Easter bunny breeds Plaza success

Kyley Dow hopes the Easter Bunny approves of fruit as much as he does vegetables.

While visiting with Mr. Bunny at South Coast Plaza on Sunday, 4-year-old Kyley was asked “if I’ve been eating my vegetables.”

Kyley admitted he told the Easter Bunny he hadn’t been eating his veggies, but he had been eating fruit, so he still has high hopes he’ll get some candy in his Easter basket.

Kyley’s mom, Kinga, who was in the neighborhood on a business trip from Santa Fe, N.M., figured a visit to the mall’s Carousel Court would be just the right place to get a picture of Kyley with the Easter Bunny.

“I just love it,” said Kinga, who lived in Orange County before moving to Santa Fe. “If I’m going to take pictures then I want to do it somewhere colorful.”

She wasn’t alone. Many others stopped by Sunday for a visit with the child-size Bunny that talks and interacts with each visitor in a gazebo.

The mall’s Carousel Court was transformed into a whimsical garden with colorful flowers. The carousel has been fitted with floral carriages and bunnies, instead of horses, for children to sit on as they go round-and-round listening to Disney classics.

But the main attraction was the Easter Bunny. South Coast Plaza is known for its extravagant seasonal decorations and this year was no different.

Last year, South Coast Plaza added the interactive Easter Bunny as a unique option for parents.

“We are always reviewing our programs and promotions to analyze how we can do things better,” said Debra Gunn-Downing of South Coast Plaza. “We look at how we can make something more fun and unique and interesting.”

Since last year the mall has improved the bunny and the garden, she said. They’ve made the bunny more childlike and more animated, she said.

The Bunny is surrounded by flowers on top of a bench, where children can sit and chat with him. Although some children did not seem thrilled at the thought of talking to the animated Bunny, others loved it, laughing and hugging him.

“I think it’s cool, maybe not for the real little ones, but cool for the other [older] kids,” said Riverside resident Virginia Magana after she made a failed attempt at an Easter photo with Desiree, her 1-year-old daughter. Desiree buried her head in her mother’s chest and cried as they walked up on the platform and were greeted by the floppy-eared creature. Magana said her family drove to South Coast Plaza from Riverside just to see the mall’s springtime display, and although her daughter was not amused by the friendly Bunny, she was still smiling as her daughter happily approached the carousel with her godmother.

Some children like Kyley did enjoy visiting with the Bunny, which looked like an animatronic character in the Disneyland ride, Splash Mountain. Many stayed around to create gifts and knick-knacks at the mall’s Craft Celebration in the garden between the Easter Bunny and the carousel. Kid-sized chairs surrounded a table where the little ones could color Easter baskets, mobiles or create “bug-jugs.”

The Easter Bunny is operated by freelance puppeteers, many of whom also work with Disney.

“I thought the idea sounded really interesting and it exceeded our expectations,” Gunn-Downing said. “When you sit down with this guy they have cute voices and come up with cute things to say.”

South Coast Plaza has not gone completely high-tech, however. Parents who would like a more traditional photo with a larger Bunny, can go to the Crate & Barrel wing where hydrangeas, lilies and tulips abound. Here kids can sit with the adult-sized Bunny.

Both garden settings will be open during mall hours through April 15. For more information, call (714) 435-2000 or visit www.southcoastplaza.com.dpt.03-bunny-kt-CPhotoInfoP41PIN9C20060403ix4c02knKENT TREPTOW / DAILY PILOT(LA)Joseph Corona, 3, of Orange takes a whirl on the Bunny Carousel at South Coast Plaza.