Drop In? Drop Dead! : Disneyland Is Working Overtime to Keep Liz Taylor’s Birthday Bash a Very Private Affair

Thinking about sneaking into Elizabeth Taylor’s birthday bash at Disneyland by using a picture of the invitation that ran in a supermarket tabloid last week?

Think again. “We don’t know where they got that,” says a disgruntled park official. “But we have a special security code on the invitations,” he says. “A code nobody could reproduce.”

And don’t go hiring a chopper to spy on--or drop into--the Thursday affair for 1,000 that salutes Taylor’s Big Six-0. The Magic Kingdom has asked the Federal Aviation Administration to impose restrictions on airspace during the four-hour event.

You can’t blame them. Remember the bevy of helicopters that hovered over La Liz and Larry’s nuptials at Michael Jackson’s ranch last October? Or the errant parachutist who plopped within 20 feet of the minister in the middle of the ceremony?

“We’ve had tight security for dignitaries, presidents and royalty at the park,” says a Disneyland official. “But this event is different.” It’s not thugs or would-be assassins that has Disneyland nervous. “We’re worried about paparazzi --tabloid photographers that will stop at nothing to get a $50,000 shot.”

There’ll be loads to shoot. For starters, the celebrities--dressed “jeans- tres casual” as Taylor’s invitation stipulates--marching down Main Street, some on foot, some in Disneyland vehicles. (We presume Elizabeth will sally forth in a Cinderella-type carriage.)

As the guests pour into Fantasyland, they will be met by musicians, jugglers, Disney characters and an internationally flavored repast catered by Disneyland.

None of the thrill rides will be open, so the “adult children only” (another invitation stipulation) will have to be content with hopping aboard rides such as Dumbo the Flying Elephant, It’s a Small World and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.

After guests dine, they’ll watch Taylor participate in a cake-cutting ceremony in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. A fireworks display will follow. (Sorry celebs, but Tinkerbell won’t be on the wire that night. “We use her during the summer,” says a Disneyland publicist.)

In a public relations nod, the Goodyear blimp folks plan to cruise the party at 1,000 feet, sending congratulatory messages to Liz via blinking lights. “We cruise the Academy Awards; why not Liz’s party?” says a Goodyear spokesman.

Media from around the world have expressed interest in covering the party. Stories of the upcoming splash have appeared in publications in Canada, France and Italy.

Robin Leach, host of television’s “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” received an invitation to the bash. But he sent regrets. He’ll be in the Caribbean.

“I’m sending a television crew in to film it, though,” Leach said over the telephone from his New York office. “At least we’ll have a record of it. It’s not every day that America’s greatest living actress from childhood to today celebrates her 60th birthday.”

Leach said it was Larry Fortensky who nixed Taylor’s original idea of celebrating her 60th with a blowout aboard the Orient Express.

“Larry thought that going from Los Angeles to London to Venice was a long way to go for a birthday party,” Leach said. “So he put his foot down. That’s why it became a Disneyland party.”

While 1,000 guests sounds like all of Hollywood is attending the party, there are those--the uninvited--who may be “out of town” or “sorting their socks” on Thursday night.

Phyllis Diller, for one. Says her publicity agent, Frank Lieberman: “Maybe it’s because her announcer used to introduce her as ‘The Elizabeth Taylor of the Twilight Zone.’ Or that Phyllis used to say of Taylor, ‘One more marriage and she’ll end up in the Yellow Pages.’ Phyllis isn’t worrying about it. She admires Liz because she is a survivor.”

Fashion arbiter Mr. Blackwell--author of the Worst Dressed List--says he wouldn’t attend the party if he were invited. “I’m not into mass hysteria.”

Pilar Wayne of Newport Beach says that when she was married to John Wayne, Taylor was at a party thrown for her and the Duke (they were newlyweds) at Jack Warner’s house. “We know each other,” Pilar says of Elizabeth. “But we haven’t seen each other in years.” Maybe that’s why Wayne wasn’t invited to the party. “Frankly, I didn’t even know it,” Pilar says. “I guess I’m just into spending time with my kids.’

Now they’ve seen everything: Exotic car-lovers--mostly clients of Newport Imports auto dealer Lee West--crowded Antonello restaurant in Santa Ana on Wednesday to dine on Italian fare and feast their eyes on a brand new lipstick-red Ferrari 51.2 TR, displayed smack-dab-in-the-middle of the room. (They had to take down a fence and windows to roll that baby in.)

Among guests was thirty-something Tina Schafnitz of Newport Beach, who said she probably won’t buy a Ferrari until she’s older because she worships her Rolls-Royce. “Usually you see an older person in a Rolls,” she said. “So I want to drive it while I’m young. When I’m older, maybe I’ll drive a Ferrari.”

Also seen caressing the leather was Armor All founder Alan Rypinsky (soon to move into Roger Luby’s old house in Newport Beach’s back bay area), who owns two Ferraris and several Mercedeses and Rolls-Royces. “I love Ferraris. They’re so elegant,” he said.

Antonello owner Antonio Cagnolo confessed he didn’t own a Ferrari. The reason? “I always say,” he began. “Ummm, maybe I’d better not say it.” Aw c’mon . “All right, Italian food, German cars and American women.”

A night at the opera: Opera lovers crammed the posh Center Club following the opening of “The Gypsy Princess” at the Orange County Performing Arts Center on Friday night.

Set up for members of Impresario Circle--the exclusive support group of Opera Pacific--was a buffet of turkey breast sandwiches “a la Strauss,” pastas, and Viennese pastries.

Special guests included Yvonne Kalman of Malibu, daughter of the late “Gypsy Princess” composer Emmerich Kalman, and her mother, Vera. Both thanked party guests for their enthusiasm for the performance, which marked the first time the opera had been sung in English in the United States. (The opera, usually sung in German, premiered in Vienna in 1915.) Mingling with the 200-plus crowd were Consuls General Christian Prosl of Austria and Andreas Martin of Hungary.

With a donation of $100,000, Donna and John Crean of Santa Ana Heights have underwritten the entire production of “Gypsy Princess,” which will also play in Segerstrom Hall on Thursday, Friday and March 7 and 8.

The Creans brought good friends Buddy Ebsen, Jane Withers and Gale Storm to the bash. Also seen schmoozing with members of the cast was former Miss America Lee Meriwether and her husband, actor Marshall Borden.