Top 10 Best Moments from the Red Carpet World Premiere of Toy Story 4

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Colton (14) and I had the privilege to walk the red carpet at the World Premiere of Toy Story 4 in Hollywood, CA! I’ve walked a red carpet before, but never with my son. It was definitely a special experience for both of us. Like many of us, Colton grew up with Buzz & Woody. Both of my boys went through phases of who they liked best or who they re-enacted the most but either way Toy Story was a HUGE part of their childhood. We have been so excited for Toy Story 4 and walking the red carpet for the premiere is most likely going to be a BIG highlight of our year. I thought we’d put together a top 10 list to help tell you all about our experience with a spoiler-free review of the film at the end!

Our Top 10 Best Moments from the Red Carpet World Premiere of Toy Story 4

Here are our top 10 best moments sort of in order. We couldn’t figure out the order of some of them and Colton got a little more say on some than others.

1. Keanu Reeves – Colton was MOST excited to see Keanu Reeves. He was a little bummed when we didn’t immediately see him on the red carpet but after we got into the theater and sat down, they were displaying what was happening on the red carpet on the screen and Keanu Reeves just happened to be interviewing. Shortly after THAT he walking into the theater! Colton was surprised that he was carrying a popcorn bucket just like he just did (I think it takes being around celebrities for kids to realize that they ARE actually just people). THEN he walked around the theater and stopped right next to us (we were in the aisle). Unfortunately, our phones were already locked up so no photos. We got to smile say hi, make eye contact, listen to him, and just get a sense of his overall demeanor. Day MADE for Colton. He’s as cool as he seems in the movies. He ended up sitting just a few rows back and to the right of us for the duration of the movie.

   

   

2. Celebrities – besides Keanu we saw SO many celebrities. We saw, made small talk, walked by, or stood by: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Tony Hale, Christina Hendricks, Ally Maki, Kristen Shaal, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, and there’s a little girl at the end voiced by Maliah Bargas-Good who was sitting right behind us during the film. This was the most unexpected thing for Colton. He thought he’d SEE celebrities (like on the other side of the rope on the carpet with flashes going off) but not that he’d actually be mingling with them all night.

   

3. Movie Theater Snacks & Experience – for this premiere Ziploc had a cute little candy stand set up outside the theater where Colton filled up a bag with some fun candy. Inside the El Capitan, they had Toy Story 4 buckets filled with popcorn as well as bottled drinks. El Capitan is open to anyone to see a film at (see their site for tickets) and it really is such a great place to watch a movie. There is often entertainment before the film inside the gorgeous theater.
4. After-Party & Carnival Games – there was a FULL carnival happening outside the theater after the premiere and we stayed until they closed it down! Colton LOVED that they had so many different kinds of games to play, especially since we usually only play a few games at the carnival since they are so expensive. He totally took advantage and played as many games as he could. In addition to games, they had photo ops, TONS of great food & drinks. We even went home with some cotton candy.
5. Carnival Rides – there were even rides at the after-party carnival! Swings, the big slide, and a full Ferris wheel. It was so fun to see the party from up top!
6. Red Carpet Walking – this experience was much different for Colton that he thought. He realized quickly that what you see on tv is just a small portion of the atmosphere so it was a little less glamorous than he thought it would be. Plus they have a separate section for the celebrities to walk on so that media can interview and get individual and group photos of them. It was fun for us to grab some photos though, and they even had carnival entertainment like jugglers and stilt walkers! At the end of the carpet, there was an RV decorated for the movie set up from Go Rving.
7. People Watching – this red carpet wasn’t ON Hollywood Blvd but did end there and we walked over into the theater. The crowds gathering outside are fun to see and you get a little taste of what the celebrities might feel like because lots of people are filming and taking photos of EVERYONE hoping to catch a snap of their favorite celeb.
8. Putting Together a Red Carpet Outfit – obviously, Colton wasn’t thinking ahead to what he’d wear on the red carpet but I did and Target had just what I needed for him. A Pizza Planet button-down shirt. I decided to make myself some Pixar inspired earrings and a clutch (I posted the DIY here) and we both got compliments on our red carpet looks!
9. Meeting New People & Conversations – since we stayed at the red carpet after-party until it closed we had plenty of time to chat with people in lines for photos or rides. We met people in animation and filmmaking which Colton is super interested in. We even got to chat for a few minutes with Ally Maki (the voice of Giggles McDimples one of my favorite characters in the film). She was so sweet to chat with us AND very talented!
10. The Movie – OF COURSE, a big part of our experience was not only getting to be one of the first to see the film, but to see it with the people that made it all happen. We both loved the film.

Toy Story 4 Spoiler-Free Review

My initial reaction to Toy Story 4 is that it was the ending we didn’t know we needed. I personally DID need it though because my heart just wasn’t satisfied at the end of Toy Story 3 (I know, it’s not a common feeling). This gave me just what I wanted/needed along with some new favorite characters.

The animation is INSANE! Absolutely stunning from start to finish. The lighting, play with water, patterns, and color, it’s just incredible. 

The new characters are so much fun and we can’t wait to see them again this weekend when the film comes out. We laughed A LOT and just overall enjoyed it from start to finish. I don’t want to say too much because you really just have to see it, but we definitely enjoyed it and will be taking the rest of the family to see it again with us! Toy Story 4 officially opens everywhere June 21.