Animate Your Night – A Ghostly Affair
I have been to many events at the Walt Disney Family Museum in the past five years. A wide variety of them to tell the tale. Many of which you may have read about here or elsewhere. Yet, in all that time, I had never been to one of the popular Animate Your Night events. Until last week, that is.
It was an interesting evening in the City. With Game 3 of the Major League Baseball World Series starting at 5:07 pm (as the Giants faced the Kansas City Royals at AT&T Park) in another corner of Baghdad by the Bay, traffic had the potential to be a monsterously frightening affair all by it’s self.
Instead of taking to the automobile and facing that possibility, I chose instead to combine a nice vintage streetcar ride along the Embarcadero with a nice stretch of the legs passing Fort Mason, the Marina Green, the Palace of Fine Arts and the Presidio before arriving at the Museum. Weather was partly cloudy but surprisingly warm along the way. Really a nice afternoon out and about.
Along the Marina Green, there were plenty of folks of all ages out enjoying activities of all kinds. From jogging, to bicycling, to boating at the St. Francis Yacht Club, to soccer and flag football games. Amazing for a Friday afternoon in October
Even though the building currently stands empty (as the Exploratorium has moved to newer quarters along the Embarcadero – and still worth a visit), there was still plenty of activity around the place. Even a wedding on a Friday afternoon with this great structure from the 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition serving as a backdrop across the lagoon. I don’t think I have seen this looking so great in many a year.
All too soon, I arrived in the Presidio and at the Museum. Even though the evening’s festivities didn’t start until 7 pm, there was already quite the assortment of characters waiting an hour ahead of time. A pair of food trucks parked in front of the Museum were already busy.
The fates were kind as the theme for this event brought of spooks of every shape and size, especially the musical guests for the evening, The Grinning Ghosts. They entertained guests with a mix of old Disney favorites and some pop culture tunes. It was a hoot as the audience joined in, especially on a rendition of the Witch Doctor Song. But one could hardly go wrong as the evening found multiple performances of the song of the evening, Grim Grinning Ghosts.
A variety of experiences awaited the faithful departed gathered. Everything from a miniature scavenger hunt to showings of various programs themed for the evening in the theater and more. Some great photos will no doubt appear on the Museum web pages and Facebook page, of the Museum staff and guests alike. Personally, I thought that the leader of the band stole the show as the Hatbox Ghost from Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion.
Another great series of moments that evening was a delightfully abominable tour of the Museum galleries. Our guide was Lucas and he gathered high marks for his own despicable descriptions of what we encountered along the way.
All in all, it was an enjoyable evening for everyone!
If you would like to join in the next Animate Your Night event, check this link for details on the event, Tinsel in Tomorrowland, on Friday, December 12th.