Something baffled me about the screening of the film in the Hyperion Theater. Reserved Seating for the Poisoned Apple guests was supposed to start at 8 p.m. We got over there at 8 p.m., and were already being directed to the upper level.

(c) Peter Barilla

I�m sure Disney knows how many seats they have and that theater and where they are. Yet guests with both packages were being admitted together and �Reserved Seating� didn�t seem to mean a thing, unless by �Reserved� they meant we would all have a seat somewhere in the theater.

The introduction of the film was more a redundancy to those of us who had been in the audience for the panel discussion. John Lasseter came on the stage to �Heigh Ho� with the characters. John got a good crowd reaction. He repeated his thoughts about the film until Dopey reminded him of what time it was.

With that, the film played. People sat and watched a groundbreaking masterpiece that is 70 years old and is largely responsible for the existence of The Walt Disney Company.

The night was capped off with a commemorative keepsake � a copy of the program from the December 21, 1937 premiere.

Concluding Thoughts
The exhibit is a must for anyone who is a fan of the film or animation in general. It is a chance to see up close some of the remarkable work of the various artists who brought this story to life.

When I was a Disneyland cast member, I was around the edges of some of these kinds of events, but I haven�t made a habit of being a guest at them. It is great for Disney to offer these special experiences, as long as they don�t interfere too much the experience for the average guest or the guest who is making a once-in-a-lifetime visit to see the parks.

Different enthusiasts will be drawn to different aspects of these events. There is an obvious appeal to Disneyana collectors, with the limited edition merchandise and artwork. There is the chance to meet the creative talents behind some of our treasured experiences and hear their thoughts. Some people simply want to celebrate something near and dear to them. These events can also be a chance to catch up with the usual gang of acquaintances people like me have made over the years. There was more than one Imagineer in the audience, for example.

When I was tapped to cover this event for LaughingPlace.com, I decided to pay to bring along my wife, as well, because she is such a huge fan of Snow White, so much so that I can�t buy her Snow White stuff because I never know if they�ve gotten the face right and she can tell the difference. Disney should hire her for quality control. I even proposed to her at the whishing well.

However, her priorities in life have changed, this woman who had been such a huge fan of Snow White and someone who has always enjoyed being in Disney theme parks couldn�t enjoy the experience as much because she was thinking about our baby girl, who was being watched by my wife�s sister and brother-in-law. It had only been the second time we�d been away from our little bundle of joy.

The good news is that I�m sure Snow White will regain her fan�s attention when our little one gets old enough to start enjoying Walt Disney�s �Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs� - something that can be enjoyed by several generations together.

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-- Ken Pellman