Tucked into an unassuming corner of Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel at the Disneyland Resort, Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Tea is just that: practically perfect. However, when resort hotel telephone operators stopped taking reservations past March 31 of this year, rumors began to circulate that this little- known but beloved experience would be shuttered for good.

The good news is that Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Tea is not closing in April. The bad news, however, is that as Mary indicated in the movie, the wind may have changed! She may be leaving, as the tea is now scheduled to close at the end of August.

Although Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Tea has been a regular feature at the Paradise Pier Hotel for several years, most people are unfamiliar with it because the resort neither advertises nor markets it heavily.

Located on the second floor of the hotel, Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Tea is accessible either by a short staircase or via elevator nearby.

Before visitors even enter the tearoom, they are greeted with a display case with various souvenirs such as teapots, spoon rests, tea, books about tea, and a Practically Perfect Tea pin.

When the doors open, a cast member greets those awaiting, who are then shown to their table. The tearoom has two distinctive looks to it, with bright wicker chairs and couches surround glass top tables in a garden setting on one side (shown below), and a Victorian theme of chaise lounges, high back upholstered chairs, and wooden dining chairs in deep red tones and darkly stained wood on the other (above).

As people are seated, they will notice a plate on their tables with a mini ˇclair and a scone shaped like a Mickey Mouse head. The "ears" are filled with jam, and the head piped is with clotted cream. Visitors are then shown their menus, which list the tea options.

Like all the service at Practically Perfect Tea, the china teapots that the tea is served in are painted with pink roses. Before long, a cast member announces the arrival of the practically perfect hostess, Mary Poppins herself.

Dressed in her traveling costume, Mary sings "Spoonful of Sugar," while shaking hands with everyone at every table in the room. Mary then returns to each table to chat with them. Although many are adult women, Practically Perfect Tea is popular among both men and women, of all age groups.

During the second course of four tea sandwiches and a tea cup of cream of mushroom soup, Mary entertains everyone once again with "Chim-chim-cherree" in honor of her friend Bert. After a quick change in outfits, she returns wearing the lovely full "Jolly Holiday" dress accompanied by servers carrying plates of sweets for everyone.

As everyone enjoys their sweets, Mary invites individual tables to join her in a corner of the room set up for a photo opportunity (above). Mary and one of the cast members adorns her visitors with hats and feather boas and groups sit on or around a lovely couch while the cast member use their cameras to take photos of them with Mary.

During the photo sessions, Mary encourages everyone to join in for the familiar tune, "Supercalifragilisticexpealidocious!" She even provides words on the menus for those who might not know them.

Mary has a lovely singing voice, a charming manner, and the cast members who serve the tea are attentive and friendly. Mary seems to understand equally well when mothers confide that they have left their children at home for a break, when little girls giggle and ask for her autograph, or when adults confess that they are very much children at heart.

The tea also seems to have a very stable staff at this event, and the service is prompt, with servers covering the entire dining room. Although it had been a year since my last visit, I recognized faces from more than one previous visit. In fact, Mary Poppins has been portrayed by the same person on all my visits but one: the Mary I met on a recent Sunday (below) was the same Mary I spoke with during my first visit in 1996.

Although Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Tea is often fully booked, you may still try for reservations for two with five days' notice. Cast members report that weekends are busier than weekdays. The Adult tea costs $22.50 and children's tea is $13.50. For this price, visitors enjoy a two-hour tea experience with food, entertainment, and personal attention. I usually expect to pay a little more for a similar experience at Disneyland and I feel that the price for this event is very fair. Little girls, whose parents might not choose to purchase several tickets to Disneyland, can take ten friends to tea with Mary as a very affordable alternative.

It would be sad to see this experience leave the Disneyland Resort. I have visited a number of times with a variety of people that include large groups of men and women, small gatherings of lady friends, and cozy teas with one good friend. And although the dining room setting in the Paradise Pier Hotel is quaint, charming, and perfectly suited for this event, if management is dissatisfied with the current location, they should consider moving it to a more prominent location rather than close it entirely.