The Disney corporation doesn't own the concert hall. It's named after Walt, but it was his widow Lillian that championed and supplied much of the funding.
Bathed in natural light, the main entrance is also where you can start the audio tour, if you're interested. However, the tour won't get you access to the main auditorium. For that, you'll need to go to a concert, or continue with this gallery.
White walls and an open design help the sunlight filter from the largely glass ceiling to the other levels. At night the opposite happens, with the interior light beaming out the top into the LA sky.
Due to union rules, only union members and the musicians can do anything on stage. There wasn't supposed to be anything on the stage during my visit, but oh well.
A decade ago, I stood up there and got a selfie after a friend organized a special event. Being from a Blackberry, the photo is unworthy of inclusion here. Let's say I looked awesome.
Gehry would design something, and organ designer Manuel Rosales would say it wouldn't work. They went back and forth until they were both happy with this design.
One of Gehry's designs had all the pipes, and the console, hung from the ceiling. While interesting, Rosales was sure it wouldn't work as an instrument.
I'm standing next to one of the seats, so the organist is quite close to the audience, presuming they're seated in this area during that specific concert.
The layout is a hybrid design between a classic "shoebox" design, and a more modern auditorium. It's also known as a "vineyard" style, with seating all around the stage.
The house lights were on during my shoot, but they weren't terribly bright, hence some noise in the images. I also recorded a short 5.7K 360 video from this spot and down in front of the stage.
We weren't allowed back stage since there were auditions going on. I did sneak this one shot when the elevator door opened on the wrong side. Don't tell anyone.
If you were to enter from the "main" entrance, this is where you'd end up. Officially, it's the Edythe and Eli Broad Reception Hall. Next door to the WDCH is The Broad, a fantastic modern art museum.
In what I assume is not a coincidence, The Broad has a Jeff Koontz dog sculpture next to the wall closest to the Gehry-designed WDCH. The Gehry-designed Guggenheim Bilbao has a Jeff Koontz dog sculpture out front. Symmetry?
In an almost out-of-place flourish, there's a flower-shaped white and blue porcelain tile fountain. It was designed by Gehry, and is called A Rose for Lilly in thanks to Lillian Disney, who started and was a huge patron of the concert hall project.
The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the former home of the LA Phil (and not entirely a beloved one), has also been the location for many famous events. The Oscars were held here several times, though now their permanent home is the Dolby Theater, which we've also toured.
Hidden from the street are multiple terraces where you can get a great view south, or of the curves of the building. While I was there, two other groups were doing photo shoots. I'm guessing unauthorized.
