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Credit: DisneyAfter 70 years, an iconic part of Disneyland Resort randomly popped up at Disney World this week.
Disneyland celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, a milestone that honors the park’s legacy and iconic attractions that have stood the test of time.
From classic rides like Jungle Cruise and Peter Pan’s Flight to landmarks like Sleeping Beauty Castle, Walt Disney’s original theme park remains a blend of nostalgia and magic, with many beloved features still enchanting guests just as they did in 1955.
However, plenty of things have changed over the years. Disneyland Park has evolved from a single, modest theme park into a sprawling entertainment hub with new lands, updated attractions, and modern technologies.
What began as a showcase for Walt Disney’s vision has grown to include immersive experiences like Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the addition of Disney California Adventure Park, and a shift toward more interactive, high-tech attractions, all while maintaining the park’s signature sense of magic.
Disneyland Attraction Relocates to Disney World
This week, the park experienced another change (although fortunately, this one was temporary).
For the first time in 70 years, one of Disneyland’s most iconic musical attractions—the Disneyland Band—abandoned the West Coast to visit Walt Disney World Resort.
Disney Parks shared a video on its official Instagram that showed the band, which frequents Main Street, U.S.A. and other areas of the park, performing “When You Wish Upon a Star” in front of Cinderella Castle. This marks the first time in the band’s history that it has performed at Disney World’s OG theme park.
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Before Disneyland regulars panic, this isn’t the beginning of the Disneyland Band’s transition to the Magic Kingdom Band. As Disney stated, this was just a one-off performance—one that was extremely well received, if the comments on Instagram are anything to go by.
History of Disney Bands
Walt Disney World Resort is home to its own band, the 12-piece Main Street Philharmonic, performing multiple times a day. The band plays a lively mix of classic Disney songs, ragtime, and swing standards and even takes requests, bringing an added layer of charm and nostalgia to the park.
However, it doesn’t boast quite as storied a history as the Disneyland Band. The latter was formed in 1955 after Walt Disney decided the park needed to be opened with a proper fanfare.
He enlisted British bandmaster Vesey Walker to form a band for the park’s debut. Originally hired for a brief two-week engagement, the band’s popularity quickly made it a permanent fixture of the park, continuing to perform for guests today.
Over the years, the band has been led by various directors, including Walker, James Christensen, Jim Barngrover, Stanford Freese, and Art Dragon, solidifying its place in Disneyland history.
By July 1982, the band had hit a major milestone—its 50,000th performance—celebrating decades of entertaining guests. With a rotating roster of 15 to 20 members, the Disneyland Band plays a mix of marches, jazz, polkas, and waltzes, with the iconic “Mickey Mouse March” being a crowd favorite.
Beyond the park, the band has also participated in the Band Concert Series, reaching young people across Orange County, proving its cultural influence extends far beyond the gates of Disneyland.