Disneyland
April 17, 2025
You might be wondering why I would include a trip to Disneyland in a Blog about seeing shows. You probably think Disneyland is all about rides and pictures with Mickey Mouse, but the fact that they call their employees “cast members” and refer to the non-public areas as “backstage” should give you a little hint that Disneyland is all about the show. And while not every cast member is a professional performer, the actors they hire are equity and the musicians they hire are union. As a former annual passholder, I have seen some really, really good shows at the Disneyland resort. The Aladdin Musical was first staged in California Adventure before being retooled for Broadway, as was the Frozen Musical. The staging on both was incredible. For the holidays, they bring in professional samba and folklorico dancers as well as a diverse collection of bands – from klezmer, to Motown – you name it! The Tale of the Lion King, staged first at DCA and then moved into the Fantasyland Theater was performed by legit West African drummers. For years, we would go in the summer to see the All American College Band, which was comprised of musicians from colleges across the entire US. They held auditions in several cities and picked the best of the best. The AACB would do several marching sets and a sit down big band set each day. There was often a world class guest performer at the big band set and many of the guest performers were former AACB members.
In addition to the big shows, as you are walking around Disneyland, you will encounter what they refer to as “atmosphere”. These are small groups which help to set the scene. There’s a band in New Orleans Square called the Boot Strappers who play sea shanties. The Pearly Band can be found near and sometimes on the carousel in Fantasyland (think Mary Poppins). The Dapper Dans sing barbershop on Main Street. The Disneyland Band got an update several years ago and now does many of the marching sets that the AACB used to do. Also on Main Street, there’s a ragtime piano player – for years and years it was Rod Miller and he was fantastic! My nephew is living his dream playing with the atmosphere band the Straw Hatters. So when he texts to say he can sign us in, we jump at the opportunity to go to Disneyland to hear him play. How fun is that? The Straw Hatters play dixieland jazz on Main Street and near (and sometimes on) the Mark Twain river boat. It’s a lighthearted and fun little set with numbers like the Sheik of Araby that will put a smile on your face. You can just tell that these are six guys who are having fun. Each set is around 15-20 minutes long which is just long enough for a little break but not so long that you feel like you need to go find a chair. So next time you’re at Disneyland, if you happen to see the Straw Hatters, stop and give them a listen. And if you REALLY want to catch their set, look under atmosphere in the app to find out when their playing.