THE CROWD:

Among the strongest bonds in Newport- Mesa are the families in a community where the children have grown up together, attending local schools, and WHERE their parents have met and become friends via their children’s sports and academic activities. Over the holidays one such group of multigenerational friends gathered for a New Year’s dinner at Disney’s exclusive Club 33 in New Orleans Square.

Some 40 Newport-Mesa parents and their children, along with a few invited guests from out of town, took over the late Walt Disney’s hunting room in the former private apartment- turned-dining club.

They came together to toast the New Year, to reminisce over a lifetime spent together and to make plans for a family outing to Italy this coming summer, where a number of families will share a Tuscan villa known as Borgo Panoramica.

This tradition actually started in 2004 when 21 Newport-Mesa folks united their travel plans and headed for a week in a villa in Panzano, Chianti, Italy.

The group included Billy and Patti O’Desky, Robert and Sandy Weiner as well as members from the Nelson, Lawler and D’Ippolito families. To prepare for the journey the group decided a full year in advance to study Italian and to gather at least once a month in full force to get to know each other better.

It was the beginning of what has become an ongoing adventure that will land these fortunate folks in Tuscany once again this summer.

Dinner at Club 33, although not Italian, was a kick-off celebration bringing everyone together at Walt’s tables to begin the 2009 planning and preparation for the journey to come. Sandy Weiner said, “Each December, after Christmas, Club 33 is our destination for a special get-together followed by at least one good ride on Splash Mountain. It is always better to go on Splash Mountain after dinner, otherwise you will be soaking wet at least through the first course.”

Tables in the Hunt Room were set for high school- and college-age family members to sit while most parents shared one large round table.

It was hard to judge who was having more fun as the laughter from either end of the room echoed in both directions.

The Disney dining room staff served a selection of starter courses including an exceptional Caesar salad and a choice of entrees that featured a chateaubriand worthy of a fine restaurant.

The crowd shared stories of childhood experiences at Newport-Mesa schools as well as the latest information from campuses on both coasts.

Aly O’Desky, a senior at Wellesley, shared dinner with boyfriend Dan Sachs, a recent Harvard grad, now working as an investment banker in Chicago. From the West Coast, Robert Weiner Jr., a USC grad and former Newport Harbor water polo varsity squad member, joined his brother Nathan, now attending UC San Diego and also a water polo star, with longtime girlfriend, Hillary Kargas.

Weiner siblings Jordan and Hannah, the youngest of the Weiner family now attending Newport Harbor, were also front and center.

Enjoying the gathering were Kellie Lawler with her father Michael Lawler. Charley O’Desky, a freshman at USC, joined Peter and Chase Hoyt and their mother Cari Hoyt. The Coldren family was represented by chic mother Brooke and dad Robert, with children Maclay and Spencer.

Jennifer and Peter Hurley were there with Tague and Brittany as well as Jim and Cathi Bledsoe with daughter Piper. Eric and Carrie D’Ippolito shared dinner with Blake, Lauren and Diane, and Rick Nelson joined family members Kristen, Ricky, Jimmy and Brooke, all representing Stanford.

Joining the Newport-Mesa crowd from Northern California was Joe Cappucio and son Kevin. As a dessert of crème brulée and Disney’s chocolate bombe, (which is the richest chocolate of chocolate desserts) was served, fireworks could be heard in the distance and the crowd ran to the tall French windows to get a look at the light show in the sky.

Then it was off to Splash Mountain to start 2009 in wet-and-wild style.

THE CROWD runs Thursdays and Saturdays.