Countywide : Disneyland Greets World Cup Players
With Mickey Mouse as their escort, members of the Romanian World Cup soccer team waved and gave the thumbs-up sign Monday as they paraded down Disneyland’s Main Street U.S.A. atop a float decorated with soccer balls.
Disney characters led the parade--including Winnie the Pooh and Tigger carrying a soccer ball--while park guests lined the street and gave the 22-member team a warm welcome.
Wearing red, white and blue soccer uniforms, the Romanian players were the first World Cup soccer team to take up Disneyland’s invitation to visit the Magic Kingdom, said Scott Swan, a park spokesman.
“I feel good, and I like it very much,” goalkeeper Bogdan Stelea said about his first visit to Disneyland.
The players have been in Orange County since June 3 and will play their first official game Saturday at the Rose Bowl against Colombia.
The World Cup tournament begins Friday with 24 teams playing in matches in stadiums across the country.
During their stay here, the Romanians have also visited Balboa Island, said Radu Timofte,the team’s press official.
Team member Florin Raducioiu, who plays soccer professionally and lives in Italy, said he was enjoying his visit and called America the “land of the beautiful.”
Timofte said the team was excited to visit the theme park. “We hear a lot of things about Disneyland,” he said. “We are all children living with some adventure for Disneyland.”
Parade onlooker and soccer fan Kim Petersen, 35, of Brea, hailed the park’s gesture of rolling out the welcome mat for the team.
“The entire world knows about Disneyland,” she said. “They’ll probably have more memories of the parade at Disneyland than of the Rose Bowl.”
After the parade, the team rode on attractions that included the Matterhorn bobsled ride and the whirling teacups.
Park guests treated players like celebrities.
With their Disney autograph books in hand, David Wilson, 10, and his brother Michael, 7, sons of Graham and Elaine Wilson of Papua, New Guinea, asked Raducioiu and Ovidiu Stinga for their autographs.
“Well, that made our day!” said Elaine Wilson, whose husband, a fan of Ireland’s team, plans to attend Sunday’s tournament at the Rose Bowl.
