For football fans, it’s the Super Bowl. For guys who collect comic books, it’s Comic-Con International. And — for Disney dweebs — it’s the National Fantasy Fan Club (THE club for Disneyana enthusiasts) ‘s annual convention.
But — if you’re a serious ABC Daytime fan — there’s only one place that you HAVE TO be this coming weekend. And that’s at the Disney-MGM Studios, where the 11th annual “ABC Super Soap Weekend” is being held this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, November 10th, 11th & 12th.
Heather Tom, Kamar de los Reyes, Bree Williamson & Forbes March (l to r)
Photo by JHM staff
Of course, some of you soap fans out there may be a little put off by the stories that you’ve heard about this event. You wonder how you’re ever going to cope with those huge crowds at the studio theme park.
Well, thanks goodness for JHM staffers Nancy Stadler & Angela Ragno. These two ladies have been attending Super Soap Weekend for years now. And — over that time — they’ve assembled a tip sheet that will not only help you properly prep for this ABC Daytime event, it’ll also help you make the most of your day at Disney-MGM.
Jacob Young
Photo by JHM staff
“And what’s the first tip of Nancy & Angela’s sheet?,” you ask. Well, in order to really enjoy Super Soap, you have to do some advance planning. Which is why you should head out to the store NOW and pick up all of the supplies that you’ll need to survive the next three days at the studio theme park.
The essentials are:
- Plenty of film for your 35MM camera and/or additional batteries for your digital camera
Laura Wright
Photo by JHM staff
- Sunscreen
- A big bottle of water
Hillary B. Smith
Photo by JHM staff
- Some sort of breakfast item (As is usually the case on “ABC Super Soap Weekend,” the folks at Disney-MGM will throw open the gates to the theme park at 8:00 a.m. The only problem is that none of the shops or restaurants in the park will actually open ’til 9 a.m., Disney-MGM’s official opening time. So — if you’re looking to grab breakfast once you enter the theme park — you’re really out of luck here. Particularly since — by 9 a.m. — you’ll probably already be in line for your first show of the day. So be sure to eat breakfast before you arrive at Disney-MGM and/or bring a breakfast item into the park with you.)
Eden Riegel & Jacob Young
Photo by JHM staff
- Plenty of pocket money. (Once you get in that “ABC Super Soap Weekend” groove, you’re not going to want to break away to run to one of the park’s two ATMs. Speaking of Disney-MGM’s ATMs: The first one is located right outside of the theme park, just to the right of MGM’s main entrance. The second is located deep inside the park, inside the arcade area at the Toy Story Pizza Planet restaurant.)
- A light jacket. Once the sun goes down, it can get kind of cool at Disney-MGM. So — if you’re planning on staying ’til the theme park closes to take in the Grand Motorcade as well as the Colgate Total Street Jam — you’re going to want a light jacket or a sweater to pull on to ward off a chill.
Bob Guiney, Kamar de los Reyes, Cameron Mathison, Justin Bruening,
Tyler Christopher, David Fumero & Greg Vaughan ( l to r)
Photo by JHM staff
The next key to enjoying Super Soap is arriving early.
You’ve heard that “it’s the early bird who gets the worm,” right? Well, in this case, it’s the ABC soap fan who doesn’t sleep in who then makes the most of their Super Soap experience. Which is why — given Disney-MGM is scheduled to open at 9 a.m. tomorrow and at 8 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday — you need to be driving into the parking lot at least an hour before that theme park officially opens for the day. And then get on line at MGM’s entrance ASAP.
Bobbie Eakes, Michael E. Knight & Justin Bruening
Photo by JHM staff
The third key to having a great time at Super Soap: Plan on attending at least two days of this three day event.
This — Nancy and Angela insist — is a must. Why for? Because — no matter how much advance planning you do — your first day in the park is going to be a bit of a botch. You — as the newby Super Soap Weekend visitor — are really going to have to learn the ropes at Disney-MGM.
Steve Burton (in white shirt)
Photo by JHM staff
For example: Where to stand along Hollywood Boulevard to get the very best shots of the stars in the Celebrity Motorcade. (Here’s another tip from Nancy & Angela: If you want to get great pictures of your favorite ABC Daytime stars, go stand behind the giant Sorcerer Mickey hat in front of the Chinese Theater. Why here? Because this is where the celebrities will be climbing out of their cars before heading onstage for their “Star Conversations.” Which is why you can often get some great candid shots back here.)
Rebecca Budig, Nancy Lee Grahn & Bob Guiney
Photo by JHM staff
To put it bluntly: There’s a real learning curve associated with “ABC Super Soap Weekend.” And on Friday & Saturday … Well, both you and the staff of Disney-MGM aren’t going to have your act together yet. So don’t despair if you don’t actually accomplish everything that you’d hoped to do on your first day in the theme park. That’s what Saturday and Sunday are for.
Which brings us now to the fourth key to having a great time at Super Soap, which is: There’s just no way that you’re going to be able to do everything at this ABC Daytime event. So don’t even try.
Greg Vaughan & Minnie Mouse
Photo by JHM staff
While it’s true that some ABC soap fans are truly dedicated, it’s also true that there are limits to the amount of abuse that the human body can take in one day. One can only stand in the hot sun waiting to get an autograph for so long.
So try and be nice to yourself. Don’t stretch yourself too thin by trying to take in every single event. Look over the “ABC Super Soap Weekend” master schedule and just select the shows and events that most appeal to you. Then ignore everything else on the schedule (No matter how tempting some of these other MGM programs may seem) and just concentrate on getting into the shows you’ve already selected.
Alicia Minshew & Chip
Photo by JHM staff
Keep in mind that — when it comes to “ABC Super Soap Weekend” — it’s quality, not quantity, that counts.:
Which brings us to the fifth key to having a great time at Super Soap, which is: Always try and keep your sense of humor about you.
Laura Wright & Donald Duck
Photo by JHM staff
According to Nancy & Angela, these ABC Daytime events at Disney-MGM can sometimes get pretty ugly. With shoving matches suddenly erupting between WDW guests and/or people screaming at the top of their lungs at one another, just because one soap fan thinks that another cut in line.
Obviously, some people can get pretty passionate when it comes to their favorite soap stars. But Angela & Nancy would like to remind all of you who will be attending this year’s “ABC Super Soap Weekend” event that this is all just make-believe. That just because JR Chandler, Antonio Vega & Carly Corinthos come into your home five days a week doesn’t mean that they’re actually real. After all, not matter how glamorous these people may seem on the small screen, in the end they’re all just actors on a daytime TV show.
Natalia Livingston & Tyler Christopher
Photo by JHM staff
So — if you accidentally miss out on your chance to meet one of these ABC Daytime stars — it’s NOT really the end of the world. So please don’t throw a tantrum in public, scream or swear just because something doesn’t go exactly the way you hoped tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday. Please try to keep in mind that there are 24,000 other people who are also trying to enjoy this event. You have to learn to let it go.
Which brings us to our sixth rule for having a great time at Super Soap, which is: Be courteous and considerate of others.
“ABC Super Soap Weekend” attendee with Cameron Mathison (l to r)
Photo by JHM staff
You want to make a thousand mortal enemies really fast? Then — as you’re entering a theater for one of the “Super Star Talk Shows” (Which are being held several times a day in the ABC TV Theater) — just plop yourself down in the middle of the row and then refuse to move. According to Angela & Nancy, you’ll soon have hundreds of women screaming at you to “Move the f*ck down!” Which — of course — can put kind of a damper on the rest of your day at the theme park.
Walt Willey & Leven Rambin
Photo by JHM staff
Try and be considerate of those around you. Remember when you get to the front of the line and are finally getting your photograph taken with your favorite ABC Daytime star and/or getting an autograph that there are still hundreds of people behind you who would also like some time with that performer. So try and have your camera ready, or have your pen & autograph book within easy reach. Just so you don’t gum up the works once you get face to face with that celebrity.
And — finally — Angela and Nancy’s seventh and final rule for having a great time at Super Soap: Know where and when to eat. More importantly, know where and when to shop.
Nancy Lee Grahn, Natalia Livingston & Tyler Christopher (l to r)
Photo by JHM staff
Okay. We’ve already discussed how you should handle breakfast each day. Now let’s talk about where you should get lunch and dinner while you’re at Disney-MGM. Sure, you can grab something quick off of one of the many food carts that you’ll find scattered around the theme park. But that stuff tends to be cookies, popcorn and ice cream. Which might give you a brief sugar rush. But eating junk like that won’t give you enough energy to get through an entire day of stomping around a theme park.
So what are you supposed to do? You don’t want to waste all the time (and money) that you’ll need to have a proper meal at one of Disney-MGM’s sit-down restaurants like the “50’s Prime Time Café,” “The Hollywood Brown Derby,” “Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater” or “Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano.” So what’s a famished soap fan to do?
Sydney Penny & Mushu
Photo by JHM staff
It’s easy, really. Whenever you’re feeling hungry — Nancy & Angela suggest that you head on over to the ABC Commissary (which is located next to the Chinese Theater) and/or the Sunset Ranch Market on Sunset Boulevard (which is right next door to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith). Here, you’ll find affordable, healthy eats that you get and gulp quickly. Which will allow you to make better use of your time taking in shows and/or searching for soap stars.
As for shopping … If you’re looking for those special edition “ABC Super Soap Weekend” pins and t-shirts, those items are usually on sale first thing in the morning at the shop that’s located to the left of Disney-MGM’s entrance. Which means that you actually can pick up these collectibles prior to entering the theme park and immediately take them back to your car for storage or just slip into the nearest bathroom (which is located to the left of the Guest Relations window) and slip on your new Super Soap duds. Which means that you can be properly attired as you enter the park.
Kamar de los Reyes
Photo by JHM staff
In closing, Angela & Nancy remind all you would-be “ABC Super Soap Weekend” attendees out there that the whole point of coming out to this theme park is to have fun. And that — if the crush of the crowds this weekend gets to be too much for you — just slip off for a half hour or so, find a nice air conditioned ride or attraction and relax / re-energize for a bit.
Kassie DePaiva
Photo by JHM staff
That’s one of the real ironies of “ABC Super Soap Weekend.” With so many bodies jammed inside the park, you’d think that all of Disney-MGM’s rides and shows would be filled to capacity as well. But — instead — the opposite is true. Because all of the soap fans are only interested in seeing their favorite ABC Daytime sta rs and because most other WDW visitors tend to steer clear of the studio theme park this coming weekend because of crowd concerns, virtually every attraction in the park is a walk-on. Which is why — if you’re a Twilight Zone Tower of Terror fan — tomorrow, Saturday & Sunday would be a really great time to rack up multiple rides on this particular attraction.
Bob Guiney, Kelli Gidish, Jacob Young & Kassie DePaiva
Photo by JHM staff
Beyond that, here’s hoping that the above tip sheet helps you folks enjoy the 2006 edition of “ABC Super Soap Weekend.” More importantly. that the photographs that accompany today’s article give you some idea of the sort of celebrities that you can see at this ABC Daytime event.
Susan Lucci & Mickey Mouse
Photo by JHM staff