Kidnap the Magic: A Themed Party Masterpost

With a new year comes new calendars...and for many people, the activity of marking off portions of them for holidays and vacations. It is the former that concerns us today.

Under my Kidnap the Magic tag, I have offered several ideas for party themes based on Disneyland attractions, most of them keyed to specific holidays or seasonal events. It's been quite a while, because I ran out of suitably thematic holidays well before I ran out of possible themes. But I still want to fill in those gaps, hence this post: a one-stop shop for all your basic guidelines for planning themed parties based on the Happiest Place on Earth.

For each area in the resort, I'll outline a few different aspects. Themes refers to party themes, not park themes, and basically boils down to which section(s) of the big-box party store you should scour for decorations and the like. These are often seasonally specific, but no worries—it's not unusual to be loved by anyone for a large store to stock some of everything year-round, and a whole lot of whatever is coming up soon on the calendar. Food and Music should be pretty self-explanatory. And finally Disney Movies you can tap for imagery, party entertainment, or other inspiration, covering not just those movies which actually tie in to the local attractions, but also those with a similar setting or vibe. Unusually for me, I'll address both animated and live-action films, because not to do so...would be pretty silly, as we'll see.

Disneyland Park

I'll start with some very rough, general guidelines for an all-over Disneyland party theme. I've heard of at least one office that did this collaboratively, with each department or group of desks/cubicles choosing a different aspect of the park to reflect in their decorations. There may have been a contest involved; it was a long time ago that I heard of it and my secondhand memory of this event is understandably sketchy.

Themes: If you have a lot of space, or an easily subdividable space (like the aforementioned office), you'll want to mix and match as many of the themes mentioned further on as possible. Under more restricted circumstances, there are really only two elements you absolutely need to make it clear that your party is Disneyland-themed: 1) castle imagery, and 2) Mickey Mouse. The former alone can mean all kinds of things, the latter alone can just represent the Disney company or even cartoons as a medium, but when they appear together, you're definitely in theme park territory.

Food: Whatever you like. If your guests are apt to be impressed by a generic “Disneyland” theme, they probably aren't familiar enough with the park to know what sort of food is or isn't served there.

Music: A mix of Disney standards and actual songs from park attractions should fit the bill. If you want ambient instrumentals, the various loops played in the Esplanade over the years are a good bet.

Disney Movies: On the one hand, any of them...but on the other hand, if you want to emphasize Disneyland, you're better off sticking with iconic classics that spawned well-known rides, such as Alice in Wonderland and Dumbo.

Main Street, USA

For a more detailed list of ideas, see here. For the quick stuff, keep reading.

Themes: “Small American town ca. 1900 or so” is not one of the standard party themes at your big-box store,* so go for the next most prominent one: U.S. patriotism. Flags, buntings, stars-and-stripes tablecloths, that sort of thing. Representations of fireworks—or actual fireworks, depending on your circumstances—are also highly appropriate.

Food: Go for simple, all-American dishes like hamburgers, hot dogs, fried chicken, and ice cream. You can also evoke Carnation Cafe with some interesting salads and sandwiches or the Plaza Inn with pasta, but that should be the outer boundary as far as “exotic” cuisine goes. Breakfast-type pastries also work well—being the first area guests pass through in the morning means that Main Street sees a lot of breakfast custom, and it has never been without at least one bakery.

Music: If you want to use actual Main Street, USA music loops, they are certainly out there to be found. Generally speaking, there are three types of music I associate with this area and with the ca. 1900 period in general: ragtime, marching band, and barbershop. If you want to spell out that this is Disneyland's Main Street and not, say, a tribute to The Music Man, try to find arrangements of Disney songs in these genres.

Disney Movies: There's really only one Disney movie that takes place in the period exemplified by Main Street and that everyone likes, and that's Mary Poppins. Which is also the inspiration for the current incarnation of the bakery, the Jolly Holiday Bakery right by the Adventureland gate. However, Mary Poppins is an extremely English story, and we want American if possible. So also look into: Lady and the Tramp, Pete's Dragon (the 1977 version, not the remake), Pollyanna, So Dear to My Heart, and Toby Tyler. If you've never heard of some of those, it can't hurt to investigate!

Adventureland

Fully-developed party ideas can be found here and here.

Themes: Your big-box is almost certain to have a Luau section, where you'll find plenty of tropical foliage, bamboo, and even Tiki figures. Also check the kids' party aisle for a Safari theme or similar to provide the charismatic megafauna.

Food: Now you want to explore some more exotic cuisine. The details depend on the specifics of your party: if you lean more toward the Tiki end of things, go for Hawaiian dishes with lots of pineapple, whereas Jungle Cruise and Indiana Jones Adventure parties should learn toward Indian and Thai. Also consider Middle Eastern cuisine—Aladdin's Oasis is in Adventureland, after all. If your spice game is not strong, you can give your non-tropical food some tropical-esque cred with presentation, serving it up on beds of kale or saffron rice, using bamboo placemats, etc.

Music: Adventureland may not have an area music loop, but that just means you can go for broke defining its sound for yourself! Hawaiian steel guitar, Afro-Caribbean drums, bellydance music, Bollywood numbers, and of course, 1930s-era swing and big-band hits so the American and British explorers don't get too homesick. Mix it all together and overlay it with a continuous melange of jungle sound effects, and you're off to the races.

Disney Movies: Aladdin and Tarzan are the only animated movies to get their own Adventureland installations...which is kind of weird, because there are plenty of movies in the canon that could be considered Adventureland-y: The Jungle Book, The Lion King, Moana...even Lilo and Stitch for its loving depiction of Hawaii. I also put The Rescuers Down Under in this category, though you have to tilt your head a bit to see it.

No, that's too far

On the live-action side of things, there is of course The Swiss Family Robinson, and—why not?—the Indiana Jones series.

New Orleans Square

As I mention every time it comes up, New Orleans Square boasts three distinct themes that don't blend easily without a little creativity. But that's no reason not to try if you want to.

Themes: Mardi Gras, pirates, and Halloween are all well-represented in your average party big-box. Also consider at least looking at the Roaring Twenties stuff, although it tends to default to a New York/Chicago aesthetic rather than New Orleans.

Food: Short answer: Cajun. Long answer: Review the menus of the various eateries in New Orleans Square and pick your favorites. Also, you can't go wrong with virgin mint juleps.

Music: As much Dixieland jazz and zydeco as you can get your greasy mitts on. The actual music loop played along the waterfront is pretty easy to find online. The albums published by some of the jazz bands that have actually played in New Orleans Square over the years are not, but you might get lucky. Stir in maybe a half-cup of sea chanties and your favorite cover of “Grim Grinning Ghosts” and just bask in the awesome.

Disney Movies: The Pirates of the Caribbean series, The Haunted Mansion, and The Princess and the Frog are the obvious ones.** In the right season, you can add The Nightmare Before Christmas (though you shouldn't have to). I also count The Rescuers due to its bayou setting and plot about finding pirate treasure. And if you really want to take a trip down Nostalgia Lane, there's always Disney's first real foray into pirate adventures...no, not Peter Pan, but the 1950 adaptation of Treasure Island.

Critter Country

Critter Country is kind of a tough nut to crack. It's always felt a bit perfunctory, to be honest—I'm not entirely sure why Bear Country was made a separate land in the first place instead of just an extension of Frontierland. There's not much to hang on apart from the individual attractions.

Themes: You should be able to find Winnie The Pooh among the children's party stuff. Also look for themes involving campouts and woodland animals.

Food: Hamburgers are the way to go here, a la the Hungry Bear, but see if you can also work honey, or perhaps hunny, into the menu. “Country-style” recipes might go a long way toward creating the right atmosphere—as with Adventureland, presentation is key.

Music: Critter Country's uneven history of attraction development leaves it with pretty underwhelming musical options. Mellow bluegrass doesn't really illustrate the full picture of what the area has become, but it's consistent and “backwoodsy.”

Disney Movies: The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh, of course, as well as Song of the South if you're not worried about having That Conversation among your guests, and The Country Bears if you have no standards of quality. Strangely enough, while Disney has released loads of animated movies starring animals, it's light on ones where the animals are both anthropomorphic and good ol' country folks. Zootopia probably comes the closest.

Frontierland

I never was able to come up with a really great concept for a Frontierland theme party, but the land itself actually encompasses a lot of different but overlapping sub-themes, and you could potentially layer it on top of a party for just about any occasion.

Themes: The Wild West may not be in the Top Ten when it comes to popular party themes, but you can usually find some kind of cowboy or barn-dance motif in the big-box. Even easier to find is Mexican-styled “Fiesta” gear, and the presence of El Zocalo gives us an excuse to add it to our Frontierland toolkit.

Food: You have a lot of options here, from Southern-style (e.g. fried chicken and mashed potatoes) to barbecue to Mexican.

Music: There are numerous options here, too. American folk music really developed its identity during the period of Western expansion. You could also use the works of Aaron Copland...and his imitators, also known as “the composers of every Western film soundtrack ever.” Or go back to the same bluegrass you used for Critter Country. Just don't dip into contemporary country/western, which is too...contemporary.

Disney Movies: Disney's live-action division actually made a lot of Westerns, though almost none of them are well-remembered today. Off the top of my head, I can think of...The Apple Dumpling Gang, and...The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again. The TV stuff—Davy Crockett and Zorro—wound up being a lot more memorable. We're not in much better shape when it comes to animation, with Home on the Range being the only genuine Western. Other films frequently referenced in Frontierland include Pocahontas, The Three Caballeros, and the Toy Story trilogy. Your best bet might actually be the direct-to-video anthology American Legends, which includes several of Disney's animated “tall tale” pieces.

Fantasyland

It is even more nonsensical to speak of an overall theme for Fantasyland than one for New Orleans Square. It's probably the easiest to find branded material for, however.

Themes: Disney Princess and Tinker Bell comprise their own brands, and the merchandise naturally includes party supplies. You'll find these in the children's party aisle. In a big enough store, you can also encounter circus themes for the Dumbo rides, tea party and playing card imagery for Wonderland, and international flag toothpicks for “it's a small world.”*** If you feel like being a filthy heretic, you can also look for less specifically branded medieval and fairy tale themed items.

Food: The Village Haus/Red Rose Taverne isn't half bad, but on the whole, Fantasyland is more a place for snacks than meals. Keep your food options simple, but whimsical. This is probably the best land for sweet treats and desserts.

Music: Most of the music heard in Fantasyland is derived from Disney's animated fairy tale and storybook movies. It's basically restricted to the Matterhorn queue now, but there used to be several spots with a background loop consisting of Alpine folk music, and that certainly suits the Old European look of the courtyard area. Depending on which aspects of Fantasyland you wish to emphasize, you can also try Renaissance music or twinkly-sounding fantasy instrumentals. But nothing will be as instantly recognizable to your guests as the Disney tunes themselves.

Disney Movies: Wow, where to start? Almost any of the “Princess movies” will fit the bill, as well as anything that inspired one or more rides. To that roster add Fantasia, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Hercules. On the live-action side, this is another good context for Mary Poppins, as well as its spiritual successor, Bedknobs and Broomsticks. And then there's Enchanted, which pokes fun at the whole enterprise. But if you want my pick for the best Disney live-action fairy tale, head straight back to 1959 for Darby O'Gill and the Little People. A snippet of its signature song, “Pretty Irish Girl,” plays in the queue for Storybook Land, just in case anyone challenges you on it.

Mickey's Toontown

On second thought, maybe this is the easiest land to find branded merch for.

Themes: Mickey Mouse and the gang are well represented in the children's party themes, though almost entirely divorced from the context of the classic short subjects.

Food: You can go even simpler here than with Fantasyland. Hot dogs and cheese sandwiches are fine. Try using a Mickey-shaped cookie cutter on the bread for the latter.

Music: The area loop for Toontown consists almost entirely of new arrangements of songs and score tunes from the classic shorts and Silly Symphonies, and is relatively easy to find. If that's not to your liking, try bouncy swing instrumentals for the same period flair.

Disney Movies: Obviously the classic shorts themselves, but Who Framed Roger Rabbit is also a major inspiration for the area.

Tomorrowland

You can count me on Team Tomorrowland Is A Mess, but despite itself, it still holds a core of fascination with outer space and advanced technology that you could use as the basis for a party theme.

Themes: You might have a hard time finding “core” Tomorrowland stuff—robots and spaceships and whatnot—at the big-box. Kids' entertainment is leaning hard toward the fantasy end of things these days rather than the sci-fi end, and what market there is for the sci-fi stuff is pretty thoroughly served by the big-budget franchises of the day. Fortunately (?), at least one of those franchises has infiltrated Tomorrowland to an absurd degree anyway—that's right, I'm talking about Star Wars. While you're mulling that over, you can also find party supplies with Buzz Lightyear and Finding Nemo themes. If you find any generic robots and spaceships on top of all that, consider it a delightful bonus.

Food: “Future food” itself isn't really a concept anymore, since we collectively realized that taking all your nutrients in pill form would be monumentally unsatisfying. Your actual Tomorrowland eateries include a burger joint and a pasta/pizza/salad joint, both of which give the items cutesy space names. You could follow suit with your own “pasta Mars-inara” and “Dark Side burger,” or you could serve something else and invent your own cutesy space names.

Music: Tomorrowland is so overrun with IP these days that you could probably get away with just playing soundtracks from Pixar and Star Wars movies. If you want to get back to that “core,” there are two music loops I recommend: Tomorrowland's overall area loop, and the Space Mountain Concourse loop. If you can't seem to get ahold of those, seek out synth-heavy New Age music—Mannheim Steamroller is a good bet—and keep it subtle in the background.

Disney Movies: Well...Tomorrowland...though I would certainly understand if you give it a hard pass. Beyond that, Disney dabbles in science-fiction from time to time, but they only seem to have become really successful at it with the franchises they bought from other companies. You could go with Star Wars and the MCU for your Tomorrowland party...but you might also dip into the studio's history with obscure stuff like The Black Hole and Flight of the Navigator. As for animated films, WALL*E and Big Hero 6 are two that strike me as genuinely futuristic, rather than merely using the trappings of futurism as a coat of paint over fantasy. Not to mention Toy Story and Finding Nemo, which actually claim some Tomorrowland real estate.

Join me next week when I do this all over again, but for California Adventure!

* Even the Halloween costumes tend to be devoid of anything referencing this period. You've got your Victorian vampires on one end and your flappers on the other, but the middle is a big blank.

** The 2000s were the decade Disney suddenly went, “We don't have enough movies for New Orleans Square!”

*** Which does not include any national flags.