May 2005 – January 2008
LOCATION
Paradise Pier, Golden State, Sunshine Plaza, Hollywood Land – The Block Party Bash was a parade, and went in the opposite direction of California Adventure’s current parade. The Bash started in Paradise Pier, wound through Golden State (now Grizzly Peak & Pacific Wharf), passed through Sunshine Plaza, and ended in Hollywood Land.
BACKGROUND
When Disneyland turned 50 in 2005, most of the resort’s celebrations were in Downtown Disney or, of course, in Disneyland. But California Adventure did get one special show to commemorate the occasion: the Block Party Bash! This high-energy parade would incorporate fan favorite characters that didn’t have a home in Disneyland, including the heroes of The Incredibles and the toys from Toy Story. The Block Party Bash officially debuted in May, and despite being a celebration of the 50th anniversary, ran for nearly three years.
EXPERIENCE
The Block Party Bash had four distinct sections: Toy Story, The Incredibles, A Bug’s Life, and Monster’s Inc. Each section came with its own float and set of performers, and each created its own mini show within the parade. Unlike a conventional parade, the Block Party Bash would stop in each land for about ten minutes, so that the each section of the parade could perform a choreographed routine and spectators could join in on the dance party!
CLOSURE
Since the Block Party Bash was so stop-and-go, the full performance took almost an hour. This meant that almost ¾ of the park was either at a standstill or very congested, and guests had a hard time getting around. Disney decided to create a new, continuous parade, but still keep the elements that made the Bash so successful. The Block Party Bash closed in 2008, to be replaced by the Pixar Play Parade less than two months later.
TRIVIA
The Bash was one of the most complicated parades in park history. The cast included almost 90 performers, not including characters. In addition, each section of the parade had tons of props, from electric scooters to stilts to trampolines!
After the Bash left Disneyland, it moved to Hollywood Studios in Florida, where it ran for another three years.
In 2006, Disney attempted to reduce the Bash’s impact on crowd congestion by cutting performers and one of the float stops.
