Just back late last night from our vacation and I can say that I'd totally skip trying to go to a Disney show taping in the summer. We logged on tvtickets exactly 30 days to the day we wanted to see a Jessie taping. We were thrilled to get the tickets we wanted and read to be there at least an hour earlier than the taping began. We drove 2 hours (in thick traffic) from Anneheim to LA on 8/10. Got to the Hollywood Center studios at noon and looked around to find out exactly where we would need to check in. We went back at 2:15 and about 25 people were already seated on the sidewalk waiting. The first guy said he got there just before 1PM. We also joined them on the sidewalk (grass and trees had lots and lots of ants), playing cards and chatting to others waiting. About 3:30, the pages came out and said to make a line for Austin and Ally and one for Jessie. We were #'s 4-7 in the Jessie line. They did not keep the same order as those in the original line, whoever got to the lines then just lined up. They checked our tickets and licenses/IDs. About 4:30, they said they were making 3 lines for each show: VIPs, AU holders and ticket holders. VIPs or "friends of the production cast" got first priority. They allowed them to get wrist bands and enter all the way up to 5PM. I'd say over half the kids were 5-8 years old who were going in with VIPs, obviously younger than the 10 year old minimum cut off advertised. The VIPs were supposed to be there by 4:30, but the shows accomodated all of them, even some that were not on the original list. The next people available to enter were the "AU" guests, who we quickly found out were original ticket holders who got bumped from other tapings they did not get into on previous taping attempts. They let in all the VIPs for both shows, and a couple of the AU guests (but not all of them). Then they told all of us ticket holders (about 60 plus for each show) that there was not a single seat left and we could get a card to become AU guests at another taping, but those were not also guaranteed. Kids were crying all over, parents were very upset, and they said to try for a taping in the fall, that summer was always packed. We spoke with the head woman letting in everyone, and she said she was sorry, and that we could wait around to see if anyone left later and we could get their seats. We waited until 5:30 and then left. About 10 others stuck around. We ate dinner at the Hard Rock cafe and stopped back about 8PM to see if any seats were available. The security guard told us that only 2 people had left the tapings, and that the guy and his son directly behind us in the 2nd line who had waited from 1:15-7:45 were able to get in. We felt like we had really wasted the day and would never have gone through this had we known that not getting there early would not guarantee us a seat. I know on the ticket it said that seats aren't guaranteed , that they are "first come, first serve" but we figured by being #'s 4-7 of people waiting, we would get in if we waited long enough. We had no clue that VIPs and AU guests existed and would be allowed in before us.
