Volume 2, No. 19. October 11, 2002
Getting
younger with time
In one day, Disney’s
California Adventure skewered its demographic average down about five years
or more.
In planning the Anaheim, California, park, Disney’s imagineers aimed for
an older audience than neighboring Disneyland traditionally drew. But almost
immediately upon opening in February 2001 (THE
LOOP, February 9, 2001), California Adventure drew criticism from the general
public that the new park didn’t have enough for families.
“Our guests told us, ‘I want more for my little kids to do,’”
Cynthia Harriss, president of Disneyland Resort, said. “So we listened,
and I think we’ve done a pretty good job on answering that question today.”
That day was Monday when the park celebrated the grand opening of Flik’s
Fun Fair and a revamped Bug’s Life thematic area (see New Arrival story).
That event was followed by a preview of the new show “Disney’s Aladdin—Live
on Stage” opening December 9 at the park’s Hyperion Theatre. The preview
featured composer Alan Menken playing a medley of his Disney hits on the piano
and a segment of a new song he wrote for the show followed by a press conference
with live satellite feeds from Paris, France, of the show’s director Francesca
Zambello and from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, of choreographer Lynne Taylor-Corbett.
That ensemble of theatrical talent will undoubtedly create a true Broadway experience
in a 40-minute theme park show. “I see a lot of opportunities by bringing
theater into the theme parks,” Menken said. “When Beauty and the
Beast was brought to Broadway one of the things it did was bring a new audience
into the theater, and the opportunities in the parks are the same. You can introduce
serious theater craft in a new context.”
Later that afternoon Cynthia Harriss announced plans to install a production
of “Playhouse Disney—Live on Stage!” at California Adventure.
Already playing at Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando, Florida, the Disney Channel
production features popular children’s characters from the shows Rolie
Polie Olie, Stanley and Jim Henson’s Bear in the Big Blue
House, all of whom showed up for the announcement to the cheers of guests
crowded against the cordons.
Notably, rather than occupying the park’s Hollywood Backlot Stage the Playhouse
show will take over the building currently housing the ABC Soap Opera Bistro.
“The guests liked it,” Harriss said of the restaurant utilizing sets
and props from daytime television soap operas, “but it wasn’t our
most popular restaurant. And, frankly, having Playhouse Disney here was more
compelling, and the Bistro is the perfect room for it.”
That move alone illustrates how much Disney is lowering the age demographic
of its newest American theme park. Yet this is not to say the company is surrendering
the teen and young adult market to the thrill-ride-oriented theme parks up the
road. Physically looming over all of Monday’s proceedings was the skeleton
frame of the park’s next major attraction, the Twilight Zone Tower of
Terror opening in 2004.
©2002, Minton Enterprises
LLC
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