Forever Magical
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At Rebekah's - and Disneyland's - 47th birthday
at Plaza Inn
In 2002, Cynthia stopped by the Plaza Inn on July 17. Many LaughingPlace.com readers and other friends of mine were gathered to celebrate Disneyland's birthday and, since we were all there, my birthday as well which was only a few days later. Cynthia on that busy day stopped by each of the tables at the Inn. She posed for pictures and chatted with the guests. When she came over to our table, she completely surprised me with a chorus of Happy Birthday. I’ll never forget her generosity in that moment. She made her way from one side to the other of the Plaza Inn Celebration, pausing at the tables as if she was the hostess of the event and I guess, in a way, she was. Although this past year Cynthia was unable to attend our LP party she signed hundreds of buttons for our guests. She also signed buttons for the guests of other special events setup within the Resort, too.
Speaking to the NFFC Convention
Running into Cynthia around the Resort was also a special treat. Once Doobie and I were at Main Street's Town Square, it was just around the time Christmas celebrations were set to be announced. We asked Cynthia about the future and she said she was going to keep it a secret and flashed a smile before heading off. At the media event shortly after announcing holiday entertainment, Cynthia appeared nearly giddy with delight that the secret hadn’t appeared on the Internet yet. She was thrilled to have been able to keep a secret from us.
Opening of Muppet*Vision 3D
Last year our best friends John and Stacey got married at the Grand Californian Hotel. Their wedding was the evening of "a bug’s land" opening. As we were having the wedding photos taken around the hotel I stopped into the Hearthstone Lounge for some water. I was surprised to see Cynthia and some of her colleagues also taking a break from the day’s events there. I asked her if she had the time to pose for a photo with my friends. She initially declined stating that my friends wouldn’t want her in their photos and also was concerned about her appearance as she’d been in the hot sun all day. After some gentle prodding she followed me to the surprised couple for a few photos. Following the photos Cynthia gave me a big hug with an even larger smile on her face. She told me she never does stuff like that. She seemed surprised that I was able to convince to her to “crash” the wedding photos. John’s mom couldn’t stop talking about how gracious Cynthia was to stop and take a photo with them.
"a bug's land" opening
Near the start of her time as President, the Orange County Register posted a photograph of her spinning the teacups. She had that special twinkle in her eye that is the window to the child’s heart that lives inside all of us. Whether it was posing inside the Pirates of the Caribbean jail cell, appearing onstage at the Haunted Mansion, or posing for a photo in her "bug’s land" antenna, Cynthia expressed a joy and a love of her work. And whether she was welcoming a day guest from Missouri, an Annual Passholder from So Cal, or a special celebrity guest, she let you know you were her most important guest. I just hope she knows how much we treasure the moments she shared with us and how much she was loved.
Opening of the new Autopia
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-- Rebekah Moseley
Forever Magical: Rebekah's recollections on Disney events of the past - both distant and recent - proving that Disney will always remain forever magical.
Forever Magical is not published on a regular schedule.
-- Posted November 17, 2003