TLT Dance Club – WDWNT Archive

Disney Stars, and Disney’s Electrical Parade, Rock the Parks

WDWNT on June 13, 2009

The OC Register’s Around Disney blog also has a report from last night’s media preview of Summer Nightastic:

Disney Channel stars Selena Gomez and Jennifer Stone were like any other kids at Disneyland Thursday night, standing in giddy excitement next to Mickey Mouse.

That is, until the “Wizards of Waverly Place” actresses were presented with magic wands by the mouse himself.

With a flick of the wrist, fireworks burst over Sleeping Beauty Castle — the quintessential kickoff to Disney’s Summer Nightastic, the summertime run of shows at the Resort that include the fireworks display, the Electrical Parade and Fantasmic!, which plays out on Disneyland’s Rivers of America.

Disney’s Electrical Parade (California Adventure)

When a sparkling mass of lights emerged onto the street of California Adventure, the crowd stood in awe.

Tinker Bell, the latest addition to the classic Disney parade, first trotted out in 1972, led the way waving her magic wand from a hot air balloon.

“It was bright, and very green,” said Grad Night guest Prince Jones, from the School of Arts and Enterprise said.

“It was pretty cool.”

“We thought it was the right place to put Tinker Bell – leading the parade,” Director of Entertainment Doug McIntyre said of the new float, which features 25,000 lights.

“She has a sort of pixie dust-effect coming from her float, and we added it to all the floats. We knew we wanted to do some enhancements to the rest of the parade, so we thought by adding Tinker Bell to the front, we could add this pixie dust swirl that goes throughout the parade.”

The Electrical Parade has been a part of Disney since its premiere in 1972. The parade has undergone numerous changes, adding new floats, more lights. It has showed up in locations around the world.

This phase of the parade combines a bit of the old with a bit of the new; for example, the diamond mine float from Snow White and the Pleasure Island scene from Pinocchio return after a long hiatus.

“They had been sitting there in a warehouse, so we had them shipped over. When they shipped that parade (back to the United States in 2001), they left that unit behind, so we called them up and had them ship it out and refurbished,” McIntyre said. “It’s the way I remember the Electrical Parade from its old days at Disneyland. It’s nice to have it back.”

Meanwhile, a new control system allows for intricate control of the lighting and 11,000 LED lights used on the dancers’ costumes make the parade more energy efficient.

Then there is the music.

“Music is a big part of any of our entertainment experiences, and we knew we wanted to update the soundtrack,” said McIntyre, a 27-year Disney veteran. “The music was written in 1967, and with the technology of synthesizers, we’ve come a long way. We wanted to maintain the classic-ness of what the guests expect using ‘Baroque Hoedown,’ which is the piece of music used. We were excited to do it with all of today’s modern technology.”

When the parade premiered on June 17, 1972, it was called The Main Street Electrical Parade, but since then it has moved to California Adventure.

“Part of the dynamic of the business here is balancing the guest flow and the experience between both parks, so it was a perfect fit to bring the parade here,” McIntyre said.

TLT Dance Club at the Tomorrowland Terrace (Disneyland)

The Tomorrowland Terrace is not the place you want when looking for a quiet dinner to wind down after a hectic day of spinning teacups and meeting giant mice. On the other hand, if you are looking for a serious energy boost, then the TLT Dance Club is the place to be.

“Hannah Montana” star Mitchel Musso opened the night on a high note while appearing with his band for a surprise performance.

For 11-year-old Elizabeth Burkemper of Missouri, standing so close to one of her favorite “Hannah Montana” stars was a dream come true.

“It was, like, the most amazing experience of my life,” she said.

The rest of the summer is filled with a lineup of appearances by popular radio stations and Top-40 bands, including KIIS-FM, Tomasina, 104.3 MYfm and Instant Replay. The club has already been compared to the now-defunct Videopolis, but this one will have a 2009 spin, such as the ability to vote on what song should be played via text message.

Fantasmic! (Disneyland)

Fantasmic! has been a staple of Disney nighttime entertainment since it began performances in May of 1992. It is set on the Rivers of America in Disneyland.

Just like the Electrical Parade, this nighttime show underwent changes in preparation for the summer, with Fantasmic! now including new digital projectors, a 12-foot-tall crocodile and giant eels slithering through the water.

Although the highlight of the show was slated to be a 40-foot-tall dragon from the movie “Sleeping Beauty,” technical difficulties forced last night’s premiere to debut sans dragon. Stay tuned to Around Disney for a peek at the dragon later this summer.

Here are a few of their photos from the media preview of Summer Nightastic:

Selena Gomez and Jennifer Stone were at Disneyland to launch Summer Nightastic

More Info on Pixie Hollow Enchantment and the TLT Dance Club

WDWNT on June 9, 2009

Disney has released two press releases on the two smaller items of Summer Nightastic. First up, Pixie Hollow Enchantment:

ANAHEIM, Calif. (June 12, 2009) – Summer nights at Disneyland Resort will sparkle with more pixie dust than ever this year as Tinker Bell and her fairy friends unite to create an iridescent light show in their first appearance under the stars, at Pixie Hollow Enchantment.

WHAT: Tinker Bell and her friends have been welcoming guests into their Pixie Hollow home, tucked into the glen near the entrance to Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland, since fall of 2008. This summer, for the first time, nighttime visitors will find magical surprises at Pixie Hollow and see the nearby pond come to life in twinkling light shows.

WHEN: Nightly, at 15 minute intervals, beginning Friday, June 12, and continuing through Sunday, Aug. 23, at Pixie Hollow.

THE MAGIC: Pixie dust cascades across the landscape and radiates down into the pond. Even the water becomes enchanted as playful fountains spring to life, pop jets perform with whimsical precision and sparkling strobes shine throughout Pixie Hollow.

LUMINOUS COLORS: The dazzling light show features an array of luminous colors, from the deepest blues to brilliant reds to the most marvelous whites.

PIXIE MUSIC: The magical score transforms the fairy land after dark and includes all-new songs inspired by the film score from the popular movie, “Tinker Bell.”

LED LIGHTS: Sparkling, dazzling and twinkling effects are created by 1,000 LED strobe lights that use as much as 50 percent less energy than regular incandescent lights. In addition, the attraction is enhanced by colored LED fixtures both in the landscaped areas and in Pixie Dust Lake. While using less energy, the LED fixtures allow the color of the landscape and water to interact with the music.

SHOW DIRECTOR’S COMMENT: “Everyone will be swept away by the great music and shimmer of pixie dust at Pixie Hollow this summer,” said Denny Newell, show director for Pixie Hollow. “This little gem of an addition to Nightastic! combines so many of the elements that make Disneyland the place where dreams come true – great storytelling, cutting-edge technology and, of course, heart.”

And secondly, the TLT Dance Club at the Tomorrowland Terrace:

ANAHEIM, Calif. (June 12, 2009) – This summer guests at the Disneyland Resort will celebrate life’s milestones in a huge party under the stars, Summer Nightastic!, and Disneyland will rock like never before at the new, exciting TLT Dance Club in Tomorrowland.

WHAT: Tweens, teens and families will be drawn to the TLT Dance Club at Tomorrowland Terrace in Disneyland. Dazzling décor includes an illuminated DJ console, where the TLT Dance Club DJ will spin the hottest dance tunes, guaranteed to keep Tomorrowland rockin’ all night.

THE SCENE: The music is pulsing, lights are flashing and Disney performers keep the energy flowing and the moves going. Summer nights get a lot hotter as guests get their groove on at this smokin’ summer hotspot. What’s more, guests can snag giveaway items and also test their Disney knowledge in a variety of fun trivia contests.

WHEN: Nightly, beginning Friday, June 12, and continuing through Sunday, Aug. 23, at Disneyland park.

THE MUSIC: Popular Top-40 bands—including Suburban Legends, Reunion, Tomasina and The Bolts—and DJs from the hottest radio stations in LA and San Diego crank up the music and pump up the energy from a stage flanked by flaming columns. The dance floor will be as jam-packed as the schedule:

June 12 to 13 – Suburban Legends
June 15 to 18 -102.7 KIIS-FM
June 19 to 20 – Reunion
June 22 to 25 – Star 94.1 San Diego
June 26 to 27 – Tomasina
June 29 to July 2 – Latino and La Raza
July 3 to 4 – Suburban Legends
July 6 to 9 – 104.3 MYfm
July 10 to 11 – The Bolts
July 13 to 16 – POWER 106
July 17 to 18 – Tomasina
July 20 to 23 – Super Estrella
July 24 to 25 – Reunion
July 26 – Instant Replay
July 27 to 30 – 102.7 KIIS-FM
Aug. 3 to 6 – Channel 933 San Diego
Aug. 10 to 13 – 104.3 MYfm
Aug. 14 to 15 – Reunion
Aug. 17 to 20 – POWER 106
Aug. 21 to 22 – Tomasina

Performances on other dates to be determined

GET YOUR GLOW ON: Guests will light up the night and the dance floor with glow-in-the-dark necklaces and flashing bracelets available at the TLT Dance Club.

VIRTUAL SHOUT-OUTS: Teens and tweens can give virtual “shout-outs” to friends and family by texting the TLT Dance Club, and the texts will appear on giant plasma screens.

“TOP 8@8” COUNTDOWN: What’s more, club-goers can text their favorite songs to TLT Dance Club and the top tunes will be played in a totally cool countdown, “Top 8@8” countdown.

This Summer is Going to Be Nightastic!

WDWNT on June 2, 2009

Disney put up a new website today promoting “Summer Nightastic!”. This new website offers an overview of the new entertainment experiences coming this summer (the new fireworks show Magical, changes to Disney’s Electrical Parade and Fantasmic, nighttime lighting of Pixie Hollow, and the TLT Dance Club at the Tomorrowland Terrace), 2 commercials (one an overview of “Summer Nightastic!” and the other on the changes to Fantasmic), and lots more. There’s also a downloadable 3D Fantasmic dragon, as well as a pdf of the entire schedule for the summer over at the TLT Dance Club.

Bellow are a few screen-shots from the website:

The new Cheshire Cat in Disney’s Electrical Parade is featured on this page

The Disneyland by Day and Night page has the familiar concept art of the new Tinker Bell float in Disney’s Electrical Parade

To view this amazing website, click HERE.

TLT Renovation

WDWNT on May 1, 2009

D23 has put up a couple of interesting things today that I want to share with everyone. First up, a great look at the Disney’s California Adventure renovation is provided in the Summer issue of Disney twenty-three magazine:

In the summer issue of twenty-three, Steven Clark and Jeffrey Epstein take readers on an exciting walk into the future of Disney’s California Adventure, revealing what Imagineers have in mind for park over the next four years. As you might expect, spectacular plans are unfolding — everything from a brand-new entryway and the majestic Carthay Circle Theatre to the spectacular World of Color nighttime extravaganza, the calypso under-the-sea beat of the new Little Mermaid attraction and an entirely new themed land that will be home to Lightning McQueen and his four-wheeled friends! Happy browsing!

Secondly, they have an interview with Disneyland Entertainment Productions Senior Show Director John Addis about the upcoming TLT Dance Club coming to the Tomorrowland Terrace this summer as part of Summer Nightastic:

If a hot nightspot inside Disneyland featuring today’s most popular music sounds like a familiar concept, you have something in common with Disneyland Entertainment Productions Senior Show Director John Addis.

“I opened Videopolis back in ’85,” John says, referring to the vibrant video dance club that once stood where the Princess Fantasy Faire now resides. “They packed the place. Kids would go and learn dances together.” John says they wanted to bring the concept into 2009, and the Tomorrowland Terrace, which has frequently featured contemporary performances throughout the years, was the perfect spot for the new TLT Dance Club (skywalkers-in-training, have no fear, Jedi Training Academy will continue during the day — TLT will heat up nightly from 7–11 p.m. starting June 12). “We’re going to have plasma screens in the venue, and you can actually text and your text messages will go up on the screen… I’m not quite sure how they’re going to police that,” he says with a laugh. Guests will also be able to text in their favorite song to a posted number. “At 8 o’clock at night they do ‘Celebrate at 8,’ and they will take all of the songs that everyone wants to hear and they’ll do a countdown to the No. 1 song.”

John also notes there will be a host who will keep the night grooving with games, trivia and trademarked Disney fun. Music, of course, will be the heart of TLT, with DJs from Southern California radio stations and local bands keeping things lively. “The asks are out, as they say,” jokes John about possible performers and DJs. “But I haven’t heard anything definite. I’m excited about the live music. Friday through Sunday we’re going to have live bands.”

The bands, notes Disney Entertainment Productions Producer Ray Coble, may be familiar to Disneyland-ers. “We’re welcoming bands that we use and know are very successful like the 80z All Stars and also looking at some new ones.”

Adds John, “I’d love to expose people to new groups. It’s great to have a new group come in, people follow them and suddenly… they’re Rascal Flatts!”

Does that mean Miley may turn up at TLT? “We’re looking into Hollywood Records and Disney Channel emerging artists — and maybe even some established recording artists — coming down during that Friday to Sunday time,” John hints. “What we’ve done is taken an area that needed to have some fun, and I think it’s going to!”

A Summer Beyond Your Wildest Imagination!

WDWNT on April 24, 2009

As expected, today’s press event at the Disneyland Resort announced their summer 2009 marketing program focusing in nighttime entertainment:

“Disneyland Resort Celebrates Summer Nightastic! Lighting Up The Night With New Shows And A New Glow!”

ANAHEIM, Calif., April 24 – Disneyland Resort will glow like never before this summer as it debuts an all-new fireworks show, Magical, along with sensational new characters and effects that will brighten the Summer Nightastic! lineup of after-dark entertainment.

WHAT: Guests can see Disneyland Resort in a whole new light as Summer Nightastic! brings nighttime shows and parades to life – bigger, better and brighter. A huge new dragon and other special effects will highlight Fantasmic! Explosive surprises will illuminate the night sky in the all-new fireworks spectacular, Magical. Guests can rock the night away at a new dance club in Tomorrowland. Sparkling new magic comes to “Disney’s Electrical Parade,” as well as to Pixie Hollow, the enchanting home Tinker Bell inhabits with her fairy friends.

WHEN: Nightly, beginning Friday, June 12, and continuing through Sunday, August 23, at Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure parks. All shows and immersive experiences are free with park admission.

A BOLDER FANTASMIC!: Guests will find new thrills at the popular Fantasmic! on the Rivers of America in Frontierland. The evil Maleficent from “Sleeping Beauty” transforms into a 40-foot tall, fire-breathing dragon. Ursula the Sea Witch from “The Little Mermaid” introduces her pet eels, Flotsam and Jetsam, who slither into the show with new power. In addition, the Fantasmic! video projections practically leap off the giant mist screens, thanks to HD (high-definition) technology … (in this case, HD takes on a new meaning – Huge Dragon).

AN EXPLODING CELEBRATION IN THE SKY: Magical is a new Disney fireworks spectacular created especially to celebrate Summer Nightastic! at Disneyland. Tinker Bell is once again your host, waving her wand to ignite the brilliant color, stunning special effects and charming music. But she won’t be alone in the sky this summer. Dumbo will make his surprise airborne debut in the new show. Tink’s sparkling touch awakens a fantastic array of Disney’s most magical characters, from Pinocchio to Mary Poppins to Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother, and the Three Good Fairies from “Sleeping Beauty.”

NEW FLOATS BRING NEW MAGIC TO ‘DISNEY’S ELECTRICAL PARADE’: Everything about “Disney’s Electrical Parade” will have a new glow as Tinker Bell leads the way, waving from the basket of a magical balloon aboard a new opening parade float. The parade’s beloved music and floats will feature electrifying audio and lighting technologies, with sparkling pixie dust added to all the parade floats. Snow White and Pinocchio return to the parade this summer as well, after several years’ absence, riding bright new versions of their classic floats.

AN EXCITING NEW DANCE CLUB ‘IGNITES THE NIGHT’ IN TOMORROWLAND: Tweens, teens and families will be drawn to the TLT Dance Club at Tomorrowland Terrace in Disneyland. Dazzling décor will include an illuminated DJ console where the TLT Dance Club DJ will spin the hottest dance tunes, guaranteed to keep Tomorrowland rockin’ all night. Live bands and the hottest Southern California radio stations will appear on select nights throughout the summer.

PIXIE HOLLOW ENCHANTMENT: Tinker Bell and her friends have been welcoming guests into their Pixie Hollow home, tucked into the glen near the entrance to Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland, since fall of 2008. This summer, for the first time, nighttime visitors will find magical surprises as Pixie Hollow and the nearby pond come to life in iridescent light shows. Pixie dust cascades across the landscape and radiates down into the pond. Even the water becomes enchanted as playful fountains spring to life, pop jets perform with whimsical precision, and sparkling strobes shine throughout Pixie Hollow.

More information about Summer Nightastic! can be found at www.disneyland.com/summer.

July 4th Trip Planner

WDWNT on January 1, 1970

To prepare everyone visiting the Disneyland Resort during this holiday weekend, I wanted to go over the entertainment schedule for July 4th, as well as the park hours, to make sure everyone can successfully see what they want to see:

Disneyland will be open from 8:00am to 12:00am all weekend.
“Celebrate! A Street Party” will be performed every day at 3:30pm and 6:30pm.
The special fourth of July holiday fireworks show, “Disney’s Celebrate America! A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky”, will be performed at 9:25pm starting tonight and running through Sunday night. According to D23 , the shows on July 2nd, 3rd, and 5th will be a condensed version, only 8 minutes long, compared to the full show on July 4th which is 13 minutes long and will have much more pyro. The regular fireworks show, Magical, will return on Monday.
Fantasmic will have three performances on July 4th, at 9:00pm, 10:30pm, and 11:30pm.
Suburban Legends will be performing through-out the night on July 4th at the TLT Dance Club, beginning at 7:00pm.
Disney’s California Adventure will be open from 10:00am to 10:00pm on July 4th.
The Pixar Play Parade will be performed as usual at 5:15pm.
Disney’s Electrical Parade will also be performed at its usual time of 8:45pm.

If you are planning to visit the Disneyland Resort this weekend, be aware crowds will be massive. Disneyland may even be closed in the afternoon due to the park reaching capacity, and you’ll be re-directed to DCA. Parking may also be an isssue, as I explained in this recent post. For the full entertainment schedule on July 4th, which includes smaller entertainment venues around the parks, click HERE.

Tag: TLT Dance Club