Posts tagged attraction

DISNEYLAND NEWS: CARNATION PLAZA GARDENS CLOSES DOWN

END OF AN ERA:

Several hundred people danced the night away on April 28 2012, as Disneyland gets ready to transform the Carnation Plaza Gardens into the Fantasy Faire. This stage has hosted greats like Buddy Rich, Louis Armstrong, and The Elliot Brothers just to name a few and also holds the title of the longest running Big Band Swing Stage in the world! Stan Freese, head of the Disneyland Band was there that night, and he told me a little bit about how this stage came to be and Disney’s plans for the future.

Here is a picture of me along with the man himself, Stan Freese.

The Big Bands started playing at Carnation Plaza Gardens in 1959, and when the original band leaders started to pass away, the bands got different people to front the band, but Disneyland kept paying the same amount of money. When these big bands played seven nights a week in the summer, the money definitely added up, so Stan was asked to form their own ‘Disneyland Big Band’. Stan also encouraged the dancers to dress up in World War II costumes, and a lot of the non-dancing guests got a kick out of seeing guys and gals in uniform letting loose on the dance floor. The Carnation Plaza Gardens stage played a key role in the resurgence of Swing Dancing in the 90’s. While this stage is closed now, the bands and the dancers will be transplanted to the Downtown Disney District every Saturday night. Also, after the Fantasy Faire is completed, the stage area will again be used to host Big Bands and swing dancers at night, so all is not lost.

There are plenty of attractions that have been replaced over the years, but it’s definitely sad to see one of the last remaining venues go away that has been unchanged since opening day. However, I have to say that the bands and the dancers gave the perfect goodbye to their beloved stage that night. A lot of people were dressed in Hawaiian shirts to wave “Aloha” to the Carnation Plaza Gardens and to the end of an era.

That’s it for now. See you at the Parks!

Tommy

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INNSIDE SCOOP: THE FORCE HAS ARRIVED


Hello everyone! Tommy here again with another trip report for you. If any of you are Star Wars fans like me, it would be well worth it to make a half-day trip to the Discovery Science Center in neighboring Santa Ana. “Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination” has something every Star Wars fan can appreciate.

The exhibit features some interactive stations where you can build your own droid, levitate a small cart using magnets, and float on air. However, my favorite part of it all was the props and costumes from the actual movies. They have scale models of the X-Wing, Y-Wing, the Millennium Falcon, and many others.

Its amazing to think that these are the exact models flying across the screen from the earlier movies, long before computer graphics were popular. They had to make the ships with an incredible amount of detail because they put the camera real close to give the illusion of size. I could stare at these for hours!

In addition to the small scale models, there was also the Landspeeder that Luke Skywalker rode in. Unfortunately, I wasn’t allowed to hop in and take a picture inside it.

Apart from the parking fee and the general admission price, the Star Wars exhibit requires an additional ticket, but it’s still worth seeing. I would suggest arriving earlier in the day so that you can experience the rest of what the Science Center has to offer then take your journey into a galaxy far, far away! :)

Until next time…and may the Force be with you! ( Sorry I couldn’t resist )

Tommy Wan Kanobi

The Discovery Science Center is just five miles south of the HoJo! A quick cab ride or these directions will get you there within about 5 minutes. Exhibit runs now through April 15, 2012.

*Planning a trip to The Disneyland Resort? The Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel @ Disneyland would love to be your homebase for adventure! Check out our HoJo Innsider Forums for videos, special discount rates and expert trip planning advise.


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