With the opening of the resort in 1988, a 6-piece orchestra began delighting guests of The Grand Floridian. Despite having moved from their original location, the GFSO was a staple of the resort experience, playing a mix of jazz, classic Disney music, Dixieland, and big band tunes.
In early 2020, as parks began to reopen from the pandemic, the Grand Floridian Society Orchestra was renamed and relocated to Hollywood Studios, as the Disney Society Orchestra.
On September 26, 2020, the orchestra posted a heartbreaking announcement via its Facebook page that it would be taking its final bow on October 3:
“It’s hard to find the words but, sadly, our days at the Grand Floridian are over. In fact, as of Oct 3, 2020, our days at WDW will come to an end as well. The company brought us out of furlough, changed our name to ‘The Disney Society Orchestra,’ closed us out of the GF to play a show of Disney themed show tunes at the Theater of the Stars in Hollywood Studios. We’ve been playing 9 shows a day, 7 days a week since Aug 2nd. The music is a far cry from the closely knit harmonies & sounds we became known for at the GF but. the guys are real pros and they sound great! Well… Two weeks ago we got notice that the theater is going dark and our last day of work will be Saturday, Oct 3, 2020. As we all know, these are very uncertain times and can’t say what will happen from one day to the next. So after 32 years of playing together and playing music we love… we’re done. We are so thankful for the opportunity to play in a beautiful setting for the hotel guests and friends we have met & made over the years. We’ll never forget you and how wonderful you’ve made us feel. We will miss you! Thank you-thank you- thank you!”
