On Friday, December 7 at 6 o’clock sharp a massive group of people arrived at the Disneyland Hotel. Some were dressed in full-length prom gowns with puffed skirts bustling, while others opted for more sleek cocktail attire. Men in a variety of ties and bowties, with the occasional bolo tie thrown in for good measure accompanied them. Bowler hats, ten-gallon hats, capes, corsets, and the odd fuzzy santa hat were also seen, as were a good number of video game shirts. The Blizzard crowd had arrived to celebrate their annual company Christmas party.

The Blizzard Christmas party, traditionally held at the Disneyland Hotel, is always a huge hit. Last year ice sculptures were the stand-out feature to treat the guests. This year something a little different was done. The party is usually held twice; once for the customer service workers (Game Masters and their brethren) while another is held for the rest of the company. In the past this has left the two groups with a feeling of separation that doesn’t follow with the Christmas spirit. This year the two groups were mixed together in one large bash, which emphasized the combining of forces that had also taken place with the consolidation the company made into one large complex just a week ago. The result was a ballroom full of people who were happy to party with their friends from different departments, and a chance to mingle with some of the more higher-placed company employees.

Though it was pretty chilly outside, my date and I got into the ballroom fairly quickly. The room, being close to the front entrance, was fairly easy to spot and we simply followed the snazzily dressed folk until we got our bearings. Between the two of us we were able to spot some friends fairly quickly and grabbed a table by the bar, bathroom, and front entrance for convenience. It was lucky we did, as there was only one bathroom for the entire party, and this later resulted in a huge line of people waiting to use the limited facilities. After setting our things down and grabbing a drink, we were all set to mingle and catch up with familiar faces. Some of the more technologically advanced people brought out their Nintendo DS and games to pass away time until dinner was served. I admired the party favors (heavy glass ornaments in the shape of a snowflake and embellished with a frosted Blizzard logo) and chatted with old co-workers and friends from the company.

Cocktail hour was from 6pm to 7:30pm and guests were free to trade their drink tickets in for an array of standard bar drinks from the stands on the edges of the room. Though some of the staff were not able to get their drink tickets until sometime after the party started, causing some confusion, in the end everyone was happy and far from thirsty. At approximately 7:30 baskets of bread rolls and crackers were set out for the guests (complete with little pats of butter shaped like roses, which somewhat resembled hotel soaps) soon followed by salads of greens with raspberries, candied walnuts, and blue cheese crumbles. The main course was a plate of roast chicken, a cut of steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, and steamed vegetables. The leisurely dinner was followed by coffee and dessert, which turned out to be a chocolate mousse creation with chocolate cake and pomegranate seeds. Overall it was a delicious and surprisingly light meal. The gentleman seated next to me, one of my date’s friends, informed me that this was the same meal that was served last year. That means they lose points on creativity, but why bother messing with a meal that works?

During dessert Mike Morheim climbed up on stage to give a speech welcoming the guests and giving a short breakdown on the recent developments concerning the Blizzard-Activision merger and the move to new facilities. He followed this up with a presentation commemorating the hard-working employees who have been there for five, ten, and fifteen years. At five years the employees receive a collectible broadsword to reward their commitment to the company, and a sample one was on display for everyone to check out. Ten-year veterans receive a shield, and at fifteen years, a select few have received a ring as a reward for service. Each employee honored in this way was called up to greet Mike Morheim and a selection of the company officials to the applause of the crowd. Although the popular rumor is that eventually one receives a full set of armor for their long-time employment, no one has yet reached the length of time necessary to have acquired all the pieces to prove this. The ceremony is held quarterly for the Blizzard staff, though this is by far the fanciest one of the year.