On July 17, 2000 approximately 75 LaughingPlace.com readers gathered in the exit of Mr. Lincoln - which was also the DCA Preview Center at the time - for the first big meet in the history of the site. The large turnout was quite a surprise and the response from attendees was great. In 2001 another meet was held, this time in Fantasia Gardens, and the turnout was even larger. In 2002 we decided to celebrate Disneyland's birthday (and Rebekah's) with one of the new Plaza Inn birthdays. The regular meet was also held later in the afternoon. The response for both meets, again, was great. The only problem was, there were far too many people to fit into Fantasia Gardens comfortably for the regular meet while also staying out of the way of regular park guests.

So in planning this year's meet, we knew something a little different had to be done. We talked to Disney and they helped us come up with an event that would allow us to have our own private space at the Big Thunder BBQ. And that's what this announcement is all about.

So I'm happy to present the details for this year's LaughingPlace.com Disneyland Birthday meet. The announement was made on the Discussion Boards a couple of weeks ago.  People have been talking about the meet there for months (even before details were announed). Look at the posts, talk to the people, and maybe you'd find you'd like to come as well!

Some of the attendees at the 2002 Meet

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2003 LaughingPlace.com Meet for Disneyland's Birthday
July 17, 2003 4:00 p.m.. - 5:30 p.m.
Big Thunder BBQ, Frontierland, Disneyland
$12 per person or $42 per family of four
All are welcome

Join LaughingPlace.com readers and staff for annual get together to celebrate Disneyland's birthday

In a break from tradition, this year's annual meet will be held in a location reserved for our group. This reason for this is simple - our meet has grown so large that there is no place left in the park to comfortable hold all of us. Therefore, the 2003 meet has been turned into a small event at Big Thunder BBQ with birthday cake, punch, prizes and more.

As always, everyone is invited. Disneyland has been kind enough to give us the location for a very reasonable price. We are charging $12 per person or $42 for a family of four (not including admission to Disneyland). All money collected goes to fund the event. LaughingPlace.com is not making any profit from this event.

In addition to cake and punch, we'll have all the regular meet activities and a few more including:

• Meet and greet game
• Golden Doobie Awards
• LaughingPlace.com meet-exclusive button
• Prizes and giveaways
• Special surprises???

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I buy tickets?
There are three ways to buy tickets:

• Send a PayPal to [email protected]
• Mail a check or money order to LaughingPlace.com, 6551 Warner Ave. #184, Huntington Beach, CA 92647
• Buy them at The LaughingPlace Store

Regardless of the method chosen, make sure you include the number of tickets purchased and your mailing address. There is no sales tax or shipping charge. Note: Tickets cannot be purchased at the event. If you need a ticket at the last minute, email [email protected] to make arrangements.

Please see the Order Form at the bottom to make sure you include the proper information with your order.

Why are you now charging for the meet?
The meet has grown too large to be held in a normal location. We talked to Disneyland about this and they offered us a private location at a very reasonable price that would allow us to hold the easily hold the meet with all of its associated activities without causing a disruption for other guests. It also allows us to have cake for Disneyland's birthday.

How much does it cost?
Price is $12 per person or $42 for a family of four. For the family price, we ask that all four attendees be related. The family price is our attempt to keep the price down for a large family. We will have to pay Disneyland full price for each person. There is no separate children's price, but children under 3 are not charged. The price does not include admission to Disneyland. Attendees must take care of Disneyland admission on their own.

Do I need to order tickets by a certain date?
Yes, please order your tickets no later than July 10th. That will give us enough time to give Disneyland a final count. If you need tickets after that date, contact us as soon as possible.

If I can't make it, can I get a refund?
If you know that you're going to be unable to make the event, please contact us by July 10th. This will give us time to adjust our final count to Disneyland. If you don't get a refund prior to the event but end up not showing, we unfortunately cannot grant a refund.

What if I want to go but really can't afford it?
We want everyone who wants to be able to go to the meet to go. If you can't afford to go but really want to go, send an email to me at [email protected] and we will do our best to make sure you can go.

Will I receive a ticket?
Yes, tickets will be mailed out prior to the event and must be brought to the event.

What about buttons?
All attendees will receive an event button at the event. We are also offering free personalized standard LaughingPlace.com buttons (not event specific) for the asking. These are the same as have been given out at previous events, so if you have one, this isn't anything new. If you would like a personalized button, indicate it on your order form. You can have either you screen name, your real first name or both. You may get more than one button for each ticket, however, buttons must be picked up at the event. We cannot mail them out.

I really want to help out in some way with the event. How can I?
Several people have already volunteered to help out with the event. We're not sure if we'll need more, but if you're interested, send an email to [email protected] and we'll add you to our volunteer list. Please let us know your availability on the day of the meet in case we need help with setup. Also let us know if there's a particular area you think you'd like to help out with (either leading up to or the day of the event)

One other way you can help: The whole reason for these meets is the LaughingPlace.com community that has been built. As a community, we try to help each other which is why we want everyone to come to the meet, even if they can't afford the $12. If you'd like to contribute more than $12 so others can come, send an email to [email protected].

Order Form
Remember: Orders need to be received no later than July 10, 2003
If you won't know until after that date if you can attend, please email us at [email protected]

If you ordering by mail, please use the form below or make sure you include all this information. If you're order by PayPal, please include all this information on your PayPal payment.

_______ Number of single tickets ($12 each)

_______ Number of family tickets ($42 each) - admits four family members

_______ Number of personalized buttons. Names ________________________________________________
             (Names can be screen name, real first name or both)

Address to mail tickets:

                                    ____________________________________________

                                    ____________________________________________

                                    ____________________________________________

Email Address:              ____________________________________________

Please enclose a check or money order made payable to "LaughingPlace.com" and mail to:

                    LaughingPlace.com
                    6551 Warner Ave. #184
                    Huntington Beach, CA 92647