Adventures by Disney Backstage Magic – Day 1

MouseFanTravel President Beci Mahnken was part of the first ever Adventures by Disney Backstage Magic Tour!

Here is Day 1 of her blog:

It all started with a mouse”.

Actually this morning, it all started with a 5 am alarm buzzing to ensure I made it to Seatac Airport in time for my flight to Los Angeles for my third Adventure by Disney.

This time it’s the inaugural Backstage Magic Tour that includes the highlights of Hollywood and the magic of the Disneyland Resort in California. That’s right! We are a group of 36 very willing guinea pigs for this adventure and are the first guests to experience this very unique itinerary.

When I landed at LAX I was greeted just outside the security doors by one of our guides, Diana (pronounced Deeana) and our very friendly driver who made sure my checked luggage was retrieved from the carousel and wheeled to my personal town car. Well, I must admit I did have to share. Luckily one of my agents, and Adventures By Disney expert, Michelle Cunningham arrived around the same time I did. She was waiting with Diana so we could spend some time together catching up on the 13 mile trip to our hotel.

Adventures by Disney Greeting at LAX airport

We arrived at the beautiful Renaissance Hollywood Hotel which is located at the Hollywood & Highland complex where the Kodak Theater hosts the Academy Awards each year.

It is also centrally located to many of the areas highlights including Grauman’s Chinese Theater and of course the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Upon our arrival we were escorted into the lobby where we met our second guide, Quinn. He provided our room keys with instructions for meeting the rest of the gang, who will be our family for the next 5 days, later that afternoon.

Michelle checks in

Michelle and I are roomies on this trip. We have a standard room with a dÃ©cor that mirrors the hotel’s mid-century modern design style. The rooms are nicely appointed with coffee maker, fluffy duvet covers, a nice selection of Lather brand bath amenities and nice floor to ceiling windows with wood blinds.

Renaissance Hollywood Hotel

We were welcomed with a host of Adventures by Disney goodies too including a tote bag, lip balm, fans, and other items to make our adventure more comfortable,

Adventures by Disney Goodies

At 4 pm we ventured down to the Twist Restaurant at the hotel for snacks and the opportunity to meet our fellow travelers. Within 15 minutes we had met several new friends including Brent and Brock from Nashville.

One of the best parts of these adventures is having the opportunity to meet a group of new people who share our love for all things Disney. Even if you have nothing else in common, you can talk for hours on that subject alone. But honestly, this group of 36 guests won’t have to hard of time bonding. Everyone seemed to be getting along and getting to know each other from the start, aided by a couple of ice breaker games at the reception as the opening act The main event was yet to come.

After some housekeeping we were escorted to the Trastevere Restaurant just out side of the hotel in the Hollywood & Highland Center where we enjoyed a nice variety of Italian antipasti and choice of several entrÃ©e options with chicken, pasta and fish options. I had the chicken dish, that I dare not try to pronounce, and it was wonderful. The dessert was a traditional tiramisu that I think even Annette, Mouse Fan Travel’s official dessert connoisseur, would certainly approve of. A selection of beverages including soda, beer and white or red wine was the option for dinner and coffee was offered with dessert.

The main event was a Disney trivia event in game show format starring our fellow adventurers. It was great entertainment and I will save the details for the exception of the fact that singing was in fact involved. It was a wonderful way to start an adventure!

Ice Breaker Game