The Fabulous Disney Babe
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Mary Poppins

Last Friday, I had the day off from my teaching job, so I tossed Alice in the car and we spent the afternoon up in Hollywood, seeing the newest incarnation of the Mary Poppins Sing-a-Long at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. Mary now outdoes Evita and The Sound of Music by virtue of having transformed the event into a 4D experience with confetti explosions inside the theatre, birds "flying" around during Feed the Birds (aided by the ushers and usherettes), and a couple of big, beautiful kites added to the show. There is a costume contest before each showing, but, sadly, no one came in costume for the two afternoon showings. Hint: if you like free stuff, come in costume. You'll be a shoo-in, obviously.

El Capitan and Alice

Also back, and extended, is Leslie Carrara's Wahoo Wagon. One of the Wahoo Wagon characters, "El Capitan", who looks like a very colorful version of a French Foreign Legionnaire, hosts the Sing-a-Long and introduces Mary Poppins (Alice, true to form, slid down into her seat, hoping to become invisible...she fears no Disney Villain as much as she fears Mary Poppins.) who, like before, instructs the audience about how to interact with the film.

After singing, snapping our fingers, slapping our thighs like penguins, and yelling "Cheroo!" we made our way downstairs to see the new Children's Play Room, courtesy of the closing of Club Disney. In the downstairs antechamber (it's where we all got our Walt's Time books signed, kids) they have put up some of the tot-sized Club Disney video coloring and puzzle games, honey pot tosses, a soft play area on the floor, a TV for watching (Disney, of course) videos, a tent, and an arts and crafts area. When we were there, there were no theatre staff there; they said "Go right down!" to anyone who asked. Parents are, apparently, expected to stay with their children, which is a wonderful thing in my opinion. Thanks to Doobie and Rebekah for loaning me their scarily expensive digital camera for this event.

I was even more glad to have the camera when we walked out into the near-sunset and I was showing Alice how they were going to decorate the theatre and office building for the Atlantis event. Across the street, we noticed a very familiar-looking shape. They have the Elephants up! Inspired by D. W. Griffith's Intolerance, the elephants, larger versions of the pair gracing the entrance to Disney's California Adventure's Hollywood Backlot, face 3/4 away from the street, but there's no mistaking that particular pair of pachyderm.

   
The elephant at Disney's California Adventure (left) and in Hollywood (right)