DISNEYLAND RESORT, CA—It's the first day of the three-day rollout of the long awaited and much anticipated Happiest Homecoming on Earth celebration at the Disneyland Resort. The evening got off to a slow start shortly after 6:30PM local time with what Disneyland Resort Media referred to as a "Welcome and Global Overview."

From the stage of the Hyperion Theatre in Disney's California Adventure theme park, Walt Disney Theme Parks and Resorts President Jay Rasulo welcomed several hundred members of the media, guests, and returning Disneyland "family members." Rasulo once again spoke of how Disney destinations worldwide would be celebrating Disneyland's milestone 50^th Anniversary.

"Before we tell you about all the exciting things happening here at Disneyland," Rasulo said, "let me show you how other worldwide locations are celebrating this magical milestone." With that he began narrating a multimedia presentation showcasing the special Happiest Homecoming attractions at the Disney Company's resorts in Orlando, Paris, and Tokyo.

As he has since the May 5, 2004 announcement of the Happiest Homecoming on Earth celebration, and at subsequent presentations of this worldwide event, Rasulo began his review with, and dedicated the majority of his time to, the Walt Disney World resort in Florida, where industry sources say the Disney Company is spending nearly a billion dollars on new E-ticket attractions and shows.

Following Rasulo's remarks, the lights dimmed and the audience was shown the original CGI animated, Happiest Homecoming on Earth TV ad narrated by Kelsey Grammer. At the end of the ad, the lights came up to reveal the former star of the hit TV series Frasier standing center stage.

Grammer, in his trademark, soft-spoken, understated style, had just begun his whimsical and humorous look at the new rides and attractions that are to be part of Disneyland's 50^th Anniversary celebration when he unexpectedly dropped from site. The veteran stage performer did not realize that the scalloped edges of the Hyperion theatre's stage were not a painted illusion but, rather, wide open cutouts of stars some four and one-half feet above the theatre floor.

After a few tense moments, Grammer composed himself and then apologized to his audience for the very understandable expletive he called out immediately after his fall. He then returned to the stage to a rousing round of applause and resumed his presentation.

The visuals projected on the screen behind Grammer were designed to amuse and entertain. However, the actor, also known as the voice of Stinky Pete in the Disney Pixar film Toy Story II, probably got his biggest laugh when he adlibbed while walking back across the stage and pointing at its uneven edge, "I'm not going near that thing again."

Later that evening, Grammer's publicist released a statement saying the Frasier star felt fine, and that he would be seeing a doctor before returning to Disneyland to be part of the May 4 events.

A Chip of the Old Block

Following the "Global Overview," a group of "Green Army Men" from the Toy Story films entered the Hyperion Theatre and marched everyone out for a "huge block party bash." Following a dinner under the lights of DCA's Hollywood Pictures backlot, everyone was asked to head down to "a bug's land" in the center of DCA.

Here in front of the Its Tough to be a Bug 3D theatre, those of us who attended the Global Overview joined students from the Orange County High School of the Arts (OCHSA), who had been riding several of DCA's attractions while we were noshing in the Hollywood Pictures backlot.

The kids from OCHSA were invited to join the somewhat older crowd of journalists and returning cast members for a special performance of Block Party Bash (BPB), a "madcap and irreverent" rolling event "designed to instantaneously put guests right in the middle of an unbelievable impromptu party."

And, if it wasn't enough to have several hundred teenagers—most of whom were girls—amped up from free rides and complementary sugary sodas, the folks from the Disney Channel sent along one of their hottest young stars, Ricky Ullman, star of Phil of the Future, to make sure everyone…well, at least the kids from OCHSA, was in a partying mood. It was almost overkill.

Block Party Bash is hugely infectious. Part parade, part rock concert, part street festival set to "an eclectic mix of fun-inducing 50s, 60s, and 70s retro tunes," it is virtually impossible to resist joining in with BPB's cast of highly energetic singers, dancers, and costumed characters; and joining in the fun is exactly what the folks at Disney want guests to do.

Even Ann Hamburger (Executive Vice President Entertainment for the Disneyland Resort) and several members of her team responsible for bringing BPB to DCA couldn't help themselves as they gleefully joined the party and boogied on down with the kids from OCHSA.