Block Party Bash was a hybrid stage show and parade that played at Disney's California Adventure

Disney's California Adventure

Disney California Adventure, or simply California Adventure, is a theme park in Anaheim, California, adjacent to Disneyland Park and part of the larger Disneyland Resort. It opened on February 8, 2001 as Disney's California Adventure Park. The park is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and...

 park from 2005 to 2008. It was relocated to Disney's Hollywood Studios

Disney's Hollywood Studios

Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Spanning 135 acres in size, its theme is show business, drawing inspiration from the heyday of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s...

 in March 2008, replacing the Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade

Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade

The Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade was a parade at Disney's Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort. The parade first premiered on October 1, 2001 as part of the Walt Disney World Resort's 100 Years of Magic Celebration...

.

History

Block Party Bash (BPB) was introduced in May 2005 in conjunction with Disneyland's 50th Birthday "Happiest Homecoming on Earth" celebration. Produced to fill the void left after the closure of Eureka!

Disney's Eureka! A California Parade

Disney's Eureka! A California Parade was a parade in Disney's California Adventure Park at the Disneyland Resort that showed the various cultures of California. It ran from the Park's opening in 2001 to mid-2002. It was replaced three years later with Block Party Bash.-Layout:The parade played the...

, it was conceived as more a mobile stage show than a parade. Unlike most Disney parades, Block Party Bash is an upbeat show that makes heavy use of dance music with an energetic, driving beat.


Advertised as a "high-energy party," Block Party Bash features characters from and units inspired by the Pixar

Pixar

Pixar Animation Studios, pronounced , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Its films have made over $6.3 billion worldwide...

 films released to that point: Toy Story

Toy Story

Toy Story is a 1995 American computer-animated film released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is Pixar's first feature film as well as the first ever feature film to be made entirely with CGI. The film was directed by John Lasseter and featuring the voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen...

, The Incredibles

The Incredibles

The Incredibles is a 2004 American computer-animated action-comedy superhero film about a family of superheroes who are forced to hide their powers. It was written and directed by Brad Bird, a former director and executive consultant of The Simpsons, and was produced by Pixar and distributed by...

, A Bug's Life

A Bug's Life

A Bug's Life is a 1998 American computer animated adventure comedy film produced by Pixar and released by Walt Disney Pictures in the United States on November 25, 1998. A Bug's Life was the second Disney·Pixar feature film after Toy Story, and the third American computer-animated film after Toy...

, and Monsters, Inc.

Monsters, Inc.

Monsters, Inc. is a 2001 American computer-animated film and the fourth feature-length film produced by Pixar Animation Studios. It was directed by Pete Docter, co-directed by Lee Unkrich and David Silverman, and written by Jill Culton, Peter Docter, Ralph Eggleston, Dan Gerson, Jeff Pidgeon, Rhett...

In addition to the characters, Block Party Bash features a large number of dancers, bikers, and trampoline artists. The original cast included over 60 dancers, 16 acrobats, 12 pairs of jumping stilts and 30 electric scooters.

Following its initial season, Block Party Bash was significantly scaled down, with its original three show stops being reduced to two, the a bug's land

A bug's land

"A Bug's Land" is a section of Disney's California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. The area is based on the Disney·Pixar film "A Bug's Life"...

 stop removed, and the lighting and effects system reworked to require less manpower. The Tail end of the Bug's Life unit was also scaled down by removing Dim, with the larger unit losing its trailered unit, and a few party cones.


After closing on January 6, 2008, the parade was relocated to Disney's Hollywood Studios

Disney's Hollywood Studios

Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Spanning 135 acres in size, its theme is show business, drawing inspiration from the heyday of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s...

 at Walt Disney World in Florida. It premiered there on March 14, 2008—the same day that the new Pixar Play Parade

Pixar Play Parade

Pixar Play Parade is a parade at Disney's California Adventure. The parade features floats and characters based on Disney-Pixar films such as Monsters Inc, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille. In a first for the Disneyland Resort, the floats feature small water jets that shoot water into the crowd of...

 debuted at Disney's California Adventure

Disney's California Adventure

Disney California Adventure, or simply California Adventure, is a theme park in Anaheim, California, adjacent to Disneyland Park and part of the larger Disneyland Resort. It opened on February 8, 2001 as Disney's California Adventure Park. The park is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and...

.

Parade Mode

The show travels in "parade mode" along Disney's Hollywood Studios Performance Corridor until it reaches one of three "Party Zones." At this point, many of the performers are occupied with moving the Units, while others dance alongside the procession to "Celebration

Celebration (song)

"Celebration" is a song released in 1980 by Kool & the Gang from their album Celebrate!. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on February 7, 1981 and held that position until February 20, 1981. Late in 1980, the song had also reached number one on both the Billboard Dance and R&B...

." The Green Army Men, along the route, encourage guests to visit a color-coded "Party Zone," where they say the real fun begins.

Show Stop

Block Party Bash moves in "Parade Mode" to one of the party zones. When the show debuted, there were three party zones; "Red" located in Sunshine Plaza

Sunshine Plaza

Sunshine Plaza is a large regional shopping centre located in Maroochydore, Queensland. Major retailers included in the centre are Coles, Woolworths, Myer, Kmart, Target, Homeart, and a 12-screen Birch Carroll & Coyle cinema...

, "green" outside a bug's land, and "blue" outside Golden Dreams

Golden Dreams

Golden Dreams is a film about the history of California. It was a featured attraction at Disney's California Adventure Park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, opening with the park on February 8, 2001. It starred Whoopi Goldberg as Califia, the Queen of California. On September 7,...

. Upon its arrival in the party zones, the show begins. The four main units as well as smaller "block" tweeners feature Green Army Men serving as a sort of party drill sergeant. Guests are invited to join in the jumping, dancing, games, and other fun.

Introduction

• "Celebration"; the floats arrive and set up for their stop.
• "Dancing in the Street
  Dancing in the Street
  "Dancing in the Street" is a 1964 song first recorded by Martha and the Vandellas. It is one of Motown's signature songs and is the group's premier signature song.-Martha and the Vandellas original:...
  
  "; Dance number

Jump

• "Jumpin' Jack Flash
  Jumpin' Jack Flash
  "Jumpin' Jack Flash" is a song by English rock band The Rolling Stones, released as a single in 1968. Called "supernatural Delta blues by way of Swinging London" by Rolling Stone, the song was perceived by some as the band's return to their blues roots after the psychedelia of their preceding...
  
  "; Characters, Pixar Pal dancers, and Acrobats use jump ropes and jumping stilts, encouraging the audience to jump along.

Scream

• Green Army Men host a scream contest, challenging each side of the street to beat the other.
• "Shout"; (lyrics changed to "scream.")

Dance

• Dancers perform a routine featuring clips from "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)
  Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)
  "Gonna Make You Sweat " was C+C Music Factory's first hit. It was released in late 1990 in many countries and achieved a great success in U.S., Austria, Germany and Switzerland where it reached number one on the charts....
  
  ," "Dance to the Music
  Dance to the Music (song)
  "Dance to the Music" is a 1968 hit single by the influential soul/funk/rock band Sly & the Family Stone for the Epic/CBS Records label. It was the first single by the band to reach the Billboard Pop Singles Top 10, peaking at #8 and the first to popularize the band's sound, which would be emulated...
  
  ," "Shake Your Booty," and "Footloose
  Footloose (song)
  "Footloose" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins. It was released in January 1984 as the first of two single by Loggins from the 1984 film of the same name. The song spent three weeks at number one, March 31—April 14, 1984 on the U.S. Billboard...
  
  ."
• The audience is invited to participate in a series of popular dances: "Macarena
  Macarena (song)
  "Macarena" is a Spanish dance song by Los del Río about a woman of the same name. Appearing on the 1994 album A mí me gusta, it was an international hit between 1995 and 1996, and continues to have a cult following. It was ranked the "#1 Greatest One-Hit Wonder of all Time" by VH1 in 2002.The song...
  
  ," "Stayin' Alive
  Stayin' Alive
  "Stayin' Alive" is a song by the pop group Bee Gees from the Saturday Night Fever motion picture soundtrack. The song was written by the Bee Gees and produced by the Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson. It was released on 13 December 1977, as the second single from the Saturday Night Fever...
  
  ," "Y.M.C.A.
  YMCA (song)
  "Y.M.C.A." is a song recorded by American disco group Village People. It was released in 1978 as the only single from the album Cruisin. The song reached No. 2 on the U.S. charts in early 1979 and reached No.1 in the UK around the same time, becoming the group's biggest hit...
  
  ," "U Can't Touch This
  U Can't Touch This
  "U Can't Touch This" is MC Hammer's 1990 super hit signature song, from his album Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em. The album sold more than 10 million copies, due primarily to this single, and gaining multi-platinum certifications from the RIAA, and other Recording Industries.Rick James sued Hammer...
  
  ," Whoomp! (There It Is)
  Whoomp! (There It Is)
  "Whoomp! " is a number two Billboard Hot 100 single by the Miami bass group Tag Team.The song sampled a beginning synthesizer line from the 1980 Italo-disco hit "I'm Ready" by Kano. The chorus is almost the same as the song "Whoot, There It Is" released by 95 South a month earlier, however the...
  
   "Twist and Shout
  Twist and Shout
  "Twist and Shout" is a song written by Phil Medley and Bert Russell. It was originally titled "Shake It Up, Baby" and recorded by the Top Notes and then covered by The Isley Brothers. It was covered by The Beatles with John Lennon on the lead vocals and originally released on their first album...
  
  ," and "Do You Wanna Dance?
  Do You Wanna Dance?
  "Do You Wanna Dance?" is a song written by Bobby Freeman , and recorded by him in 1958. It is also popular in a version performed by the Beach Boys, which was released in 1965, and in a version recorded by Bette Midler in 1972...
  
  ."
• The Incredibles arrive, emerging from the block floats.

Finale

• The dancers perform a final dance number to "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A."

Tear-Down and return to Parade Mode

• The performers pack their floats back up to "You've Got a Friend in Me
  You've Got a Friend in Me
  "You've Got a Friend in Me" is a song written and first recorded by Randy Newman. Originally written as the theme song for the 1995 Disney·Pixar animated film Toy Story, it has since become the theme song for its sequels, Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3...
  
  ."
• The show returns from Parade Mode to "Celebration."

Gate Tag

• Once the floats, Tweeners and Cones reach the Paradise Pier parade gate, the Pixar Pal dancers step aside to the edge of the parade route. Once the A Bug's Life
  A Bug's Life
  A Bug's Life is a 1998 American computer animated adventure comedy film produced by Pixar and released by Walt Disney Pictures in the United States on November 25, 1998. A Bug's Life was the second Disney·Pixar feature film after Toy Story, and the third American computer-animated film after Toy...
  
   float reaches the edge of the gate, the Pixar Pals dance back into the center and perform a choreographed 'tag' as the music ends.
• One by one, they dance back toward the slowly closing gate and, on the final "Celebrate!" moment, they throw dozens of custom-printed Block Party Bash Nerf
  Nerf
  Nerf is a toy brand created by Parker Brothers and currently owned by Hasbro. The acronym NERF stands for "Non-Expanding Recreational Foam". Most of the toys are a variety of foam-based weaponry, but there are also several different types of Nerf toys, such as balls for sports like football,...
  
   balls over the gate.

Floats

The units are themed to one of three Disney-Pixar films, in this order:

• Toy Story
• A Bug's Life
• Monsters Inc.
• The Incredibles

The units are themed to one of three Disney-Pixar characters, in this order:

• Toy Story: Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, Little Bo Peep, Mr. Potato Head, Green Army Men, and Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear (Start form 9 May, 2010)
• A Bug's Life: Flik, Atta, Gypsy Moth, Heimlich, and Slim
• Monsters Inc.: Mike, Sulley, Boo, George, Needlemen, and Smitty
• The Incredibles: Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, Frozone

Each unit consists of, in order:

• Trampoline Unit: Four-sided trampolines with a stationary spot in the middle featuring high-flying acrobats.
• Block Unit: a "tweener" unit featuring Green Army Men, prop storage, scream meters, and (later) The Incredibles.
• Two Cones: Featuring motorized scooters, banners, and beach balls.
• Main units: Elaborately decorated units based on the Pixar films, featuring Green Army Men, animatronic characters, stages, and air-guns.

NOTE: In September 2006, the parade was scaled down from its original opening format. Previous to the current format of the parade, each section consisted of a trampoline, a tweener, two cones, the main unit, and 2 cones (a total for 4 cones per unit).

Each section also contains 8 dancing couples and 4 acrobats, totaling 48 dancers and 12 acrobats for the entire parade.

Show facts

• Show Dates: Disney's California Adventure: May 5, 2005 - January 6, 2008. Disney's Hollywood Studios: March 14, 2008 - January 1, 2011
• Creative Director: Steven Davison, Disney Creative Entertainment
• Show Producer: Mike Williams
• Show Director: Marilyn Magness-Carroll
• Art Director: Brad Kaye
• Technical Directors: K.C. Wilkerson, Jeff
• Choreography: Jerry, Rita May Bland, Robin Trowbridge
• Show stops: 3 (Summer 2005), then 2 (Fall 2005-January 2008)
• Show length: 11-minute stop, approximately 40 minutes from entrance gate to exit gate (55 minutes with 3 show stops)
• Previous parade: Disney's California Adventure: Eureka! The California Adventure Parade. Disney's Hollywood Studios: Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade
  Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade
  The Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade was a parade at Disney's Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort. The parade first premiered on October 1, 2001 as part of the Walt Disney World Resort's 100 Years of Magic Celebration...
  
  .