Doing Disney with Jump5
We hung out with the Christian pop stars at Disney World recently, just before their gig at Disney's annual Night of Joy.
by Photos by Mark Ashman | posted 9/27/2004
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Chris Fedun has braved the Tower of Terror more than 50 times. After all, it's his favorite ride at Florida's Walt Disney World.
Mickey and Minnie beggedto audition to join the group,but didn't make the cut
"I never get tired of it," says Fedun, at 18 the "elder statesman" of the teen pop group Jump5. "It always seems new, every time I ride it."
Fedun and his fellow Jumpsters—Brandon (17) and Brittany (16) Hargest, and Lesley Moore (17)—were hanging out in the Land of Mickey, where they performed at Disney's annual Night of Joy, a Christian music festival that featured the likes of Third Day, Jars of Clay, Rebecca St. James, Kirk Franklin, Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman, Point of Grace, Jeremy Camp and many more.
Even though Jump5 has visited Disney World a number of times—the group is practically synonymous with Radio Disney, where they've had a string of hits—these energetic teens never seem to tire of the park's attractions and endless wonders.
Christian Music Today spent an afternoon doing Disney with Jump5—specifically at the Magic Kingdom, where we rode some rides (but not the Tower of Terror, which is in another Disney park), checked out some of the fun stores, and talked about their new album, Dreaming in Color
We started out in front of the famous Cinderella Castle, where the Jumpsters mugged with Mickey and Minnie. Then we went round behind the castle and headed on to more adventures.
Brittany, Brandon, Lesley and Chris
Along the way, Brandon told us the new album is "my favorite so far. It's a more mature sound, a lot of great stuff."
"I love this record," added Brandon's sister Brittany. "I think it shows the real us. You know, we're not always happy! Sometimes we get down in the dumps and have bad days. I think our new song, 'Beautiful World,' shows that."
Soon we were dropping by a little shop where the guys got, well, a little goofy:
Chris gets a bit Goofy while Brandon sets his sights on becoming the next Sorcerer's Apprentice
The girls, meanwhile, imagined themselves as little princesses … or something like that:
Brittany and Lesley debate about who'd make the best Cinderella
As we headed on, Chris said he liked the new album's heavier sound. "There's more rock and real instruments," he said. "And it seems more personal. It's the first album we've done that we're really feeling like it's our own. The lyrics are deeper. It's about our teen years, which can be a really hard time. You're learning more about yourself, who you really are and what you want to be."
One thing they've learned about themselves is that they've got a thing for Dole Whips—a scrumptious Disney treat consisting of pineapple juice and a dollop of soft ice cream. So, naturally, we stopped and got some:
Lesley and Chris doin' the Dole Whips
Then it was on to a couple of interviews with radio stations who were broadcasting live from Disney during the Night of Joy weekend:
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The group chats with Lisa Williams of Z88.3, a local Christian station.
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After the interviews, we were off to Adventureland—and Pirates of the Caribbean, where it was time to get into character once again. They all tried their hands at playing the role:
Yo ho ho! And a pirates life for me!
We left the high seas and headed for shallower waters — the river rapids of Splash Mountain. On the way, they told a funny story about a show when Lesley cut off the sleeves of a black shirt she was wearing. When they went back on stage and raised their arms, Chris noticed that Lesley had "this huge, black fur under her armpits"—pieces of fabric left over from where she'd cut the shirt. "The whole crowd had to see it," Lesley added, laughing.
Then we were off to one last whirl—at Splash Mountain:
OK, so it's not as scary as the Tower of Terror. But it's a blast.
And then, just like that, our day was over, and the group had to go get ready for their concert:
Jump5 put on an energetic show for the fans at Night of Joy
Brandon sings lead
It all added up to a fun afternoon and evening. And something tells us these kids will be back, again and again.
After all, the Tower of Terror is waiting.
All photos © Mark Ashman/Walt Disney World 1 of 1
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