The Fabulous Disney Babe
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Dinner at the Golden Vine patio followed: baby lettuce salad with a red wine-walnut dressing, breads, salmon and spinach in puff pastry, steak, and grilled baby vegetables. Two Mondavi wines were served with dinner; when I went to the bar to ask for a Moscato Bianco I was politely told that it was not being poured, but if I'd like a mixed drink (yes, specifically a martini) I was welcome. No, but thank you! I enjoyed the company of my new friends, Jennifer Watson and Dave Marx, who write the brilliant PassPorter Guides - so many readers had recommended their guide to me; I was pleased to finally get my hands on one and spend a few minutes going through it. (All of you were right about the pockets). They're working on guides for New York City and - the reason they were here - the Disneyland Resort.

After dinner, we found our places on cushions or chairs to await the official launch of LuminARIA. We said hello to Barry Braverman, whom you'll be seeing around the Disneyland Resort a lot more often - he's requested - and was granted, much more time actually at the parks instead of in an office up in Glendale. Being right in the heart of the resort will help him, in my never-humble opinion, get more of a "guests-eye" view of how things work in the resort, and will keep his finger on the pulse of the others who spend time at the parks, whether guest or Cast Member.

Roy Disney and the kids

Cynthia spoke a few words, then Roy Disney appeared; we'd run into him earlier as we waited for Eureka! to pass the Hollywood Pictures Backlot entrance. He was wearing a sweater with the name of his racing yacht, Pyewacket, embroidered over his heart. He spoke briefly about the war effort and about the children who were with him, who proudly showed off their Holiday card designs, and was quite effective at drawing out a few sentimental tears from the audience.

The show was different from when I'd seen it the previous weekend; they'd done some retooling so that the show built up gradually from start to finish in intensity. Unfortunately, the screens didn't work, showing blank until after the show was over; as guests left the amphitheatre, the Holiday cards chose to make an appearance. Kim Petersen pointed out the little candles floating on the water, which I'd failed to notice before. "That's what the difference is between Disneyland and Walt Disney World," I said; "Disneyland is always going to be about the small, magical details; Walt Disney World the huge, magical spectaculars."

LuminARIA

Believe In Holiday Magic was next on the schedule, but we were due for an interview in the plaza between the two parks. We watched military families get their pictures taken by the Christmas trees banked in "snow"; our interviewee was unable to show, and I can't listen to BiHM because of the Walt Disney World 25th Anniversary Theme Song in it. (Long story for another time.) It was Teddy Bear Time. I'd seen make-your-own-stuffed-animal booths at the county fair, and expected the same.

The store is two stories, enclosed in glass so that the activity inside could be clearly seen from outside. We were told that we'd be allowed to Build A Bear. We could choose one of three "pelts", choose a sound for it, put a heart in it, name it, stuff it, groom it, and dress it. (If you're ever around and I have this tape, please ask to hear it. It's hilarious: the Bear Builder explains the process to make "your best friend" and Rebekah and I are going: "AWWWWWWW!!!") There were also people wandering around with trays of tiramisu, cookies and other treats, as well as coffee, espresso and dessert liqueurs. I grabbed a sand-colored bearskin and decided to make a bear for Alice.

There are two identical workshops, one upstairs, one down. We took the downstairs one, and headed toward the Hear Me station. I chose "Teddy Bear Picnic" for the bear's paw. I wished that Alice would always love this bear, kissed it's heart, and, after stuffing the bear with a foot pedal in a heartbeat pattern (nice and firm), I placed it in the bear's chest, and watched as the bear's special tag was torn in two, with one copy of the UPC barcode stuffed inside, so that if the bear was ever lost, it could be "lojacked" back to Alice. Neat. As the bear was sewn up and tied, with a little bear sticker to cover its "wound", and I was reminded for about the sixty-eighth time how much this little bear was to be loved and hugged, and did I have a name for it?