Sorry I’m late, Fab Newsies. I got hit with several native curses Monday night after the Mahaloween Luau, namely my inhaler reacting really badly with my allergy meds and and accidental slug or three of leaded Featured Tropical Concoction making me groggy. So, I’m a day late, but I’m still here with the good for you!

All photos by Noe Valladolid, except the ones with him in them.

Choc Walk and Luau

In what’s slowly becoming an entire-weekend event, which I hope it does, this year’s CHOC Walk in the Park celebration started the night before at the Disneyland Hotel with the SOLD OUT CHOC WALK Ambassador’s Luau.

Actually, we started by stopping by the WonderGround Gallery to see Javier Soto, who was signing his latest magnificent creation:

That is way sweeter than a plastic cup, collectors.

Speaking of sweet, in the lobby of the Disneyland Hotel RIGHT NOW is a cake celebrating its 60th anniversary. Well, like the Halloween tree in the Grand Californian lobby, sort of a cake. It’s a big rice krispy treat, to be honest. But it’s really cool. Look!

The Grand Ballroom was just steps away, and we quickly checked in and were greeted like royalty with “Aloha!” and a pretty shell lei, and found ourselves in a really lovely reception with food, hosted (open) bar, big glass dispensers of my beloved POG, tables with breads, crackers, fruit, veggies and cheeses, a massive silent auction filled with wonderful items and some truly gorgeous artwork. In annexes (annexi?) there were photo opportunities with Mickey and Donald against a tropical background, hula lessons, kids from a local halau selling handmade flowers as a fundraiser (just like in Hawaii!) and a fun photo booth.

   

At the sound of the drums and conch shells, it was time for the luau to begin.

Former Miss America, Hawaii’s own Angela Perez Baraquio was the emcee for the evening. She introduced those who had made this wonderful evening possible, then brought up a group of Ambassadors, including this year’s Ambassador, Mac Christman. Then the show began; it was Tupua Productions with Hālau Hula Lani Ola of Laguna Hills, two symbiotic performing troupes that work regularly together in Disney Productions. They were at Trader Sam’s Tahitian Terrace Diamond Luau and they were the crowning jewel of Mahaloween last night – you’ll hear about that Thursday.

During the break, they announced that there would be an artist, Jimmy Mulligan, doing a live painting that would be auctioned off. Oh. My past experience with live painting hadn’t been great; (Picture this: a megahipster throwing paint at a canvas to house music to create uneven “street art” of a classic Disney villain, with the emcee shouting into the microphone that this is a “priceless masterpiece” while I’m sitting arm’s length from the widow of the character’s original creator); but I’d seen Mulligan’s work, and it’s exquisite (see above) plus, he’s not a rhymes-with-scrooshbag like some others I’ve met. In fact, very cool and nice. They announced him. Fab: “(golf clap)” Pally: “(The look, clapping)” Fab:”(clapping)”

This artist was actually wonderfully talented, modest and had a real sense of fun. He had the kids try to guess what he was painting. “ELSA!” (before he’d touched brush to canvas). “JACK SKELLINGTON!” they yelled. “MINIONS!!!” Finally everyone agreed that it was Mickey Mouse, and it was a pretty cool Mickey Mouse. He nailed the classic without looking at his phone even once. Then, he got out a huge bucket of glitter and it became something really, really neat, and if you described it to me, I’d go “eh”, but seeing it, it’s really, really neat. Then he called a little girl on stage, made her a princess, covered her with glitter, and picked her up and made her fly all over. He also very gleefully got glitter on several other people during the course of the evening. I like him.

Following this, he auctioned off the two paintings he’d…well, wait. They were prints of his paintings, but then he painted more stuff on them, and he was personalizing them, so…plussed print paintings? Let’s split it down the middle and say “art”. He made the Tiki Trouble frame! He really, really worked the audience, too! They were able to raise thousands more dollars for Children’s Hospital of Orange County, hooray!

After all of that excitement, the show continued. The haka and comedic version of the Samoan slap dance were a little weak, but the rest of the show was fantastic. The luau was indoors, land of the exotic Fire Codes, so instead of the siva afi, or fire dance, there was another round of Tahitian dance, this time in pareau. Guests got to go onstage and be part of the show. I think the pictures tell the story, don’t you?

Finally, there was another round of thank yous and alohas, and everyone left nice and early so that they could get up early for the next morning’s CHOC Walk!

I want to mention too that the ballroom set-up was gorgeous, the table favors were adorable, the succulents and bromeliads as centerpieces made this Hawaii gal’s heart go pitter-patter, and don’t even get me started about the food. Without a doubt, the best food I’ve ever had at any event at Disney, EVER, and I’ve been to about a million and six Disney events. The kalua pork was succulent, and Noe, the polar opposite of a foodie if there ever was a PB&J-toting one, will not stop about how good the Teri Beef, which was actually filet mignon medallions that were like if meat and butter had a baby together. The desserts were fantastic, everything was top notch. The papaya/mango water and strawberry/watermelon water were a really nice, refreshing change from the usual fruit punch as well. Well done, Disney. And thank you, everyone involved. I really hope they do make this a weekend event.

If they do make it a whole weekend, what would you like to see?

GOOOOOO JOE!

Our very good friend and Disney artist, Joe Yakovetic, is competing on Halloween Wars Sundays at 9PM/8 Central on Food Network. #HalloweenWars. His team’s called the “Spell Binders,” and Elvira’s going to judge the finale! 

Thanks for your patience, especially to Dusty Sage, the best boss man a Disney Babe could ever have.  If you want to support Fab News and/or help me out, please click on one of the banners below. Walt knows, I need all the help I can get today. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel, baby, and it’s a good thing I love trains!

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