First of all, a Millennium Moment of Perspective. Most of the world does not adopt our calendar, customs or culture. So for them, New Year’s Eve 2000 will be just another Friday night of championship wrestling (if they get cable), fasting, feasting or fighting. For us, it can be not only all of the above, but much more, provided we can find a table — and our wallets.
    A quick trip around the Web reveals that for the species Party-us Maximus, 2000 isn’t a date, it’s a price tag. But, for Y2K Wacko Survivalists who will gather around their shortwave radios to listen to Art Bell on KOGO, it may be K-rations and candles. And the question is: Where do we fit in this Cosmic Celebration Continuum at the End of the Century?
    Let's assume that the world (or at least the world that recognizes the year 2000) is divided into two groups: those who want to make as much noise as possible and those who want to be as far away as possible from those making the noise. According to recent Associated Press dispatches, New York police estimate as many as two million bodies could pack into Times Square this New Year’s Eve — forget 2,000 flushes, how about 2,000 deodorants? The New York police have suggested that Broadway theaters be shut down for the evening, because the theater crowd adds another 40,000 to the equation.
    Feeling claustrophobic yet? If so, take a deep breath and relax because, unless 2 million Noo Yawkers is your idea of a good time, San Diego’s hospitality industry is promising that New Year’s 2000 should be a comparative breeze. Of course, we have the added benefit of being able to toast the East Coast at 9 and the West Coast at midnight.
    But at what cost? The prevailing sentiment among San Diego restaurant owners is yes, they're out to turn a buck, but not at the risk of 2,000 years of customer resentment.
    "We want to be full and we want to be fair," says Mike Morton, president of the Brigantine Restaurant Group. "(The) $300-a-person (menu) is not in our league; we don’t want to get them in December and not the rest of the year. We’re not going to get overly aggressive and shoot ourselves in the foot." Like many restaurants around town, the Brigantines are taking a wait-and-see approach as to what they will charge on Dec. 31 and have put off taking reservations until this month.
    Morton's competition also seeks to dispel the notion that restaurants will use the millennium as an excuse to gouge the partying public. "It’s important to note that people tend to remember these things," says David Cohn, president of the Cohn Restaurant Group that includes the Corvette Diner and Hang 10 Brewery. "We’re not going to gouge. We’re trying to decide if we’re going to have the regular menu or a special menu. I think places that go crazy are going to find it’s gonna be a bust for them."
    While the rest of us pursue merriment, the hospitality industry may be reaching for the large bottle of Tums. In addition to pricing concerns, party planners are looking at possible shortages of labor, champagne, even confetti. And the unknown perils of the dreaded Y2K. Some of this is overblown. "There's enough champagne in California and France for a couple of millenniums," Cohn says. "But we did stock up on some of the better vintages."
    Hotels are not only stocking up on the better bubbly, but coordinating parties and rooms with New Year’s 2000 packages that cover the landscape. At the Hyatt La Jolla, Janice Baldridge answers to the title of "Person In Charge of New Year’s Eve," a perk not even granted to Dick Clark.
    "It’s going nuts," says Baldridge. La Jolla's Hyatt still has limited availability on three-night room packages at $799, which includes two tickets to a party (close to 50 percent sold out) that includes five different performances and a 16-story "ball drop," but without the 2 million friends and neighbors expected in Times Square. The Hyatt won’t be serving dinner, and only party guests can make reservations at the four restaurants in the Hyatt complex.
    At the U.S. Grant, a three-night package runs $525; to attend the party costs an additional $100 a person. Dinner at the Grant Grill is expected to run $75 a person for a five-course meal, says Norma Wilt, director of sales and marketing.
    The Hyatt Regency San Diego is offering a two-night stay featuring dinner at the so-fine Sally's and a "great brunch" for $1,799 a couple; or a two-night ballroom package for $1,499, which also includes New Year’s Day brunch.
    Rob Cameron, the Downtown property's director of sales and marketing, says his Hyatt is building flexibility into its planning. "We’ve had a couple of international groups looking to stay three or four nights and we’re getting inquiries about a party package where you don’t stay over. There is definitely earlier interest than on other New Year’s Eves. There are those who want to party and others taking a wait-and-see attitude. We don’t want to stay too strict because there are a lot of different circumstances out there."
    Flexibility also is the watchword at the Four Seasons Resort Aviara. Amy Johnston, the resort's director of public relations, reports no room rate markup for New Year’s Eve. Parties and dinners will be sold separately, with dinner and party reservations for non-guests available on Sept. 30. Johnston says response has been great to the Aviara's four-night minimum room packages, with rates starting at $335 per night; the resort is more than 50 percent booked.
    Further inland, the Rancho Bernardo Inn offers a four-night extravaganza, featuring a 1960s rock 'n' roll bash, a Roaring '20s party, a "swing into the millennium glow ball" golf tournament and a "welcome gift to prepare you for the turn of the century." Total package price: $3,192.
    For those planning private parties, the millennium presents special challenges. "In the next few months, it’s going to start to get crazy," says Michael McCafferty, senior vice president for special events at Raphael's Party Rentals. "All of our subvendors are demanding heavy deposits." Everyday party items like space heaters and dance floors could be in short supply. Like a checklist for a camping trip, McCafferty ticks off items that need to be tied down well in advance of the big date, but with a "been there, done that" confidence. "Confetti launchers, the confetti itself — a champagne shortage? That depends on whether or not we want to believe that from the champagne vendors."
    And what about Y2K? "No one thinks the world is going to come to an end, but when we do large shows we recommend bringing in generators," says McCafferty. "Private homes sometimes don’t have enough power."
    Another concern for party planners is making sure there are enough employees, and this is a delicate question. Managers of resorts and restaurants report they've told their staffs it’s all hands on deck with the promise of a later party of their own. But for freelancers, New Year’s 2000 means a party at premium hourly rates. McCafferty says he's heard of bartenders who generally charge $15 an hour seeking $60, DJs who normally get $500 an evening looking at, well, $2,000 and musical groups who book for $2,000 looking for $15,000. As the O'Jays once sang: "Money, money, money, money."
    Oh, one more thing: trucks. Raphael's has a fleet of 18 trucks, but "trucks could be a problem for others," says McCafferty. "People tend to move at the end of the month."
    How twisted is that? It says "The End of the Century Moving Party," for those with really good friends.