To celebrate 70 years of the Disneyland Resort, “Dancing With the Stars” transformed the ballroom into the Happiest Place on Earth.
The professional dancers and troupe performed an opening number set to “Be Our Guest” from “Beauty and the Beast” with choreography from Mandy Moore to usher in Disney night. Each of the celebrities and their partners made trips to Disneyland in Anaheim to prepare for their performances honoring the park’s iconic rides.
Hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough announced that viewers yet again shattered the voting record with 40 million votes received on Tuesday night alone. Whitney Leavitt earned the highest score of the season so far with her foxtrot to a “Hamilton” tune, but the magical night did have to come to a bitter end when Hilaria Baldwin and her partner Gleb Savchenko were sent home.
“Traitors” star Dylan Efron performed a quickstep to “Life Is a Highway” from “Cars,” inspired by his own love for roadtrips and adventure. His hat tip to Radiator Springs wowed the ballroom and the judges. Derek Hough called Efron the “Quickstep King.” Judge Bruno Tonioli teased that the reality star is on the highway to the finale, complementing his springy footwork and impeccable technique. Though Efron did not dance to “High School Musical” this week, he hinted that if he sticks around next week fans might see a tribute to his brother, Zac.
Danielle Fishel was ready to use her Disney magic to win over the judges with her quickstep to “I Wan’na Be Like You” from “The Jungle Book.” In their sparkly fringe pants, she and her partner, Pasha Pashkov, impressed the judges with their monkey business. Carrie Ann Inaba and Hough both complimented Fishel on her playful energy and expressions for Disney week. But all three judges did notice a mistake from the “Boy Meets World” star, earning her all 7s.
Pentatonix singer Scott Hoying showed off his personality performing a salsa to “Bop to the Top” from “High School Musical.” Lucas Grabeel, who played Ryan in the Disney Channel trilogy, was in the audience alongside Hoying’s husband. The judges saw a little hiccup in the star’s underarm turns, but overall they were impressed by the amount of salsa content his partner, Rylee Arnold, included in the routine.
Alix Earle wanted to show off a darker side for Disney week, dancing a Viennese waltz to “Once Upon a Dream” from “Maleficent.” The judges commended the social media star for her haunting dramatic turn. “It was dance as storytelling,” Tonioli told the star. “You became someone else.” Inaba noticed a shift in Earle’s confidence this week in pushing outside of her comfort zone.
Hilaria Baldwin warmed up for her “Star Wars” routine by making a trip to Disneyland with her husband Alec and their children. Her partner Savchenko was ready to show the judges what she’s made of with their quickstep to “Cantina Band” from “Star Wars: A New Hope.” Tonioli said he was looking for something wrong in her routine tonight and said “he didn’t see it.” Though, Hough said he is still looking for what will set the wellness influencer apart.
Andy Richter is ready to stay in the competition as long as possible. The comedian and his partner, Emma Slater, danced a Viennese waltz to “Le Festin” from “Ratatouille,” where he dressed as the chef Linguine and his pro as the rat.
Inaba challenged the amateur dancer to increase the content for next week, however. Hough complimented his love for the art of dance but asked for better technique. The crowd even chanted his name as he headed to the skybox.
Zookeeper Robert Irwin made a trip to Walt Disney Animation studios for an early screening of “Zootopia 2,” in which he plays Robert Furwin. Irwin descended from the air into the ballroom before dancing a cha cha with his partner Whitney Carson to “Try Everything” by Shakira. Tonioli compared the wildlife conservationist to a cuddly koala, and Inaba asked him to move through his movements rather than stay pose to show off his strength.
Elaine Hendrix took a trip down memory lane, paying homage to the iconic Space Mountain ride. In an intergalactic quickstep, the actress and her partner Alan Bersten proved to the judges that she can take criticism. Inaba said this was her best dance of the season. Hough added he felt like he was on the rollercoaster with the fast-paced routine full of content. “Go for your dreams!” Hendrix exclaimed after tying for the top of the leaderboard.
“Mormon Wives” star Whitney Leavitt dominated the ballroom with her foxtrot to “The Room Where It Happens” from “Hamilton,” which had a taped production released on Disney+ back in 2020.
Inaba said that she loved the dance so much her lip started to quiver before giving the reality star the first 9 of the season. Tonioli echoed the sentiments, saying she should be proud of the “showstopping” routine. Hough was ready for the duo to wow audiences on Broadway with their talents.
Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles and her partner Ezra Sosa performed a quickstep to the original song “Special Spice” from the “Tiana’s Bayou Adventure” ride in Disneyland. The gymnast was excited to pay homage to the first Black Disney princess. Inaba said Chiles’ routine is exactly why audiences love Disney Night, and Tonioli called her Disney royalty.
Jen Affleck celebrated the 70th anniversary of Disneyland Resort with her kids and husband at the park in Anaheim. She and her partner Jan Ravnik competed a jazz routine to “Friend Like Me” from “Aladdin.” The new mama did a backwalkover in her jazz routine full of tricks. Tonioli said the “Mormon Wives” star brought a magical end to Disney night, but Inaba was not as impressed with her cutesy routine and wanted to see more from the reality star.
LEADERBOARD: Week 4
- Whitney Leavitt & Mark Ballas: 25
- Alix Earle & Val Chmerkovskiy: 24
- Elaine Hendrix & Alan Bersten: 24
- Jordan Chiles & Ezra Sosa: 24
- Dylan Efron & Daniella Karagach: 23
- Hilaria Baldwin & Gleb Savchenko: 23
- Jen Affleck & Jan Ravnik: 23
- Robert Irwin & Witney Carson: 22
- Scott Hoying & Rylee Arnold: 21
- Danielle Fishel & Pasha Pashkov: 21
- Andy Richter & Emma Slater: 18
“Dancing With the Stars” airs live on Tuesdays on ABC and streams on Disney+ in local time zones and the next day on Hulu.
