Kidnap the Magic: Another Themed Party Masterpost

(Continued from last week.)

In all my Kidnap the Magic posts, I haven't touched California Adventure once. So this should be interesting.

Disney California Adventure

The concept of a theme party celebrating California makes about as much sense as the concept of a theme park celebrating California...which is to say, it makes as much sense as you put into it. I have Definite Opinions about how California Adventure could have been a hit from the start, if only they'd kept in mind what they were actually building.* That said, California is still kind of a weird theme for a party...and a hard one to convey unless, like, you bake cookies in the shape of the state map or something. Making the theme of the party in fact a Disney theme park based on California just complicates matters further. There's no instantly recognizable set of icons comparable to the “Mickey Mouse + castle” I identified for Disneyland last week.

Actually, it turns out that the best way I can think of to represent California Adventure as a concept is to delve into the park's own past. It didn't work very well, which is why it was changed, but for the first several years of California Adventure's existence, its entryway and “hub” area were called Sunshine Plaza and were themed to a sort of generic concept of “California-ness.”

Themes: California's biggest claim to fame is probably not Hollywood, or Silicon Valley, or even Disneyland. It's beaches and beach culture. Head back to the luau section that served you so well back when you were planning Adventureland parties and look specfically for sun-and-surf imagery. Be discerning—sea shells yes, tropical fish no, palm trees good, coconuts not so much.**

Food: A good rule of thumb for California cuisine is to put avocado on/in everything. “Everything” can consist of almost anything; we love our multiculturalism. Or just order In-N-Out.

Music: Sunshine Plaza boasted its own music loop consisting of...popular songs about California, places in California, or aspects of California. An approximate reconstruction of the loop is posted here (minus one track for copyright reasons), and you could play it as-is or pick the individual songs and make a playlist of them. This is certainly not a comprehensive collection of songs about California and it could easily be expanded...just mind that you choose upbeat, positive songs (i.e. no “Hotel California” or “Under the Bridge”).

Movies: I think Disney did some beach movies with Annette Funicello back in the Sixties, but I have an even better suggestion: Teen Beach Movie, a Disney Channel original that pokes fun at the entire genre. There's also a sequel! Beyond that, try to zero in on the handful of Disney movies that actually take place in California—even though the “California-ness” is usually sidelined in favor of more generally applicable stories. Big Hero 6 and Inside Out are two possibilities.

Buena Vista Street

Buena Vista Street is orders of magnitude more stylish than its predecessor was, and guests respond to it much better. Would your guests do the same? Only one way to find out!

Themes: Revisit the Roaring Twenties stuff you perused back when you were getting ideas for New Orleans Square. L.A. is still not New York or Chicago, but the fit is slightly closer. The other thing to go for, if you can find it as a decorating motif, is early cartoons, especially from the black-and-white era. There has been a resurgence of interest in the visual style of this era of late.

Food: If your party is during the day/on the casual side of things, emulate the Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Cafe (AKA Starbucks wearing a false mustache) and serve pastries, sandwiches, and fruit platters. If it's in the evening/more formal, take your cues from the Carthay Circle Restaurant and serve a nice dinner.

Music: Break out the jazz again!

Movies: Have on end a good mix of early Mickey Mouse and Silly Symphonies. If you can get ahold of them, include some Oswald cartoons and even the “Alice in Cartoonland” comedies. Top it all off with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Hollywood Land

This area is in much the same condition as Tomorrowland—its core theme heavily adulterated by the drive to stuff as much popular IP into the parks as possible, it nonetheless manages to still display that core in its unique way.

Themes: Believe it or not, the big box is likely to have a (small) section with a Hollywood/movies theme...especially at this time of the year. Why? Oscar parties! Plus, some people like to go all out for Home Movie Night. In any case, it's not at all difficult to find party supplies with a Hollywood motif. Also check the kids' aisle for Monsters, Inc. and Marvel, since, y'know.

Food: The food options in Hollywood Land are pretty lackluster. I had to visit the Disneyland website just to remember what any of them were called. Nuts to that! If you can afford it, have a local eatery cater your shindig. That's how the stars do it! If your budget won't stretch that far, pick up a variety of fast food-type meals—pizzas, burgers, chicken buckets, that sort of thing—and some salad fixings and set up your own buffet.

Music: These days, Hollywood Land boasts the same sort of jazz/swing playlist as Buena Vista Street. This is good in that it creates a sense of continuity between the two lands, but it makes Hollywood Land itself less unique. I would actually recommend making a playlist of famous movie theme tunes, especially from the Golden Age of Hollywood or critically acclaimed films. This is exactly the route Disney usually takes with its “Studios” parks, and you can find the results in various places around the 'net if you need a shortcut. Otherwise, I would suggest looking for one of those special edition albums where the London Symphony Orchestra or the Cincinnati Pops or whoever play a bunch of movie tunes like a concert, just to keep things consistent.

Movies: The position taken by Upper Management seems to be that any and all Disney (or Disney-owned) movies are suitable for Hollywood Land, because the whole area is about movies, lol! You could certainly adopt that approach if you wanted to, but it might be more satisfying to use movies that actually have attractions there, such as, again, Monsters, Inc./Monsters University and the Marvel flicks. You could also go a little retro with Tower of Terror or the Muppets films. And then there's Bolt, which actually has the Hollywood TV industry as a major part of its premise.

“a bug's land”

This would have to be a kiddie party.

Themes: I don't know if I've ever seen “bugs” as a party theme, even in the kids' aisle, but it seems like it might be something that exists. Failing that, look for backyard or picnic themes. Halloween is a good source of spider, fly, and cockroach imagery in varying degrees of realism.

Food: Since we're assuming this is a party for little kids, just serve basic stuff that kids like and then dress it up with bugs—gummy worms, candy beetles, that sort of thing. Cupcakes are great for this sort of thing because a) the portions are small, and b) you can create whatever you want out of frosting on top, and add decorative picks if your artistic ability falls short.

Music: I'm sure some two-bit record company out there has put out a half-hour CD of “bug songs” for children, featuring “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider,” “Shoo Fly, Don't Bother Me,” and a version of “Ladybug, Ladbug” set to chintzy music, but what are we, preschool teachers? Get yourself the a bug's life original soundtrack and let the kiddies feast their ears on its Randy Newman-y goodness.

Movies: I sincerely hope you don't need me to spell this one out.***

Cars Land

The popularity of the Cars franchise makes this possibly the most well-supported idea in this post.

Themes: You can in fact find Cars branded party supplies at the big box, but don't stop there. Look for some more generic racecar/vehicle items to provide a little texture, and don't forget the Old West and Fiesta sections for things to evoke that great Southwestern landscape.

Food: As with Buena Vista Street, there are two main approaches to take. Flo's V-8 Cafe serves “home-style” diner meals—ribs, mashed potatoes, mac-and-cheese, etc. The Cozy Cone Motel is more of a set of snack kiosks offering ice cream, churros, popcorn—sorry, “pop-cone”—and the like...and let me tell you, if you go with that idea and don't put a bunch of actual traffic cones (or models thereof) on the food table, then what are you even doing?

Music: The soundtrack to Cars and its sequels comprises more Randy Newman-y goodness. But the real sound of Cars Land is, naturally, mid-20^th Century car songs, and my goodness are there a lot of them. Seriously, look at these track lists. If you want to get really fancy, you can subdivide your party area and have a track list for each character—hippie folk songs for Fillmore, military marches for Sarge, Italian hits for Luigi, girl group doo-wop for Flo, and Latin-flavored rock for Ramone. It would be a crazy amount of work, but...you could.

Movies: I'm just going to look over the tops of my glasses at you, okay? Actually, though, you do have some options here besides the source material IP itself. I am referring, of course, to Disney's first venture into the realm of living, sentient cars: the Herbie movies.

Pacific Wharf

It may not be the flashiest area of California Adventure, but it's got some decent potential.

Themes: We're back to the ocean, but rather than the recreational beach environment implied by Sunshine Plaza (or, for that matter, Paradise Pier), this is a commercial fishing district. Check the big box for a “nautical” section with imagery of anchors, ship's wheels, and buoys. Then, since the main feature of Pacific Wharf is the multi-ethnic food court, layer some international theming on top of that.

Food: Here, at least, the decision is made for you. Give your guests a choice between Chinese and Mexican, with a side of sourdough bread and Ghirardelli chocolates for dessert.

Music: Pacific Wharf has a recorded background music loop featuring artists from different countries and cultures, fusing the instrumentals of their homelands with techno beats. It's pleasant, and stylish as hell, but easily overlooked**** in favor of the live musical acts—also international—that perform there for various occasions. Create a mix of your favorite “world music” and keep the volume subdued.

Movies: Mulan is the first one that comes to mind; the title character sometimes makes appearances around here. Any of the Latin American movies—Saludos Amigos, The Three Caballeros, and The Emperor's New Groove—could also serve. This is another pickup opportunity for Big Hero 6, which not only displays a Japanese cultural flair but actually has sequences taking place at the San Francisco—excuse me, San Fransokyo—docks. If you're in more of a retro mood, you could roll out episodes of the old Zorro TV show.

Paradise Pier

This is another area that's a muddle of themes, and getting, er, muddlier. It may be the most inherently celebratory portion of the park, however.

Themes: Hoo boy. Start with a mix of county fair/carnival and beach imagery—but not too much beach, because ironically enough, the seaside area of California Adventure emphasizes manmade structures over natural features. There's also a lot of readily available IP featured here: Mickey and Friends, Toy Story, and The Little Mermaid...and that's just for now. You could certainly add more Pixar in anticipation of the changes to come. Finally, the northwestern corner of Paradise Pier has somehow become the hot spot for Mexican-flavored cultural shows in the park, so head back to that Fiesta section.

Food: Paradise Pier boasts both a pizza-and-pasta joint (Boardwalk Pizza And Pasta, how creative), and a fancy sit-down restaurant (Ariel's Grotto). You know what I'd do here, though? Seafood. Salmon steaks (or the fish of your choice), shrimp platters, maybe fish tacos, crab legs, and dried seaweed to snack on.

Music: Like many parts of California Adventure, the Pier has gone through a series of musical identities. It's been associated with surf rock re-scored for calliope, light orchestra instrumentals, and of course “The William Tell Overture.” The Ariel ride has almost nothing going for it but the songs from The Little Mermaid. Mix and match these as you please...although the calliope is your best bet for suggesting an old-fashioned boardwalk setting.

Movies: Again, look to the IPs tapped for rides in this area—classic cartoons (of more recent vintage than Buena Vista Street), the Toy Story franchise, and The Little Mermaid. I might also recommend Finding Nemo for the ocean connection...or better yet, Finding Dory, which mostly takes place in and around the California coast.

Grizzly Peak

Okay, last one. Grizzly Peak (and its Airfield) might just be the only themed area in California Adventure that can stand on its own, without leaning on a bunch of trendy IP.

Themes: Grizzly Peak shares a lot of imagery with Frontierland and Critter Country, though it's definitely more modern. A camping-themed party might seem a little pointless compared to just, you know, having a campout, but stranger things have happened. Blend that with some airplane and rocket ship stuff from the kids' aisle, and you have the makings of something really unique.

Food: Time to fire up the grill! Burgers, ribs, chicken quarters—flame-cooking is the only way to go with these outdoorsy concepts.

Music: Grizzly Peak doesn't have an overall music loop. The area attractions use variations on country/western, from the bluegrass guitar instrumentals of the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail to the pretend country pop radio station of the Grizzly River Run queue. The Airfield takes a different approach with its area music, which consists of score tracks from movies about the wilderness and/or flying. There's actually a fair amount of variety.

Movies: Many thanks to commenter Cory Gross for suggesting some of the True-Life Adventures as viewing material for Grizzly Peak, especially “Yellowstone Cubs.” I would also point to Brother Bear and Up, both of which have been featured at the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. Disney did some experimenting with semi-documentarian stories about wild animals in the 60s and 70s...none of them amounted to much, but the likes of Charlie the Lonesome Cougar and King of the Grizzlies might make for good background noise. But if there's one actual, high-quality Disney flick I associate with this area, it's none other than Bambi.

And that about wraps things up for this pair of posts. I have to be honest: I found this week a lot less fun and satisfying than last week. No matter how much they improve California Adventure, it still does not hold a candle to its sister park. It's fun, but not magical, and more to the point, it's not unique. The real success of Disneyland lies in that it has evolved to become its own thing, far transcending the filmography that jump-started it. Disneyland is more—much more—than just Disney; California Adventure is not. I'm not even sure it's more than just California. It has plenty of entertaining rides and shows; what it still lacks is a real sense of identity.

I wrote this post for a sense of completeness, but I have a hard time imagining anyone actually using these party ideas to celebrate their love of California Adventure.

Oh well. They're here if you want 'em!

* A theme park.

** Yes, Tiki lounge culture is also a California thing, but has never really been addressed in California Adventure, probably because the Enchanted Tiki Room, and Trader Sam's over in the Disneyland Hotel, have it fully covered.

*** In all-lowercase letters.

**** Or should that be “overlistened”?