Poor Canada… they\’ve undergone several entertainment changes at their Epcot pavilion in the last two years. Recently, Disney announced yet another change–a new musical group called TradNation. TradNation uses flute, fiddle, guitar and a dancer who keeps the beat–think Irish dancing! Disney says it\’s for a limited time, so we don\’t know how long that is!
So, what\’s changed over the years? In late 2014, it was announced that long-time fan favorite, Off Kilter, would be leaving Epcot. Off Kilter was a Celtic rock band that started playing at the Canada pavilion in 1997! Band members wore kilts and played bagpipes, drums, bass and guitar with some awesome rockin\’ tunes. Made up of five men from various backgrounds–Florida, Kentucky, Ireland, and Canada–Off Kilter had a rather large following who were very sad when they were removed in September 2014. I admit…my family was quite a fan!
My son at age 6 rockin\’ out to Off Kilter!
Front and center, dancing his heart out!
We made a point to stop and hear them every time we were at Epcot. Needless to say we were all a bit sad to hear that they were leaving Epcot.
In fall 2014, when Off Kilter left, a new type of entertainment was brough to Canada–a lumberjack show! You know…men wearing plaid shirts doing some wood cutting with a chainsaw, the log cutting competition, and a log rolling competition. It\’s pretty common lumberjack contest stuff condensed into a very small space. I didn\’t have high hopes for this, but I saw it in February 2015 and thought it was pretty good.
Yes, the space was too small. Yes, there was nowhere to sit, and if you were not one of the first 50 to get there and get a view right up against the barriers, you couldn\’t see anything. Oh, and there was no shade. At all. Still, in February, that was not much of a concern and I was pleasantly surprised to find it entertaining.
Now it appears the lumberjacks have gotten the shaft, too, and we\’re on to a new group. No matching outfits; no high flying acrobatics or fancy sequined headwear. They seem to be a pretty down-to-earth group that may represent the musical heritage of Canada. There\’s still no seating, so plan to stand around in the sun if you stop to listen. If you do stop by, let us know what you think since \”limited time\” may not last long!
TradNation at Mill Stage in the Canada pavilion. Photo Credit: Walt Disney World
Susan Burks is a Disney travel planner at WishdrawalsTravel, a military wife, and a homeschooling mom to a
robot-programming, space-loving 11 year old boy!
She and her family love visiting Disney World and taking Disney cruises. With six Disney cruises under her belt, she is now preparing to embark on a seventh Disney Cruise–this time to Norway–and planning her next Disney World visit, too!
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