In February 2005, I was contacted by Ros Cochrane of Dance Around the World.  Ros informed me that Disneyland were celebrating their 50th Anniversary from 2005-2006, & wondered if we would be interested in sending an audition tape for an opportunity to perform at the park!  I was immediately keen, as I had performed in the park myself when Disneyland were celebrating their 45th Anniversary.  Parents & students of the entertainment group were informed, a fundraising committee was formed..& the rest is history!
The students & parents worked hard for 18 months at lots & lots of fundraising events, raising money for the fare.  The students spent 10 months putting together a brand new show, just for Disneyland.
 
On Thursday 28th September, 2006 an entourage of 70 students, mums, dads, brothers, sisters & grandparents arrived at the airport, bound for L.A!
 
The group spent 7 days in Anaheim - right across the road from Disneyland!  Throughout the week the group spent time at Disneyland, Universal Studios & Hollywood.  Everyone had an absolute ball, it was the ultimate experience of a lifetime for the students.
 
Scroll down to see what Miss Sarah & her kids got up to in the happiest place on earth!
 
After 13 hours on the plane, we arrived at LAX.  We were quickly transferred to our hotel in Anaheim, the Howard Johnson.  The rest of that day was spent relaxing by the pool or touring the hotel & restaurant strip just outside of Disneyland.

The next day was Disneyland!  We all had 5-day hopper passes, enabling us to come & go from both parks - Disneyland & California Adventure - as we pleased.  The kids had a ball meeting all the Disney characters & trying all the rides.
 

That night, some of the group visited a baseball game.  We visited the Anaheim Angels stadium & watched them triumph over the Oakland Athletics.  The evening was topped off with a spectacular fireworks display. 
 

The following day the group visited Universal Studios.  We took in the backlot tour, experienced awesome rides like The Mummy & Jurassic Park, & lots of stage shows like Fear Factor Live & Shrek 4D. 
 

After a much needed good nights sleep, the group went across to the Disneyland Park for the girls first performance!  We spent the morning in a workshop with a Disney performer & choreographer.  At lunchtime, we changed into costume for our own show!  The crowd was amazing, they clapped & cheered the whole way through the performance.  I watched proudly as my girls entertained & wowed the audience like professionals.  I also watched many parents wiping away proud tears! Click here to see pics of the girls performing.

Our second performance was the very next day.  The girls amazed me by topping their already  outstanding efforts from the day before.  Our director that day also commented on how professional my students were, from their brilliant stage personalities to the clever use of the tiered stage.  We were given a plaque to commemorate the experience which hangs proudly on the feature wall at the studio.
 
 

However, the dancing didn't stop there!  The next day the group toured Hollywood, first with a stopover at Santa Monica Boulevarde.  Some of us even had a celebrity sighting - we watched Owen Wilson filming his latest movie on the Boulevarde (look out for us in the background of Drill Bit!)

We traveled on to Hollywood, taking in sights such as the Kodak Theatre, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Rodeo Drive & of course, the Hollywood Sign.  That afternoon Miss Sarah & the girls were dropped off at The Edge, the studio of the stars.  The girls had a blast in their very own workshop with professional hip hop choreographer Benny.                             
 
Our last day in Anaheim was spent in both parks visiting our favourite rides for the last time.  We all had dinner together in Downtown Disney at the Rain Tree Forrest where we shared our favourite stories & memories of the week.

The next day we say farewell to Anaheim.  From there the group divided as some of us traveled to Vegas, some of us went home & some stopped halfway home in Hawaii.  My family was one that spent a week in Hawaii.  We took in a Luau, where some of the girls had a hula lesson...we took in an Elvis dinner & show...spent a day at PearlHarbour...visited other hawaiian islands to see an active volcano!...swam with the dolphins...we spent hours by the hotel pool...enjoyed beautiful hawaiian views...a couple of the older girls & myself even took a surf lesson!

 

It was sad to say goodbye after 2 weeks of holiday bliss...but it was time to go home.  It was the most memorable holiday; I got to share it not just with my family, but with my students & their families as well.  I was so proud of all of my kids & the way they represented myself & Razzle Dazzle.  I hope everyone had a good time!