The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (168 page)

The show surrounding the
new character-mask technology was practically irrelevant. 
Finally
it was possible for some of the top-tier masked characters, like
Mickey
, to speak.  (Want to hear
Minnie
speak and sing?  Check out her
Fly Girls Charter Airline
show over in
Condor Flats
; it launched in February 2012.)

Disney Dance Crew
busted its last moves in spring of 2012, but the new talking
Mickey
technology is still alive and well in other park venues.  Presently, the
Hollywood Backlot Stage
is used as an arena for local school performers, the talented youths you used to see at
Disneyland
’s
Plaza Gardens
, which were recently transformed into a
Fantasyland
extension that opened in spring 2013.

The next opportunity to
dance with
Disney
characters was located in the
Backlot
’s
Stage 17
. 
Dancin’ with Disney
featured Guests and
Disney characters
jamming to music spun by a DJ.  As with
Disney Dance Crew
, the Guest response to
Dancin’ with Disney
was underwhelming, but small kids were enthusiastic. 
Stage 17
is a vast, hangar-like space.  At
Dancin’ with Disney
, colorful lights flashed and the DJ tried hard to get everyone on the dance floor, but most people stood a bit awkwardly at the edges of the room like wallflowers at the prom.  Of course, there were always those brave and talented Guests who hit the dance floor and do their darndest to entertain everyone else—but they couldn’t save
Dancin’ with Disney
from getting the hook in 2013.  You’re more likely to please your whole clan if you visit the
Backlot
after dark, and rock with the
White Rabbit DJ
and
Mad T Party Band
!  Now
that’s
some happy dancing! 
Did You Know?
 
Walt
had great respect for his animation team.  He demanded excellence from them, but never more than they could deliver.  Animators who knew
Walt
and worked under him remember him with both affection and awe.  His high standards remained in effect even after he passed away in 1966; they were embedded in
Disney
’s corporate culture.  From 1928’s
Steamboat Willie
to 2012’s
Brave
, almost without exception
Disney
(and now
Disney-Pixar
) has ruled animation.  In addition to painstakingly dazzling and enchanting animation, the secret of every
Disney
masterpiece is an engaging story with adventure, fun, music, and heart. 
FastPass:
No. 
Backlot Stage
performances are scheduled shows and not compatible with the
FastPass
system, but even on busy days you’ll probably find a seat.  See the
DCA
Entertainment Times Guide
for show times during your visit, and plan to arrive five to ten minutes early to ensure that you find a seat.

Mad T Party 
(Formerly
Glow Fest
and
ElecTRONica
)

[
FastView:
 
The
Mad T Party
is fun for the entire family and in particular is a hit with teens and young adults.  Oustanding musicians, DJs, and dancers, unique beverages, custom arcade games, and a dazzling light and graphics show all create a rave you’ll be raving about long after your visit.
]

On June 11, 2010
DCA
launched its 2010
Summer Nightastic!
  The centerpiece of the extravaganza was the years-in-the-making, enchanting
World of Color
show in
Paradise Pier
.  Opening quietly, at the same time, to little fanfare and in
World of Color
’s shadow, as it were,
Glow Fest
–soon converted to
ElecTRONica
and later the
Mad T Party
–is a mesmerizing, family-friendly rave in
Hollywood Land
.

Glow Fest
and later
ElecTRONica
always began at 6:15 pm in
Sunshine Plaza
(now
Buena Vista Street
), well before sunset, on a stage near the space formerly occupied by the
Wave Pool
and giant
Sun Sculpture
, a space now occupied by a gorgeous replica of the
Carthay Circle Theatre
.

In the original shows, t
he central plaza and stage were spiked with light-and-speaker towers, dominated by a video screen and dressed in
Glow Fest
signs in neon blues, purples, greens, and yellows.  World music entertainers in colorful outfits performed for the crowd, including Bollywood-style dancers.  As darkness fell, lights glowed, and by 8:15 pm the action moved east to the adjacent
Hollywood Pictures Backlot
(now
Hollywood Land
).  Now that
Buena Vista Street
has replaced the
Sunshine Plaza
, the nighttime dance party begins as well as ends in
Hollywood Land
.

Glow Fest
,
DCA
’s original dance extravaganza, was fun but rather scattered in its theming. 
ElecTRONica
brought a clear
Disney
theme and focus to the event, and was wildly popular.

During the day, Guests experience
d
Hollywood Land
as a nostalgic tribute to a Hollywood of yore.  During
ElecTRONica
, at night, the area took on an exciting contemporary vibe.  Light towers suffused the street with glowing green, blue, and purple lights.  Speaker towers pumped out loud music mixed by a live DJ, a blend of amped-up classics and popular tunes by
Disney
stars.  Guests danced and sang.  Performers danced, and taught Guests how to dance, and played
TRON
-inspired games.

The overall effect
of
ElecTRONica
was like being at a massive street rave, albeit one where you saw grandparents and kids as well as young adults roaming around and dancing to the beat.  The
Hyperion
became a backdrop for projected images that pulsed in time with the music, geometric shapes and silhouettes of club dancers.  Dancers on platforms performed routines and taught Guests their dance moves, creating mini flash-mobs on the boulevard.

Booths along the main street and in the
Backlot
area sold alcoholic beverages as well as soft drinks and cocoa.  Originally there were street trucks like the vegetarian
Green Truck
or
Louk’s Greek Gourmet Truck
vending surprisingly healthy meals for hungry Guests.  These were quickly replaced by the
Disney
-run
ElecTRONica Truck
(aka the
Studio Catering Truck
) where Guests could buy snacks (turkey legs, hot dogs, chips) and sodas or hot chocolate, and glowing alocoholic beverages (like a
Digitini
) were sold at at the
End of the Line Club
.  The beverage glasses lit up, and the tables luminesced … it was all about the digital glow.

The sale of alcohol right out on the street ha
d some Guests concerned.  Although
DCA
has always sold alcohol with meals at the
Wine Country Trattoria
and the
Pacific Wharf
eateries and at the
Cove Bar
, drinking has been limited (two alcoholic beverages per Guest at
Pacific Wharf
) or largely out of sight of most young Guests.  At
ElecTRONica
, however, the beverage booths and drinking were right out in the open.  Combined with the pounding music and wild lights, when they opened,
Glow Fest
and later
ElecTRONica
were considered by some Guests as too grown-up for a
Disneyland Resort
experience.  Fun, yes–but appropriate for little ones?

On June 11, 2010,
during the public opening of
Glow Fest
, the crowd, though lively, was well-behaved, and no-nonsense
DCA
Cast Members were posted throughout the festivities directing Guest flow and ensuring no one blocked the streets or caused altercations.  Such oversight continued with
ElecTRONica
, ensuring that Guests were civilized. 
DCA
kept order in the glowing streets;
ElecTRONica
remained appropriate for all ages and a lot of fun.

It was o
nly a few months later, on October 8, 2010 that
Glow Fest
became
ElecTRONica
, a luminous nighttime dance party themed to
Disney
’s 2010 sequel to the original
TRON
(1982). (The film
TRON:  Legacy
was released on December 17, 2010.)

Every weekend
ElecTRONica
delivered food, drink, face painting, lasers, gaming, a recreation of
Flynn’s Arcade
, live entertainment, and, of course, dancing.

Vintage video games and 1980’s music were the draw at the replica of
Flynn’s Arcade
.  Walking into
Flynn
’s was like passing through a portal into 1982.  In the neon-lit brick interior, Guests paid 25 cents per game to play classic video games like Asteroids, Frogger, Galaga, Pac Man–even air hockey–while listening to 80’s tunes by 80’s music icons like Pat Benetar and Journey.

The token machines
were temperamental, spitting out dollar bills if the money had even a tiny crease or tear, but that’s how it was back-in-the-day, so it felt more nostalgic than annoying.  Cast Members were on hand to help out if a machine seemed hopelessly jammed.

On the whole,
ElecTRONica
was an entrancing electronica experience, and, as with
Glow Fest
before it, attracted and entertained Guests of all ages.  Exhuberant DJ’s and dancers kept the crowd grooving, along with special attractions like
Laserman
, who debuted on June 17, 2011.

Disneyland Resort
never stands still.  Shows and attractions are constantly being enriched and refreshed.  So it wasn’t that surprising when, on January 11, 2012, the
Disney Parks
blog announced that
ElecTRONica
would end after spring 2012, becoming the
Mad T Party
on June 15, 2012.

The announcement wasn’t surprising, but, given how popular
ElecTRONica
had become, the announcement
was
a bit worrisome.  Disney got it right with
ElecTRONica
–would the
Mad T Party
be a let down? 
Disney
fans wondered what the
Mad T Party
would look like, and sound like, and many (including the author) were concerned about the loss of reliably entertaining
ElecTRONica
.

DCA
promised the
Mad T Party
would deliver trippy,
Tim Burton
-inspired
Alice in Wonderland
visuals and characters, as well as live bands, dancing, and games.  Knowing how wary change makes some of its fans,
Disneyland
released colorful concept drawings of the
Mad T Party
’s cast of characters, giving Guests a sneak peek of what to expect.

There was a lot of buzz about
the
White Rabbit DJ
, and the
Mad T Party Band
, consisting of the
Caterpillar
(keyboard),
Chesire Cat
(drums),
Dormouse
(lead guitar),
Mad Hatter
(host), and
March Hare
(bass).  Funkadelically dressed
Hatters
would serves as hosts and guides.  A dance troupe called the
Hottest Deck in Town
, decked out in playing-card themed, hip-hop-style costumes, would entertain at the
House of Cards
.