Day 25 of WDW-40, the latest of my Disney Trip Reports, is here! Today we went to see Cirque du Soleil, La Nouba in Disney Springs, and got a take-out dinner from Bahama Breeze.
If you haven’t read my pre-trip planning report yet, why not have a quick read now to bring you up to speed about who we are, and why this trip report is called WDW-40! You might also want to start reading from the beginning of the report!
Day 25: La Nouba, Cirque du Soleil
Dinner (Take-Out) from Bahama Breeze
September 28th, 2016
My trip reports are generally photo heavy, images in tiled galleries can be clicked on to enlarge. All the photos from this day can be found here | Florida 2016 photo collection on Flickr here.
WDW-40, 2016: Trip Report Index | Pre-Trip Planning Report | About Us
Some days are split into several parts; please use the page numbers at the bottom of the post to continue reading.
I’m going to hold my hands up and say I have not a clue what we did today other than go to watch Cirque du Soleil and grab some take-out from Bahama Breeze on Vineland Avenue. We may have hung out at our Disney Resort, we may have gone shopping, we may have slept all day… I really do not remember!
So, to that end, today’s trip report is pretty much going to be photos of La Nouba from Cirque du Soleil, and pictures of our food from Bahama Breeze – sorry!
I’ve taken so long to write this trip report that Cirque du Soleil, La Nouba is no longer showing in Disney Springs. I don’t think anything has been announced as to what will replace it in the theatre – but I’m sure it will be fabulous!
Cirque du Soleil was performed inside the large building at the bottom end of Disney Springs West Side. It was (maybe still is) the building with the tent-style roof. Not that, that all matters now, but just for posterity purposes!
I had heard nothing but amazing things about La Nouba, and thought that an adults-only trip (which our 2016 trip was) was a perfect time to go and watch it. I believe we got a Disney Vacation Club discount, but please don’t ask what we paid for the tickets now, as I really do not remember. I’m sure there is a receipt somewhere…
We were sat pretty much right at the top of the theatre, thanks to me being in an ECV for this trip – but in all honesty, it was a perfect view as we could see everything without having to crane our necks.
The words La Nouba derives from the French phrase faire la nouba, meaning “to party” or “to live it up” (Thanks Wiki) and the show features contemporary circus acts including acrobats, gymnasts, and other skilled performers. If you want to read more about the stage set up and other info about Cirque du Soleil, La Nouba, check out the Wiki page as it is really interesting!
We were in awe from beginning to end, and gave it a standing ovation. If it was still being shown I would say we would go and watch La Nouba again in a heartbeat.
Since it is a circus act, clowns were to be expected… and whilst I am not a fan of clowns, the two that were like the warm-up act for the show (and appeared throughout) were really very funny! There was also some audience participation, which made me glad we were sat up out of reach!!
Then the performers started to walk out into the theatre, with a spotlight upon them, a parade of performers if you will, and the show began!
There was a story behind all of this, which isn’t really clear unless you buy the souvenir programme (which we did) and it describes it in there. I mean, you can see there must be some sort of story by certain characters/performers reappearing throughout; but nothing is actually spoken so it’s all a bit of guess work!
I will insert some snippets from the programme between my photos of the show. My photos do not do the show any justice whatsoever. It really was mesmerising!
“Once upon a time, long, long ago…”
Just say these words and the story starts to unfold all by itself.. There is a secret place where stories wait to be told, where tales are born. It is a place full of mystery and wonder, where you can dream, hide, fall in love, remember, get lost, cringe with fear, or dance with joy… all in the twinkling of an eye. Reaching this place is less difficult than you may think, because it’s right there inside you. It’s like starting a fairy tale: the best way is to jump in headfirst.
Is this a dream? All Virginia intended to do in the first place was a little housekeeping, but when she shut the door of the attic behind her, she somehow triggered a series of events that opened up a world of possibilities beyond imagination. She stirred back to life a bunch of characters straight out of a story book, all yearning to retell the tales to which they belong.
Aerial Bamboo
The Dancer
Ah, true love! Once upon a time, a beautiful and curious ballerina was searching for her prince charming. She is looking for him to relive the classic, passion-filled love story à la Romeo and Juliet. Her quest for love, like her dancing, is a never-ending story filled with desire, fear, joy and longing. Who said true love was supposed to be simple or easy?
Diabolos
The Clowns
These two jokers are way wiser than they look. Watching them is like gazing into a mirror with a magical glass: when you observe a clown closely, you always discover something about yourself. Pay attention, and you’ll see. Never trust a clown, for when you least expect it, they’ll do something that will melt your heart in a flash or have you rolling in the aisles in front of complete strangers!
Cycles
The Nuts
Once upon a time, there were four Nuts that nobody could see, but they could see everything. Who knows where these guys came from? For all we know, they may have slipped out of the cracks in the wall, or simply appeared between the lines in the story… These mischievous four may be Nuts, but crazy they’re not! And as they frolic to and fro, they have only one thing on their mind: spreading chaos and mayhem, running amok, and minding everyone’s business but their own!
Aerial Ballet
The Green Bird
Ever feel caught in a trap, unable to break free? This is how the Green Bird feels. When she escapes from her cage, she desperately wants to fly. But her wings won’t work, so she’s unable to catch up with the circus. She’s way too clumsy and awkward, and so she remains trapped in the urban world like a marionette caught in its tangled strings.