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"Ye Haa" Bob Jackson Celebrates 20 Years of Port Orleans fun
Posted Thursday 4th May 2017, 3:22am (EDT) by The Sassagoula Sentinel
 On the 4th of May 1997, a new piano player named Bob Jackson made his first appearance at the Cotton Co-Op lounge at Disney's Dixie Landings Resort, following a recommendation to apply from none other than the lounge's previous incumbent who he met at a gig at Orlando's Blazing Pianos bar. Dixie Landings (renamed a few years later to Port Orleans Riverside) was to become the regular home for his "Ye Haa Bob" persona for the next 20 years. Surprisingly at the time, the Cotton Co-Op was not especially well-known as a nighttime entertainment venue, filled mainly with weary tourists relaxing after a long day at the parks, or guests waiting for their reservations at the nearby Boatwright's Dining Hall. However Bob saw the potential to turn this location into a lively destination attraction, and his duelling piano background, which necessitated getting people up on their feet and singing along, gave him the experience needed to bring the same vibe and energy to his new home. Two decades later, and now an official Walt Disney Legacy Award recipient, "Ye Haa" Bob Jackson is still wowing the crowds four nights a week at what is now known as the River Roost Lounge. His zany mixture of toe-tapping, sing-a-long standards, and increasingly frequent Disney classics performed in his own inimitable and enormously energetic style, attracts a multi-generational crowd from babes-in-arms to octogenarians, all of whom are encouraged to join in the fun, and his amazing memory comes to the fore as he interacts with his audience members by name. Away from the Port, Bob is a talented musician and composer in his own right. He began playing piano from a very early age, and was a music composition major at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. He has also worked at many other locations around Orlando (such as Rosie O'Grady's at the new-defunct Church Street Station, SeaWorld, and Universal's CityWalk) and around Walt Disney World (including the Diamond Horseshoe Revue in the Magic Kingdom). Bob has recorded at least ten CDs (available from his website) including collections of his own original material. He also regularly performs at local churches and for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families at the wish-fulfilling "Give Kids the World" village. As Bob so often says at his shows, "no one has more fun than us," and given that he can count the likes of Disney/Pixar's Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter among his many fans, he's probably right! 
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May 2017 Recreation Activities and Movie Schedules
Posted Thursday 27th April 2017, 12:53pm (EDT) by The Sassagoula Sentinel
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The May 2017 Recreation Activities and Movie Schedules for Port Orleans Riverside and Port Orleans French Quarter are now available. See the main Recreation Activities Schedules page for full-size printable PDF versions.
Live Evening Entertainment No visit to Port Orleans Riverside would be complete without spending an evening in the company of the legendary “Ye Haa” Bob Jackson at the River Roost Lounge, playing 8:30pm—midnight four nights a week (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday). Port Orleans French Quarter’s Scat Cat’s Club does not currently have official resident musicians, but filling the gap admirably are Jason Thomas and Billy Varnes, two members of the fabulous Off Kilter rock band which used to perform in Epcot’s Canada pavilion. Occasionally when one of the boys is not available, Greg Hayworth (from Mulch, Sweat & Shears) will sit in. The dates are only announced a month or so in advance (generally most Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays) but if you happen to be around for any of their evenings (8:30pm—11pm) do yourself a favour and pop along, they are highly recommended.   |
Summer/Fall 2017 Offers, including (limited) Free Dining
Posted Tuesday 25th April 2017, 6:53am (EDT) by The Sassagoula Sentinel
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The free “Disney Dining Plan” offer for USA room & ticket package bookings during Fall 2017 was announced on 24 April 2017, and as usual it’s sadly only of limited benefit to Port Orleans guests. Given that our two favourite resorts already sell very well, Disney simply doesn’t need to offer very much in the way of extra enticement, especially for the smaller French Quarter resort.  Port Orleans French Quarter is completely excluded from the 2017 free dining offer, however at Riverside the Quick Service plan is being offered in limited quantities and room categories for arrivals from 21 August to 30 September 2017. There is a minimum stay of three nights and you must purchase at least two days of Park Hopper tickets per person to be eligible. You can also upgrade to the Regular or Deluxe Dining Plans for a fee. Bookings must be made by 7 July. In addition to Free Dining there are some other Summer/Fall 2017 room-only offers worth considering, although again you may have to be quick to snap up anything for Port Orleans as the allocation is limited. Theme park tickets can be added to the discounted room rates to build a package.
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Easter Sunday Activities, 16 April 2017
Posted Friday 14th April 2017, 9:35am (EDT) by The Sassagoula Sentinel
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Port Orleans Easter Sunday Recreation Activities, Character Greetings and Movie Schedules for 16 April 2017 |
