We will be visiting Disneyland this Sunday to pay one last visit to Carnation Plaza Gardens and Rest Area before it’s scheduled April 30 implosion and subsequent conversion to what an eight-year-old boy of our acquaintance referred to as, “a cootie-filled girlie land with a tiara.” (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.)
Although we have no problem with Disneyland changing with the times, we will be sad to see Carnation Plaza go. But even when it has been replaced, we will still treasure our memories of the amazing times we had there. Who could forget:
- Passing through on the way to Frontierland.
- Sitting in a chair because our feet hurt.
- Accidentally following a path there when we thought we were heading for the side entrance to Fantasyland.
- Imagining that something was happening on the stage.
Admittedly, there are those who are more upset about this change than we are. A group of swing dancers who enjoy visiting Carnation Plaza when swinging swing bands are there playing swing music has been vocally protesting the situation, claiming that, “Carnation Plaza just won’t be the same after it’s changed.” Even though Disneyland insists that the regularly scheduled swing-dancing parties will continue (after a brief period during which, due to construction, they will be held in the picnic area outside the main entrance), not everyone is convinced.
Rumor has it that a mass protest is scheduled for April 29th, on which passively resistant swing dancers will fasten themselves to chairs and candy-striped awnings by the chains dangling from their zoot suits. We attempted to find out more about this protest, but our Google searches for “swingers,” “looking for swingers,” “interested in swinging,” and “swingers chaining themselves to things” were less than helpful (and, frankly, rather disturbing).
That aside, if you are planning to be at Disneyland this Sunday, let us know so that we can take your picture by the secret bathroom in CPG (as all Disneyphiles call it) for potential posting on this site. If you are not able to make it, send us your secret CPG bathroom photos, which we will be collecting for a loving tribute.
