Click here to see all Friday Question Fun entries
This week, my Friday question is a bit special and I’ll explain that a bit more later.
Have you ever taken a movie-themed vacation?
Where would you want to travel for a movie-themed vacation?
Tomorrow, my wife and I will be taking a trip to Orlando, Florida to visit Universal Studios and Disney World. We both love visiting Disney and neither of us have gone when they are decorated for Christmas so we are very very excited. We also have not traveled to Universal Studios since they opened their Wizarding World of Harry Potter and, as fans of novels/movies, are really looking forward to that as well.
We originally wanted to visit Universal for Halloween to see all the Universal Classic Monsters, but the timing didn’t work out. Maybe next year for their 101st anniversary.
While this trip may not be completely movie-themed, it’s good enough! A few months back I found a book about traveling France to visit scenes from various French New Wave films and I thought that would be a really neat way to travel. I’d really like to tour the national archives or other film libraries at some point.
What about you?
Andy Watches Movies 
I remember when my parents took me to Orlando when I was younger. That’s really cool that you got to go to France to see scenes from French wave films. Hope you enjoy your trip!
Oh, I didn’t go to France…Just looked at a book about it. I hope to make it to France sometime, though.
Thanks!
I never done a movie themed vacation, although when I was in Japan I did go to some spot where Lost in Translation was filmed.
Enjoy your holiday!
That counts!
Thanks!
I’ve never taken a movie themed vacation. I love the idea of it though. My dad, honestly, would take us on trips and we nick named him Chevy Chase because of it. He always found a way to get us lost and once even drove the wrong way into a police station parking lot. I think that is about as close to a movie themed vacation for me.
If I had to pick somewhere to travel. It would probably be chasing scenes and moments from Bogart’s movies. I’ve always loved the tropics and to following in his footsteps would be awesome.
Happy travels.
lol I can relate to the Clark Griswold vacations…
Having a Bogart trip would be pretty damn awesome, I hope you get to do that!
Have a WONDERFUL time and high-five Pluto for me if you get the chance! 🙂 I am jealous!
Don’t think I’ve had a themed holiday but about to have a Christmas movie marathon once Dec 1 hits! 🙂 Bon voyage! 🙂
Thanks! If I see him I will haha
I think I’m going to have a marathon when I get back, I love busting out all my holiday films.
I lived in New Orleans when JFK came out. My friends and I visited all the landmarks in the area relating to the movie. It was pretty cool.
That is pretty cool!
I haven’t done a movie themed vacation, but if I did I would go to New Zealand.
That being said I have inadvertently eaten at the Resturant from “Kramer vs. Kramer” where Hoffman & Streep have a conversation towards the end of the film, eaten at Bubby’s in TriBeCa before “The Devil Where’s Prada” came out–it’s where Adrien Giener works–and purposely walked by the Ghostbusters Fire Station.
I also accidentally appeared in an episode of “Burn Notice” on the USA Channel. They were filming a street scene and we were in a car in traffic in the background. So I did see our car on TV–though you couldn’t make out the occupants.
New Zealand would be awesome, especially once The Hobbit movies come out.
Very cool! I would love to see the Ghostbusters station.
Haha that’s pretty cool too. Did you know at the time you were being filmed?
We saw them filming but didn’t realize it was a wide shot and we would be in. When we saw the episode later we realized they the shot was in our neighborhood square and then backed it up. Watching it again we saw the car.
Ha very cool!
Best vacation I ever took was to QT5 – Tarantino’s Fifth Annual Film Festival (August 17-26, 2001). A buddy and I actually bought a cheap VHS player and rented a few titles when the festival wasn’t going on. We drank Coppola Claret every night. I still an 11×17 poster of the event on my wall at work. My only regret was that we missed the Kiddie Matinees. QT 5 list of films: http://wiki.tarantino.info/index.php/QT_5
That’s awesome! Great list of films too.
I loved my time at Ebertfest this year and I’d like to branch out and do other fests
I was in Cannes during the film festival in 2009, but that was just a coincidence. And when I was in Malta I really wanted to go to the still-standing village from Popeye, but didn’t have time. I do want to go on a North Shore and Andy Sidaris tour of Hawaii.
I bet Cannes was pretty crazy, festival or not. I forgot all about Popeye, that would be cool to see too. Same with the Hawaii tour!
I’ve been to Disneyland Paris but that’s about it. I would really like to travel somewhere for a film festival, I reckon that’d be a pretty awesome holiday.
I’d love to do more festivals myself, Ebertfest was small but a ton of fun. I’d love to do a bigger one like Sundance sometime.
Yes, I went down to Talluquah Falls, Georgia where ‘Deliverance’ was filmed. I also toured the Biltmore Mansion where they filmed ‘Being There. I also stood at the sight where the house once stood in the film ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ and I drove down the Highway in Oklahoma and stood at the sight where Karen Silkwood’s car crashed, which was an actual incident and made into the movie ‘Silkwood’ starring Meryl Streep.
Did they have formal Deliverance tours? That would be kind of weird/cool.
Very cool destination stops too! Were they planned?
I didn’t have a formal tour, but you could. Apparently the kid you played the banjo in the film is all grown up and gives guided tours on a raft down the same river that the actors took. Basically if I go on a trip I try to find locations along the way where films were made to make it more interesting.
I think that’s what I’m going to do from now on
i am pretty much a disney expert, so let me know if you have any questions. or maybe you’ve been there often so you know just as much. i’m there about one week every summer, sometimes also a week in the fall. the lights in hollywood studios are really cool, and so is the “snow.” but i won’t tell you what the snow is really made of. as for the wizarding world of harry potter, let me warn you about something. little kids might get scared. there are some cool scary moments in the ride inside the castle. dragons, giant spiders. also, if you are carrying stuff and need to put stuff in a locker, they’re free, but they’re a pain in the ass to get in and out. however, maybe that’s only the summer. not sure.
where are you staying in orlando?
as for themed vacations, i’m thinking about one. you can go to england and for $1,500 you get a great tour of the movie set castle and rooms they built for the movie. it’s a lot of money, but it’s for the whole family and i think it includes dinner in the big-ass room where they had dinner in the movie. also, they only go in small groups, and it’s about 4 hours. i’m thinking of doing that in about a year or two if they still have it.
I’ll ping you if we need advice, we’ve been to Disney a fair amount but Universal is new to us. Just me and the wife, so no kids to worry about…But I do scare easily on roller coasters.
We’re staying at the Hard Rock and then Port Orleans Riverside, I think. Maybe the other Port Orleans.
I think doing a trip to England would be awesome even without adding in that stuff. I’d love to do that as well!
couple of things about universal. they have an all-you-can-eat food plan that’s mainly burgers, pizza, pasta, and refillable drinks. also cookies, not sure what other desserts. it’s about $22 a person, and there’s certain food places you can go to, not all. one time my gf and i bought one plan, got one wristband, and i kept going back and forth splitting meals. yeah, i can be cheap.
there are two different universal parks with separate admissions, or you can buy a combo ticket. i usually only go in the side with potter land. the otherside is more speed coasters and loud stuff, if you’re into that. if you’re not, save money, stay on one side.
also, if you’re a disney veteran, you might notice how nice the people usually are, both workers and visitors. not in universal. don’t be surprised is trashy looking guys in wife-beater t-shirts are cutting in line while the workers pretend not to notice. it happens.
Sound advice – noted.
Ive been to Comic-Con a few times… for the movie/tv stuff. Does that count? Its a cross country trip for me….
Yeah, the judges will accept that answer haha
Disney world in Florida and Disneyland Hong Kong is the extent of movie related. I also did the Universal Studios and MGM, I think but it was over 10 years ago so the memory is slightly foggy.
Thinking about it, does a road trip to Toronto to see the Tim Burton exhibit count? I did that two years ago. It was so awesome!
The photos I’ve seen of Disneyland Hong Kong are actually pretty impressive.
I would definitely count that! I’ll bet it was really cool!
Lets say Disneyland Orlando is the best in my book. Hong Kong still has a long way to go ;). It was okay though. They had A LOT of characters to take pictures with, I give them that as a plus ;). I went for Christmas event in 2009 and it was pretty awesome!
Well, if I ever wind up in Hong Kong I’ll make a stop there 😉
The show The Mentalist has a bunch of shots of Sacramento, the Tower Bridge (the gold one) and the capital building are often shown. I’ve wandered into other familiar places, but I can’t think of any at the moment.
I love when that happens to Chicago too
That sounds so cool. Have lots of fun, guys. I really want to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. They’re building one in California.
About your question, I don’t think I’ve ever taken a movie-themed vacation. I’ve gone to Disneyland several times, which is the closest thing. Maybe what comes closest when I went to Hollywood with a friend one day before the Golden Globes, saw Alejandro González Iñárritu and we drove by the Beverly Hilton hotel (where the awards take place) and they were setting up the red carpet. haha
I would love to go on a movie-themed vacation, though.
That still sounds pretty cool! I probably would have tried to crash the party
Sadly….no. I have not.
Any places/things you’d like to see if you did?
– an art theater
– the filming locations for Citizen Kane
– the Black Maria
Nope, and nope 😀
I did one of those lame (but oh-so fun) Universal Studios tours, which is the closest I’ve ever gotten to a movie-themed tour. OH wait, I did one of those cheese movies tours in Hawai’i. You know, here’s Jurassic Park and there’s the beach of Lost!. I’ve always wanted to do the Harry Potter thing in the UK.
I wouldn’t mind Jurassic Park or Lost tours…but I also wouldn’t mind being in Hawaii 😉
Come on down! I heard that O’ahu just opened up a Chicago-style pizza shop in downtown.
*gasp*!
My wife and I took a trip to San Francisco to see the sights. While we were there we sought out places from two films, Vertigo and So I Married an Axe Murderer. We got lucky to see almost every place we hoped to.
Haha So I Married an Axe Murderer…So awesome.
Yes. Earlier this year, my sister-in-law took my husband & I to LA, where she arranged for us to go on VIP tours of Universal Studios and – my all-time favourite – Warner Brothers Studios. We also hung out on Hollywood Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard and went to the Griffith Observatory to take photos of the Hollywood sign.
During the Warner Bros tour, they arranged for someone to take me into Studio 7 where much of Casablanca was filmed. It was such a thrill! I was able to ask all kinds of questions about the set and how things worked inside the sound stage.
Have a wonderful vacation!
That sounds amazing! Definitely something for my future vacation destination lists!
Thanks, I did!
My graduation gift was a vacation to Hollywood. God it was awesome
Sounds awesome! I went to Hollywood once as a kid but I don’t remember much of it except being scared shitless by the wax museum we went to and Universal Studios had a Backdraft stage show or something.
The WAX museum was NOT scary LOL it was hilarious
Well it freaked me out
A couple of years ago my parents and I went to New Zealand, just for a normal holiday, but I convinced them to go and see Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit sets and go on tours 🙂
I’ll bet that was awesome! It’s crazy to think that those places really exist
I did a “Sideways” themed trip! Visiting the wineries, restaurants and towns of the film… but also going so far as to stay in the same hotel ROOM as Paul Giamatti and Thomas Hayden Church’s characters in the film! We had a blast living the movie 🙂
Wow, very cool!
Did anyone flip out after ordering merlot?
Unfortunately no!!! LOL I was looking forward to it!! 😉
Hahaha