tron

Welcome guest author “Neuron’s user Zoe55” with a report from California Adventure’s ElecTRONica dance party:

I enjoyed ElecTRONica. It’s something I think you should check out if you liked the movie Tron, or maybe if you even didn’t. If you strip it down to its core I find it to be Glowfest done right (as it is one large neon and black light rave dance party).

Compared to Glowfest, the costumes are more tasteful and they’re really cool as they look like the Program circuit suits. The performers have yet to nail their choreography (as they appear to be looking to other dancers for cues), however when ElecTRONica has been around for a while I do believe the dancing will get better. The performers not only have cool costumes they also have some pretty awesome props (a light up cane and a large number of Identity Discs (otherwise known as Data Discs)). Performers on the stage that used to house Drawn to the Magic, encourage the crowd to join in as one of them actually instructs the guests in a line dance fashion.

The lighting effect for ElecTRONica is amazing in some aspects, and lacking in others. During the preshow to ElecTRONica the Hollywood Pictures Backlot is empty, and its pitch black except for blue lighting effect that gives it the illusion of the “Portal” as your host for the evening puts it. The “portal” refers to when (in the original movie) Kevin Flynn is zapped into the computer by the Master Control Program (aka the MCP) who uses a laser the ENCOM Company has been working on to transfer matter. When Flynn is zapped into the computer, he falls through numerous circuit boards and programs before finally landing, and this is what the portal is reminiscent of – the laser pointing to the preshow’s crowd and all.

When you enter the Hollywood Pictures Backlot, projections are seen on the top half of all the buildings, at the end of the street is a large screen. An electronic voice will periodically announce that you must keep your identity discs on you at all times (which you can buy at the ElecTRONica booth next to the ElecTRONica face paint booth) and Programs (the humanoid programs inhabiting the computer world dubbed Space paranoids by the game Kingdom Hearts) will appear on the screen and throw Data Discs toward you, which will cause a chain reaction of projections on the top of the buildings. Sometimes Lightcycles zip along the buildings as well.

Navigation of the backlot can be trickey. To get to Monsters Inc. Mike and Sulley to the Rescue, Flynn’s Arcade, (Studio 12, formally California Adventure’s short lived eatery, Hollywood and Dine that was one of the first of DCA’s opening year cost cuts) the former Drawn to the Magic Stage, the ten minute 4D Tron Legacy Preview in the Muppet’s Theater, as well as the “End of Line” Club (what the MCP in the original movie would say after he had finished speaking, it’s term or even use in Tron Legacy is currently unknown) which used to be the Coca Cola truck seating area (which was pretty much pointless, is now a Tron City themed bar to get drinks during ElecTRONica) you need to go underneath the Recognizer (the large, Security Gate looking enemies) that has been souped up for it’s Tron Legacy appearance along with the rest of the original Tron content with the exception of a few 1982 style Tron Data Discs zipping around in the hands of a few performers.

The Recognizer will, from time to time, shoot off lights and say something similar to the voice in the street talking about keeping your Identity Disc with you at all times, lest you wish to be derezzed (A term in Tron meaning to be deresolutioned, a way of erasing a program). Where the Sorcerer Mickey fountain once stood is now a large mini-stage for the host of the evening as well as the DJ, with stands for dancers everywhere that will call out for everyone to dance with them, whether it is by instructed dance moves, free styles, or a light up hula hoop. The lighting effect in this area are heavy black lights, that are diluted by some cheesy spinning flower lights coming from the Drawn to the Magic stage (which will from now on be referred to as the Laserman stage) and other lamps high on towers. Random spot lights spin around the area, while projections that are barely visible due to the vibrant, detailed, and colorful background of Monsters Inc. are spinning in time to the music, reminiscent of the World of Color Road show abstract projections, if you so happened to watch that.

The Tron Legacy 4D show in the Muppet Theater is surrealistic, as anyone who watched the 1982 Tron would be freaking out at all the references, and anyone who has yet to see the original Tron would like it for it’s use of 4D, and it’s amazing graphics (if not plotline that is surprisingly there in a 10 minute preview.) Now as a super nerd for Tron, I personally was hyper ventilating the entire time and freaking out as Recognizers, Identity Discs, Lightcycles and the Game Grid (as well as Kevin Flynn) all made appearances. What was rather cool however before I get to the 4D aspects, was the opening Walt Disney logo that was in a digital, almost blue print-esque form, unfortunately there were no cameras, video devices, or phones allowed.

Read More »ElecTRONica takes on the night at California Adventure