I vividly remember being around age ten playing “Hollywood” on my back porch, dreaming about walking the Red Carpet as a screenwriter / director for a major motion picture. As the years went by, the dream began to fade as I got older, life happened and my family became my ultimate priority. What I neglected to let my imagination do was create a scenario where that dream took on a different shape. Maybe I wasn’t meant to walk the carpet as a SCREENwriter, but I could still one day walk it as a WRITER ~ and that I did. I recently had the unique opportunity to attend my very first movie premiere. In that moment, all of my childhood hopes, dreams and wishes came flooding back into memory. Walk with me as I stroll down the Red Carpet to the premiere of Frozen 2.
I was invited by Disney Studios to attend the movie premiere and after party. The experience detailed below, however, is 100% mine and mine alone. This post also contains affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure policy for more information.
Frozen 2 Red Carpet Experience
It was truly surreal, as anybody taking this walk for the first time would say. There I was, standing on the carpet that ten year old little girl inside me dreamed of walking. It took a journey and a half to get there and it was gone in what seemed like the blink of an eye. However, the treasured moments created that night will live in my heart for as long as my memory will serve me.
Of course, from the instant I heard I would be attending the event, my head was filled with questions and curiosity. What would I wear? Should I match the theme (and how do I do that)? Would I find shoes that were both comfortable AND fashionable? Would I be able to find jewelry that complimented my dress choice well?
Most importantly…
Whom would I meet and would there be ONE MOMENT that would stand out above the rest?
In the midst of all of those questions, however, I still found myself elated, excited and eager for something my younger self apparently knew would happen one day. I wasn’t walking down as the screenwriter I had hoped to be, but I was walking down a writer.
Finding What To Wear
I know I wasn’t alone when it came to the stress of finding the right dress. I was so terrified I wouldn’t find something that fit just right, kept me comfortable and also radiated with the right kind of elegance. Then there were the shoes! I willingly admit I was fearful of any kind of heel, afraid I’d find myself tripping over my own two feet in front of someone with celebrity status. Never mind the fact that I had no idea what to do about jewelry!
I ultimately sat down and began to think about the movie. I wanted to connect with it in some way and represent that on the carpet. So, I drew on my connection to Anna. Her quirkiness and love for holding on tight to those who bring her the most joy resonates with me. So, the ultimate decision was made to find something that gave me the feel that I was channeling Anna in some way, shape, form and fashion on that carpet.
In the end…
I found the perfect dress that was a perfect fit. It was a deep purple to match the coat Anna wears in the movie (she dons it in many of the posters and store displays). The dress was sleeveless, but had these beautifully shaped cut-outs in the neckline that I found very attractive.
At the same time, I also wanted to bring in a little sparkle to represent ice and snow, the glitter that makes winter shine. So, I found shoes, earrings and a bracelet that added just enough twinkle to the outfit.
To top off the ensemble, I added a silver satin wrap to drape over my arms and perhaps my shoulders later in the evening. Together, the combination worked and I was ready to strut my stuff on that Red Carpet.
The Walk I Saw In My Dreams
It has to be said – walking down the Red Carpet is more than an “event.” It is an experience. We checked in, received our credentials and then casually made our way down the winding path. I say “casually” because, along the route, there are several photo opportunities. The entire path was decorated to fit the movie’s theme and the coloring was absolutely beautiful.
However, security does try to keep things flowing, so snapping those photos became a little difficult at times.
Once inside, there were several lines of people. We were directed to walk down one part of the red carpet, while the celebrities walked another, with a barrier between us. While we were taking photos of ourselves against the wall bearing the movie’s logo, media outlets were lining up to photograph celebrities as they entered.
Inside The Iconic Dolby Theatre
This part took my breath away! The Dolby Theatre is where the Academy Awards are held and the inside is exquisitely gorgeous, not to mention HUGE! I was sitting in the third row of the orchestra section on the far right. In fact, I think I may have been the closest guest to the announcer that evening. In any case, I had a spectacular view of the house from where I was sitting and a decent view of the cast, musical geniuses and filmmakers as they appeared on stage for recognition before the movie. Sadly, I was unable to capture a photo memory as we had to lock our phones up in Yondr pouches prior to entering.
Of course, no movie is complete without popcorn and something to drink. As we walked through the lobby, we were offered a movie-themed bucket of popcorn and choice of a beverage (Coca-Cola®, Sprite or Dasani water) as we prepared to enter the theatre to our seats.
The After Party
The movie was spectacular and my full review will be out in the near future. Once the premiere was over, though, we immediately headed out to unlock our phones and record our initial reactions. From there, we all made our way upstairs to the Ray Dolby Ballroom for the Frozen 2 After Party.
There was so much more fun to be had!
My jaw metaphorically dropped (though I did try to keep it secret so as not to draw attention to myself). The theme of the room was definitely family friendly and there were activities for all ages found around the perimeter. Several photo opportunities were available both inside and outside the ballroom. In fact, I made sure to grab pictures with Olaf, as well as with Anna and Elsa.
Over by the Build-A-Bear booth, a game of charades was being played and other Guests were enjoying a VR experience nearby. There was a booth where some guests were having lip gloss applied and there were some parents watching their own Littles participate in various activities of their own.
The food offered that evening was delicious, as it was catered by Wolfgang Puck. Being a family friendly event, the offerings ranged from macaroni and cheese to lasagna and quinoa. There were even hot dogs on the buffet line as there were a good handful of children present at the party.
But Let’s Answer the REAL questions…
Did I personally meet anyone with celebrity status? Well, that is probably the most asked question from family and friends. Whom did you meet? Did you get to chat with anyone from the movie?
The answer is, “yes.” I actually did have the opportunity to meet some of the actors who were in the film. I also enjoyed meeting some who were just there to celebrate with their friends. Some of the faces I got to snap photos with included Jason Ritter (Ryder, Frozen 2), Jonathan Groff (Kristoff), Sterling K. Brown (Lieutenant Mattias, Frozen 2), Adina Porter (True Blood, The Newsroom, The 100) and Brendon Urie (P!ATD).
I have to say that everyone was extremely cordial. Jason Ritter and Brendon Urie were sweethearts and I loved chatting it up a little with each of them at the party.
However, there was one celebrity moment I will cherish forever…
This occurred prior to going into the premiere. Before having to turn my phone off and place into the Yondr pouch, I decided to go LIVE on Facebook with an update for my audience. While I was sharing the experience of walking down the Red Carpet, my eyes lit up as a beautiful young woman came “running” towards me (well, running is a funny term considering the shoes we were all wearing that evening).
That woman coming towards me with her bright smile was Yvette Nicole Brown. Yvette stars in the upcoming Disney+ movie, Lady And The Tramp, but also has credits behind her including Avengers: Endgame, Elena of Avalor, various spots on TV shows and more. She saw that I was recording and purposely jumped right into the frame with me!! I was so honored to have her appear in my LIVE. Of course, I was even more honored that she had actually remembered me from earlier that day during interviews. We had a short, but sweet chat and I will hold onto the feeling of her embrace for as long as my mind allows. (Psst – Yvette, thank you so much for making my evening magical!!)
As the clock struck…..11?
It was finally time to call it a night. The memories I collected from that evening will be forever ingrained upon my heart. I can only hope to earn and enjoy an experience like this again. Until then, however, I will fondly remember the seat I occupied in the Dolby Theatre, the conversation I had with Jason Ritter, being told I looked beautiful by Brendan Urie and being tightly squeezed by Yvette Nicole Brown.
The ten year old inside me feels a sense of satisfaction.
She knew it all along ~ her dream to walk the Red Carpet would come true after all.
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Check out my LIVE from the After Party!!
Are you looking forward to Frozen 2? Do you have Frozen fans in your home? Check out some of the hottest Frozen 2 toys out there. It’s never too early to start shopping for the holidays!
Check out these Frozen 2 posts, too!!
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Wow, what an experience! And your outfit looked great on you and the red carpet.
Thank you!!! Wow – that was really sweet of you to say. It WAS an experience and I loved every single second of it.
This is SO COOL! I am so jealous you met Sterling K. Brown. Frozen 2 was such a great movie. This sounds like it was such a wonderful experience.
It was a definite dream come true! I never thought I would cross this off my bucket list, but this just goes to show that it’s okay to dream big 😉✨!! And yes, Sterling K. Brown was such a pleasure to meet!! Thanks for taking the time to give this a read, Mary!!