Silly Symphony Swings at Disneyland

Mickey's conducting and Donald's disrupting — until a tornado hits the orchestra! Swing through the air in your musical chair as Mickey's barnyard orchestra plays William Tell's "The Storm"!

The Swinging Sensation

When the tornado takes hold, your seat rises higher, the carnival top tilting this way and that to give you a unique view of Disney California Adventure Park. For a minute and a half, your feet dangle free as the swings fly through the air around the tower topped by the Maestro Mickey himself! Scenes from the short painted on the ride's tower transform from still to storm as the central tower telescopes upward.

"The Band Concert"

The ride was inspired by the classic Mickey Mouse cartoon short, "The Band Concert." Released in 1935, it featured a frazzled Mickey trying to conduct an outdoor orchestra as Donald Duck becomes a sort of Pied Piper, leading the strings astray with his flute to play a more patriotic tune. But it all goes haywire when they strike up William Tell's "The Storm." In the mistral of minstrels, Mother Nature ties the tune in knots with her winds, landing the ever-so-dedicated players in a tree. Somehow, Donald manages to get the last note.

Let this trilling experience sweep you off your feet!

Silly Symphony Swings is a "wave swinger" attraction in Paradise Pier, at Disney California Adventure, at the Disneyland Resort in California. Themed to Disney's The Band Concert conductor Mickey Mouse conducts the attraction from high atop, synchronized with the music. Although "The Band Concert" was not part of the 'Silly Symphonies' film series, the name was applied to the attraction due to its apparent symphony storyline. Closely following the plot of "The Band Concert" the main column of the ride rises revealing a tornado which spins the riders to the tune of the William Tell Overture and William Tell's "Storm". Once the tornado safely passes, the music comes to an end and the ride slows and lowers riders to the ground. It is speculated that the new voice of the Silly Symphony Swings is that of the fictitious Mr. Tinkershmidt, the supposed new owner of Paradise Pier. Tinkershmidt and the Silly Symphony Swings update is part of the multi-year, $1.1 billion (US) expansion plan for Disney's California Adventure Park. Previews of the attraction are offered at California Adventure's Walt Disney Imagineering Blue Sky Cellar.

The attraction was originally slated to replace the Orange Stinger on May 28, 2010. Although the attraction soft opened on May 28, 2010, it had an Official Grand Opening on June 11, 2010.

Previous Attraction History

The Orange Stinger reflected in Paradise BayThe Orange Stinger, the predecessor of "Silly Symphony Swings", was an off the shelf Zierer Wave Swinger enclosed in a large orange and themed as bees. Riders swung on suspended seats inside the enclosure which offered views of nearby Paradise Pier and Paradise Bay through large openings in the walls. These openings were made to look like peeled sections of an orange peel. The original bumblebee seats were removed on February 10, 2001 due to damage during use. After removal, the seats were unthemed swing seats. Initially an orange scent effect was introduced into the attraction giving it the smell of a 'real' orange, but was later removed because it attracted real bees.

The giant orange was a tribute to the orange fields that Disneyland was built on, as well as Orange County, where the Disneyland Resort is located.

Quick Facts:
Disney California Adventure
Land - Paradise Pier
Attraction type - Wave Swinger
Theme - Disney's The Band Concert; Victorian
Soft opening date - May 28, 2010
Opening date - June 11, 2010
Hosted by Mickey Mouse
Music - William Tell Overture
Ride duration - 1:30 minutes
Total height - 40 ft (12.2 m)
Height requirements - 48" (122 cm)
Capacity - 48 guests per ride
Preceded by Orange Stinger
Sponsored by Walt Disney Records
Must transfer from wheelchair