Megan Singleton: BloggerAtLarge.com writer on the launch of the $6000 Graceland experience

Elvis fans with cash to spare can purchase access to an exclusive Graceland experience - for $6000.

Launching this September, the Presley for a Day Tour will allow fans to get an exclusive look at the grounds, take guided tours and enjoy a high-end dinner with views of Graceland’s landscape.

Megan Singleton from BloggerAtLarge.com explains what's on offer during this experience. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudkin
from News Talk SEDB.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
This week was Elvis Week and joining us to take
us to Graceland is Megan Singleton, blogger at large dot com.

Speaker 3 (00:20):
Good morning, Good morning, and that song is so appropriate
because they've just launched the most expensive activity to date
at Graceland for die hard fans. But yes, Elvisweek has
just ended, and through COVID, they took most of it
online of course, and so people around the world can

(00:41):
still get amongst all the you know, screenings and things
you haven't seen before. But obviously people rock up to
Graceland during Elvis Week and it commemorates Elvis's death, so
that's when it happened in August.

Speaker 4 (00:56):
So next is quite astonishing how many people still love
Elvis obs.

Speaker 3 (01:03):
I wonder, you know, like I was nine when he died,
I'm wondering if people younger than me are really going
to get it, you know. So this new thing they've
just launched is six thousand dollars US for four people
to be presley for a day, and they've sold out.
It starts next month and they've already sold out the

(01:24):
first day, So it's only going to be eight people
a day are going to be able to take this experience.
And I'm wondering the demographic that is doing it. I'm
on these Elvis fan pages that I just read what
everyone's doing, and they're mostly coming from around the US
and the UK, and they're mostly probably people in their
sixties and seventies who were the big fans in their

(01:46):
teens when Elvis was in his heyday. But you do
wonder it like if Elvis is going to turn ninety
next year, if he really was here and was ninety,
would we be so into him? And would a generation
after me spend six thousand dollars to go round Graceland
and a golf cart and have dinner at Lisa Marie,
his horse named restaurant on the grounds. I don't know.

(02:10):
Maybe they still will. Maybe his legend is bigger than
the than the generation that he died with. But yeah, interesting.

Speaker 4 (02:18):
Because you I know that you love Graceland, but compared
to when you've visited, does this is this tour? Do
you look at it and go, oh, yes, what it
offers is absolutely worth the money?

Speaker 3 (02:28):
I know I don't, but but I am not a
raving fan. So that's what I wonder. So, you know,
like you still don't get to go upstairs, but you
do get to go in the house with White Glove
Experiences and look through some of the archiving. You actually
get to see how they restore some of the things.
So you know, so if you had a cool six
thousand and you and your mates were off to Graceland, Yeah,

(02:51):
why not just.

Speaker 4 (02:52):
Get to touch and look at a few more things.

Speaker 3 (02:55):
That's by the sounds, Yeah, and you go around the
grounds and you you know, you can be appresently for
the day. That's what they're selling it on. But anyway,
I thought it was all good fun. Elvis's gearing up.
Graceland's going to be introducing a whole lot of new
events over the next three years because he died in
nineteen seventy seven, so they're aiming for the fiftieth anniversary.

(03:15):
Was death in twenty seven. So if you are a fan,
jump on the Graceland website, have a look at all
the things that are rolling out, and you'll you know,
you can't get closer to the King than being on
the Graceland website, that's for sure.

Speaker 4 (03:29):
Yes, I mean, it sounds like an opportunity to monetize
the Oh yes, death, doesn't it?

Speaker 3 (03:36):
Oh totally. I think that's Riley's plan though, isn't it.
I mean, I you know, she's in charge now. Well
hopefully hopefully this is her idea. I don't know, but yeah,
why not. I mean, you know, there's money to be made.
I think I told you about all the little saplings
that were growing on the grounds when I was there
back in May, thinking, goodness me, you could dig those up,

(03:57):
sell those as little oak trees. Who wouldn't from obviously
you had to be a US person buy a little
oak tree sapling from the grounds of Graceland. I mean,
and there's money literally growing on the trees and Graceline.
I think.

Speaker 2 (04:10):
I think if I think of us in the States
and I could do that, I probably would do that.

Speaker 4 (04:13):
Would I would totally?

Speaker 3 (04:15):
I would.

Speaker 2 (04:16):
I wonder whether I mean, we have had films like
Priscilla by Sofia Copla recently and things. And I know
that that because my daughter is, you know, fifteen, she's
obsessed with her as a director. I suppose eldest sort
of he does continue in our fascination and his appealing
to younger people but I'm I don't think that would
be the top list of things for my daughter to
go and do to spend that money to go to

(04:36):
Gray Standard.

Speaker 4 (04:37):
Thank you so much, Megan.

Speaker 1 (04:39):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudgin, listen
live to News Talks it'd be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.