Swing Dancing at the Disneyland Resort

Swing Dancing at the Disneyland Resort

AS I’ve shared before Swing Dancing has been a part of Disneyland since 1958. There was a stage dedicated to hosting Jazz Bands with a dance floor for the guests to dance on. Walt and Lillian danced there and enjoyed listening to some of the Jazz greats of history.

The Carnation Gardens stage and dance floor next to the castle are gone and the area is being rethemed for a princess meet and greet during the days. A bandstand and dance floor will be installed in the area and the dancing will return to inside the park spring of 2013.

For now the dancers gather in Downtown Disney from 6 pm to 10 pm and dance Saturday nights away. Disney provides the stage, the band and dance floor and all are welcome to swing. In between sets there is a group dance lesson and all are welcome to give it a try. Seasoned dancers gladly offer to help those that need and partner up with those that need a partner. People gather early and bring folding camp chairs to sit in as they watch and rest between dances. It is a jovial and friendly atmosphere.

Last Saturday night we joined the dancers for 50's themed night. We thoroughly enjoyed trying to dance even if we were not quite able to do it up to speed. We got lots of support and encouragement from the experienced dancers and those that just come to watch.

To be honest the dance floor was so crowded we spent most of the time we danced off behind those watching the fun or resting from dancing. Yes we felt self-conscious but the reason for stepping back was more because we did not have room to move on the dance floor.

It was fun to see mothers and fathers on the floor with their young children. Some knew the moves and others were just doing what they wanted moving to the music and showing their children how to just have fun. I’m glad that Disney kept the tradition of having Swing Dancing at the Disneyland Resort.

Besides the Friday and Saturday in Downtown Disney there is the Ellis Island Boys and other band around the parks to dance to. Not all the bands are listed on the Disneyland website entertainment schedule so you need to look them up other ways.

If you want to know more about the Disneyland Dance there are two Facebook pages that I have found that help with knowing what bands are playing when.

Downtown Disney Swing

(only has info on DTD)

https://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/DowntownDisneySwing

Disney Resort Dance Band Schedule

(Covers danceable bands in both parks and DTD)

https://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/Disney-Resort-Dance-Band-Schedule/287783243272

Ellis Island Boys

(They play in DCA. Just the EIBs information)

https://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/Ellis-Island-Boys/335140316497998

Sligo Rags

(They play in DCA. Not Swig but still fun! Celtic/Irish music that some clog to)

https://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/sligo.rags

The Ellis Island Boys and Dancing around Disneyland Resort

The Ellis Island Boys and

Dancing around Disneyland Resort

Ok the weekend is here! It is a nice long one as well. So what can you do at Disneyland Resort this long and beautiful weekend? How about Dancing!!!!!

There are bands all around the parks and many of them are fun to dance too. Because my husband and I are learning to Shag Dance (Shag is a slower less athletic form of swing) we enjoy the Jazz bands. A group of guests come together on Saturday nights to dance in Downtown Disney to the bands that Disney puts there for them. These fellow guests are always more than happy to show you how to dance if you don’t know how.

One of the bands that is a special joy to us plays at the Paradise Gardens Band Stand in DCA. The Ellis Island Boys is a four piece jazz band that plays 1920-1930s jazz. This band has such amazing ability and is very engaging. They reach out to the guests and make you feel part of the show.

If you get up to dance while listening to the Ellis Island Boys it will not go unnoticed nor be unappreciated by the band. If you are learning to dance and they notice you need a slower song the next song will be slower for you.

EIB will even stop during a show to pose for pictures. Sometimes if they notice people trying to take a picture of they will pose for the shot. Ralf and John (the Reynolds Brothers) are big hams, especially Ralf on his washboard.

Here is video from the last time we watched and danced to the EIB.

Here is there Facebook Page.

https://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/Ellis-Island-Boys/335140316497998

The bands real name is Reynolds Brothers Rhythm Rascals. Here is there website.

http://www.reynoldsbrothers.net/

So the next time you are at DCA and you see a crazy couple stepping on each other’s toes while they attempt to dance to the music of the Ellis Island Boys say hi and join the fun!

A Few Smiles and Laughts in a Day Full of Tears

A Few Smiles and Laughs in a Day Full of Tears

Kenny and Peg visiting with Pooh!

I know I keep talking about how Disney Parks are a healing place. I’m going to take this post to share something that just happened.

August 3^rd my nephew Ken lost his blessedly short battle with cancer. He was 45 years old. Ken was a very special person with a love of people, especially his family, an active life and Disney. He loved to make people laugh and good things happen. An example of his love of family and Disney is what he did when his granddaughter was born. Lilly was just a few days old when proud papa Ken and Grandma Peg were asked to babysit. Ken took Peg and Lilly to Downtown Disney for dinner. Kenny knew that Peg had left her Disneyland pass at home but he had his. He took Lilly and ran into the park and took pictures with his phone. He then text messaged it to family and friends bragging about how he was the first to take Lilly to Disneyland. They just went into the gate and came right back out but that was enough for him to stake that claim. How proud he was of that day and every other time he took her to the park. (My husband and I wonder if Kenny planned for Peg’s pass to be ‘accidently’ left at home. This fits his style of humor.) Lilly is now 3 years old and missing her Papa. Kenny water skied and raced boats. Lilly says Hi to her papa and asks if he is having fun racing his boat in heaven.

Even before Lilly was born there was a long history of visits with family to the park. Not only did he grow up within 15 minutes of the park and go often with his parents, he with often with his grandpa. My dad was old and disabled and wanted to find happiness he would go to Disneyland/ Kenny came and joined him and the rest of the family. Kenny was an active guy but he would sit and watch the Swing Dancers at the Carnation Gardens Stage with his grandpa. Those memories are special to all of us. We also had a family trip to WDW and the Disney Cruise in 2005. Kenny played peace keeper and did all he could to make everybody smile.

Thursday, August 9^th was Kenny’s funeral. In truth it was a celebration of his life. People shared their memories of how he made them laugh. We were reminded that if he saw all the sad faces at the service he would look around with his arms outstretched saying “What did I do?” I know he would have pulled some type of joke to get us laughing. He would tell us not to be sad for him.

After hours of sitting in the chapel, graveside and the reception my husband and I were in need of a time of healing and a laugh or two. When everything was done and people left we decided since we were near Disneyland and our passes were with us we would stop by for an hour or two. We wanted to do something Kenny would have enjoyed. We wanted to go listen to some jazz and maybe dance. We went to Disney California Adventure because the Carnation Plaza Garden is no more. Also the Swing Band and Dancers are not there on Thursdays, they are only there on the weekends. We hoped our favorite Jazz band would be a DCA’s Plaza Gardens Band Stand, they were!

The Ellis Island Boys were playing. Ralf is funny and plays washboard. He loves to make people laugh and has been doing so at Disneyland and Disney World for over 30 years in various bands! This band plays 1920 and 30 jazz standards. Many times when they play the swing dancers that usually come on the weekends will come and dance to their music. None of the dancers were there but we got up and danced a couple of songs. The first was too fast for us, we are just learning how to dance the Shag. Ralf noticed we were trying and laughing as we stepped on each other’s feet and offered to play a slower song next.

After listening to the Ellis Island Boys we went and had dinner at Flo’s. How neat it was to sit in Cars Land, an area Kenny had not seen, he got too sick to go just as it opened to go. We knew he would have loved that area as he was into fast cars (anything that moved and the faster the better really) and traveling.

Our couple of hours at Disney helped the healing process. It helped us put into perspective the loss. We can now put some good memories with the sad ones of saying good bye to Kenny. Thank you again Disney and Ellis Island Boys for helping us heal.

Changes at Disney California Adventure

Changes at Disney California Adventure

Excitement builds for all the changes at DCA. For the past couple of years there have been many changes at DCA Rides have been closed and rethemed. Some rides have been taken out altogether. The entire feel of the park is changing.

Before the changes DCA was a mix of themed areas. There was Condor Flats with its aerospace inspired feel. Hollywood Backlot with its salute to all things Hollywood past and present. Bugs land was/is the Fantasyland of DCA. Bountiful Valley had a fantastic farm feel that allowed kids to explore and learn about agroculture.

Now DCA is pulling the entire park together in one overall theme. DCA is taking a step backward in time and from its entrance area of Buena Vista Street to the back of the parks Paradise Pier the feel is retro 1920-40s.

At the entrance you will find the Storytellers Statue of a young Walt and Mickey. The statue shows the enthusiasm and excitement Walt felt when he first arrived in Hollywood, Ca in 1928. Hollywood Land will have the Red Car Trolley as did Hollywood of the 40s. Many of the rides in the rest of the park harken back to the pier rides of the 1920-40s. Even the Screamer’ has the look and feeling of an old time wooden coaster. Carsland is all about the old rout 66 and will have the feel of years past.

Even the bands that play at the Paradise Gardens Band Stand are old school. There is the Ellis Island Boys with their classic Jazz. Sligo Rags has an Irish/Celtic selection that once again plays back to the 30-40s. Even the Swing Dancers that use to dance Friday and Saturday nights at the now closed Carnation Gardens come over to DCA to dance as do some Irish Folk dancers.

I can hardly wait until the transformation is finally completed in June. I am excited to see the entire park transformed and Carsland opened.