While I have nothing against dancing or drinking alcohol responsibly, nothing of the sort belongs in a park designed to fulfill children’s dreams. Disney’s new dance party, “ElecTRONica,” better known as simply TRON, contains all of these things. In a corner of Disney’s California Adventure there is now a glowing booth that sells beer and margaritas, and loud dance music blasts as loud as it might at a nightclub. This area was built to promote Disney’s movie “Tron: Legacy” which premiered not too long ago. There are no age limits on who can enter the area, and it has no traditional Disney influence in its appearance.
Disney theme not found in TRON
Traditionally, Disney does a masterful job of keeping a continual, consistent flow of ambiance throughout its parks. You never hear the music or see the decorations of the adjoining lands, but you can detect that common Disney theme throughout the entire park. When walking through each section of Disney’s California Adventure, the fact that you can transfer from the distinct atmosphere of A Bug’s Land to the equally specific atmosphere of the Hollywood Pictures Backlot without any overlap is a feat of engineering and artistry.
But now, from the moment you step foot into California Adventure, the sound of the TRON music is heard across the entire park. There is none of that traditional ambiance or atmosphere — only TRON, covering the surrounding lands. This is even worse than if the carnival music of the boardwalk could be heard from A Bug’s Land –– at least then you would still feel in the world of Disney. TRON’s music is completely out of place.
Disneyland’s tone traditionally family fun
The tone of a location determines what kind of person is attracted to it. Disneyland was originally built to be the perfectly happy world inhabited by the wonderful cast of cartoon characters. California Adventure was meant as an extension of that theme. TRON changes the park’s tone from a carnival in California to a club scene. The last time I walked around the park, I saw tons of teenagers running around and yelling in fuzzy pants, with tight tops and bracelets up to their elbows. I recognized the dance party attire from a friend’s Facebook albums, but couldn’t figure out why they would be at Disneyland. Once I saw the TRON area, I realized what the teenagers in the miniskirts and leather outfits were doing there. They certainly didn’t come to ride the Matterhorn. TRON attracts a new demographic of people that are not there for family fun, which effectively destroys the “Disney magic” illusion so precious to children.
When Disney chose to incorporate wine into California Adventure, more than a few eyebrows were raised. However, it was in an attempt to capture the vineyards of California and was kept tasteful. A few years later the restaurants in the park started serving beer. It was much more prevalent and soon you could see adults sauntering around the park chasing their toddlers with a half empty cup in hand. This was less tasteful. But when the margaritas were added into the TRON area, the atmosphere officially transferred into trashy. One gets the impression that according to Disney, alcohol is now necessary for fun in our society.
TRON draws the wrong crowd
TRON pumps out loud music, attracts girls in skin-tight clothes, and features alcohol for a fun dance party; essentially, it’s a club. No matter how people feel about clubs, notice that they would never bring a five year old to one! So what’s the point? In the childhood land of Mickey Mouse and cotton candy, what purpose does the TRON section stand? Quite frankly, it makes money on the extra tickets and alcohol. But, it does so at the cost of the atmosphere of childlike joy that Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure have prided themselves on since their doors opened.
