Skip to main content

Disney’s Live Entertainment - AKA - Confessions of a Disney Groupie


As anyone who knows me can tell you, I am into music.  It started when I was in grade school.  My Dad was into music, so I received a great appreciation for all types from Big Band on up to present day. 


Off Kilter
Disney has a lot of great music in the attractions, the parades, and other big events.  It surrounds you at the resorts and theme parks, setting the mood and theme for where you are.  Something that many people overlook or don’t even know about is the Live Entertainment available at each park and in some of the resorts.  These are great attractions in and of themselves, but unlike a regular attraction, it isn’t in a building or on a map and sometimes the locations change depending on what else is going on.   Make sure you grab a times guide as you enter the park as this will have most of the entertainment listed along with the locations and show times for the day.  If you don’t see a particular act, check with Guest Services in that park, and they will be able to give you information on any acts performing that aren’t listed in your times guide.


My exposure to this started a number of years ago when I kept hearing about this great band in EPCOT - Off Kilter.  I never seemed to run across them, so I went into Guest Services and asked.  The days that I was usually in EPCOT were, of course, the days they had off.  I made it a point to plan to be there on one of their show days and incredible didn’t begin to cover it!  The music is Celtic in style, with a bit of a twist on every song.  There are your traditional reels but in between if you listen carefully you can hear riffs from the band Rush.  "Danny Boy" is done with a rock beat, and "Amazing Grace" is usually preceded with a quick bit from “Stairway to Heaven” and is played with a bit of a jazzy blues feel to it.  Definitely not your Dad’s traditional Irish band, that’s for sure. 


Mulch, Sweat & Shears
Over the years, I have become friendly with most of the gentlemen in the band, and a lot of the other very talented people who work with them.  Many of the people who work with the band to cover the regular members' days off also work elsewhere within Walt Disney World.  My musical world, as far as Disney went, was about to open up a LOT.  One of these talented individuals, who covered for the normal guitar player in Off Kilter, was working with a new band that had just started in Disney’s Hollywood Studios park called “Mulch, Sweat & Shears” and recommended that we go over and see them.  Another member of Off Kilter had mentioned this same band to one of the girls in our group.  I didn’t make it over there to catch them until March of 2005, and I was HOOKED.  Their blend of comedy and great music is very addictive.  The sets usually consist of rock & roll covers from the last few decades and routinely get everyone up and dancing to their great playing and vocals. Audience participation is encouraged and definitely a fun part of the show.  


Another very talented gentleman, who substituted for the regular bass player in Mulch, Sweat & Shears  for a while, recently received his own band in the United Kingdom Pavilion as part of the British Revolution.  Of course, I just had to get over there to see them, and another must do was added to the list.  Are we starting to see a pattern here? 


Those are always my must do’s.  I have several others that I do try to catch as often as I can such as Mariachi Cobre, Mo’Rockin’, Oktoberfest Musikanten and Voices of Liberty. Any special concerts such as the Eat to the Beat Concert Series and the Flower Power Concert Series in EPCOT with special guest performances by artists who are fairly well known are also on my list.  Admission to these concert events are included with your admission to the park; however, some of the more popular acts will fill up the America Gardens Theatre quickly so you will want to get there early.  The Dapper Dans and Main Street Philharmonic always get me singing and dancing over at the Magic Kingdom.  The Notorious Banjo Brothers and Bob are also great over in Frontierland. 


I almost never manage to fit all of them into one trip in between everything else, but I always know that I will be surrounded with the happiness and joy that great music can bring to people while I am at Disney, regardless of the variety I happen to be listening to.  So whether you are dancing with the parades, marveling at the scores to the fireworks, being amazed at the talent of the live entertainment, or enjoying the music of the stage shows, what musical memory will you and your family make this year?   Let me know what your favorite is!  I look forward to hearing from you.  Until then, Rock on!  
Marie

Comments

  1. Great Job Marie! Congratulations! You are the best Kingdom Konsultant Around! - Donna

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Cruising with a Baby: A Complete Guide

You took a baby on a cruise!? Yep, and I'd do it again knowing what I know now. So, say goodbye to months of research - Everything you need to know is here!! One of the biggest challenges of traveling with a baby is planning what you need to bring. I wanted to share what worked for us, and hopefully help others who are planning their cruise! Remember, babies can only cruise after their 6-month birthday on sailings from the U.S. If you are going transatlantic, or have more than three days out at sea, they must be 12 months old by the first day of your cruise. Pre-Cruise   We flew to the cruise port, and I couldn’t bring all the food and snacks I needed, so I placed an Instacart order for pick up near the port. I chose Publix in Cocoa Beach which is a few miles from Port Canaveral. I placed the order a few days before we left home, and set the pickup time to 11:00 a.m. I ordered formula, a box of diapers, swim diapers, bottle brush, dish soap, baby food, and baby snacks. I also broug...

The Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian: Studios of Big Pine Key

I didn't think Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa could get any grander, but then I stayed in one of their Resort Studio rooms. These are the newest rooms at The Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. The Resort Studio rooms are located in the Big Pine Key building which is very close to the main building. The location makes it very convenient to get to the dining options and transportation. Not only is the building close to the main building but it's also across from the Courtyard Pool and Courtyard Pool Bar. Resort Studio rooms are located in the Big Pine Key building When you enter Big Pine Key, you're greeted with a simply lovely lobby. The furniture is super cute and gives off a very cozy, chic vibe. There's lots of pastel colors with floral prints and touches of nature. Lobby seating area in the Big Pine Key building The chic, nature inspired vibe continues down the hallways and into the Resort Studio rooms. I couldn't love these r...

Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort For Family's of 5 (or 6!)

Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort transports you to an island paradise! The atmosphere at the resort truly makes you feel like you're in an island town. The rooms, the pool, and the Disney Skyliner are just a few reasons why we love it. It's a large resort but easily walkable.  Here are 10 reasons it's an excellent place to stay for families.  1. Accommodates a family of 6 Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort is a very popular moderate level Disney Resort near Disney's Hollywood Studios. As a family of 6, we can stay here, even though it's advertised as having rooms that fit up to 5 guests. This works when one of the guests is age 2 or under . Most rooms have 2 queen beds. There are some rooms called a "5th sleeper" room which also have a single bunk. This Murphy style bunk is perfect for most kids under 12, (or about 5 feet tall.) Little kids love to have their own special bed. The infant or toddler can have a Pack 'N Play or a crib in the room as we...