2nd Annual Holiday RADP Meet 12/97

Another notable
pair at the event was Rick and Carol Koster! They have been members of
RADP and RAD for what seems like ages… I call them the "elderstates(wo)men"
of RADP!
Carol shares her thoughts about the day…..

"…
my husband Rich Koster, my 23 month old son Michael and I were at the
r.a.d.parks December 6th 'net meet. We've been around r.a.d. since July
1992, some might recall we started posting Disneyana Convention trip reports
on r.a.d. and eventually we became Future Disney Cabinet (FDC), Trimobios
Disney Cabinet (TDC) and EntertainMUCK (EMuck) Mickey,
Minnie, Meecelet and Meeces (family online moniker).

We've attended
r.a.d. meets (back before the newsgroup split) at WDW before. In September
1994 there was a really terrific meet, about 30 people showed up at some
time during the day, one came from Scotland.

I expected
"several people" on December 6th but how many actually showed
up blew me away! Not only that, but the luminaries of not just r.a.d.parks
but as well one person from alt.disney.disneyland (Sue) were there.

As it was,
it was a spectacular meeting! The hugeness was apparent when the Group
Photo session was trying to be organized. Barb aka gardenia kept trying
to marshal everyone into Group Photo organization, shouting to everyone
to bunch up, get organized, a scene a little reminiscent of the Green
Army Men in "Toy Story". 😉

There were also little prizes awarded, pins and some "WDW For Adults,
and Families Too!" Rita Aero coupons ("The infamous $50 coupon!"
as it was proclaimed.) given away in a drawing Deb recruited me and pressed
me into public service as recording secretary for some of this.

I urged some
who were within earshot to sing "Happy Birthday" to Walt Disney,
his birthday having been the previous day (December 5th) and some did,
which was a fitting tribute to the man who really made this r.a.d.parks
meet possible.

I met a lot of people who remembered my husband and I from r.a.d. days
or other 'net.meets, or people who had read some of our posts. But the
gracious warmth extended to my husband and I by so many wonderful people
at the event was a triple blessing, not just for the camaraderie of the
newsgroup but for the Holidays and that the 'net.meet fell coincidentally
on our 17th wedding anniversary and while we were celebrating a few weeks
early my son turning two years old and me turning older than dirt.

Thank you,
r.a.d.parks and those members of the newsgroup attending that day, for
a lovely and fun time. Folks who "lurk" (read only, they don't
post) on r.a.d./r.a.d.parks and who came up to my husband and I to say
hello, and to _all_ who were there — I bow to you (as I did there, actually
more like falling to one knee in tribute ;-)) and hug all of you! Thank
you for a lovely time. Much happiness to you at Christmas, Hanukkah and
for the 1998 New Year and beyond!

The meet's
success is also a tribute to r.a.d.parks itself. It has
evolved into a terrific newsgroup since the 1995 split, filled with so
much spirit and genuine helpfulness that a WDW guidebook author, Rita
Aero, mentions it in her book prominently. This is an outstanding quality
in a newsgroup. All of you are quite stellar. When times don't go so well
in the day-to-day posts, keep this in mind, it will give you hope and
a positive outlook on what is actually a fleeting situation that is typical
of Usenet newsgroups. r.a.d.parks today, at it's best, is comparable to
the best of rec.arts.disney at it's peak in 1994 before the group split,
the happiest place on the Internet. Hip hip hooray x 3 for r.a.d.parks!
All of you have much to be proud of. 😀

From New Orleans, and rarin' to go back to WDW ASAP!

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