Archive for the ‘Disney Entertainment’ Category

With dazzling colors and dizzying performances, Cirque du Soleil’s La Nouba is a standout for visitors of all ages.  Difficult to describe yet impossible to forget, this extraordinary show combines music, dance, acting, and acrobatics with brilliant costuming, for a production that is breathtaking and unique.

If you don’t already have tickets for your upcoming visit, you’ll be paying higher prices for all regular season seats beginning September 28, 2010.  Costs will range from $75.62 to $132.06 for adults, and $60.71 to $105.44 for children ages 3 to 9.  The two higher categories, Front and Center, and Category 1, reflect an increase of $5.00 for adult tickets and $2.00 for children.  The price will be raised $2.00 for adults and $1.00 for children on seats in Category 2 and Category 3.  No changes have been planned for holiday pricing which runs from December 21, 2010 to January 1, 2011.

In February of this year, La Nouba added the amazing juggling routines of Anthony Gatto, and a new rope-skipping segment became part of the show in July.

The menu features fried chicken and barbequed ribs, but the comedy is pure corn at the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue.

The Pioneer Hall Players entertain the audience in the rustic Pioneer Hall, located at Disney’s Fort Wilderness.  It’s a wonderful recreation of an old-time dance hall with red velvet curtains, wooden walls, and “kerosene” lanterns. The six members of this talented troupe offer up lots of slapstick humor and silly banter which keep everyone laughing.  It’s a washboard-strummin’ good time for all ages, with song and dance, music and merriment.  A piano and banjo add to the folksy flavor.

Dinner is filling and fun, served family style from buckets and bowls, with plenty of refills.  Tossed salad and cornbread, mashed potatoes, corn-on-the-cob and baked beans, and strawberry shortcake served with verve, round out the meal which also includes a variety of beverages: soft drinks, juices, coffee and tea, milk and lemonade, as well as wine and beer.

Tickets are available for pick-up at the Lobby Concierge seven days prior to show date. Guests staying in suites and concierge-level accommodations can arrange for their tickets through the concierge staff.  Early pick-up allows guests to confirm seating times and learn of any changes in the check-in procedure.  Tickets may also be picked up at the show box office.  Plan to arrive at least 40 minutes before show time for box office pick-up.

Guests who are NOT on a dining plan are required to pay in full at the time of booking and must call 407-939-3463 (407-WDW-DINE) to cancel at least 48 hours prior to the reservation to avoid losing the deposit.   For guests using any of the Magic Your Way plans that include dining, the reservation is guaranteed with a credit card.  While not charged in advance, if they do not cancel and do not show up, the credit card will be charged for the full value of the tickets reserved.  The Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue uses two table-service credits.  Prices include tax and gratuity.

Boat transportation is available from the Magic Kingdom to Ft. Wilderness, and Pioneer Hall is a short walk from the dock.  Guests may choose to take bus transportation from any Disney resort to any theme park or Downtown Disney, then transfer to a bus for the Ft. Wilderness Resort.  Boat transportation is also available from Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.

The show, approximately two hours long, is performed three times each night at 5:00 p.m., 7:15 p.m., and 9:30 p.m.  There are three different seating categories:

Category 1 seating is on the first-floor level with tables right in the middle of all the activity.

Category 2 seating is located behind Category 1 on the first floor, or in the middle section of the balcony which faces the stage.  Some of the Category 2 tables at the very back are high-top with bar-stool-height chairs.  While they do allow diners to see over the tables in front, they may not be as comfortable for all guests.

Category 3 tables are located on the right hand side or left hand side of the balcony on the second floor.

Note: Guests seated in Category 2 or 3 areas may be required to ascend one flight of stairs.

Only Categories 2 and 3 are available using a Disney Dining Plan for the 5:00 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. shows.  Category 1 is also available for the 9:30 p.m. show only.

One great thing about this production is that the actors make an effort to engage the entire audience, often walking to the middle and back of the main floor and shouting up to tables in the balcony, including everyone in the fun.  There really are no “bad” tables at the Hoop Dee Doo.

Be warned that this is an “interactive” experience and those catching the eye of a cowboy or dance hall girl might just find themselves part of the show!

The best seats go to those who book early, so plan to make a reservation as soon as the 120-day window opens.

 

Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue

Disney’s Fort Wilderness, Pioneer Hall

Nightly 5:00 p.m., 7:15 p.m., 9:30 p.m.

Approximately 2 hours

Adults $52.99 to $61.99

Children ages 3 to 9 $26.99 to $31.99

You’ll often hear their stirring sounds before you spot them moving in formation toward the front of the American Pavilion.  Marching out in uniforms of brilliant red and blue, the four musicians and flag-bearer of the Spirit of America Fife & Drum  Corps provide a patriotic interlude at the head of the World Showcase in EPCOT.

They will invite visitors to remember our serviceman, to join them in singing a patriotic song, and to enter the building for a performance of the American Adventure.

Playing a medley of marches, military music, and American favorites, the Corps is an unexpected surprise that lends an authentic period touch several times daily.

Planning a visit to Walt Disney World this summer?  There are lots of amazing surprises in store as Disney launches Summer Nightastic!  The most exciting news is the return of the Main Street Electrical Parade.  Arriving in June of 2010 for a limited engagement, this wondrous parade returns with magical enhancements including a brand new lead float featuring Tinker Bell.

The original “light parade,” the Main Street Electrical Parade in Disneyland, was modeled on Walt Disney World’s Electrical Water Pageant which remains one of the World’s best-loved attractions, nearly forty years after its debut in October of 1971.

Initially, some of the floats that made up the Main Street Electrical Parade had flat screens mounted on platforms, much like the screens mounted on the barges of the Electrical Water Pageant.  Over the years, the light parades have undergone many changes – moving from park to park; being copied for one park from another; renamed, replaced, reincarnated.

SpectroMagic has enjoyed two long runs in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World; a second version of the Main Street Electrical Parade also ran in the Magic Kingdom for a number of years before moving to Disneyland Paris, and the original Disneyland parade was featured there briefly during the Millennium celebration.  Dreamlights, Fantillusion, Light Magic; none had the staying power of the Main Street Electrical Parade which finally returned to Disney’s California Adventure as Disney’s Electrical Parade in 2001.  Since then, there have been upgrades and additions which combine new themes and technology with the classic feel of the original.

In addition to the new parade, guests will be treated to a spectacular summer fireworks show, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is receiving a special effects makeover, and there are more new entertainment features yet to be announced.  Stay tuned!

Finding Nemo – the Musical weaves puppetry, song, movement, and brilliantly-colored costumes into a unique and engaging retelling of this charming story about the little clownfish and his devoted dad.

The audience reconnects with many favorite characters from the wonderful animated film, Finding Nemo, including Marlin and Dory, Crush, Gill, Bruce, Nigel, even Mr. Ray; represented by fantastic, oversized puppets gliding across the stage.  The set is enhanced by video and special lighting effects that create the undersea environment for a truly “immersive” experience.

The long lines can be avoided by having lunch at Tusker House between 1:00 p.m. and 1:40 p.m.  Diners receive a ticket for excellent reserved seating in the front of the theater for the 3:15 p.m. show.

Finding Nemo – The Musical

Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Theater in the Wild

Approximately 30 minutes

Wheelchair and ECV accessible

Assistive listening and reflective captioning devices available

Park admission required

A feel-good repertoire of old-time favorites and classic Disney tunes; snappy red and white uniforms; unflagging enthusiasm in all kinds of weather; The Main Street Philharmonic brings its distinctive small-town-America vibe right down the middle of Main Street U.S.A.

Offering a unique brand of fanfare and fun, the twelve-piece ensemble features trumpets, trombones, and tuba; percussion, and a lot of personality.

As one of several 20-minute shows daily, guests assembling for the afternoon parade are often treated to a rousing performance in front of the train station.   At 5:00 p.m., the musicians play a medley of patriotic songs as they march proudly out to meet the honor guard for the nightly Flag Retreat.

The Magic Kingdom is setting the stage for a new holiday show, A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas, scheduled to be up and dancing for its debut during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.  Appearing on the Rockettower Plaza Stage, the interactive musical revue will feature the faces of Tomorrowland:  Stitch, Buzz Lightyear, and Mike Wazowski.

Many were hoping that Mickey’s Twas the Night Before Christmas Show, which lost its home when the Galaxy Palace Theater was demolished, would reappear on the Rockettower Plaza Stage, but the announcement of this new production seems to confirm the demise of that much-loved show.

Rehearsals start on November 2^nd and visitors staying at the Magic Kingdom resorts may be able to get an early preview of the music.  The rehearsal schedule for new shows and parades typically runs well into the early-morning hours. Guests of the resorts around the Seven Seas Lagoon can often step out onto their balconies in the wee hours and hear the sounds of music coming from the Magic Kingdom as cast members run through the productions.

When I was small, our family spent summer vacations in Nova Scotia.  We traveled on the M.V. Bluenose and as our mighty ship (read tiny ferry frequently tossed about by ferocious Fundy waters) pulled into Yarmouth Harbour, we were greeted by the sound that announced our stay had truly begun – the bagpipes played by a musician dressed in the proud plaid of Nova Scotia.

You can imagine my delight to find a similarly-kilted piper standing on the special stage reserved for Disney’s favored sons – Off Kilter.

They define the phrase in more ways than one.  Yes, they are unconventional and a bit eccentric; how else to describe rock music with a bagpipe vibe.  But, in keeping with the Celtic influences in their music, they also wear dashing tartans; the red of the Stuarts and Nova Scotia blue.

Piper Jamie Holton had already been featured as a performer at both Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland when he conceived the notion of a band with a unique sound that would draw from the traditional and the modern; the expected and unexpected; the music of many cultures.   He brought together a group of talented musicians who were equally as enthusiastic about the idea (nary a Stewart nor a Nova Scotian amongst them!), and Off Kilter was born.

Supported by many long-time fans, Off Kilter attracts new ones daily with performances near the Canada Pavilion in EPCOT.  Grab a seat early and prepare to be entertained!

Off Kilter

EPCOT World Showcase

Currently daily 2:30, 3:30, 5:30 6:30, 7:30 p.m.; check Times Guide

30 minutes

Park admission required

If you’re fortunate enough to be in the Magic Kingdom first thing in the morning, you might catch the Dapper Dans jumping off the Main Street Trolley for the first of their nine daily performances.  They stroll up and down Main Street U.S.A., in and out of shops, and, of course, spend time at the Harmony Barbershop.  Each day at 5:00 p.m., they join the Main Street Philharmonic for the Flag Retreat.

In Disneyland, the Dans have been a fixture since 1959 and are often seen on a classic Schwinn four-seater bicycle, specially commissioned years ago by Walt Disney.  They also roam by byways of Hong Kong Disneyland, delighting guests with their four-part harmonies.

The Dapper Dans entertain the crowds with a lively mix of song, dance, and comedy, featuring the vintage charms of the unique and melodious Deagan Organ Chimes.  Look for their striped vests, colorful hatbands, elegant sleeve garters, and the occasional well-waxed handlebar mustache, the next time you visit the parks!

With a repertoire that includes everything from Gershwin, Porter, and Ellington to the themes of the modern Disney princesses, The Grand Floridian Society Orchestra is the whipped cream on the gingerbread of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa.

Joplin, jazz, Basie, and big-band swing; the beautiful lobby seems more alive after 4:00 p.m. when the musicians take their places and fill the air with music, inviting visitors to sit and listen.  Those fortunate enough to be staying in the main building can relax in the Royal Palm Club lounge which opens onto the scene below and is the perfect spot for sipping champagne and enjoying this talented ensemble.

When the performance is over, it would be difficult to imagine a concert audience simply turning to chat with friends or standing and leaving the hall, yet this is the unfortunate reality for the Orchestra.  It always takes the determined applause of one or two appreciative guests to make people realize that they deserve this simple recognition for adding so much to the ambiance of this lovely resort.