Exploring the Warner Bros Archive

A little over a month ago, I was scrolling through Facebook when I saw a post about a new Fantastic Beasts exhibit. Now, as you know, I'm a huge Harry Potter/Fantastic Beasts/magical world fan, so I needed to go see it. The exhibit was to be mixed with items from the Harry Potter movies as well and found at the Warner Bros Archive at Warner Bros Studios in Burbank, California. Lucky for me, I was already going to be in SoCal and arriving a few days after the exhibit opened.  

If I had been in town a week earlier, I would have been there in time to visit during the press preview and met with Dan Fogle (who plays Jacob in Fantastic Beasts), but it was not meant to be. Instead, I took the tour like everyone else can and had a short time to explore the exhibit before the tour moved on. Now, there's a lot to see on the tour, so I'll just focus on this exhibit in this post.

I'm not sure what I expected when we arrived at this building. It certainly wasn't that it was going to be two floors packed with magical goodies. The top floor was devoted to Fantastic Beasts and Harry Potter and the bottom to DC Comics, including Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman, and Marvel's Suicide Squad. I quickly ran upstairs to soak up all the magic and was immediately surprised by how much was packed into the space.

I was greeted by Harry's Hogwarts letters spilling from the fireplace and a mini gallery of movie artwork. This is just a small sample of what was on display, and each piece was gorgeous. Around the corner came even more awe-invoking props:

Up close, you can see all the creativity and colorful illustrations done by MinaLima Studios for all the movie newspaper, sign and toy props. 

And look! I met Aragog! As much as spiders seem creepy in real life, I have a soft spot for Aragog, even though he's bigger than me and tried to eat Harry and Ron that one time. I mean, Hagrid raised him from an egg!

THE SORTING HAT! Sorry. I was just really excited about meeting him. He sorted me...into Ravenclaw. Big surprise. {I'm sure that lovely man told him to do so, but still.} Also, check out the amazing costumes behind me. So fantastic. I still had the urge to touch them all, but there was more to see, so I restrained myself. Plus, you know, security. Here's a quick video of Eric getting sorted:

Fun, right? Here's a bit of the Triwizard props (and the omnioculars from the Quidditch World Cup). A moment of silence for Cedric, one of the greatest Hufflepuffs.

While we're not weeping over an untimely death, let's move on. You can see some of the fantastic school robes on the left. On the right was a case with the golden egg and the Triwizard Cup. 

You know had to stop to ooh and ahh over Arthur and Molly Weasley's awesome wizard wear. Who doesn't want one of those robes? They dress pretty well for being poor, in my opinion anyway. I just now notice that her shoes look a bit like peanuts. I'm sure that's just the lighting though. Ha!

Now we're on to the Fantastic Beasts part of the exhibit. You're welcomed into the world the same as Newt, by going through Port Authority. Check out all the fun luggage!

Again, we see MinaLima's great artwork in these newspapers and poster. Even though it has a very different vibe, it's just as beautiful and whimsical as their previous contributions to the wizarding world.

Jacob's apartment is not much, but it's home. The prop department did a lot to convey how bland and simple his life was, and then you see the contrast between his plain clothes and the colorful wizarding world. 

Is it weird that I was excited to see that we Americans get Transfiguration Today? Eric thought it was a normal thing for me to point out, while the employee standing nearby chuckled at it. Also, if you look close enough, you'll see that this is an issue that published one of Dumbledore's articles!

I really can't get enough of Newt's overcoat and other parts of his outfit. I'm also in love with all the fantastic beasts, because we barely got to see any in the Harry Potter movies, by comparison. I remember reading Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and wishing there were more pictures. Then I hoped that we would see many of Hagrid's creatures on the big screen. Alas, there were so many that go left out. I didn't even get to see a blast-ended skrewt! Unfortunately, I had to wait until the Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened to see things like a Fwooper. I'm so excited for this new glimpse into the magical world, even I can never get used to calling someone a No Maj over a Muggle. 

For a big Potter fan like me, I would have paid the price for the entire tour to see just the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts props. Lucky for me, there was much, much more to see. The tour is around three hours long and includes a trip to the prop house, the front lot, possibly a current working set (we saw the Two Broke Girls set, but weren't allowed to take pics), the Batman vault and more. Check my next post for even more pics.

Rates for adults are $65 and $55 for kids 8-12. Kids under 8 are not permitted on the tour, which is understandable when you go on it. If you like movies, the tour is well worth the price for what you see and learn. Our tour guide, Bob, was the coolest. We came away with some phenomenal pics and a very memorable experience. Learn more or buy your tickets here.

Have you see the new Fantastic Beasts movie yet?

Disclaimer: Our tour admission was comped for the purposes of this (and the next) review, but all opinions are 100% my own. We had planned to take the tour regardless. 

Happy Holidays (from the Theme Park)

Happy Holidays everyone! Last week we went to Southern California and we hit up the theme parks. Our trip happened to coincide with Disney's California Adventure's Festival of Holidays, where they celebrated all the great December holidays, including Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali and Navidad. They had awesome food kiosks, where we grazed along, eating all the fun festival foods. On this holiday, I wanted to share with you some photos and videos I took while I was gone.

the Christmas tree at Universal City Walk

Hogsmeade is always covered in snow (Universal Studios)

Look at this adorable "wizard" snowman cake! (Wizarding World at Universal)

The decor at Minion Mayhem was very awesome (Universal Studios)

Jungle Cruise becomes the Jingle Cruise for the holidays

How cute are these Pooh and Piglet snow animals?

Even the cars at Radiator Springs decorated (California Adventure)

So drummy. . . #jetsetter #jetset #ilovetravel #tourist #tourism #tblogger #tbloggers #travelblog #travel #travelblogger #travelgirl #travelgram #instatravel #traveler #traveller #budgettravel #budgettraveler #budgettraveller #disneychristmas #disneycaliforniaadventure #toysoldierdrummers #festivalofholidays

A video posted by Shereen Travels Cheap (@srayle) on Dec 16, 2016 at 3:30pm PST

The "under the sea" tree at Ariel's Grotto (California Adventure)

Whatever you're doing this day/weekend/season, I hope it's happy and fun!

Christmas Road Trip Tips

The holidays are here and Christmas (and Hanukkah) is coming up fast. That means a lot of people will probably be taking to the road to visit friends and family. If you're headed out on a road trip this year, you'll want to plan accordingly and make sure your car's ready for the occasion.

Hopefully you've already gotten your car checked out, but if not make sure your tires are good, your brakes don't need replacing (because stopping is really important), you get an oil change and everything else is in good order. Got AAA? Then don't forget to keep your card handy. If one of your credit cards has roadside assistance, make sure you know all the details and know the numbers to call if you need them. Keep an emergency kit in your car, just in case, and a spare gallon of water to avoid overheating. It happens. If you'll be driving where snow or ice might be a possibility, then make sure you have a set of chains or cables for your tires, because sliding all over the road sucks. And not being able to go on without slide protection will suck too.

 

Once you've made all the boring and necessary checks on your car, it's time to start packing. Even though I have plenty of room in the trunk (and backseat), I still try to pack light. I don't want to drag a ton of bags in and out of hotels everyday and it's nice to have spare room in your car for any purchases your may make along the way. 

If you're traveling as a family, space is at a premium anyway. Don't bring your whole closet. One carry-on per person is enough. A cooler with drinks, snacks and sandwich fixings is a must, especially if you're trying to save some money on your drive. Plus, if you go with kids, they always seem to be hungry at different times throughout the day, so having healthy snacks to keep them satisfied is important. Toss a back-up carry-on bag in your trunk for rounding up purchases (or gifts) in one place, and a few reusable shopping bags for grocery shopping, dirty clothes and other miscellaneous things.

The best part of a road trip is the stops along the way. Know some of the fun, obscure, interesting and popular things to do on your route. I plan at least one or two of these per day to break up the monotony of sitting in the car and staring out the window. A great app to use for finding these things on main highways is iExit. It's free and will give you everything from places to eat, attractions, shops, rest areas and even animal hospitals, if you're traveling with a pet. I like that you can plan ahead by using the app without actually being on the road, but you can use it on-the-go. If you're a AAA member, you can order guidebooks and paper maps for free, too.

Sometimes you just need to get out and stretch your legs. Being in the car for long periods of time can make your legs cramp up and make you feel blah. See an interesting turn off? Stop! Run around, take a quick walk, take some pictures, check out a tourist attraction or make yourself a sandwich to tide you over until lunch or dinner. You'll be glad you did.

Dress comfortably. It is so easy to dress comfortably and still look like a person nowadays with fabrics like jersey, bamboo and rayon. Just because you've been in the car for 10 hours, doesn't mean you have to look like a slob. Not only are these fabrics comfy, but they also resist wrinkles and breathe well, too. If you can't live without your trusty jeans, invest in some nice ones with stretch. I have three pair that I paid a pretty penny for, but they are some of the best ones I own for travel.

Bring tunes from home. Don't rely on just the radio, otherwise you'll have times were the only thing you get are Christian and deep country music, if you can pick up anything. I swear there must be radio towers built into the mountains for these stations. If you're a fan of either, you are probably okay, but I still suggest loading up your iPod with some good road tunes, podcasts or e-books. That way you have a variety of things to listen to and aren't forced to listen to Jesus Rock in between static if you don't want to. 

Coupons, coupons, coupons! Along the road you're bound to stop at a few rest stops or greasy spoons (including Denny's) and when you do, grab one of those highway magazines that is full of coupons for dining and lodging. You can save a ton off already affordable necessities. Sometimes, you may find discounts for roadside attractions. If not, make sure to browse that rack in your hotel/motel lobby before you do anything nearby.

Now, toss a spare blanket and pillow in your backseat and you're ready to conquer anything...or, at the very least, the road.

Where's everyone traveling for Christmas?