Category Archives: Things I Never Knew Existed

Jambalaya Jazz Band

3 Comments Posted by on September 6, 2011

As I’ve said before, one of the biggest surprises for me during MYWTM is the amount of roving entertainment all around the park. Walt was a huge music lover and I knew about the Disneyland Band and the barbershop quartet known as the Dapper Dans, and some people in Victorian costumes who sing at Christmas, but other than that I had no idea about the little groups and bands that are all over Disneyland. I’m so glad MYWTM is making me slow down and enjoy the atmosphere because I really would have missed these fabulous gems just like I have every year before MYWTM.

The day I rode the Lilly Belle, I caught sight of these guys in New Orleans Square:

Natty outfits, swingin' tunes, New Orleans Square...

It’s the Jambalaya Jazz Band! Nope, it’s not the Dixieland Band, although they are often confused with each other.

Jambalaya. Jazz.

They even had Mardi Gras beads in their pockets that they tossed to a few of the little kids standing around. And said children didn’t even have to…*ahem*…do anything to get some beads ;).

I only listened to them for a song to  two, but like the rest of the bands I’ve discovered, they were lively, very fun, and fabulous to listen to. It’s so exciting to make these discoveries. So far I’ve stumbled across:

The Pearly Band, a jolly performance in front of the castle with special guest stars Mary Poppins and Bert!

Supercalimumblemumble

The Straw Hatters, a group of musicians clad in straw hats with special guest stars Pluto, Donald Duck, Mickey, and Minnie:

Over in the corner of Town Square

The Dapper Dans, which everyone seems to know about. No special guests that I saw but their singing is second to none, and their chime-playing (Kelli knows the proper term for that) is really fantastic.

About halfway down Main Street

The Hook and Ladder Company, a bonny group of firemen and their mascot Spot, who is nearly kidnapped by the evil Cruella DeVille, and we’re also entertained by Chip and Dale and Goofy.

Town Square right in front of the fire department (and below Walt's personal apartment)

Arrrrr, the grimy band of pirates, the Bootstrappers, singing traditional pirate tunes (sans ale) in New Orleans Square.

What's a pirate's favorite letter? Arrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

And of course, the Disneyland Band.

Middle of Town Square at the flagpole

Now that’s entertainment! And all of that entertainment–the kind you can basically trip over on your way to somewhere else–I think that’s a part of the Disneyland Magic, don’t you?

 

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Adventureland Bazaar

5 Comments Posted by on July 26, 2011

So right next to the Indy Outpost (connected even) is the Adventureland Bazaar. Now the Adventureland Bazaar is closest to the now closed Aladdin’s Oasis Dinner Show. First, I never attended the Aladdin’s Oasis Dinner Show which, according to Yesterland, only ran for a couple of years. Those years I happened to be living in the Midwest and completely missed it.

On another note, I completely missed the Rocket Rods too–a ride using the Peoplemover track. But I heard it wasn’t that great.

Anyway, now Aladdin’s Oasis seems to be just a meet and greet for Aladdin characters. Which I very rarely see open, so I think getting in there is going to be a challenge. It’s really too bad because apparently the Oasis shares a kitchen with the Plaza Pavilion, another waste of space in the park–formerly a restaurant, currently useless. Anyway, it did inspire the Adventureland Bazaar, and that’s what I’m going to talk about today.

How bizarre

The Bazaar, representing the Middle East, is rightly located and connected to the Outpost, representing Africa. Because Disney is all into truncated geography like that.

The Bazaar is actually on the corner part of the store area.

You know, the corner part. Cause that makes so much sense to someone who hasn't been there.

There’s lots of different details around there, in true Disney fashion.

Adventureland "Traders"--quotes used correctly since they don't actually trade there, unless you consider money to be a trade

Like Indy, there are “apartments” above the Bazaar. I particularly love this window:

Because when I think about the Middle East or Africa or anywhere, really, I always think "Tattoo parlor and banjo lessons in the same building? Genius."

I guess it does say “Oriental tattoo” which makes it better? Or not. Check out Hanzi Smatter. But I can’t help but wonder what an actual Disneyland tattoo parlor would look like. I mean, getting permanent, real tattoos at Disneyland. I bet there’d be a big market for that, really, given how popular tattoos are these days, and I do see a lot of Disney-related tattoos on people at the park. It would be all guaranteed to be hygienic and stuff and then people could brag that they got their Disney tattoo at the Mouse and not some friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend guy working out of his “apartment” on top of the garage of his parent’s house while they were totally inebriated. I’m thinking it’s a solid idea!

Too bad Walt would personally and forcefully rise up from the grave and kill whomever allowed a tattoo parlor in his park. Making that even more complicated is the fact that Walt was cremated. But I’m sure he would be so offended by such a thing that he would go all Mummy or whatever and swirl his ashes back into a corporeal form to express his outrage.

And no, he was not cryogenically frozen.

But I digress.

You can also buy a magic carpet at the Bazaar, or so the door claims, though I wasn’t able to find any actual magic carpets for sale.

Did I really need two pictures of this doorway? What was I thinking?

The Bazaar is pretty intricately themed. Here’s an elephant on top of a squished penny machine.

Elephants are nice.

I used to love the squished penny thing. Actually, I can remember being a little kid at Knotts and you could clandestinely put a coin on the railroad track and after the train went by you had your very own squished coin, but I believe those days are long gone.

Some of the things for sale are more Adventureland-ish than Bazaar-ish, like these drinking vessels.

What's with the zebra print? Do people really buy these?

I love the totally authentic Panda bears. They’re Disneyland’s version of a Pillow Pet.

"Mommy, I want a panda to symbolize my visit to the Middle East/Africa section of Disneyland!"

Theo got a pillow pet for Christmas this past year. Great-Grandma saw a commercial for it and went out to find one. He has the doggie one–it’s really cute! And very soft.

Anyway, the Bazaar has some great theming around the ceiling and over the doors.

I have no idea what any of these things are. Xylophone? Maraca? Whatever--I'm sure they're authentic

Even the register area is exciting.

Exciting!

And then in the back of the store, I came to one of those things I never knew existed–Aladdin’s lamp!

OMG it's a genie lamp!!!

It was actually pretty cool, tucked away in the back there. The banner reads:

"Whosoever rubs the lamp (and places coins in the slot below) shall receive the wisdom of the GENIE and have their future revealed"

I mean wow, how cool is that? I was all ready to place my coins in the slow below and receive the wisdom of the GENIE, until I saw this.

Out of order??? What, is the GENIE on vacation or something???

Bad show, Disney. Bad show! There was the one free coin slot but I was a little nervous to place my coins in it lest that one be out of order too and just not marked. I didn’t want to waste 50 cents if the GENIE wasn’t going to pony up my future. So I’ll have to go back and check it again.

Anyone gotten a fortune from this machine GENIE? What did it say?

Adventureland, Things I Never Knew Existed , , , , , , ,

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