Holidays Made Here: 2023

Due to the Writer's Guild of America (WGA) in May 2023 and going until late September, it didn't give them much time to plan for the Holidays Made Here event. A lot of things started production later (and most likely needed that space, too). But, they said next year, they hope to go back to a bigger shindig. 

My mom and I have made it a tradition to visit the “Gilmore girls” holiday event at Warner Bros. Studios every year, since 2018, when they started it. The last couple years I’ve bought it for my mom as a Christmas present and we’ve made a day of it.

We left around 9:30, so we’d have plenty of time to eat and do something else before the tour at 2:30 p.m.

We made it down to LA with no problem! We went straight to Little Dom’s for lunch in Los Feliz. It’s a spot we’ve passed many times and I’ve heard great things about, so this day seemed like the perfect day to try it out.

Parking was a bit tricky, so we found a residential street that was available. It’s a cute, movie-esque neighborhood, like Pasadena. It’s an eclectic area with interesting characters and store/restaurant fronts that are all different from one another.

There wasn’t large crowd. In fact, there were only a few tables. It’s order at the counter style! My mom and I decided to split - we went with a ground chuck & short rib burger with burrata, bacon & pickled tomato on a brioche bun with an arugula salad. It sounds simple, but it was DELICIOUS. One of the best burgers I’ve ever tasted - So juicy and flavorful.

You can tell Little Dom’s has a lot of history and a lot of heart. The walls are adorned with classic movie stars, like Cary Grant. There was a group sitting in one of the booths and a couple other tables taken up by writers for meetings or working on their laptops. We took our time because we still had a couple hours before our tour.

We drove through the streets of Burbank, taking the longer way around since we had the time. And eventually just went to the Studio, since we figured we could get in sooner.

We parked and went into the tour center and went through security. The lobby was filled with Wonka merchandise to purchase and a couple costumes, including one by Wonka himself, Timothee Chalamet. It’s always fun when they switch out costumes and exhibits with their latest projects.

We browsed through the store for a bit, and they had a lot, before checking in. The tours leave every 10 minutes, so we were able to check in earlier than the one we’d booked.

The first stop is a self-guided portion, giving a brief history of Warner Bros. — Its history and their storytelling through some of the most well-known shows and films. Show your ticket at the counter and the guides will direct you from there. You’re escorted into a theater, where you watch a short movie with clips from your favorite shows and movies, making you feel the essence of movie magic in the air, before meeting your tour guide.

Once you’ve made your way to the golf cart, your tour guide will most likely start by asking what you’re interested in seeing, what you like, what you watch. No two tours are the same, since it depends on what people throw out and what’s filming on the lot at the time.

We went through Hennessy street in the New York area, the jungle, Warner Village (which is used for the production offices), then we made a quick stop through Stars Hollow so they could point out a few houses, including Lorelai Gilmore’s which is connected from the exterior of Sookie St.James. In past years, the Gilmore household has been decorated with Christmas lights and dressed with bushes and other props. This year, it was stripped of all of that and just the exterior.

From there, we drove through other parts of the lot, making our way to the front lot, where all of the soundstages are housed. You usually get to see the set of a sitcom (in the past I’ve seen “Friends,” “Mom,” “Two Broke Girls” and “Big Bang Theory” sets). This time around it was “Bob <3’s Abishola.” I’ve never watched it, but knowing me, I could be obsessed with it a couple years from now.

There’s just something about walking through the heavy stage door and seeing the sets all dressed up, knowing the stories and art that has been created there throughout the years. It’s like stepping in the circle of the Grand Ole Opry. You can feel the energy that’s been within those walls.

After Stage 48, we hopped on a golf cart for a quick ride to Stars Hollow.

The last couple years Stars Hollow has been completely transformed into what we’ve all seen on our favorite episodes with the twinkling gazebo and glittery lights and Christmas decorations.

This time around, it was just a couple photo ops, including Luke’s Diner and the gazebo. It was very quick - Getting in line, taking a picture and off you go to the next thing. No exploring, no pop-ups and fan fare like the past, but it’s still absolutely worth it.

Once those photo ops were done, you were motioned over to the Friends fountain. We’ve had that plenty of times, so we skipped that and just hopped on the next tram ride to the end of the tour. As we crossed the street, one of the staff members asked, “have you heard that you look like Carrie Fisher?” I told her I had heard that a few times and thanked her. It kind of made my day a little bit. Maybe that will be my next Halloween costume. 

The last stop of the tour takes you back to the tour center with the last exhibit highlighting DC superheroes and villains. My mom and I aren’t into the DC universe and since we’ve seen before, we just skimmed through the exhibits. See costumes from Acquaman, Flash, Wonder Woman, and more. There are also props and cars from franchises like Batman and more. If that’s your jam, it’s an incredible setup.

There are other classic costumes and props, like the Casablanca costumes and the Leonard Nimoy autographed napkin that Penny gives Sheldon for Christmas in one of the holiday episodes. A lot of the items haven’t been switched out lately, or maybe it’s just that we go too often, ha. Which is fair!

Once we walked out through the exhibit, it brought us back into the studio store. We picked up a few goodies - They had several items on clearance, like “The Great Gatsby” mug I bought for $1.99, a Friends journal and a writer pen. We were going to stop at Starbucks, but decided to go up the street to Bob’s Big Boy.

Mom and I sat at the counter, so we were able to get in right away. I ordered a mocha milkshake and an order of fries. Mom had the fudge cake. It was fun just recapping the day and getting a little sugar boost before the drive home.

Another magical day at Warner Bros. Studio! I can't wait until the next visit, and that hopefully it will go back to being a full-blown Stars Hollow/Gilmore style production. 

That's all for now, 

Shelby