It’s now official, Disneyland will be closing the iconic Carnation Plaza Gardens area of Main Street the night of April 30th inorder to begin its transformation into the Princess Fantasy Faire.
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Tom Staggs, and George Kalogridis the President of the Disneyland Resort, made the announcement at the 2011 D23 Expo. This quiet corner of Main Street, currently home to high school and community bands, Saturday night swing dancing, and guests looking for a place to rest, will be absorbed into Fantasyland. Disney described the Fantasy Faire in a blog post as an “enchanting village square that will immerse guests in the stories of their favorite princesses”.
Princess meet and greets, photo opportunities and merchandise will become a reality where Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Count Basie once entertained. The stage area will remain in place, although re-themed, and will continue to host the Saturday night Jump, Jive and Boogie swing dances when construction is complete. But, sadly, it seems the daytime tradition of community music events will come to an end in this location.
The next three Saturdays will be your last to jump, jive and boogie at Carnation Plaza Gardens with Doc Anello & the Swing Machine on the 14th, Stompy Jones on the 21st and Swingtown on the 28th. During the construction the swing dancing will move to the west stage in Downtown Disney.
