August 2 Greystone Trip

[Midnite]

This is just one person's view, and I apologize in advance for any negativity. I'm glad I got to see the house again, but don’t feel the Greystone trip was well organized or managed. It was, in some ways, a shitstorm. Kudos to the Greystone staffers who were patient and knowledgeable and wonderful, but none of what I’m about to talk about was actually their problem.

On the Sunday of the Festival, Jim Pierson arranged for 5 buses from more than one company to take fans from the Westin Hotel to the upper lot of Greystone, where a long series of stairs led everyone down to the house. It seems the bus drivers were unaware that fans requiring some degree of physical accommodation would be passengers, which boggles the mind since it’s common knowledge that many Dark Shadows Festival attendees over the years have had special needs. One person in my party, for example, was in a wheelchair but fortunately, a goddess named Michelle H (the committee person who informed everyone in the lobby on how to get onto the buses) intervened and we were able to get my friend around the steps of the hotel and onto a bus. For the return trip, again, it was difficult getting word out to fans with special needs on when and where to get picked up on the lower level.

The first 2 buses to reach the mansion tried unsuccessfully to make the turn onto Doheny Rd. Representatives from the mansion had to drive down in security vehicles to guide the drivers on the turn; during the wait I was texting MB that I wasn't feeling confident. The final, successful effort to turn my bus was not smooth. I actually videorecorded it, lol. I cannot say if the other buses ran into trouble.

Fest announcement:

Sunday, August 2 Bus Trip/Picnic Lunch At Collinwood (10am-3pm) - $30

Eventually, the Festival clarified before the event that this meant fans had to bring their own food.  But apparently, organizers didn't think to check with the City of Beverly Hills-- I admit I foolishly accepted what I was told-- but it’s clearly stated in the rules & regs that picnics are not allowed on the grounds. When word of this got out on Saturday there was a run on the gift shop for snack bars. And had I been aware before I headed to the hotel that plastic water bottles are not allowed on the grounds either, I would have brought a reusable container from home. But I balked at dropping money in the gift shop for one that read “Los Angeles” or “Hollywood” when I, you know, live here.

An actor from the 1991 series is supposed to be joining fans on the Greystone tour. I wonder who that might be. And the tour is supposed to be via a "luxury" bus. I'd like to see precisely how they define luxury.

Now I love our Uncle Roger, who was just the messenger here, but no DS actor accompanied fans.  And was it luxurious? To me it was just a bus.

Afterwards, a group of select fans (not my group) did meet up with Joanna Going, but not at Greystone.

An Aug. 2 trip to Greystone with guided tour has been added.

Ha ha! Okay, there were a few guides available for small groups at a time if you approached them. But mostly everyone in the large group wandered on their own.

An email went out from Jim Pierson this morning stating that those taking the bus tour to Greystone MUST(!) also pay an additional $10 fee via Eventbrite by July 1 if they wish to tour the mansion interior. Yeah. The total actually comes to $12.38 payable to Paypal.

After charging everyone the first fee, we were told that you didn’t have to pay the additional fee if you just wanted to tour the grounds. But who knows who did what because nobody checked if you paid to get into the house or not. Just sayin.

Another Fest announcement:

Additionally, the Beverly Hills parks department, which oversees the historic Greystone property, is allowing our attendees, for the first time ever during one of our group trips, to go inside the  mansion and explore the rooms, hallways and other areas that were prominently used in the1991 Dark Shadows, in addition to the 2005 pilot.

But not the upstairs. Which, as I recall, was prominently featured in the 1991 series.

I’d been inside Greystone before for a special event but didn’t get beyond the upper staircase.  I still haven’t.

From an email from Pierson:

(There are five buses each with 56 passengers departing at 15 minutes intervals.)

I’ll just add that the earliest return buses were frustratingly not all filled before they left for the hotel, resulting in multiple return trips and long lines of fans waiting to be picked up.

Ummm, Greystone is gorgeous. Not a totally negative review!

[patrickm]

Midnite, thank you for taking the time to document your experience on the Greystone tour. I can honestly say I didnt have a dog in the hunt on this cause you already knew I had no intention of doing the tour from the get go. Couple reasons... first I and my late partner in crime club member actually snuck in Greystone during our visit prior to the 05 Hollywood Fest. We heard voices so didnt go upstairs but that wasnt going to be included in this tour either. We saw pretty much was their was to see - which is basically an elegant mansion without any furniture. Second, I had reasonable expectations that this bus tour would resemble all of the other Fest bus trips...long lines in possible bad weather getting checked off clipboards,  drivers getting lost and in this case lots of downtime outdoors with no food or water available..Just all the logistics made it a hard no for me. While I did enjoy the Fest and the hotel itself, my biggest bone of contention was a different one. Ill save it and just stick to the topic at hand. I didnt regret not going for a second and instead had nice lunch at Dennys, 2 sessions in the pool and jacuzzi and hang out time in the very comfortable lobby instead.

[KMR]

Yes, the Greystone trip was quite something. After waiting a LONG time for the bus, I got to Greystone probably a couple hours after the scheduled trip start time. But it turns out that I had plenty of time* to tour the house and enjoy the grounds. The park staff were very nice and helpful.

*Although, had I spent any more time I likely would have missed the bus trip back to the hotel. At the time I'd been told the buses would be returning, I went up to the parking lot where we'd been dropped off. No bus(es), and no lines of people. After wandering around a bit, I saw someone waving their arms, and I went over and was told the bus was on the street at the bottom of the hill.

I took part on the Greystone trip at the 25th anniversary fest in 1991,  and don't recall any problems with buses getting up the hill to the parking lot. Maybe these were the same buses and in bad need of repair. 😄

[Midnite]

patrickm, you're welcome. Thankfully no checking off clipboards. Badges (would anyone like to see what they looked like?) were punched for Greystone when you registered-- same as for the banquet. But still the long line to register.

KMR, it is wild that the bus picked you up on the street! The wait for one to make a return trip on the 405 freeway was so long that my friend booked a ride share but like magic a bus appeared. BTW, I regret we didn't talk beforehand to meet up because I knew you were there but who?? 

I appreciated the updated stage events for this Fest, but the Greystone trip made me think that there's still a single manager who is not delegating the pre-planning to his very capable volunteers despite the physical and other challenges he faced this year requiring a support animal and hearing assistance (this is not gossip-- he said during the auction that he could not hear; he wouldn't even give that over to someone else?! An AUCTION).

[alwaysdavid]

It was, in some ways, a shitstorm.  lol