Yesterday, we reported on a rumor that Pixar Pier’s Pixarmonic Orchestra in Disney California Adventure and the Laughing Stock Co., which performs daily at the Golden Horseshoe Saloon in Disneyland, were ending performances on September 14th. This has since been confirmed by Disney officials in a piece by the Orange County Register and by social media posts by the orchestra members’ families.
According to the OC Register, Disney officials claimed the seasonal changes in entertainment are part of the “normal course of business and cast members may be scheduled in other areas of Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.”
Kelly Alesi, whose husband is the drummer in Pixarmonic Orchestra, wrote on social media that the show had been cancelled and the musicians had been laid off.
The Pixarmonic Orchestra group kicked off Pixar Fest at Disney California Adventure back in Summer 2018, yet their gig is ending just a year later.
For the past year, the zany group has performed its repertoire of songs using traditional instruments, as well as unconventional music makers such as cowbells, kazoos, duck calls, sirens and slide whistles. (I particularly was a fan of their bold, mid-century modern style outfits.)
The Golden Horseshoe has been home to the Laughing Stock Company for years now, performing their wacky Western-inspired improv shows on a daily basis there.
2018 was a big year for cuts in Disney Entertainment, and we’re starting to see a similar trend this year. The Red Car Trolley News Boys were canceled amid a wave of cutbacks and hiring freezes at the Disneyland Resort due to low summer crowds this July. Even Galaxy’s Edge opened with just a handful of characters, with frontline Cast Members essentially made to fill in for those roles by performing as “Batuuians” while also fulfilling their usual park ops duties.
Here at WDWNT, we’re huge fans of all the talented live performers and improv artists who help make each park experience a unique one, and regret the loss of these shows greatly.
It’s likely they’ll replace them with something at some point. Plus, the cast members in Batuu don’t play roles because there aren’t enough characters, the Imagineers intended to make the land as immersive as possible. The cast members in Batuu are citizens of Batuu.
they make billions of dollars a year!!! an annual pass is over $700!!! why do they need to cut things back at all??? you can’t raise prices and then cut stuff… that’s not going to draw crowds!