October 2010 – April 2012
LOCATION
Sunshine Plaza & Hollywood Land – When the show first opened, the main stage sat in Sunshine Plaza. The arcade and movie screenings were located in Hollywood Land, slightly separate from the main performances. But after about a month, the entire show moved into Hollywood Land as Sunshine Plaza began its transformation into Buena Vista Street.
BACKGROUND
In 2010, Disney introduced the Tron franchise to a new generation of fans with the Tron: Legacy film. California Adventure launched the brand new nighttime show ElecTRONica to mark the film’s release. Each night when the sun went down, Hollywood Land transformed into the world of Tron. The entire land was flooded with LED lights, and the buildings along the main street became giant projection screens.
ElecTRONica was actually scheduled to run for just six months. But Disney surprised fans by extending the show for nearly two years, though the movie previews ended in December 2010.
EXPERIENCE
As guests walked into Hollywood Land, they passed through a portal that flew them straight into the Tron universe. The street became a huge dance floor, and the event was a mix of a block party, nightclub, and stunt show.
- Tron: Legacy Sneak Preview – ElecTRONica was California Adventure’s way to hype up the return of Tron, so in part, the party was like a premiere. Guests would walk through the street and into the Hollywood Land theater, to watch an extended 3D preview of the film. After the preview ended in December, the theater closed and ElecTRONica focused more on the dance party.
- Flynn’s Arcade – No Tron party would be complete without an arcade, and Flynn’s Arcade was the most popular spot in ElecTRONica night after night. The Arcade featured vintage games, all of which required coins to play (they really were old school!).
- Laserman – Every dance party has a master of ceremonies, and ElecTRONica’s leader was known as Laserman. This DJ/entertainer performed on the main stage throughout the party, and always invited martial artists, dancers, and stunt performers to join his set. From June 2011 to show closing, Laserman’s show became Laserman “R3CONF1GUR3D”, with remixed music from Daft Punk.
- End of the Line Club – Throughout the festivities, guests could stop by the End of the Line club for specialty Tron-themed snacks, sodas, and cocktails. Based on the nightclub from the film, End of the Line was a bar and lounge open exclusively during the event.
CLOSURE
Although the show had a devoted fan following, it was never as popular as World of Color. But the biggest problem was that Tron: Legacy didn’t have much staying power; fans quickly moved on after its theatrical release. Disney saw an opportunity to revamp the show after the release of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland in 2010, with new theming and show elements. ElecTRONica held its final party in April 2012, and the Mad T Party opened just two months later.
TRIVIA
ElecTRONica was the second nighttime show in Hollywood Land. The first was Glow Fest, which would actually start before dark.
When the main stage was in Sunshine Plaza, the show began with the “Portal Opening”. This nightly countdown kicked off Laserman’s set and the official start of the party.
