The Fabulous Disney Babe - Apr 26, 2002

The Fabulous Disney Babe
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We went to run a few errands, including restocking on allergy medicine at Target. Alice found a jacket she loved. It was a plain pink one with a hood, kind of plasticky-feeling. "This is it?" I asked. "I'll take you to Disneyland and get you something with characters on it if you want." "No, I like this one." she said. Okay. Well, I'd get her an outfit for that night's party at DCA. She looked through some things, then found a display wall that interested her: Hello Kitty, PowerPuff Girls, Scooby Doo and others in loud pink glittery shirts. She wears navy and white uniforms to school, so this was something different. We found pink pants, and were looking through the shirts when I stopped dead and gaped. I stood in the girls' section of Target on Harbor Blvd. looking like a codfish with my mouth hanging open and my eyes practically bugging out.

Herbie.

The shirt was glittery and had a big rainbow sparkly "53" on it, and in the middle was Herbie the Love Bug. "You want THIS!" I told Alice. "Oooh, the Love Bug!" she said. I've got some photos of her dancing in the conga line and with characters; I'm not sure if the design shows up, but man, it's cool. I want them to make it in Mom size.

We arrived at DCA at 7:30 and showed our badges for admission, and headed to Pacific Wharf. A nice dinner buffet was set up on several tables, and a band played, and people were really having fun, dancing and talking, and there were quite a few characters hanging out to dance or play with the kids.

Then the real business of the evening began: the scavenger hunt, much like Goofy's Studio Mystery event, which I participated in at Walt Disney World. In the event, four people, of which at least two must be Cast Members, are linked together with bungee cords and sent to do different tasks and work out different puzzles. When each puzzle is solved, you get a clue or a letter for the final answer. Alice has done it as well; at the age of three months, attached to my chest in a baby sling.

A side story: that was the first year. The second year, we showed up and they said she couldn't do it. Poop. But that was okay, there was a place I could wait if I didn't mind sitting in a conference room and watching TV until the game was over. Sure, no problem. A management CM led me and my then-husband Jim Hill into a conference room, where he said goodbye before rejoining our team. Suddenly we realized what was all over the walls. "Will this do?" the CM asked. "Uh..yeah..." we both said, trying not to eye the "Fantasmic II" plans that covered each wall. This was 1995. "I'll keep the camera, Jim. You'll be able to move faster without it, okay?" "Absolutely."

The plans were similar to what happened; the amphitheatre was built, but some cool parts never happened. There was an "I Just Can't Wait to be King" section, and, coolest of all, the Nautilus would have appeared to battle the giant squid, since Disney-MGM didn't have a Columbia. I have yet to see the show in person, but hear that it's not as good as the one at Disneyland, except for the seating and the beer. If only they'd used the Nautilus....

That was then, this was now: First, there was a trivia quiz on Scantron sheets. Kim Petersen and I stood behind Rebekah and poked the poor woman in the back whenever we recognized the correct answer. We were participating but not competing, if that makes any sense whatsoever. No? Well, we were playing for fun, not prizes.

Amongst the tasks: answer clues about the Walt Disney film in the Animation attraction, which was playing; figure out the timetable of the redwood in the Challenge trail (we didn't make it there), find the missing words in the Paradise Pier signs, do math (agh!), do a word search, count the number of Fastpass machines at Mulholland Madness, and find what *wasn't* in the murals by Schmoozies, among other things.

We made it back and cheered the winning teams, then dragged ourselves back to the hotel. Tomorrow was to be Studio Day.

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-- Michelle Smith

Michelle Smith can be reached using the Talkback form below or by emailing her at [email protected].

The Fabulous Disney Babe's column is posted every Friday and whenever else she has something to say. For more on Michelle's background, see her first column. She also offers The Fabulous Tour: Disneyland Secrets and Stories. Click here for more information.

The opinions expressed by our Michelle Smith, and all of our columnists, do not necessarily represent the feelings of LaughingPlace.com or any of its employees or advertisers. All speculation and rumors about the future plans of the Walt Disney Company are just that - speculation and rumors - and should be treated as such.

-- Posted April 26, 2002
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