It's that time of year again. Time for Super Soap Weekend at Disney-MGM Studios.
Copyright 2006 Disney Enterprises
For more than a decade now, tens of thousands of soap fans have journeyed to the Walt Disney World Resort each November to take part in this two-day-long celebration of ABC Daytime. These people will literally stand in line for hours to get some face time with "General Hospital" 's Steve Burton ...
Photo by Jeff Lange
... or to be in just the right spot to get a shot of "GH" 's Kelly Monaco as she rolls by in the Celebrity Motorcade.
Photo by Nancy Stadler
But this year -- in honor of the 25th anniversary of the wedding of Luke & Laura ...
Copyright SOAPnet LLC
... The 2006 Super Super Weekend is now changing from a two-day event to a three-day event. With Friday, November 10th being dedicated to "Love in the Afternoon: Luke and Laura 25 Years."
Copyright 2006 American Broadcasting Company
In commemoration of the most watched event in daytime history, Anthony Geary and Genie Francis will be making an exclusive public appearance at Disney-MGM Studios this Friday afternoon.
This special appearance comes on the heels of Ms. Francis' recent return to "General Hospital." Where her character, Laura Webber Spencer, has spent the past four years in a near-catatonic state which was brought on by a nervous breakdown.
Friday's festivities kick off at 11 a.m. with the first of two "Countdown to Luke and Laura" events. Which will be hosted by the actor who played Robert Scorpio, the Australian spy who was best man at the Spencer - Webber nuptials ...
... Tristian Rogers. (Disney animation fans may know Rogers better from his work on the studio's 1990 release, "The Rescuers Down Under." Where Tristian provided the voice of Jake, the kangaroo rat.)
Anyway ... At both 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., Rogers will be telling Disney-MGM guests what it was like to actually play a role in this once-in-a-lifetime television event. Tristan will also testing the audiences' Luke & Laura-related knowledge and allegedly will be awarding prizes to those who correctly answer his trivia questions.
At 4 p.m., Genie & Anthony will first motorcade down Hollywood Boulevard. They will then step on stage in front of the Sorcerer Mickey's Hat, where Francis & Geary will be interviewed by their "GH" cast mate, Laura Wright ("Carly").Then -- at 5 p.m. -- Genie & Anthony will meet with the press to discuss the history of their characters and what's next in store for Luke & Laura.
And all this is just a prelude to the usual craziness that one encounters while attending the Saturday & Sunday portion of your typical Super Soap Weekend.
Which we'll be talking more about here at JHM on Thursday ...