Walt Disney’s Patriotism Alive and Well at Disney World

 by Beth Keating

Parks Visit

DisneyBizJournal.com

April 22, 2024

 

Leaving the Emporium one afternoon several years ago, I unexpectedly came across a very brief, but very heartwarming, ceremony just steps from the Emporium’s doors at the front of the Magic Kingdom.  The Dapper Dans had gathered to sing some patriotic tunes, and at first, I didn’t realize they were the prelude to a special event.  As a Dapper Dans fan, I stepped forward to hear them perform.

The Dapper Dans were just the lead in that day to a Flag Retreat ceremony, a daily tribute to America, and to our men and women in uniform that most park guests don’t even know about.  The ceremony still takes place today while the American flag that has flown over the Magic Kingdom is retired for the night. According to the cast member I was recently standing next to in time to catch the ceremony again, the flag was reverently lowered each day during COVID as well, even though the parks were closed and there were no park visitors there to see it happen.

  
During the daily tribute, the Main Street Philharmonic brings out the brass and drums, and accompanies the gathered crowd in the singing of the "The Star-Spangled Banner.”  The Pledge of Allegiance is recited, and a trumpet fanfare sounds the Retreat as the American flag is lowered.

 

The Flag Retreat Ceremony is also an homage to our country’s veterans for their service, and each day a visiting vet is chosen to be recognized during the ceremony and presented with the flag that flew over Disney World that day.  The service member accompanies the Main Street Philharmonic as they parade down Main Street, to the applause and thanks of assembled park guests, playing the anthems of each branch of the armed forces. 

 

The entire ceremony lasts only 15 minutes at most, but it is a quiet and moving few moments in the middle of the frantic pace of the park. The Retreat currently takes place at 5:00 p.m. at the center flagpole in Town Square in front of the train station. (Times subject to change along with the sunset.)

Walt himself once declared, “Actually, if you could see close in my eyes, the American flag is waving in both of them and up my spine is glowing this red, white, and blue stripe.”  (He also noted, “I get red, white and blue at times.”)

And perhaps we can also remember Walt’s gratitude that, “I thank God and America for the right to live and raise my family under the flag of tolerance, democracy and freedom.”

It's good to see that spirit still alive and well at Disney World.

 

__________

 

Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.

 

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Cadaver Dans Arrive in the Magic Kingdom for Some Harmonious Fall Fun

by Beth Keating

News/Review

DisneyBizJournal.com

September 11, 2020

If you are getting whiplash trying to keep up with the seasons in the Magic Kingdom, you aren’t alone. This past week, we’ve told you about upcoming changes to the Fall events at Disney World, then told you about the Winter Holiday offerings…. Now, Disney’s made some Fall announcements again! My quarantine brain is having a tough time remembering the day of the week right now, let alone the back-and-forth of the seasons! 

While we’ve known for a while that Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party wasn’t taking place this year, and the Food and Wine Festival had become A Taste of Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, the details for the rest of the Fall celebrations have been inching out more slowly. Halloween merchandise has been on display in the shops for several weeks, and the Pumpkin Spice lattes are already being served up in the parks, but we’ve been anxiously awaiting news on some of the more entertaining details for the harvest season.

The Fall festivities at the Disney World parks are slated to take place September 15 – October 31, and Disney is now giving us more details about the seasonal entertainment experiences headed for the parks. (Earlier in the week we learned about the return of Minnie’s Halloween Dine at Hollywood & Vine.)

Special Halloween cavalcades will pop up throughout the day, with Mickey and pals dressed up in Boo-tiful Halloween costumes. While we’ve seen some of the less seasonally-themed cavalcades in the past few months (see our pictorial report here), a more exciting change is that, for Halloween, a cavalcade of Disney Villains, including such baddies as Gaston, Maleficent, the Queen of Hearts, Jafar, and the Pumpkin King himself, Jack Skellington, will attempt to take over Main Street. 

Beginning September 20, the Cadaver Dans, the alter egos of the Magic Kingdom’s own Dapper Dans, will return to the park, bringing their stirring blend of a cappella and barbershop harmonies to guests. The “Dans” will trade their brightly colored pinstriped vests and corny puns for a slightly more “dead-pan” style for the Fall. If you missed the Dapper Dans’ zoomed version of “When You Wish Upon a Star” during COVID quarantine, check it out on DisneyBizJournal here. 

In addition to the upcoming entertainment changes, some of guests’ favorite foods and goodies have begun arriving in the parks. Orange and black churros, served up in Oogie Boogie or Mickey Pumpkin popcorn buckets (some with chocolate dipping sauces!) have been spotted, and “The Headless Horseman Rides Again,” a version of a Strawberry Dole Whip float, is available at Sunshine Tree Terrace (with its own Headless Horseman straw). At Sleepy Hollow Refreshments (shouldn’t the Headless Horseman treat be there? Just sayin’…), there will be a Pumpkin-Spiced Mickey Waffle Sundae, while Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies will continue the pumpkin spice theme with a Pumpkin Spice Milk Shake (topped with a giant Mickey-shaped marshmallow) or a Pumpkin Spice Sundae.

Another float available in Magic Kingdom sounds a bit odd to us – let’s hope the “Poor Unfortunate Souls” float at Storybook Treats doesn’t refer to the diner. This bright blue float is made with cream cheese soft-serve, black raspberry syrup and Coke. Cream cheese flavored?

A returning favorite, the Not-So-Poison Apple Cupcake, is a giant sized spiced apple cupcake with pecan crunch, available at Pinocchio Village Haus. Another returning crowd-pleaser this year is Constance’s For Better or For Worse Wedding Cake at Liberty Square Market. It’s a miniature citrus flavored, cupcake sized “wedding cake” with raspberry Bavarian cream, and a miniature chocolate axe. Yikes!  Lines were long for that treat at last year’s Halloween party.

Looking for a less sweet nosh? Hades Nachos from Pecos Bill is a black bean nacho chip dish full of “fiery” buffalo chicken with all the fixins’. Cosmic Ray’s ubiquitous burger this season is the Mickey Monster Mash Burger with muenster cheese and sriracha aioli.

Sippers galore are featured at the parks right now as well. There’s a sipper in the image of Jack Skellington; Madame Leota (in her crystal ball); and Ezra the Hitchhiking Ghost. Additional “buckets” in the form of Gus the Ghost can be filled with cinnamon donut holes at Pecos Bill, or Phineas the Ghost as a popcorn bucket in Liberty Square. If you are counting ghosts who might follow you home, that’s three different stops to make to gather them all.

Those are just the specialty goodies at the Magic Kingdom, where the Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party would normally be held. You can branch out to treats at the other Parks as well.

Over at Hollywood Studios, you might be interested in the Poison Candied Apple at the Trolley Car Café (a sort of mousse, candy, glazed confection); the Box of Bones Chocolate Éclair at Backlot Express; or the Pumpkin Bread Tiramisu at Rosie’s All-American.  

Thirsty? Try for the Frozen Apple Cider at Hollywood Studios, or the Poison Apple Punch at Animal Kingdom. The Rotten Apple at Flame Tree in Animal Kingdom will kick it up a notch for you with Angry Orchard Hard Cider and Fireball Whisky. The Scar cupcake at AK seems mighty tame after that.

On Halloween Day only, EPCOT will be offering the Liquid Nitro Cake Pop at the Desserts & Champagne Marketplace, a Halloween Sugar Cookie at Traveler’s Café and Garden Grill, or Nemo & Squirt’s Noggin Concoction (a stuffed chocolate brownie) at the Coral Reef. 

We’re pretty sure this isn’t an exhaustive list of the treats for the season, and there will likely be more as Disney teases us with a few details at a time. You’ll know you’ve crossed over into Fall when you see the Mickey pumpkin decorations hanging from the light poles – even if it is still 85 degrees in Florida!

__________

Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.

Check in Virtually With Some Of Your Favorite Disney Performers

by Beth Keating

Review

DisneyBizJournal.com

April 11, 2020

Part of what makes Disney theme parks so unique are all the special little touches that you don’t expect to see around the park; things that very often don’t even appear on the times guide or on the park map. Disney is far more than just Fastpass rides. 

For example, we were strolling along through Future World one day, when a “maintenance guy” stopped short in front of us. Disney is a super clean park, so seeing a grounds crew sprucing up the joint isn’t an unusual scenario. What was different about this cast member in coveralls was his “clean-up” method.  He pulled out a “broom” and used it as a paintbrush to water paint Mickey’s face on the sidewalk. We paused to watch him for probably ten minutes or so, in an area that we typically would have blown right by on our way to Soarin’ or Test Track. That’s just one of the little gifts that make Disney so special.

During the stay-at-home quarantines, many of Disney’s unique performers have sought out ways to connect with their audiences. From Katelyn, the Kilimanjaro Safaris cast member who designed her own informative “safari tour” at home (see below), to singers and performers throughout the parks, these generous souls haven’t let the fact that they are confined to their houses stifle their creativity. 

They’ve gone virtual to entertain us along the way as well. Here are a few more of my personal favorites.

I never fail to stop in the Magic Kingdom for the Dapper Dans. Their barbershop harmonies are endlessly entertaining, and I could watch for hours if they actually gave me a chair to sit on (standing in the direct Florida sun, though, I have my limits!).  The “Cadaver Dans” are just as much fun, with a lot less sun, at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. A recent post to Disney Magic Moments featured the Disneyland Dans from their homes spread out across the country. “When You Wish Upon a Star” was perfect, and I may be responsible for a high percentage of the number of “views” on that particular stream.  See it for yourself here: 

April 11^th also is National Barbershop Quartet Day, and in celebration, the Walt Disney World Dans on the East Coast released one of my absolute Disney favorites, "There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow":

The “Dans” aren’t the only form of Disney music that entertains me in the parks. I also will follow the sounds of banging garbage pails, despite the fact that if my neighbor is doing the same thing at 6 in the morning, I am less inclined to think it charming.  The JAMMitors use “found items,” such as trash cans and brooms, to create their particular rhythmic sounds. Instead of hammering out a tune in Epcot for you now, though, they are banging away on the pots and pans in their kitchens.  Here’s another fun Disney Magical Moment featuring the JAMMitor crew:  

If you’re looking for a rollicking good time when you leave the parks at night, stop in to Port Orleans Riverside to the River Roost Lounge and catch a set with “Yehaa Bob” Jackson. Bob’s been performing at Port Orleans for more than two decades. Part sing-along, part light comedy act, part Disney’s greatest hits, this always family-friendly live entertainment show features some of the fastest piano playing west of the Atlantic Ocean. You will leave this extreme high energy show both thoroughly entertained, and probably a bit exhausted – can’t figure out how Bob keeps that pace all night! Be prepared for some crazy audience participation along the way. River Roost Lounge offers a full bar area, and a limited selection of appetizers and desserts are available. Bob’s nightly shows are typically around 8:30 on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Bob also composes his own music, which you don’t usually get to hear at River Roost.  Visit him at www.bobjacksonmusic.com, or watch him on his YouTube channel.

In addition to his high-speed piano playing with Ragtime, Stride and Boogie Woogie influences, Bob has a number of original, very soothing, calming piano compositions, appropriate for listening to during this time of high-stress lockdowns. He has done a couple of Facebook live shows from home in the past few weeks, and is planning one more for April 19th. Bob is a hoot, and will give you a good laugh as you try to decompress. If you’re looking for some more sets from Yehaa Bob, a Google search will turn up quite a few postings from various Disney vloggers, including Resort TV 1 and Cory Meets World. Cory also did a recent live stream interview with Bob. You can check it out below and learn some more about Bob’s background.

This zany performer is well worth your evening at Disney, but be sure to check him out online as well during this downtime. He’ll keep you entertained. By the way, hair looks great, Bob!

Finally, if you have little ones hanging around the house these days (or, for yourself, we won’t judge), there are a number of story times from such celebs as Daisy Ridley (Rey in Star Wars), Ginnifer Goodwin (Snow White in Once Upon A Time), Paige O’Hara (Belle in Beauty and the Beast), and Ming-Na Wen (Mulan in Mulan) on the Disney blogs as well. Tune in right here.

The #DisneyMagicMoments will bring you a treasure trove of short, daily connections to the Disney World family as you wait out the quarantines and try to keep yourself, and your kids, entertained along the way. They call it “a daily dose of pixie dust,” and we could all use a little of that right now.

Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.