The Fabulous Disney Babe
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Rebecca Herbst
"Elizabeth Webber" on General Hospital

Every fall, Jim Hill and his love, Nancy, get to go to the Super Soap Weekend at the Disney-MGM Studios in Florida, while I sit at home and feel jealous. With the opening of the ABC Soap Opera Bistro at Disney's California Adventure, I hoped that my longing for a West Coast version of the Super Soap event would take place. I'm still waiting! Fortunately, ABC has decided to finally let some real, actual Soap Stars loose amongst the food and fans at the restaurant. It was announced last month that for four experimental Fridays during August, the Bistro would host some of ABC's most popular Soap stars from the West Coast ABC Soaps, General Hospital and Port Charles. Both shows, oddly, are set in New York.

SoapNet was onhand

We didn't know what to expect when we approached the Bistro Friday morning, but were greeted by hordes of ABC Soap fans. I spoke to several of them: two of them had been spending a week at the Disneyland Resort and were going to go home the last Friday in July when they found out about the "Star Studded Fridays" and extended their vacation by a full week, so to see "Lucky Spencer", Jacob Young. Most of the people I spoke to, about 98% women, said they were there to see everyone. The forty or so percent left were evenly divided between Lucky and "Zander Smith", Chad Brannon.

One of the "Lucky Girls" meets Chad Brannon. Hopefully she got to meet Lucky later.

Rebecca Herbst, who plays Elizabeth Webber, and Jensen Buchanan, who plays Melissa Bedford on General Hospital, were also expected that day. "What Soap Star," I asked several people waiting, "would you want to see the most, who isn't going to be here for the Fridays?"

"Jax!"
"Jax!"
"Jax!"

"Jax!" (That would be Ingo Rademacher who just returned to General Hospital as the wealthy, daring and gorgeous Jax.)

"Todd!" (YEAH! One Life to Live's Roger Howarth is one of the most desired Soap Stars, and most rarely found at fan functions.)

There were 12 votes for Jax, two for Sonny Corinthos, and three, including myself, for Todd.

Chad Brannon
"Zander Smith" from General Hospital

The first to arrive, Jensen Buchanan and Chad Brannon, were greeted by cheers and quite a few high-pitched screams. They made their way inside for photos and interviews for SoapNet, ABC, and some of the local news stations, while their fans waited very patiently outside. They then did autograph signings and photos with fans, taking time to talk to every one of them. Rebecca Herbst and Jacob Young arrived during that time, and were also greeted by screaming, but polite fans. Afterward, they went inside, where they did more interviews and signed autographs for diners inside. Rebecca, who, with her husband, is expecting a baby boy later this year, began waiting tables! We had heard that they might visit informally with diners, but this was definitely a perk of eating at The Bistro!