One of my favorite performances at EPCOT is the Voices of Liberty in the American Adventure. The sound of this a capella choir singing under the rotunda is incredible. Here's a behind-the-scenes look at the choir, its beginnings, and the performance they planned for the 250th anniversary of the United States.
One of the most amazing animatronic shows at Disney World is "The American Adventure" in EPCOT. It tells the story of America with multiple scenes and figures from history. This video gives a behind-the-scenes look at the Imagineering that goes into such an incredible show.
One of my favorite performances to watch every Independence Day is A Capitol Fourth on PBS. Featuring popular singers both past and present, Jack Everly conducting the National Symphony Orchestra, and, of course, fireworks, there's something for everyone. This year will look a little bit different. The show will air a night early on July 3rd, and the fireworks will be over George Washington's Mount Vernon instead of DC.
You can watch A Capitol Fourth on PBS at 8/7C on July 3rd. Most stations repeat the broadcast immediately following the first. It can also be watched live on YouTube.
The Carousel of Progress is one of the classic shows at Disney World. The attraction made its debut at the 1964-65 New York World's Fair. It was a passion project of Walt Disney's that included a rotating theater and a song written by the Sherman brothers. The show included four scenes: the early 1900s, the 1920s, 1940s, and a futuristic finale.
It arrived in the Magic Kingdom in 1975, where it included a different song, "The Best Time Of Your Life". Over the years, the scenes have been updated and altered, especially the final scene which is a vision of the future. The last major update was in 1994, when the original song was restored, so Imagineers have decided it's time for a major refresh. But don't worry: John, Sarah, and the rest of the family won't be going anywhere, just experiencing a new timeline.
The show will close on July 6th and reopen sometime in 2027. An entirely new opening scene will be added, based on the 1964 TV special "Disneyland Goes to the World's Fair". It will include an Audio-Animatronic of Walt Disney himself. Imagineers have been recreating the room, filling it with props like a prototype Tiki Room bird and a doll from it's a small world.
Imagineers also plan to change the other scenes to reflect newer decades that guests may remember.
Act 1 1969 - The family is gathered around the TV to watch the moon landing.
Act 2 1985 - It's Halloween and Sarah gets the chance to show off the new gadgets that make life easier while John hands out candy. Uncle Orville is still in the bathroom with "no privacy around here!"
Act 3 1999 - The family is preparing for the new millennium on New Year's Eve and exploring that exciting new thing called the internet. Grandpa is already asleep and Grandma is watching wrestling.
Act 4 The Future - As always, this scene explores what the future may look like, with a robotic assistant and inspiration from the original sketches for the show.
It's going to be a long wait to experience this new version of the Carousel of Progress, but it sounds quite exciting. What new scene are you looking forward to most?
The birds of Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room in the Magic Kingdom are quite an exotic bunch. The showgirls on the Birdmobile are white cockatoos named Collette, Suzette, Mimi, Gigi, Fifi, and Josephine. Together with the other performers, they sing "Let's All Sing Like The Birdies Sing."
We watched the most amazing performance last night. Drum Tao, a group of incredible, acrobatic, Japanese musicians, put on what may be the most joyous performance I've ever seen. The performers truly enjoy creating their art and the Taiko drums are so powerful that they literally shake the building.
If you have the chance, you should definitely see them while they are on tour.
I've always loved live theatre, especially musicals. There's something magical about it. We saw "Kiss Me, Kate" at the Town Theatre in Columbia, SC last night and it was a lot of fun. The theatre is quite small, but charming, and the performance was delightful. I look forward to seeing their next show.
The Finding Nemomusical at Animal Kingdom has been my favorite Disney Worldshow for years. And my favorite scene is Bruce the shark and his pals singing "Fish Are Friends, Not Food". It makes me laugh every time!
A new Villain show is coming to Hollywood Studios this summer. Featuring three of Disney most popular Villains, Maleficent, Captain Hook, and Cruella de Vil, "Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After" will be a musical stage show where the Villains try to convince us that they're simply misunderstood. Let's take a behind-the-scenes look at the music of this new show.
It sounds fun, right? Here's the official description from Disney:
Behold a fiendishly funny and fantastical stage show starring iconic Disney villains… who are feeling unfairly treated.
Enter the realm of the Magic Mirror—where dozens of villains are trapped! They want the Mirror to reveal the truth: which villain has been treated the most unfairly of them all?
Watch as Cruella de Vil, Captain Hook and Maleficent present their cases on stage, persuading with wicked wisdom and wisecracks. Will you be swayed by their hijinks and humor?
It’s a spellbinding show with moving music and a most memorable finale—where you help decide who has been treated most unfairly.
"Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After” will cast a spell over guests beginning May 27, 2025.
The new Country Bear Musical Jamboree is just as delightful as the original. I love the Bears' new songs and outfits. As before, each bear, or small group of bears, sings their own songs, but now the songs are all country spins on Disney songs. And their outfits are very reminiscent of the sparkly Nudie suits worn at the Grand Ole Opry.
The show begins, as it always did, with Henry introducing the Five Bear Rugs, who sing "Country Bear Musical Jamboree."
Next up is Trixie, who is now accompanied by the Sun Bonnet Trio: Bunny, Bubbles, and Beulah.
And Ernest plays a speedy fiddle version of "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" from Mary Poppins.
Wendell and Teddi Barra sing "A Whole New World" from Aladdin, accompanied by Gomer.
Terrence arrives to sing "Fixer Upper" from Frozen, with a little help from Henry, Melvin, Max, and Buff.
In a hilarious nod to the original, Big Al sings "Remember Me" from Coco. He's followed by Henry and Sammy singing "You've Got A Friend In Me" from Toy Story.
And finally, the bears come together to sing "Bare Necessities" from The Jungle Book.
Honestly, I found the new version to be even more entertaining than the original, with just enough nods to keep long time fans happy. The Country Bear Musical Jamboree can be found in Frontierland in the Magic Kingdom at at Disney World.
Groovin' Alps is an amazing German percussion group. I had the chance to see them perform on my last trip to Disney World and I loved every minute. They will be performing at the Germany Pavilion in EPCOT until mid-July.
The second episode of We Call It Imagineeringhas arrived on YouTube and it is just as amazing as the first. This episode takes a listen to the magic of music in creating scenes and moods within the Parks, rides, and shows. The episode features the new soundtracks for three attractions: the Country Bears, the Dreams That Soar drone show at Disney Springs, and Tiana's Bayou Adventure. And, of course, they share some footage of classic rides like the Haunted Mansion, as well as highlighting the contributions of the Sherman Brothers. This series is fantastic and I'm looking forward to seeing the next episode.
A new nighttime drone show is headed to Disney Springs this Thursday. The theme of the show is characters who dream of flying. Some 800 drones (more than double the number of drones in Starlight Holidays) will work in sync with familiar music to create a stunning display across the night sky. From a Baymax who inflates to nearly twice the height of Spaceship Earth, to classic characters like Dumbo and Peter Pan, and unexpected favorites such as the Rocketeer, there will be something for everyone.
There will be two shows nightly, weather permitting, from May 24 - September 2. The best place to watch the 10 minute show will be along the waterway in the Disney Springs West Side.
The Country Bear Jamboree is getting ready for a new show this summer. Inspired by the different genres of country music made popular at the Grand Ole Opry, the bears will sing reimagined versions of favorite Disney songs. At least one song from the original show will be included and there will be "easter eggs" sprinkled throughout. I've always loved this crazy show, but I'm looking forward to seeing this new version. Here's a sneak peek of the recording of one of the songs, "The Bare Necessities" from The Jungle Book.
Grizzly Hall, the home of the Country Bears, will close on January 27 and reopen with new music later this summer.
I find it absolutely hilarious that Disney took one little, somewhat painful, scene from Hawkeyeand turned it into a 30 minute musical. "Rogers: The Musical" looks ridiculously funny! Here's a quick look behind-the-scenes at the making of this new show.
Here's the official synopsis from Disney:
As part of the Disney100 celebration at Disneyland Resort, the Hyperion Theater at Disney California Adventure Park presents “Rogers: The Musical” – an all-new, one-act live theater production performing for a limited time, June 30-Aug. 31, 2023. Inspired by the fictional musical number from the first episode of the Disney+ series “Hawkeye,” the real-life “Rogers: The Musical” tells the story of Steve Rogers – Captain America, including his relationship with Peggy Carter. The 30-minute show was brought to life through the creativity of Disney Live Entertainment, in partnership with book writer Hunter Bell and featuring music by Grammy-winning composer Christopher Lennertz.
And there are quite a few special sweets and treats to be found throughout the park to celebrate this new musical.
Red, White & Blue Shake at Schmoozies!: Vanilla shake with wild cherry and blue raspberry slushes and whipped topping (Non-alcoholic)
Patriotic Punch at Hollywood Lounge: Sprite and white cranberry juice with blue raspberry and cherry syrups topped with whipped cream (Non-alcoholic)
Pastrami Pretzel Dog at Award Wieners: All-beef hot dog topped with pastrami, whole-grain mustard, provolone, sauerkraut, and thousand island dressing
Shawarm-izza at Shawarma Palace: Italian sausage, pepperoni, mozzarella, and pepperoncini in a garlic-parmesan wrap with marinara dipping sauce
Like an Apple Pizza Pie at Terran Treats: Cinnamon-sugar fried pizza crust topped with apple and cranberry filling, streusel, and cream cheese frosting
Cap'n Everything Dog at Outdoor Vending Carts: Hot link wrapped in pizza dough topped with everything bagel seasoning and served with a side of mustard cheese sauce and potato chips
Rogers: The Musical Popcorn Bucket at Seasonal Snacks and Outdoor Vending Carts: Includes Red, white, and blue caramel corn (Kettle corn is also available separately)
"Rogers: The Musical” is scheduled to perform four times a day, Tuesday through Saturday most weeks from June 30-August 31, 2023. There will be a free virtual queue that will open at 10:30 AM for the first two shows and 2 PM for the final two shows each performance day. The queue can be accessed through the Disneyland app.
A "Rogers: The Musical" Premium Viewing Experience Package will be available for purchase at the Studio Catering Co. Truck. The Package, which costs $29, includes:
A souvenir lanyard
Reserved seating in an exclusive lounge before the show
A "Rogers: The Musical" souvenir popcorn bucket filled with red, white, and blue kettle corn
Your choice of Coca-Cola bottled beverage
First access to the theater to select seats
Priority access to a special Disney PhotoPass photo opportunity
The Package will be available until either it sells out each day or 90 minutes before the last show.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of The Walt Disney Company. To celebrate, a lot of new merchandise, foods, and experiences are coming to the Disney Parks. One such experience, "World of Color - ONE", will be making its debut on January 27. Here's a sneak peek of this new nighttime spectacular coming to Disney's California Adventure.
Here's the description of the show from Disney:
“World of Color – ONE” celebrates how a single action, like a drop of water, creates a ripple that can grow into a wave of change. You’ll discover how it only takes one action to make an impact on the people in our lives and the world around us, just as one man – Walt Disney – started the wave that has continued to grow and inspire people around the globe for 100 years.
The show will feature music and characters that are "wavemakers" from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Avengers, and Star Wars. This the first time characters from all four will appear in one show in Disneyland. The show is set to an all-new score and features a song called "Start a Wave." Mist screens and over 1200 fountains will bring the show to life and MagicBand+ effects will add to the magic and color.
Disney hopes the finale will leave guests feeling uplifted and as they walk away to make their own ripples, that they will remember how, when we come together, many drops can become an ocean.
