Hi all,
 
Two things this evening for you. First off, the news on MousePlanet about Disneyland scrapping all random character meet and happenings seems to have gathered quite a lot of attention, and now the same person is reporting that it has since been shot down in flames. All I can say is thank goodness! This would have probably been one of the most damaging decisions ever taken by Disneyland Resort management, and I’m sure no-one will be suggesting that one again in a hurry!
 
Now I hand over to California correspondent Loren Javier for his special report on the Kickin’ Country Weekend this last weekend at Disneyland. Here’s what he had to say:
 
Well, it was another summer like January day here in Southern California and a great day to go to the second of Disneyland's Family Fun Weekends. This time, it was Disney's Kickin' Country Weekend, celebrating the music, arts and crafts of America's heartland.
 
Like Fiesta Disneyland, five character greeting areas were set up to meet characters dressed in appropriately themed costumes.  Also like Fiesta Disneyland, Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Donald and Chip n' Dale were there in cowboy wear. But, added to the mix this weekend were Woody and Jessie, Clarabelle Cow (who was dressed as she is normally) and Daisy Duck in cowboy wear. Photos posted by various sources, including our friends Joseph & Chrissy Powers, showed that Clara Cluck was making appearances on Friday. But, alas, she was not there today. I could not get a reason as to why she didn't come out, but, believe me, I was deeply disappointed.
 
In the realm of missed opportunities, it would have seemed to have made sense to have had the Country Bears make an appearance (especially since they did not win Disneyland's Character Fan Weekend poll). I can't think of any characters more appropriate to a country music themed weekend than the Country Bears. But, again, I must say it - perish the thought that Disneyland drag out too many rare characters. 
 
Despite the missed opportunity and the absence of Clara Cluck, it was still a great day to get pictures with all the characters were out. While we see Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto, Goofy and Chip n' Dale on a regular basis, it’s always fun to see them in different costumes.
 
As for the program, like Fiesta Disneyland, it was broken into three sections. The first was the Kickin' Country Street Party which involved a hoedown and then a lesson on line dancing by the host with Mickey and Minnie.
 
The second part of the program was a thirty minute set by a country western band called Fort Worth West.  Mickey and Minnie came back out to dance with children and each other for part of the set.
 
The final part was a performance by the Bon Family Cloggers. Clogging is a style of dance that originated in the Appalachian Mountains and is a sort of melting pot of folk dances ranging from Irish to Native American origins.
 
Aside from the program, there were various booths highlighting quilt making and woodcarving and themed food (although, I didn't get a chance to try any of it). Overall, another great Family Fun Weekend!
 
Thanks Loren! Loren’s photos from the weekend can be found in his Flickr set here.
Ok, that’s all for now folks. Thanks to everyone who comments on our Facebook page regarding my blog posts – your support is greatly appreciated!
 
Dan :)