NAHEIM, Calif. - Mia Hamm gave Mickey Mouse a bear hug and kissed him on the cheek.
Briana Scurry stood in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle and hoisted the Women's World Cup trophy high in the air.
Kate Sobrero never stopped smiling.
As if they hadn't already penned a storybook ending with their dramatic victory over China in the Cup championship game Saturday, players from the US women's soccer team yesterday did what all major sports champions now seem preordained to do: They went to Disneyland.
''This has been a fantasy,'' said Brandi Chastain, a gold medal draped around her neck. ''Disneyland is the perfect place for fantasies.''
But the Magic Kingdom wasn't the only stop as the team began a prolonged magical victory tour. After a brief stay at Disneyland that didn't include time to enjoy the rides, the team traveled 29 miles north to the Los Angeles Convention Center, where it held a raucous rally for hundreds of adoring fans. Then the team headed to the airport for an evening flight to New York City.
Rest assured, you will see plenty of this team in the immediate future. It will give the country a wake-up call this morning during a segment taped at Disneyland for ''Good Morning America'' before appearing live on ''The Today Show'' as well as programming for CNN and Fox. Also expect to see the team gracing the covers of this week's Time, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, and People magazines.
Indeed, Chastain said she couldn't even begin to comprehend the scope of the victory. ''I think it's too great right now to really define what it all means because we haven't had enough time away from it to really see the impact,'' she said. ''But just to see [the fans] at Disneyland and the people who have been following us around at the hotels, it's really impacted more people's lives than we could imagine.
''We heard we got a rating of 13 on the TV and that more than one billion people were watching worldwide. That just blows my mind.''
At Disneyland, the team rode on two floats and waved to fans in a parade down Main Street. It was introduced at Sleeping Beauty Castle, where Disney officials presented captains Julie Foudy and Carla Overbeck with a crystal castle. Players raised their index fingers to signify No.1, while fans waved miniature American flags and roared their approval.
''I feel like a celebrity,'' said Scurry. ''Right now we're just basking in the World Cup victory, and it's unbelievable how much people have supported us.''
