Brief run-down

Friday
school [grumble]
Atomic Ballroom’s Frankie Manning Weekend 2007

    Harlem Lindy Variations with Jerry and Aubri
    Big Apple with Frankie Manning and Audrey Wilson
    Friday Evening Swing Dance (left early)

Saturday
5:30 AM wake up call, arrive at Disneyland at 7 AM, Cruzin’ Disney’s California Adventure Tour (Flickr: Bullfrog117’s photos tagged with segwaytour)

    This was a lot of fun (mostly because I didn’t get rained out like last week*).  The tour takes about 3 hours.  The first half hour is a talk through about the Segway I-2 and it’s various features.  During the next hour, you go inside California Adventure and do a training course in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot (drive in a circle, duck, uphill, downhill, around poles).  At 8:45 the tour of California Adventure begins.  First stop:  Condor Flats.  Dedicated to the history of aviators in California (Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier at 2:20 something…the time is frozen on the clock inside Fly’n’Buy).  Next stop, Grizzly River Rapids and Redwood Creek (most of which is surprisingly Segway accessible…that was really cool).  Next we headed to the Fine Arts Palace replica that houses Golden Dreams for a brief talk about that.  Next was the two hidden mickeys near Burger Invasion and a bathroom break.  Next we were allowed to tool around all along the front of California Screamin’.  This was rather frustrating as we were in “Turtle” mode, which only allows you to go 6 miles per hour max, and I couldn’t figure out how to maintain that speed.  So I’d ramp up to 6 and the Segway would push back on me saying, “Oh no you don’t!” and then it would start all over again.  So that was frustrating, but it was still fun to just tool around for fun.  After that we headed around the pier to that ampitheatre for pictures.  Then it was through the Pacific Wharf area and into A Bug’s Land.  Then we went backstage (where there’s an exterior door on the second floor of the animation building…bizarre) to get back to the Hollywood Backlot and that was it.  We got a special pin and a printout of the picture.  The only real downside of the tour was the fact that even though the park is all dressed up for Halloween, all the guides did was talk about DCA as it was originally constructed.  That and the fact that it was California Adventure.  I mean, all that really matters is that you’re on a Segway for about an hour and a half and walking sucks afterwards. 

Atomic Ballroom’s Frankie Manning Weekend 2007

    Frankie’s Favorites I with Frankie and Audrey
    Shim Sham Variations with Jerry and Aubri
    Real Bar-B-Que Lunch
    Frankie’s Favorites II with Frankie and Audrey
    Charleston and Tandem Variations with Jerry and Aubri
    Meet Frankie’s Story Time
       This is probably the thing that is MOST worth your time.  Frankie Manning was one of the first innovators for lindy hop and he has shared so many unique experiences with so many great people in swing dancing that it is a hoot to hear his stories.  So much fun.  That and the underwater lindy hop clip he showed us.  Oh and the clip of Bill and Hillary watching a private performance of lindy hop.  I need that clip…prime material to roast Hillary with!  😀

Disneyland Swing Dancing featuring Jumpin’ Joz
Atomic Ballrom Vintage Night Swing Dance Featuring The FABULOUS ESQUIRES Big Band Orchestra until 1:30 AM

Sunday

Atomic Ballroom’s Frankie Manning Weekend 2007

    Frankie’s Favorites III with Frankie and Audrey
    Aerials I with Jerry and Aubri
    Pat and Oscar’s Lunch (aka nap time and food)
    Mystery Class with Frankie and Audrey
    Weekend Wrap-Up (Puttin’ It All Together)

* Last week, Laura and I tried to take the tour, but we went outside for the training just as it started to rain.  We got on and off the Segway’s, but at that point, they officially canceled the tour on account of the weather.  So we whined and moaned and then went back to the “briefing room” to get refunds/reschedules.  Had I known what the tour would be like, I would have argued a bit more because by the time we put the Segway’s away, the rain was finished.  The Segway’s aren’t waterproof and the puddles wouldn’t be a problem – on the tour, we drove through puddles all the time.  SOOO depressing, but oh well.