Here's the situation, this August we're on Catalina a couple of days after DL. We're on a ferry back to the mainland on a Friday afternoon, and planned a hotel night before driving back to the Bay Area. Now we're looking at attending a TV broadcast Friday night at CBS Television City that will occupy us from about 6-9:30, but no kids under 18 are allowed.

Suggestions.

Ideal would be some sort of supervised drop in place, but those aren't as common as Burger Kings, are they? We'd originally figured on that night being near Magic Mtn for a quick ride or 2 on Tatsu before driving home (Marine World passes get us in), but that assumed checking in before 8 and having a restful night. We may well go 2 nights before driving home, and could have one near the taping and move for the second, but that's not the first choice.

We might have cousins accompany us, and their oldest kid might could handle things if there was a movie theater/arcade type of set-up close by for them to hang, but the reality is that they are probably too young for that.

Any suggestions are welcome. In room child care, hotel with kids club, (deleted)? Seriously, thanks in advance for any help.

Cheers.

Here's the situation, this August we're on Catalina a couple of days after DL. We're on a ferry back to the mainland on a Friday afternoon, and planned a hotel night before driving back to the Bay Area. Now we're looking at attending a TV broadcast Friday night at CBS Television City that will occupy us from about 6-9:30, but no kids under 18 are allowed.


I'll let others jump in with any suggestions that they might have about child care in that area, but I did want to warn that you might be underestimating the amount of time you need to commit for a TV taping. If the tickets indicate a start time of 6pm, you will likely need to get to the studio at least 60-90 minutes before that. Most TV show tickets do not guarantee admission, but only a place in what could be classified as a "stand-by" line. Seating locations area also on a first-come, first-served basis.

You should also be aware that the taping could easily go quite a bit later, particularly if it is for a scripted series such as a sitcom. I went to one sitcom filming (for "Mad About You") where the estimated end time we were given was around 9:30 or so, but the filming actually finished around 11:30pm. Audience members were free to leave any time, but you obviously will need to consider whether or not you are likely to want to see the whole thing through.

I would think that your best bet would be to either hire a certified in-room babysitting service or try to make arrangements with an adult friend or relative to watch your kids. You should then try to keep the end time pretty open ended.

-Jeff

Thanks for the tips, it is looking like we'll have him be staying in the room unless another idea arises. What's tricky is that while he's not young enough to rule out being by himself, he's not old enough to make it automatic. I'd heard they tend to distribute more tix than seats to cover for no shows for tapings, and they want a 6:30 arrival for a 8 PM start. Since it's a live show, Real Time with Bill Maher, we'll hopefully be ending on time, at least.

Cheers.

What's tricky is that while he's not young enough to rule out being by himself, he's not old enough to make it automatic.


How old?

He'll be 11, which, for comparisons sake, is the age that the YMCA will certify babysitters. If by chance his cousins were there, one is a couple of year's older, but in a way I'm more wary of that scene since, having been a boy myself, I know what can happen when there's more than one. Over the years he's been given chances to prove his responsibility, and has consistently done well. It's also an incentive I can dangle in front of him for a smooth summer.

Cheers.

I'm not sure I would feel comfortable leaving an 11 year old alone in a hotel in a strange town. Just to many what if's for this mom.

You might want to try one on the nanny employment agencies in LA. I know that some of them offer baby-sitting as well. I can highly recommend 3. I know that these 3 do very thorough background checks. It runs anywhere between $15 - $20 an hour.

And As someone who works in teh entertainment industry, I can tell you... depending on the show, tapings can easily last til midnight and longer.

Give me a post if you would like those names and numbers.

Give me a post if you would like those names and numbers.

That would be great, you can send a PM if you prefer. Since it's a live show, I'm not too worried about things going late. At least it's not like the old days when Jack Benny had to do 2 live broadcasts, one for each coast. (Unrelated, but drove for a school fied trip yesterday, so there are at least 3 kids that know of Jack Benny.)

Cheers.