The press event to open Disney's California Adventure lasted for four days. Starting on February 5, 2001, media members from around the world were at the park for parties, a red carpet, press conferences, interviews and dedication ceremonies. The park itself was dedicated in a huge ceremony the morning of February 8th hosted by the late Roy Disney and then-CEO Michael Eisner. And the days prior, there were 8 other dedications in the park and one for the Grand Californian Hotel.

LaughingPlace.com was present for all of these. In the pages that follow are the originals stories we posted in 2001 including complete videos and transcripts and dozens of pictures.

Enjoy this trip down memory lane as we celebrate #DCA15.

Ceremonies:

• Disney's California Adventure (entire park): Roy Disney and Michael Eisner
• Golden Dreams: Bob Iger and Whoopi Goldberg
• Muppet*Vision 3D: Cynthia Harriss, Beaker and Dr. Bunsen Honeydew
• Soarin' Over California: Paul Pressler, Jeana Yeager and Richard Rutan
• ABC Soap Opera Bistro: Linda Dano
• Grand Californian Hotel: Tony Bruno, Cynthia Harriss, Sharon Davis and Peter Dominick
• Golden Vine Winery, Bountiful Valley Farm, Boudin Bakery and Karl Strauss Beer Truck

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Disney's California Adventure

On the morning of Thursday, February 8th, at around 7:30 a.m., a ceremony was held in front of Disney's California Adventure to officially dedicate the new park. Presiding over the ceremony were Roy Disney, Michael Eisner and Mickey Mouse. Many VIPs were in attendance, some of whom were introduced and brought on stage. In this article, through transcripts, interviews, video and lots of pictures, we bring you the opening day of Disney's California Adventure.

The entire ceremony took place in the esplanade in front of Disney's California Adventure. The ceremony began with a performance celebrating California.

Roy Disney

Next Roy Disney, Chairman of the Walt Disney Company Board of Directors was introduced. A transcript of Roy Disney's speech is shown here.

Good Morning and welcome to the dawn of a new golden dream. For countless years the world has come to California in search of golden dreams and for the chance to explore new frontiers.

Some came to find freedom, others to seek prosperity but one pair of brothers, my uncle Walt and my father Roy had a dream like no other. Their dream was to bring happiness hope and beauty to the world. That dream stirred over 75 years ago when they opened the door to Walt Disney Studios.

Walt and Roy were always drawn to the endless possibilities that lay just beyond the horizon. On July 17, 1955 another new dimension was added to their golden dream. It was called Disneyland, a daring departure in entertainment that has become an enduring part of the American fabric, an icon of happiness to the world, and a place where young and old can be kids at heart. We gather here to continue the dream and to build again upon its endless possibilities. As Walt Disney said over 45 years ago “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there’s imagination left in the world. I’m confident that Walt and Dad would be proud that we are holding true today to that adventurous spirit. We stand at the dawn here of yet another new darem and we ivnite the world to discover Disney’s California Adventure.

As we gather to open this newest addition to the dream right here next door to the happiest place on earth, I’m privileged to be joined by my friend and colleague, the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Walt Disney Company Michael Eisner and of course even more importantly the one who started it all Mickey Mouse.

Michael Eisner The transcript of Michael Eisner's speech is shown here:

Golden Dreams

On February 7, 2001 Disney officially dedicated Golden Dreams at Disney's California Adventure with a ceremony emceed by Disney President Robert A. Iger. Also in attendance were Whoopi Goldberg, the star of Golden Dreams and singer Rene Goldsberry who performed Just One Dream live with gospel groups from throughout Southern California.

Annnoucer: Ladies and Gentlemen, Please welcome the president and chief operating officer of Walt Disney Chairman Robert A Iger.

Iger: Thank you very much. On behalf of all of us at the Walt Disney Company I am proud to welcome you to Disney’s California Adventure and to our new Golden Dreams attraction. When we at Disney first began to talk about a new park here in Anaheim, one overall theme quickly surfaced, California. And of course when you think about California what immediately comes to mind is the California dream. There is a special kind of magic that goes hand in hand with that dream and the goal of our talented Imagineers was to immerse our guests in a series of compelling stories, evocative places, and fantastic adventures all specially designed to bring the golden state to life. But the story of California is truly epic in its scope from the gold rush to the building of the railroad, to the rise of Hollywood as the entertainment capital of the world.

Iger: But you can’t tell an epic story entirely through architecture and attractions. And so our Imagineers concluded that the best way to depict the epic story of California in all of its grandeur was with an epic film called Golden Dreams. The Golden Dreams attraction serves as the central historical icon. It is the heart of Disney’s California Adventure. It is a cinematic re-creation of some of the memorable events that forged California of the dreamers that dared to dream the golden dreams that not only shaped our destiny but made this great state what it is today. The film spans more than a dozen different time periods of California history from the earliest Native Americans to present day. Many of the characters you will meet are based on real people and their true stories spoken in their own words. These words were beautifully brought to life on the screen by Oscar nominated director Agnieszka Holland. Of course, being a Disney production, rest assured there's also a little bit of magic thrown in as well.

So it is now my great pleasure to introduce a very special guest star who plays Califia, the Queen of California, in Golden Dreams. Ladies and Gentlemen please welcome our good friend and an amazing talent, Whoopi Goldberg.

Whoopi: Hi, well it’s, you know. (just smiles and nods as the crowd laughs) It’s kind of amazing you have to admit. The great thing about this is I’m actually quite proud of it. There’s a lot of things I’ve done that, you know, (smirks and shakes her head) you just don’t want to see them again. It’s kind of fortuitous that the way that I will sort of be remembered when I’m long gone will be through the eyes of the Imagineers and the people who built this wonderful thing and had this idea and thought, ‘oh, let’s get Whoopi to play California’. Along with Sister Act I kind of owe a lot to the folks at Disney, you know, ‘cause two nice heads, one forever, one we hope. It’s a great thing and I can tell you with no jive that I’m as proud of this as I am of anything that I’ve done.

(pointing at the mural) Now I know that doesn’t look like me but that is how I would look if I was like a princess. So you’ll see a very different me. But I’m very pleased to be here and honored you all are here. Hope you have a great time. This is a big deal. At least it is a huge deal for me. So thank you. (looks at Iger) Thank you. Thank everybody.

Iger: On behalf of the entire Walt Disney Company we thank you for playing such a larger than life character in Golden Dreams. You are larger than life. Actually you are a Disney princess the way I see it. When I say larger than life I really mean it, for there are two enormous statues of Whoopi inside this attraction that I’m sure you will get to see because they all magically come to life. So Whoopi, if I can present this to you. This is the original artist’s maquette that was used by our talented Imagineers to create the statue of you in California Adventure. This is for our appreciation for your work in Golden Dreams. (applause)

Iger: As I mentioned earlier, Golden Dreams celebrates the dreamers and the dreams of California. But there is one dream we all have in common, just one dream for a better life. In fact, that is the title of the theme song for Golden Dreams, which was conceived by Grammy award winning producer Walter Afanasieff and lyricist John Bettis. Ladies and Gentlemen, Just One Dream.

The voices backing up Goldberry (106 in all) were from the following churches:

• Aldersgate United Methodist Church, Huntington Beach, CA
• Bloomington Church of the Nazarene, Bloomington, CA
• Cal State Fullerton University Singers, Fullerton, CA
• Community United Methodist Church, Huntington Beach, CA
• Garden Grove Church of the Nazarene, Garden Grove, CA
• Southern California Children’s Chorus, Newport Beach, CA
• St. Denis Church, Diamond Bar, CA

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Muppet*Vision 3D

On February 7, 2001 Disney officially dedicated Muppet*Vision 3D at Disney's California Adventure in a ceremony held outside the theater.

Announcer: Ladies and Gentlemen Disney’s California Adventure is proud to present the Hollywood Pictures Backlot Premiere of our most sensational, inspirational, Muppetational attraction, Jim Henson’s MuppetVision 3*D.

(canned applause and opening notes of the Muppet Show theme)

Now please welcome the President and CEO of the Jim Henson Company, Charles Rivkin and the President of the Disneyland Resort, Cynthia Harriss.

Cynthia: Well, good morning everyone. We are absolutely thrilled to welcome you to this very special occasion. Charlie and I are just delighted to be here today as we get the opportunity to officially open Jim Henson’s MuppetVision 3*D. And on behalf of everybody here at the Disneyland Resort we just really want to thank our wonderfully talented partners and good friends from Jim Henson that have been able to allow us to bring this truly extraordinary attraction right here to Disney's California Adventure. And you know, I think I can speak on behalf - certainly of our cast and I hope for our guests also - that we are your biggest fans and we are absolutely delighted to welcome Kermit, Miss Piggy and all the Muppets right here in our neighborhood.

Charles: Thank you, thank you Cynthia. I’ve got to say we are thrilled to be here and thrilled to be a part of Disney’s California Adventure. Now what you are going to see today is an incredible creative collaboration. Because the Jim Henson company’s artists, designers, producers, puppet builders, puppeteers and executives worked really closely with Walt Disney Imagineering and the Walt Disney Company to create not only an incredible technological achievement but also some of the most expensive “cheap” 3D tricks that you’re ever gonna see. This is a labor of love for us as I’m sure many of you know that this film was Jim Henson’s last work. So it has a special place in our hearts. So I want to thank everybody who made Muppet*Vision 3D a success and we hope that you enjoy watching it as much as we did creating it. Thank you.

Cynthia: Thank you, Charlie. So I think without further ado we want to welcome all of you and invite you all in...

Kermit interrupts: Excuse me, pardon me.

Cynthia:. (giggles) Kermit!

Kermit: Hi there, guys. Uh..listen. I’m really sorry about this, Charlie.

Charlie Why Kermit? What’s going on?

Kermit: Well we’re actually not quite ready to open the attraction yet. Hmm.. I’m sorry.

Cynthia: Well, Kermit all I can tell you is that we have all the people here, the press. They can’t wait to get in to see those fabulous 3-D effects.

Kermit: I know that Cynthia, but the problem is that right now Muppet*Vision 3D is sort of a D short. (laughter) Um..you see the highly technical electronic gadget that starts the show never arrived. In other words (Kermit gulps) we sort of lost the remote. (laughter)

Charles: That’s great, Kermit. But, well now that we’re all here, what are we supposed to do?

Kermit: Well, I guess (pause) I guess in the great tradition of the Hollywood award show, I will now waste time. And maybe it will show up.

Hi-o everyone, I am Kermit the Frog. Thank you for having me here, Cynthia. It is so great to have been invited here to Disney’s California Adventure. I think it’s a great thing that Disney took its parking lot and turned it into an entire state. (laughter) Sort of just like California which took an entire state and turned it into a parking lot. (more laughter) I want to apologize to you all that Miss Piggy couldn’t be here today. She’s very busy these days shooting her new reality game show its called “Who Wants to Marry a Pig.” It seems that nobody wants to although she tells me Tom Cruise is available.

Kermit: Let me just add that we think Jim Henson’s Muppet*Vision 3D is one of the most spectacular and most ridiculous projects that we ever did and we hope that you agree.

(Kermit starts looking around again) Has anybody seen the remote? Ah, well Fozzie Bear told me this great joke. You see, there were these two peanuts walking down the sidewalk and one of them was a salted.

(A Muppet Labs technician walks onto the stage and whispers something into Kermit’s ear)

Kermit: “You’re kidding! Well folks I’ve just been informed that the electropowered high tech device we needed to start Muppet*Vision 3D is in this box over here. Could we open the box?

Kermit: What the hey! Dr. Honeydew, Beaker what are you doing in that box?

Honeydew: Sneaking past Disney security. (audience laughs) Actually Mr. Frog, I’m terribly sorry we were tardy. We ran into a slight delay at the airport. Well Beakie and I were mistaken for Sigfried and Roy and spent three hours signing autographs.

Kermit: Well could we get this thing started, please.

Honeydew: Absolutely. Mr. Rivkin you did a lovely job on your speech. See you got your lines right after all. And now with the help of my faithful assistant Beaker we will activate Muppet*Vision 3D. Okay Beakie, let ‘er rip! Yes, you Beakie. Pull the chain. You don’t have to be afraid, it won’t hurt you.

(Beaker sighs followed by a flushing noise)

Honeydew: Pardon us, wrong switch there. That was part of an attraction we are working on for Disney’s Flushing Meadow Adventure. Try again Beakie.

(Beaker squeals as steam comes out his ears.)

Honeydew: Oh Beakie. There you go causing another rolling blackout. Shame on you. It appears I will have to take matters into my own hands.

(Bunsen brings out an explosive detonator. )

Kermit: Wait a second, Bunsen.what? What? Are you..?

Honeydew: All right. (clears his throat) I hearby open Muppet*Vision 3D.

Kermit: No, no, no. Bunsen, Bunsen!

(Fireworks explode all around MuppetVision 3*D )

Kermit: Oh, no.

Honeydew: Well, Beakie. I think, uh, why don’t we go somewhere else and do something different.

Kermit: Well, uh, gee, folks, due to an unforeseen circumstance it looks like maybe we won’t be able to open the attraction at all. But if you’d all like to stick around I’ll ask the girls of The View to come over and sing some show tunes. Gee.

Charles: I don’t know, Kermit, but what about this big box marked "Start"?

Kermit: Ooh, look at that. Hey that could work. O.k. guys on the count of three.

Cynthia: o.k.

(They place their hands on the big red button.)

Kermit: One, two, three.

(Confetti covers the crowd and Sweetums bursts through the image of Kermit and the gang and invites the press to follow him into the theater. )

Kermit: Thanks for coming everybody. Make your way inside to see the show. (Muppet theme plays) Come on inside everybody. (Cynthia blows Kermit a little kiss. Kermit helps to direct traffic into the theater.)

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Soarin' Over California

On February 7, 2001 Disney officially dedicated Soarin' Over California with a ceremony emceed by Paul Pressler. Also on hand where Jeana Yeager and Richard Rutan who piloted the Voyager aircraft non-stop around the world.

Introduction

Following is a transcript of the ceremony. The ceremony began with a biplane doing aerobatics overhead and three actors dressed as aviators and mechanics coming out to watch.

Aviator: Yeah, there she goes!

Female Mechanic: Isn’t that something, a Jenny!

Aviator:: Just like the first plane Charles Lindbergh bought.

Male Mechanic: Every time I see one of those old birds fly it’s like a window to another time. You know, when I helped a pilot into the cockpit he just sat there for a minute. I thought he was having second thoughts about flying there. When he finally spoke he said he searched a long time for a plane like that.

Female Mechanic: Isn’t it something how the thought of soaring through the clouds in one of those vintage planes can transform a grown man into a dreamer.

Aviator: A grown man, a grown woman or a child. If it weren’t for the dreams of pilots like Amelia Earhart, James Herman Banning, Charles Lindbergh or T. Claude Ryan we might not have found our wings and discovered that the sky is no longer the limit, but home.

Female Mechanic: You know, I think I hear him circling back around. Come on guys, let’s go watch him land.

Male Mechanic: Woo Hoo!

Aviator: To us, it’s a bit of history but back then a sight like that Jenny was just another day at the airfield. You know, they all eventually came here to California where wide open spaces and good thermal winds provided near perfect conditions for flying. It was once said that man’s mind and spirit grew within the space in which they are allowed to operate. Well the California skies provided that space. Flying fostered fantasies of childhood and stirred our capacity to dream and those dreams took us higher, faster and further than anyone ever though possible. You know, Amelia Earhart once said, ‘You haven’t seen a tree until you see its shadow from the sky.’ And she was right. I hope you all get to view your world from that same perspective.

Announcer: Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome the chairman of the Walt Disney Resorts, Mr. Paul Pressler.

Paul Pressler

Pressler: Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Disney’s California Adventure. What started as an idea back in August of 1995 is today realized as a place to discover the beauty, whimsy and excitement of the ultimate California experience. Sunshine, surf, the silver screen, Napa valley vineyards, and the redwood lined trails; a slight irreverent pop culture and a celebration of individuality and diversity are all waiting to be discovered here at Disney’s California Adventure. Today we welcome you to Disney’s newest and most unique theme park yet and we invite you to explore the adventures from within.

One of our newest and most exciting adventures is here in Condor Flats. This high desert airfield pays tribute to the daredevils and dreamers who lead us from the barnstorming age to the space age. It is home to the preeminent flight adventure Soarin Over California. From early existence man has looked to the sky with dreams of one day experiencing the thrill of flight. It was in California that many of those dreams were first realized. Soarin’ Over California celebrates the dreams and the spirit of aviation with exhilarating airborne adventure over the spectacular sights of the Golden State.

Pressler: I would now like to introduce two aviators who continue to test the limits of aeronautics with modern daydreams of breaking one of aviation’s last records. These two collaborated to build and then fly a very unique aircraft that carried them non-stop around the world in 9 days, 3 minutes, 44 seconds. The aircraft was the Voyager, which took over from Edwards Air Force Base right here in California. Please welcome two modern day aeronautic adventurers, Richard Rutan and Jeana Yeager.

Jeana Yeager and Richard Rutan

Yeager: Thank you, Mr. Pressler. It is more than a pleasure to be here today and to be a part of this California Adventure. The one thing that Voyager did for me was validate that anything is possible, even the impossible. The seeds of tomorrow are more than just random thoughts, they are what we build tomorrow with. Our dream was to circumnavigate the world non-stop, non-refueled. We took an idea and formulated on paper, from paper we rolled up our sleeves and built the vehicle of our dreams, that was the Voyager. We spent years testing the aircraft, testing ourselves and on December 14th through 23rd we did go around the world non-stop, non-refueled in 9 days, 3 minutes, 44 seconds. We landed back at Edwards Air Force Base and achieved our goal and what many considered the impossible. Dreams can be true.

Rutan: My first day spent soaring over California seems like yesterday. I was 6 years old and the days of barnstorming were upon us. I begged and begged my mom take me and one day, armed with a fistful of one-dollar bills, we found our plane. I still remember the smell of that old plane and its sun eaten seats. I pleaded with my mom to let me stand during the flight so I could see out of the windows. It took just moments of seeing the earth from the air that would change my life forever. My brother Burt and I spent a lot of time building and flying model airplanes. I’d fly ‘em until they crashed. Burt entered a lot of contests and won many awards in model airplanes. And one letter written almost 43 years ago to my mother from a Beech aircraft executive who said I hope too since Burt is so air minded that he can use his talent and perhaps someday become an aeronautical engineer.

We talked our dad into buying a plane. And we spent as much time as possible flying with Pop. We went to many air shows and I would see the big fighter jets. "I want to fly one of those planes one day" I would tell my mom. And she would say Dick, you can do anything that you set your mind to and she was right. I took lessons when I was 15 and the day I turned 16 and before I even got my driver’s license I was in command of an airplane flying solo. I went on to fly those big fighter jets in Vietnam and after I returned from the Air Force I did some test pilot work for the most ingenious aircraft designer in the world. He went on to design and build, dozens of different airplanes including the Voyager and today it is my distinct pleasure to introduce that ingenious aircraft designer my brother, Mr. Burt Rutan. (applause)

Rutan: Burt’s design of the Voyager made the impossible, possible. Jeana and I flew around the world without stopping and without refueling. I later went on to fly another one of Burt’s designs, a Long EZ, around the world - this time with many stops on the EAA’s Spirit of Friendship tour. Burt also designed a capsule so I could fly around the world in a balloon but that project was halted when another team captured the world’s record. But I don’t think we’re through dreaming of setting records. We’ll never be through. I’ve learned that if you can dream it you can do it. One can only wonder how many other aviation dreams will be launched with this Soarin’ Over California attraction. All it takes is seeing the earth from the sky. Thank you for joining us today as this exciting new piece of Disney history begins. And remember, you are only limited by what you can dream. (applause)

Pressler: As a pioneer aviator and builder of the Spirit of St. Louis T. Claude said “I remember my very first flight as the beautiful rolling hills of California spread out below me I felt freedom. Perhaps years to come others can be helped to enjoy the sight of clouds all around you, of sunrise, of sunsets, while soaring above the cities, farms and rivers of Cal, unfettered.” May today you discover this same freedom of flight as you embark on our newest adventure, Soarin’ Over California.

Announcer: “Ladies and Gentlemen please join us on the inaugural flight of Soarin’ Over California.”

(after a short pause two military jets flew over Soarin' Over California)

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ABC Soap Opera Bistro

On February 7, 2001 Disney officially dedicated the ABC Soap Opera Bistro in a ceremony attended by the stars of ABC daytime. During the ceremony a representative of each Soap donated an item from their show to live permanently at the Bistro.

Introductions

Announcer: Ladies and Gentlemen welcome to the grand opening of ABC’s Soap Opera Bistro. Please welcome our hostess, an actress who has appeared on all four ABC daytime dramas and currently resides in Llanview,One Life to Live star, Linda Dano.

Linda Dano: Good morning. Are you cold? A little. I want to thank all of you for joining me this morning for our official grand opening of our ABC Soap Opera Bistro right here at Disney’s California Adventure. This is a great day for us because you see there is nothing like this anywhere in the world. This is the first time a restaurant, a themed restaurant based on what we affectionately call the soaps has been built and is available to us and to our fans. So we are very excited, all of us from daytime. To you fans, this is your place - and soon-to-be fans - this is a place to celebrate ABC daytime drama. And you heard me say just then didn’t you, that I said soon-to-be fans. That’s probably because I believe everybody is a fan they just maybe don’t know it yet.(laughter)

Linda Dano: Now why don’t we cut right to the chase. The moment you have all been waiting for. It is now my great pleasure to introduce to all of you the hardest working, most dedicated, talented, nicest people in the business, they’re my friends and they’re my colleagues and I have the great pleasure of introducing to you some of the brightest stars of ABC Daytime.

Ladies and Gentlemen from Port Charles, All My Children, One Life to Live andGeneral Hospital. Here they come…

Please welcome, from Port Charles, the man who plays Jamal Woods, Kiko Ellsworth. Behind him is Lucy Coe played by multi-talented Lynn Herring. Say hello to Erin Hershey who plays Alison Barrington. Hi kids. And please welcome Thorsten Kaye. I’m supposed to do two minutes on him I made a promise. He’s known as Ian Thornhart.

Is All My Children coming? There he is, Mr. David Canary who does double duty playing both Stuart and Adam Chandler. Behind him should be Josh Duhamel, there he is. Josh is one of the newest stars of All My Children. You know him as Leo du Pres and of course. Cameron Mathison. Cameron, stop letting them fondle you. Get over here. He is Ryan Lavery.

Next the stars of the show I work on One Life to Live. Kamar de los Reyes, also known as the sexy Antonio Vega. Behind him one of the great, great stars of daytime, Victoria Lord Davidson. The incomparable Erika Slezak. And one of the heartbeats of One Life To Live say hello to Robert S. Woods, Bo Buchanan. Hi babe.

All right. Direct from General Hospital. Oh boy. Here he comes. Mr. Sexy himself, Maurice Benard, Sonny Corinthos. Behind him, the unbelievable Anthony Geary, Luke Spencer. You know her as Elizabeth Webber played by the very talented Rebecca Herbst. And we couldn’t have this day with Bobbie Spencer. Say hello to the beautiful Jacklyn Zeman. Hi hon. How are you?

My friends! (she turns and greets them)

Linda Dano: You know, the Soap Opera Bistro, our restaurant, is the result of a lot of hard work by a lot of people. And these are people that span a wide range at the Walt Disney Company. Today I think we really need to recognize the collaboration between ABC Daytime, Walt Disney Imagineering and, of course, the Disneyland Resort. (applause) You haven’t been in there yet. We all had the pleasure last night of experiencing this unbelievable place. Walt Disney Imagineering has recreated actual sets from all of our shows, Port Charles, All My Children, One Life to Live and General Hospital. If I didn’t know better it almost feels like I’m at work except for the food. Because you can ask any actor in daytime. The food, kids, what do we think? Yeah, well.(no response, turns back to the crowd). The food in here is fabulous. So let me say a special thank you to the Disneyland Resort foods team. You did a great job. A great job.

Now, as I said, the Soap Opera Bistro is a unique Disney collaboration. And if you know actors at all we have to get involved. So we wanted to collaborate, right? (stars nod) So we asked what can we do and how can we do it? So we all got together, the cast of all the shows, and we decided what could we bring to this and we thought well maybe we could bring a personal touch. So the cast all got together and we bring today to you momentos from each of these shows. A place where the fans can see the things they see everyday on the shows from the people that matter the most to them. So let me invite some of these stars, one from each show, to bring what they brought for all of you that will go inside our restaurant and will stay in a place of honor. So first let me start with Lynn Herring from Port Charles. Lynn, what did you bring?

Lynn Herring: We brought - Erin’s going to help me out. This is going to be like a game show. Erin you get to demonstrate what we brought.

Erin Hershey: Oh, lovely!

Lynn Herring: Well first let me say we are so proud and honored to be here. This is exciting. This is once in a lifetime. These are tarot cards and my character Lucy uses them to tell the future. Erin, what do you think the future’s gonna be?

Erin Hershey: Oh I don’t know. You might just have to stayed tuned and watch.

Linda Dano: You work on daytime don’t you.

Lynn Herring: This is a crystal ball that we use on the show to try and see who is going to have the best storyline coming up. No. We would be very honored and pleased to present this from Port Charles from Thorsten and Kiko back there. This is a crystal ball and looks into the future and I see many, many people visiting the Soap Opera Bistro and having a wonderful time as we had. Thank you.

Linda Dano: Next from All My Children, David Canary. David, come up and do the honors.

David Canary: I’ll try to make it clear. I’m Adam Chandler. I’m not that other strange person. (laughter, someone in the crowd calls out, “what about Thor”) He’s home, in the home, in the snow. It is privilege to be here and representing All My Children in this exciting rather historic occasion. And she’s right about everything in there. The food is great. I’m here with a couple of other people from the show who bear mentioning character names Ryan “keep your shirt on” Lavery.

Linda Dano: That’s what I thought he was doing down there. I thought "oh my God he’s taking his shirt off."

Ryan Lavery: It’s not coming off today.

David Canary: And Leo “what’s his name” du Pres. Whippersnapper. Young kid. They’re both very good actors. We have two gifts to present today. I’m going to go get them.

Linda Dano: He’s going to go get them.

David Canary. I won’t dare put this on because what’s his name would object. You probably recognize it as the crown that my poor befuddled brother Stuart the day he married (Linda whispers Marian) Marian “the mouth” Colby on St. Valentine’s Day that has an anniversary coming up here very soon. And that is going into permanent lexicon of this establishment. This is the notorious flask of Libidozone (crowd ahs) that Dr. Death, David Hayward clumsily spilled into the punch bowl the night of Ryan Lavery’s big extravaganza on the yacht thereby taking away all the um, (looks at Linda. She responds: I can’t help you. I can’t. I want to.) limitations that are put upon us thereby doubling the potential population of Pine Valley by at least 50%.

Linda Dano: Angela can you come and get him off the stage please. My god, you didn’t say this would happen.

David Canary: um…

Linda Dano: yes, David.

David Canary: Adam. Adam Ch..This is my last comment. Adam Chandler had a different reaction that night. With all of his inhibitions gone he picked up his ex-wife, er, rather his wife and threw her overboard. These things can happen. These things are now going into the…what do they call it?

Linda Dano: The permanent collection

David Canary: The permanent collection here. And I’m delighted to be here. Thank you for letting me rattle on like this.

Linda Dano: All right from One Life to Live, representing that show, is Mr. Robert Woods. Bobby what do you bring?

Robert Woods: Thank you. Thank you. This is a great honor and a pleasure to be here. First of all, to work on ABC Daytime is such a great thing for us collectively. For me personally, I was at Disneyland the day that they opened it to the public and in '67 I got to open Pirates of the Caribbean - I was an employee here. My whole family has worked here over the years. On behalf of our cast at One Life To Live I would like to donate my commissioner’s badge to the restaurant. It is a little tarnished from some of the things I’ve done on the show. No, I won’t go there. Am I still commissioner if I give this away?

Linda Dano: No.

Robert Woods: o.k. I’d like to trade it to David for that Libidozone. (laughter)Well its such an honor and pleasure to be here and I want to thank you for coming out. And I can’t wait for everybody to see the inside of this place. It’s just amazing. It looks like where we work.

Linda Dano: It really does.

Robert Woods: Thank you so much.

Linda Dano: Next is Mr. Tony Geary who is bringing you something fromGeneral Hospital.

Tony Geary: Well it’s a pleasure to be here on behalf of my colleagues atGeneral Hospital. And we would like to donate - sounds strange, what do you say, inscribe? Anyway we want to give the ABC Soap Opera Bistro Luke and Laura’s wedding rings. Come on in and see them. By the way the food is terrific.

Linda Dano: I want to thank all of these guys. And everybody from the cast. As I said these gifts will be in a very special place of honor inside the restaurant so as the restaurant grows more and more things will be dedicated and given to it so it can just get better and better and you can come back hundreds and hundreds of times. And that is what we hope.

You know, we need to say right now, all of us - the people behind me and everybody that works in ABC, how much we appreciate you, our fans.(applause) We feel and know and see from you, your dedication and the loyalty to our shows. Never, ever think it isn’t important to us because it is. So thank you on behalf of all of us. Also (music chimes in) Wait, wait. Also, we need to thank, they’re dying to come and dance, wait now. We need to thank all the colleagues at Walt Disney Imagineering and of course the Disneyland Resort.

Also we want to thank you Angela. Angela Shapiro is our President of ABC daytime. And without your vision and dedication this restaurant would not have happened. We love you and we thank you for such a fabulous place for us to come and sort of show off our stuff. And for all the fans to come. The ABC Soap Opera Bistro. It is a place where we can celebrate ABC Daytime drama. God Bless You. Thank you.

(Singers and dancers come in and perform. A sample lyric:)

In the world of ABC soaps, everything brightens our day At General Hospital and Port Charles where All My Children play. In the world of ABC soaps, with just One Live to Live Let us live it live it daytime vicariously We love it in daytime it sure sets free!

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Disney's Grand Californian Hotel

On February 6, 2001 Disney's Grand California Hotel was officially dedicated in a ceremony held in front of the hotel. On hand where Tony Bruno, General Manager of the hotel, Peter Dominick, architect, Cynthia Harriss, President of the Disneyland Resort and Sharon Davis, the first lady of California. Accompanying the ceremony was a symphony playing California-themed tunes.

In the pages that follow you'll find many pictures and a transcript from the ceremony and many other pictures from around the hotel including one of the Presidential Suites. At the end of this article you'll find a short interview with hotel architect Peter Dominick.

Following is a transcript of the ceremony:

Announcer: Ladies and Gentlemen please welcome the General Manager of Disney's Grand Californian Hotel, Tony Bruno.

Tony Bruno: Good morning. Welcome everyone. It’s truly a privilege to serve as general manager of Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel which bears the distinction of being the very first hotel ever built by Disney inside a Disney theme park. Just as Disney’s California Adventure is a tribute to the Golden State, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, as its name suggests, is a tribute to California art in architecture, the arts and crafts movement of the early 1900s. I’d like to take a moment to thank our good friends at Walt Disney Imagineering who once again have captured the magic of Disney by creating a wonderful work of art that is stunning, enchanting and distinctly Californian.

Tony Bruno: Just as the handmade fireplaces inside the cozy California craftsman bungalows of yesteryear symbolize the ultimate home, we want you to feel that Disney's Grand Californian Hotel is your home away from home. Our hotel has so many outstanding amenities that it would take all morning to list them all. From the inviting stone hearth to the wine country inspired restaurant Napa Rose to the relaxing pools and the exciting atmosphere of Storyteller’s Cafe. And whether you are staying with us for business or pleasure we stand ready and waiting to provide with you the most peaceful, private retreat or the most accommodating state of the art business and meeting facilities.

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel is a luxury hotel lovingly designed by an outstanding architect. I'd like to invite him to the podium at this time. Throughout his outstanding 30-year career he has garnered a reputation of designing excellence for projects that range from large residences to historic renovations. A recipient of numerous design awards he actually began his career as a parking lot attendant here at Disneyland. Please welcome the Principal Designer with Urban Design Group, Peter Dominick.

Peter Dominick: Thank you, Tony. As Tony mentioned, the basic philosophy of the arts and crafts design is to bring together architecture, art, landscape and the decorative arts in a natural setting; to restore the humaneness and dignity of the design effort to rejuvenate men’s souls, hearts and minds from the drudgery of the machine or the digital age. Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel is perhaps the largest structure ever conceived in the arts and crafts style which has historically been - as you know - has been residential in focus, size and execution. And the garden was always the key influence in the design of arts and crafts structures. In this case we shifted the scale of the hotel to include the scale of the forest particularly those along California's coastlines with their Monterrey pines and the spectacular groves of redwoods and sequoias providing an appropriate scale and inspiration for a project as immense as Disney’s Grand Californian.

Peter Dominick: Tony asked me to say a few words about the beginning of the design process. I’m reminded of a birthday party - I was at recently a 50th birthday party where the recipient’s father who, was 85 years old, jumped to his feet. He said, as he began his toast, I remember the night that Mary was born and the older sister groaned at that point and said 'oh dad don’t start there' and without missing a beat and he said I remember the night that Mary was conceived. (laughs)

The conception of this hotel was absolutely fascinating with the research and study that went into the arts and crafts movement. As it moved from its European roots across the nation to California and the inspiration that we found with the architecture of northern and southern California. Obviously, as an architect you can’t really build buildings of this scale and complexity today without a great team. I pause and give thanks to the great team that was put together by Walt Disney, their Imagineers, their operators, the administrators, the executives, all of whom participated in this project. (applause) I speak on behalf of all of us when I say I’m very pleased and proud of the result.

I’d like to end with a quote from John Muir which seems appropriate in terms of its capturing the spirit of this hotel: “Climb the mountains and get their good tidings, nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into the trees. Winds blow their freshness into you and the storms their energy while care drops off like autumn leaves."  Thank you very much.

Tony Bruno: Thank you Peter. And now it is my great pleasure to welcome the president of the Disneyland Resort, Cynthia Harriss.

Cynthia Harriss: Well, thank you Tony. And thank you Peter for your extraordinary artistry that has brought Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel to life. And I want to thank all of you for joining us for this week because during this week we are going to celebrate so many new beginnings of our new Disneyland Resort. Together with Disney’s California Adventure and Downtown Disney, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel plays an important role in our overall resort. Because with the addition of this gorgeous retreat we now have over 22[thousand] rooms that will now make Anaheim and the Disneyland Resort truly a multi-day destination vacation resort.

Tony and Peter both have mentioned the inspiration of our arts and crafts movement in the design of the hotel and in its purest sense the arts and crafts movement was an appreciation of nature. Perhaps no single individual has exemplified that appreciation of nature more than the legendary John Muir, one of our country’s greatest conservationists and the founder of the Sierra Club whose efforts over a century ago live on today in the creation of the Yosemite National Park and other national landmarks. John Muir is represented here today by a number of his family and we are so pleased to welcome them. His grandsons Walter Muir and Ross Hanna, his great grand daughters Marlee Muir and Susan Hanna Flynn and his great-great grand daughters Maureen Lewis and Alison Muir Flynn and his great great-great-grand daughter Lindsey Lewis. Would the Muir family please stand? We are thrilled you are with us.

Cynthia Harriss: Thank you so much for being with us. And it just certainly makes this celebration more special that you are here to share it with us.   We’re also honored today to have with us a true ambassador of the Golden State, the 2001 Miss California. So please welcome the lovely and talented Rita Ng.

Cynthia Harriss: Well we are extremely privileged to have a very special guest with us this morning who has joined us for the official dedication of Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel. This woman is truly a remarkable Grand Californian in every sense of the word. She was born and raised in San Diego in the suburb Santee and has demonstrated an unceasing commitment to our state of California and our most valuable resource, the children. She is the inspiration behind so many invaluable programs that have been designed to improve the quality of our lives, that of our children and to retain the heritage that has made California such a great state. Ladies and Gentlemen, escorted by our very own Mickey Mouse, please welcome the first lady of the state of California Sharon Davis.

Sharon Davis: It’s great to be here to represent 34 million people in the great state of California. And I can’t think of better place to recognize the beautiful work of Disney in this state than right here at the Grand Californian. It’s really a pleasure to be here because California represents 163,000 miles of land in this great country and today, with the opening of this hotel and later in the week the opening of Disney’s California Adventure, we will truly have a star in Southern California. As Cynthia mentioned, I grew up in San Diego and I made several trips here to Disneyland and for a child Disneyland was a place that was truly magical. Now children that come to Disneyland and the Disneyland Resort from all over the world will get to see how special this golden state is through this beautiful park. When Walt Disney started this project in an orange field 45 years ago he had a dream and so we consider him a native son. So everywhere that Disney expands throughout the world we consider it an extension of our family. So on this outstanding occasion the Governor of the State of California would like to present a proclamation:

Sharon Davis: It reads: "Whereas the Disneyland Resort is a magical place that has drawn has people from all over the country to California since it opened 45 years ago and whereas Disneyland Resort is proud to present its newest theme park Disney’s California Adventure which will celebrate the magnificent state of California and whereas Disney’s California Adventure is an extension of the magic that began when Walt Disney and his Imagineers transformed an orange grove into an enchanting place that is now a unique hallmark of California’s heritage and whereas one of the highlights of Disney’s California Adventure is the Golden Dreams attraction, a movie that celebrates the rich diversity that has made California a land of promise and opportunity. This historic expansion has created thousands of jobs that will benefit the local and state tourism industries. Whereas Disney’s California Adventure will open on February 8, 2001, now hereby I, Gray Davis, Governor of the state of California do hereby proclaim February 8, 2001 Disney’s California Adventure Day in the great state of California." Thank you.

Cynthia Harriss: Thank you very much. Mrs. Davis on behalf of the Disneyland Resort and our friend Mickey Mouse and all of our cast members we are very pleased to present to you and to the Governor this handcrafted art piece in remembrance of Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel. Thank you.

Cynthia Harriss: While Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel is a remarkable architectural achievement in its own right the incredible Cast Members who provide the guest with world class service each and every day are the true heart and soul of our hotel. These remarkable people consistently go above and beyond the call of duty to bring a smile, to create those magical memories and to build those memories that will last a lifetime. So at this time it is my great honor to introduce to you the cast of Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel. Maestro….

(trumpet fanfare followed by California Here I Come. Cast members file out in front of the hotel and appear on the balconies of the hotel rooms.)

Cynthia Harriss: Ladies and Gentlemen in the rich tradition of the California Art and architecture we officially dedicate Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel a grand place to refresh your mind and renew your spirit.

Announcer: Have a truly GRAND day!

Interview with Peter Dominick

After the ceremony, I had the opportunity to speak with Peter Dominick, the architect of Disney's Grand Californian Hotel. The transcript of that interview follows:

LaughingPlace.com: What other Disney projects have you worked on?

Peter Dominick: Well the Wilderness Lodge was the first project that we did. And we also designed the Settlement Junction which has not been built. We built the Wilderness Lodge Vacation Villas which have just opened and are very, very successful. We're hearing that there's selling at $4 million a month, I can hardly get the word out, it's astounding how popular they are. And this project, the Animal Kingdom Lodge which is going to open in another six weeks and is going to be truly remarkable and a couple of others that didn't get built.

LP: The Grand Californian is, at least superficially, similar to the Wilderness Lodge. Can you talk about the differences?

PD: The primary difference is that the Wilderness Lodge was conceived as a resort in the wilderness so it's a standalone building, so it didn't have to deal with all the urban complexities that this project had to. So from a basic planning point of view we had to, here, we had to take into account the resort district with the hotels, the fact that it's at the edge of a theme park, we had a monorail running through this, and all those forces shaped this building in a way that makes it - in some ways - more complex, perhaps more intimate, than the Lodge itself. It's also refined -you're absolutely correct, it's a building that looked at those kind of rustic traditions and then moved them into the more refined and elegant and crafted world.

LP: The guests of a hotel like this are going to be families and not necessarily the upscale adults that you might find at hotel of this caliber in another location. Do you do anything differently with that in mind?

PD: Actually, no.

LP: So you don't dumb it down?

PD: We don't dumb down at all. We actually went up, here. I'm a great believer that in some ways we don't give enough credit to our audiences and I want to touch every level of the audience. Yes, there is the fun side of it which is the dancing bears and some of the ceramic characters, some of the storytelling that takes place in the restaurants, but by and large what you're seeing is a truly crafted - the art of the craft and the craft of the art which I think people are responding to in a time when we've seen an awful lot of building that don't get fully detailed or are detailed in ways that are cold and they don't have the kind of textural quality to them that people appreciate.

We had that discussion a lot, as you can imagine, during the design process. "Well what are you doing? Where are the Hidden Mickeys"? And I really didn't pay that much attention to it. And it was a little unnerving because Arts and Crafts is not something you would imagine kids would - it's an idea or theme where you can say "that's pretty serious, what's the fun in that." But surprisingly, here's what happens. The kids come into this place and they go "wow. this is cool." And I've had a whole bunch of little kids come up to me and say "way cool, man". So that feels good. As an architect, that's what you want.

LP Are there any design elements that a layman like myself should be on the lookout for?

PD: A lot of fun details. The dancing bears at the check-in, if you haven't looked at those closely, that came out of a really interesting French tradition which we completely reinterpreted from a porcelain craft into a ceramic craft. And the woman who did it is a woman named Susan Dannenfelser, she's an artisan who's up in Oakland and I think she did a spectacular job. They're really fun, they're very unique. There're some secret places in this place that are really thrilling. If you can get a room right over the Monorail, that's a "Wow." Have that Monorail go right underneath you, that's fantastic. Or in the North Courtyard the detail in the garden has to do with winds. We actually call it the Court of the Winds because the Monorail goes through and it gets the trees spinning. You'll see a wonderful little symbol in the base of that of the wind blowing and you'll also see it in the light fixtures.

LP: There are at least three Disney characters that made into the rooms. Was that giving in?

PD: No no, that's fun. That is fun and kids like that. Adults like it and there are fans who spend their lives looking for these things.

LP: I'm happy those fans are around.

PD: I am too.

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Other Openings

There were several smaller dedications that we did not do complete stories for back in 2001. We're sharing those videos for the first time here: