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View Full Version : Is there still a swing party on Saturday nights at DL?



keschy
06-13-2003, 03:08 PM
I am going to be at Disneyland tomorrow night and I am wondering if they still have the swing dance party. And does anyone know if they give lessons before it starts? Thanks!

mousketeer
06-13-2003, 03:12 PM
There shure is. Check out Carnation Plaza Gardens near the castle. Note that food is no longer served.

lindyhop
06-14-2003, 02:37 PM
There's dancing but no lessons on Saturday nights.

But starting Friday night (the 20th) Mickey's Mambo Party is returning and Pasadena Ballroom Dance Assn will be giving salsa lessons during the evening. I wish it was swing...

Morrigoon
06-14-2003, 03:07 PM
Me too... I learned to swing at DL.

gliterrboy
06-14-2003, 05:12 PM
Mickey's Mambo Party??? That sounds like the coolest thing EVER! :D With that take the place/location of the swing party, or be somewhere else in the park?

Never been to any of these dance parties, what are they like???

jerjer2005
06-14-2003, 07:24 PM
ok everyone give me the scoop on the swing and mombo parties... never heard of them but would love to attend. I need place, dates and times thx all!:fez:

msr709
06-16-2003, 11:28 AM
Bumping for an answer to this, I'm also interested.:D

lindyhop
06-16-2003, 08:31 PM
There are swing bands at the Plaza Gardens Stage every Saturday night from about 7:00 PM on. There's a crowd of regulars and a lot of people who come just to watch. It's not a good place to go without a partner though because people are there with their friends and they don't mix that well. At least in comparison to other places I've been.

The past few summers they've added salsa to Friday nights. Same place (Plaza Gardens) but different bands of course and usually they have complimentary lessons. I'm excited because this summer Pasadena Ballroom Dance Assn is handling it again and they'e great (I admit I'm biased, I've been taking their classes for years). Tami Stevens and her husband Scott Price will be giving the lessons and they're wonderful dancers. It looks like the band will play starting at 7:00 and the lessons will be at 7:30 and 8:30 (probably a half hour each time).

Sophie832
06-16-2003, 08:41 PM
I'm one of the "regulars", I guess. I'm there every Sat. night. This Saturday, the band will be Doc Anello and the Swing Machine. They're probably the slowest of all the bands that perform (there are 4, on a rotating schedule), but that makes them good for first-timers. Also, they pretty much stick to swing music, as opposed to some of the other bands, that sometimes play more modern stuff.

I think lindyhop's right about finding a partner. It's tough when you don't have someone with you, or you don't know anyone there. Still, a little charm can go a long way with getting one of the regulars to dance one dance with you. It never hurts to just come out and say you want to learn to dance. I see people teaching other people all the time on the sidelines. Even if you don't get out and dance, the music's great, and you can really get into the atmosphere.

I love Sat. nights at D-land! :D

Morrigoon
06-16-2003, 08:52 PM
It's hard though when you can't Lindy. Try being a single female who can only do basic 6-count east coast :(

gliterrboy
06-17-2003, 04:15 AM
Do people get all dressed up for it at all? Or is it normal park attire? It sounds like so much fun!!!

Christiii
06-17-2003, 08:18 AM
I just love to watch the older couple dancing! One man just hurles his partner around into the audience and then they both do this little wiggle jig thing. The are about 80 and really tiny..last time I saw her she was wearing a slinky leopard print dress and they are just having the best time!! Such a kick to watch!! Anyone else seen them??

Morrigoon
06-17-2003, 05:53 PM
Yeah, they're nice folks. For the life of me I can never remember their names, but I'd know them if I heard them. They always wear matching outfits, and their dancing is fairly umm....unconventional, but VERY entertaining, and they're clearly enjoying the heck out of themselves. They're there pretty much every week.

Glitterboy: Some people like myself just wear normal park attire. But there are others (who are more regular than myself) who will get REALLY dressed up - zoot suits and all :) (Incidentally, I have yet to see a single man who looks bad in a zoot suit... seems to work for all types and sizes!)

Hojoanaheim
06-17-2003, 06:31 PM
That would be Rose and Dubby. They've been dancing at Disneyland forever, and can even tell you stories about chatting with Walt Disney himself at Carnation Plaza Gardens. If you look closely, you can even see them on the Special Edition DVD of Disneyland After Dark!

Sophie832
06-17-2003, 09:11 PM
Yeah, some people dress up. It depends on the weekend as to how many people, but there are a few men and women that dress up every weekend. It adds a touch to the swing atmosphere.

Rose and Dubby are awesome. I hope when I'm in my twilight years, I can still enjoy myself every weekend like that. If I remember the story I was told, there used to be another couple that they were friends with. The four of them danced at D-land almost since the beginning. What I heard, was that the other couple sadly passed away.

With the history of swing at the park, that I hear about from some of the regulars, it makes me wish I'd been there, but I only discovered swing a year ago.

mousketeer
06-17-2003, 10:01 PM
Originally posted by Hojoanaheim
That would be Rose and Dubby. They've been dancing at Disneyland forever, and can even tell you stories about chatting with Walt Disney himself at Carnation Plaza Gardens. If you look closely, you can even see them on the Special Edition DVD of Disneyland After Dark!

Don't they both have lifetime passes that Walt gave them?

Morrigoon
06-18-2003, 01:01 AM
I think I remember the other couple... only passed away a few years ago right? Much older, like 80s/90s?

Hojoanaheim
06-18-2003, 09:05 AM
I believe they were the Millers. The wife passed away about 4 years ago and the husband a year or so ago. They used to wear matching plaid outfits, and she loved to dance to "Johnny Be Good" by the old Disneyland Big Band. They were something else!

mousketeer
06-18-2003, 09:26 AM
http://whatwouldwaltdo.com/Pages/castmembers/Honored/gary.shtml

Here is a great article about them. It seems that Blance has passed, but Don is going strong.

Rustin
06-18-2003, 07:56 PM
Oh.. the Swing parties are fun. I went for the first time a few weeks ago, and a guest and I danced the night away. it was so much fun.

I just saw her sitting in the chairs around the floor with her friends and asked her to dance. she sent her friends out on the park and told them to come back later... so we were there for all the band's sets and the firworks.

totally fun. I will be there as much as I can!

Rustin

ErikBsandiego
06-19-2003, 10:30 AM
About 25 years ago the bands that played Disney on Saturday night were "name" big bands. Saw both Woody Herman and Basie (after Count Basie pased away) at Carnation Gardens. THAT was GREAT!!!!!

Morrigoon
06-19-2003, 03:38 PM
Rustin! You can dance!

You and me buddy, one of these nights when we're not working, k?

(I can't Lindy :( but I can do regular east coast)

Leap for Joy
06-20-2003, 04:50 PM
This sounds fun! Does anybody West Coast Swing at these? :)

bandboy1985
06-22-2003, 08:32 PM
yay! went to swing on 4/24, the night before our performance at carnation (plaza gardens...blah). was such a nice way to dance off our stress in the dark with great music and fun dancers! oh- and we saw the older couple...and they were freaking! it was like being back at winter ball again in may with warm weather and more comfortable shoes...;)