Droves of power shoppers hit the stores yesterday for the mandatory day-after-Christmas retail extravaganza.

At Ala Moana Center people with gift cards, presents to exchange and others who simply cannot resist the call of the mall jammed the escalators, thronged the stores, crowded the plazas, grazed through the Food Court and milled about concourse kiosks. Everywhere you looked, people were cheek to jowl and shoulder to shoulder.

At some stores, the lines of people waiting to exchange gifts snaked out the doors.

At the Disney Store, a Honolulu mom who would only identify herself as Rose, because she was on a secret shopping mission with her daughters Peanut, 4, and Munchkin, 2, (not their real names — which will probably make their teenage years much happier) pursued the perfect Cinderella slippers.

Munchkin had scored a pair of dainty silver slippers adorned with Cinderella cameo portraits and transparent high heels that sparkled like neon signs.

Peanut was still trying on shoes, as, no doubt, were thousands of other young ladies at retail outlets all over O'ahu at that very moment.

Did the girls expect Prince Charming to show up that evening to make sure their slippers fit?

"Daddy is Prince Charming," Rose explained.

George and Donna Smalley of Wahiawä and their 4-year-old daughter Emma made a gift exchange at the Gymboree children's clothing store. Emma used her Christmas money from Grandpa and Grandma to buy a stunning purse that appeared to be the ideal accessory for her Christmas season ensemble.

She even got $5 in change to secret away in her new bag.

Emma whispered in her mother's ear and then Donna said that Emma found the purse especially appealing because it was "pink and sparkly ."

George said the family was "making a day of it" with lunch, shopping and a trip to Ala Moana Beach Park.

Many people said it was especially jolly that Dec. 26 fell on a Saturday this year, so the whole family could head for the mall.

Ryan Ouye's family of six came from Maui. He and daughter Raina, 7, were in the Lego store, which was filled with people. Managers said that many kids had gift cards and others were making exchanges — say a Racers package for a Star Wars.

Raina, who had received Maxi Dolls from Santa, was considering getting Lego supplies to build a doll house.

Victoria's Secret was offering a special on lingerie. The walls were adorned with slogans like "Love Pink" and "Bombshelle."

Justine Stevens of Kaimukí and May Caneso, a Hawai'i Pacific University nursing student, were deeply into browsing. Stevens wanted to swap a bathrobe that was the wrong size and Caneso wanted pink pajamas because "I sleep all day and they're so cute."

Yulee Kim of Hawai'i Kai, who had treated herself to a purse on sale, said she shopped before Christmas for presents for family and friends, and the day after Christmas for bargains for herself.

"You look for a good deal even if you don't need it," she said.

At the Fashion's Secret kiosk, Judith Bleiweiss, a sales rep from Israel, was demonstrating the 100 different styles of the amazing Magic Skirt, which was reversible and could be worn high, low, up to the neck or around the hips, tied in front; tied in back; over the shoulder; in a modest way or a "come hither way" and multiple other ways.

She sold it to Japanese tourist Kana Fukurotane, who said it was "very pretty."

There were people at the mall yesterday who were doing absolutely nothing. You could see them here and there in quiet nooks and crannies, babes snoozing in strollers guarded by dads snoozing in tandem close by.

Everyone seemed to be having a merry time.