The moment I received the invitation from Disney Studios to attend Mary Poppins Returns red carpet world movie premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood I knew it was going to be something special. It was an event I couldn’t miss, because let’s face it, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to be invited to something as BIG as this!
Despite all of the years I worked as a production assistant and reporter/producer in the entertainment industry for places like Entertainment Tonight and E! Entertainment, and had worked backstage at award shows and interviewed celebrities on the red carpet, I had never actually stepped inside a theatre as a guest to watch the world premiere of a movie. Since it has been about 10 years since I changed careers and stopped working in the entrainment industry, being at the premiere felt very familiar and foreign to me all at the same time!
Although being at the event was as glamorous as I thought it would be, going to the event was a different story! In fact, it took me three hours to drive to the theatre in traffic and rain. To put in perspective how much traffic that is, it only took me half the time to get home after the event! I actually almost didn’t make it, but it was meant to be. I arrived to the theatre just minutes before the movie was supposed to start. And fortunately, I still had plenty of time to walk the red carpet and soak in all of the experiences that came with such an amazing opportunity.
Everything was very organized it was very easy to find where I was supposed to check in to get my credential. Since it had been raining so much that day, they had everything under a giant tent to protect everyone from the rain and also to increase the level of privacy for the event. After going through security and showing my proper ID at Will Call, I was able to enter the red carpet.
The Dolby Theatre is where the Oscars/Academy Award show takes place every year. It can hold up to 3,400 people, so you can only imagine how many people were there!! There were lights, cameras, and people everywhere!
And the red carpet was everything I had hoped it would be! They had decorated the inside of the tent as if you were still outside and as if you stepped right into the Mary Poppins Returns movie itself! There were trees, lamp posts, cobblestone streets, carts, and balloons!!
After taking my time to soak it all in, walk the red carpet, and pretend for just a moment that I was much more important and I actually am, I walked up the famous stairs to the Dolby Theatre!
As soon as I walked in, I had to put my phone in a special locked case and I wasn’t able to take any pictures from the inside of the theatre. But let me tell you, when I walked in everyone was dressed up in formal dresses and suits and for just a second you could imagine yourself as a Hollywood celebrity from all of the glamorous and elegant motion picture film vibes. I wanted to capture the moment forever, so just for a second or two, I stood there and took a deep breath and looked around to hold on to every sight and smell before I went to find my seat. But first, on my way inside the theatre they had a concession stand with exclusive Mary Poppins returns popcorn buckets, sodas, and water for you to take inside with you!
My seat was in the center section of the downstairs area of the theatre. And they were amazing seats! And luckily, since all of the seats are reserved and assigned in advance, I was able to find my friend Jenny from Princess Turned Mom and Gladys from The Mother Overload very quickly. I couldn’t have been happier to spend the night with both of them and sit with them during the movie. And as soon as I sat down, I realized that just a few rows in front of me was Academy Award winning actor, Matt Damon! And when I first spotted him, he was standing in the aisle way talking to John Krasinski!
One of my favorite parts of the evening was right before the movie begin, Dick Van Dyke walked into the theatre and everyone stood up and gave him a standing ovation! And during the opening credits of the movie everyone clapped for all the people involved as their name appeared on the screen. It felt like I was at a live Broadway show, as the audience continued to clap after each song and performance. It was all very interactive and it made the movie and the entire experience come to life!
And the movie itself was phenomenal!! In fact, it was “practically perfect in every way!” The costumes, singing, and storyline were all so fun, colorful, and heartfelt. I don’t want to give too much away until it’s out in theaters, but know that it is truly a film that will be in the hearts of Disney fans forever as a new classic! You can see Mary Poppins Returns in a theatre near you on December 19th but you can reserve your tickets now!! And I highly recommend it for all Disney fans and families with children of all ages to see this holiday season.
After the movie, the director Rob Marshall and cast including the stunning and talented star of the film, Emily Blunt, went up on stage while we clapped! At almost 93 years old, Dick Van Dyke still has a lot of pep in his step and it was truly an honor just to share the same room with him and all of the talented individuals that were part of the movie!
As soon as we walked out of the theatre we were able to unlock our phones and were escorted upstairs to the after party in the Ray Dolby Ballroom!
I had never in my life been in such a giant space with thousands of people!
There were multiple stations set up around the perimeter of the ballroom to get fresh cotton candy, get an caricature, play a ring toss game, build a kite, make a balloon animal, and even take fun and interactive photos presented by Subway and Nissan!
Then there were at least six buffet tables filled with food galore including salads, vegetables, pastas, proteins, and Shepherd’s Pie! And if I can add the food was extremely delicious!!! And then there were the desserts….
One of my favorite parts of the after party were all of the costumes from the film sprinkled all over the ballroom.
Thank you Disney for inviting me to be your guest! I had the time of my life and I’m so grateful for the experience!!
And if you missed my behind the scenes video footage to make this blog come to life, please visit my Instagram where you can find them all in my Disney Highlights on my feed! And to follow up more on the movie, please visit the official Mary Poppins Returns Instagram here!
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