographs between the interviews they were giving when they began to get down our way (we were across from E!, Extra, and the Disney Channel, and a bit further down were VH1, MTV, etc. -- about ten or so, and there were more at other points along the route). Here are some of the celebrities, more or less in the order they appeared, and most of these gave me an autograph while gingersnapps photgraphed them
-- a good system. Also we had a little girl, 11 or 12 years old, next to us and she knew all the newer Disney Channel stars (of which there were many), plus all of the stars would come talk with her, and faithfully autograph her poster, so they had to do my little autograph book as well 'cause I was right there. ;)

This is JoAnn Worley of "Laugh-In" (from the '60's) fame, so cute and funny...


Jon Voight, Angelina's daddy, who was just as nice and gentlemanly as he could be, really friendly and willing to pose for extra pix. He was in National Treasure, and will be in NTII which will soon be filming...


Christian Slater, who didn't sign autographs for anyone around us, but was nice to watch from afar as he was interviewed...


David Bailie who plays Mr. Cotton, who took the time to ask our names for the autograph (as corrielle also pointed out)...


Bill Nighy, who is one of my favorite actors -- can't WAIT to see him as Davy Jones...


Terry Rossio, and I didn't know it was him until later -- fortunately his autograph was one of the more legible ones. I was thrilled when I found out, though...


Two of Mackenzie Crook, though, sadly, we missed Lee Arenberg...




Martin Klebba...


Kevin McNally (!!)...


Gore Verbinski...


Jerry Bruckheimer...


Marilyn Manson (who didn't sign autographs that we could see)...


The Governator and wife Maria Shriver but only from the back as they wouldn't turn around at an opportune moment, and didn't sign autographs...


Beautiful Keira Knightly, being interviewed...


and patiently autographing...


Orlando, who did not get over our way to sign autographs, although corrielle was able to get his earlier...


Orlando and Johnny took a long time getting down the red carpet -- we could see a zillion flashes and strobes going off all the way down Main Street as they approached. And then they took a break, shortly before they got down our way. We felt this was a bad sign -- I guess Johnny was a bit freaked out by the enormity of it in 2003 and had to be taken "backstage" for a while. But no, after a few minutes they reappeared. The handlers came along and warned us all back off the rail, and told us to hold out our books, etc. That's sort of off-putting, but no worries. Johnny came in sight, making his way along the wall of fans, armed with his Sharpie marker, smiling and looking relaxed.



He looked so perfect, beige slacks, dark blue embroidered shirt, beige hat; particularly compared to us, who had been hanging around waiting in the heat all day. Nevertheless he hugged one cute girl down the way, and briefly conversed with our pre-teen neighbor. I had a copy of that Newsweek Magazine and he obligingly signed it. I shall have it framed. Here he is, just before signing mine, and it's just a great picture. gingersnapps did a wonderful job taking the pictures!



Here's a link to it in a much larger size, in case anyone would like it for their computer desktop. (Please don't hotlink, though.)

So that's it. We watched Johnny being interviewed for a while, and then left when he disappeared into the crowd. It was a late night for all those attending the premier -- everyone on the red carpet was funneled into the ride, then into one of the nearby restaurants for dinner, then into the stadium to watch the movie, which couldn't have started before 10 or 10:30, by the time Johnny and Orlando got through the crowds and reporters and made their way to the Columbia/Black Pearl for a triumphal entrance.

We took a couple of pix of ourselves, but we're all shiny and tired so I'm not posting them.

It was an amazing event. Hard to believe it was only a week ago.





This week, yesterday, in fact, gingersnapps took me and weemonkey6 to Disneyland to go on the newly reopened PotC ride! The lines had been horrendous all week -- it reopened on Monday the 26th, and gingersnapps called to tell me the line was down to the Town Hall by midday -- hours long! We, however, arrived when the park opened yesterday, and were in line by 8:16, and on the ride about ten minutes later. They did a really great job updating it with elements of the movie while preserving and spiffing up the original. One thing I particularly liked was that they got rid of those stupid platters of fruit the pirates are chasing after in that one scene, the one they made "politically correct" in the 90's. Now they're at least chasing treasure, which makes a bit more sense. Still not chasing ladies, however. Oh, no, Disney pirates would never do that. Of course they still have the Bride's Auction, but I guess that's OK 'cause the purchasers are going to marry them. ;) The ride debuted in 1967, when I was about 14, and I started making up stories about that Brides Auction immediately. Harry & the Pirate was a natural, after the first movie came out.

We also went on the revamped Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, the Train, the Haunted Mansion, and Monsters, Inc. over in California Adventure. Then we did a little shopping, and finished off the day at Knott's Berry Farm for chicken dinner. An excellent day.



And now, I'm going swimming!!!

Happy 4th of July, all!

Comments

[juliejordan.livejournal.com]

It was fun to read. I love reading about fan encounters with Johnny because they're so uplifting and positive and only really serve to raise my respect for him even higher.

Are you finding it all surreal now? It felt dream like for me as soon as I left the premiere area. It just feels so weird hearing myself say "Johnny Depp looked at me, talked to me and touched me" and knowing that it really happened when it just seems like a dream now. I watched a bit of 21 Jump Street last night and gosh it was weird. :p

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Strangely it doesn't seem surreal to me, maybe because I'm older. I know I would have felt that way as a young woman -- did, in fact, when I went to see The Beatles, way back when. Not that this wasn't exciting, and I wasn't happy (and in some cases rather ecstatic!) to see them all up close, it just made them more real for me, rather than just faces on a movie or TV screen. A very cool, wonderful experience.

I have most of the Jump Street DVD's, too. They're fun to watch. One of the girls near us at the premier had a Jump Street poster, a full-length shot of Johnny, that they wanted him to sign. I don't think they ended up getting that one, though -- they had a couple of PotC posters too, and he was sort of hurrying along by that time and it was one signature per person pretty much.

[juliejordan.livejournal.com]

You saw The Beatles? Oh wow, now that's impressive? I'm not a huge fan, but I like their music and John Lennon, and appreciate how massive they were back in the day, being a Brit myself. It's fun to watch the old footage of them on TV from the 1960s. My mum was about 10 when Beatlemania sweapt this country and can remember it clearly. She says there's never been anything like it since then.

I've got the first two seasons of JS on dvd. I'll be buying the rest when my finances allow, although since I have a backlog of piano lessons to pay for and a Madonna concert on August 1st to fund, that might not be for a while. :-(

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Your mother and I must be about the same age. Wasn't '63 the year they hit it big in England? It was '64 over here, but I didn't care much for them until I saw A Hard Day's Night. I saw them live twice, in '65 at the Hollywood Bowl (I was 12) and in '66 at Dodger Stadium. It was craziness. I loved it.

Re: Jump Street DVD's -- if you are able to buy them used on Amazon.com it's qute a bit cheaper.

[juliejordan.livejournal.com]

I always feel rude asking for people's ages but I will say that my mum was orn in 1954. Her sister was born in 1951 so was a little older and a little more into the whole Beatlemania thing. I'll have to ask them for a few memories, I know they have some.

Thanks for the tip on the DVDs, I'll check it out. :-)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I was born in '53, so I was ten when they were on Ed Sullivan in February '64. I remember my Mom coming in my room, where I was doing homework, to get me to come see them. I wasn't much interested then, LOL! Wasn't until summer, and A Hard Day's Night, as I think I said. They were just too funny and charming, and then their music was so cheery, too -- especially in those early days.