The "Decade of Dreams" Theme: PassPorter's Big Band
When we were thinking about theming for our big 2009 hoopla, because of course we
had to have a theme, we quickly latched onto the idea of a tour. Not a grand tour, but a concert tour! We wanted to have events from "coast-to-coast" throughout the year and a concert tour seemed like a perfect fit. The rock star image didn't seem right for us, however. But why not a '30s/'40s era big band? After all, the '30s/'40s were Walt's era and what we see depicted so well at Disney's Hollywood Studios and Adventurers Club at Walt Disney World), Sessions on the Disney Magic ship, and Hollywood Pictures Backlot at Disney's California Adventure.
The more we thought about it, the more it made sense. PassPorter is like a "big band" in its way -- you've got us (the bandleaders), but that's just a small part of the band. Our team members, Guides, authors, writers, editors, proofreader, contributors, and reviewers are like the different sections of the big band ensemble. And our readers are the swing dancers! We all work together in tempo to pull off PassPorter.
So, like the theme geeks we are, we actually sat down and figured out each of our roles in the big band of PassPorter. Everyone reading this should spot themselves here, even if the title or name is unusual:
Bandleaders -- Jennifer and Dave Marx
Rhythm Section -- Chad Larner, Nicole Larner, Sara Varney (the "heart" of the band)
Saxophone Section -- PassPorter Guides (the "mellow harmony")
Brass Section -- PassPorter article/photo/news/tip/story contributors (the "melody")
Composers -- PassPorter authors, editors, and proofreader
Arrangers - PassPorter's distributor (PGW), publicist (KSB), warehouse (PSSC), and webhost (AI)
Tour Managers - Beci Mahnken and Annette Owens at Mouse Fan Travel
Dancers -- PassPorter readers, families, and friends
Our big band concert tour lead to the idea of having a "backstage pass." Dave came up with the "10" anniversary logo, and I created a basic backstage pass graphic. Then, in a really fantastic group collaboration with our Guides and team members, we pulled it all together into the backstage logo you see in the upper left corner of this page, complete with '30s/'40s-era logotype for Decade of Dreams, the "dreamy" clouds, and the plane/ship.
We'd love to collaborate with YOU on how we'll play with our theme during the Decade of Dreams Tour! Perhaps song names for meet and event titles? Or even some meets at '30s/'40s era spots in the parks and on the ship? We'd love to hear your ideas -- you're an essential part of this celebration!
