Disneyland's Billy Hill and the Hillbillies show comes to an end tomorrow. It began in 1993 with the bulk of the shows taking place in Frontierland's Golden Horseshoe venue. The end comes through retirement. Oh, the Hillbillies didn't retire, as they loved to perform to adoring fans young and old. Disney retired the act somehow thinking it was time. As I have said before, I believe the reason was economic as the skilled musicians and performers of the Hillbillies were probably paid well - especially the original members. Yes, they could pack the Golden Horseshoe with fans, but there is only so much greasy food and ice cream that could be sold in such a small place to support the cost of the act. (I'm ignoring the outdoor festival arena performances of the Hillbillies - those don't count - the act belonged in the Golden Horseshoe - always).
But here's a stop to the rant against Disney to say Thank You to Kirk, Dennis, and the rest of the boys. Thank you for the countless hours of entertainment, the laughs, the music, and all the fun that went with it. The teeth, the fiddle bow up the nose, and the "Train Song" never got old or stale. Billy Hilly and the Hillbillies was a first-rate act by guys who loved to perform.
Disneyland will not be the same without Billy Hill and the Hillbillies. Mrs. DisnelylandTraveler and myself have made an informal pledge to not set foot inside of the Golden Horseshoe as our form of protest and disapproval of Disney's decision to remove the act. Ultimately, the hope is that Disney will see the error of their ways and bring the act back.
No comments:
Post a Comment