A Chilling Effect on a Sunny Day at Disneyland : Reaction: Visitors to the world-famous park express dismay and anger at the poison gas threat. But they seem determined to not let it ruin their fun.

Minda Ellis hoped that a long-planned Saturday trip to Disneyland would offer her family a respite from the horrible images coming from Oklahoma City.

Instead, the outing only heightened her sense of apprehension, coming a day after it was revealed that federal agents rushed to the theme park over the Easter weekend out of concern that terrorists planned to launch a lethal gas attack.

“When I heard that, I said, ‘What is this world coming to,’ ” said Ellis, a San Diego office manager, as she and her two daughters sat in the Disneyland picnic area nibbling on hot dogs under the noon sun.

“You come to a place like this to forget about the troubles of the world,” she continued. “It’s my children I worry about. . . . This terror makes them lose their innocence.”

Despite her concerns, Ellis finally decided go ahead with the trip. Ellis was like other park visitors Saturday, unwilling to change their plans in the wake of the threat.

“If you only think about terrorism, you’ll never leave your house,” said Judith Barmettler, a 17-year-old exchange student from Switzerland, as she walked into the Disneyland entrance. “You can’t do anything about it.”

A Disneyland spokeswoman said Saturday that the threat didn’t affect attendance, which she described as normal for a sunny weekend. With 80-degree temperatures and blue skies, the snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains provided a picturesque backdrop Saturday to the park’s popular Matterhorn attraction.

“It’s so nice. A perfect California day to be out,” said Myrna Goodman, visiting Disneyland from New York with her husband, Herbie. “We’re not going to do anything differently. . . . We’re having a good time and keeping it out of our minds.”

But others visitors said they couldn’t help but ponder the threat, which was made earlier this month when Disneyland received a letter and videotape showing a man wearing rubber gloves and mixing chemicals.

The letter and tape were immediately sent to federal authorities, who dispatched a chemical warfare team and scientists to assess the danger.

Though authorities now say the threat was a hoax, some visitors on Saturday expressed outrage.

“This is a kiddy park,” said Les Old, who was visiting with his son and grandchildren from Canada. “To have the audacity to threaten children is very low.”

Old and his family said they heard about the threat Friday night.

“We didn’t take it seriously,” Old added. “I told my (grandchildren) that 500 people probably come up with bomb threats here.”