Editorial: Disneyland, Alcohol, Teens, Families & Glow Fest

Glow Fest at Disney's California Adventure


(06/21/2010) – Anaheim, California – With three performances a night, “World of Color” at Disney’s California Adventure is seeing record crowds – something never experienced before in the nine-year history of the usually-struggling Anaheim second gate. When the park opened in 2001 as an accompaniment to Disneyland, the original Disney theme park, it was noted as not only having a lack of Disney characters, but also a lack of nighttime entertainment. The park’s first summer featured a return of the former Main Street Electrical Parade – re-branded as Disney’s Electrical Parade, but even that wasn’t fully enough to bring in the crowds from a usually over-packed Disneyland, which offered nighttime entertainment ranging from Fantasmic! to fireworks to a teen dance venue in Tomorrowland.

While there is no doubt that Walt Disney Imagineering’s five-years-in-the-planning “World of Color” is the thing to do at The Disneyland Resort this summer, an over-glorified waiting area is proving to be an unexpected nighttime hit. Glow Fest, as it is called, is a psychedelic-colored street party that takes over the park’s Hollywood Pictures Backlot section each night. The festivities include food trucks, dancing space, music spun by live dj’s, and even two bars offering up beer and special “glowing” cocktails. There’s even Bollywood dancers to help kick off each evening’s festivities.

Some have expressed concern, however, that the nightly scene too closely resembles a rave – some are worried about drinking and reported drug use at the Glow Fest event. An investigation last week by Anaheim police into reports of underage alcohol sales revealed no wrongdoing or lax measures on the part of Disney, nor on the part of the outside vendors that Disney has brought in to help organize Glow Fest. That’s right, – Glow Fest, unlike most events in the parks, was not crafted by Disneyland’s entertainment division; rather, it was organized through a local entertainment company and the entirety of the operations – from food to music – was contracted.

Perhaps it is this decidedly un-Disney approach that has proven the event to be so popular with another segment of the park’s guests – young adults and teens. This segment, which makes up a large portion of the resort’s annual passholders – has never gone completely ignored by Disney.

In the 1980′s, noting the popular teen dance scene booming around Orange County, Disneyland opened Videopolis, a music and dancing venue in the back of the park, in a rather secluded corner of Fantasyland. The normally family-friendly park monitored the activities at the venue, but Disney Security was more lenient in this portion of the park than elsewhere; public displays of affection and cigarettes were common at the venue. The same held true well into the 1990′s, and again in most recent years, with dancing at Tomorrowland Terrace, a restaurant and stage venue in Tomorrowland. These venues were not without their problems, however; a fatal stabbing occurred during a fight between two young men at the Terrace regarding a girl, and guests were escorted out of the park on more than one occassion for being in possession of marijuana and alcohol at Videopolis.

These situations, and a general fear of thumping music and people younger than 25, have led many in the last week to complain about the rave-esque Glow Fest at Disney’s California Adventure, an area of the park that is meant to provide nighttime entertainment to those waiting for the next performance of “World of Color”. Numerous rumors have been posted online about marijuana and ecstasy use at the events, and hyperbolic reports of “drunken teens” and young adults getting out of hand, creating an unfriendly atmosphere for families.

People generally against Glow Fest on the internet – many of whom have never actually stepped foot in to Glow Fest – have cited the (perceived) inappropriateness of selling alcohol in the parks so openly, and have noted that Videopolis was very much tucked away from most guests during its heyday (the Videopolis site is now Princess Fantasy Faire, a Disney princess meet-and-greet venue).

After actually visiting Glow Fest, however, what was found was music, some dancing teens, some dancing adults, some dancing families. The music presented at Glow Fest is the expected mix of Justin Bieber and Jonas Brothers thrown in with the likes of Aerosmith and Journey. People were drinking, yes, but at $11 for a cocktail and $8 for a beer, there was no one getting buzzed, much less out of hand (not to mention the probability that Disney’s cocktails are highly watered-down, even with outside vendors). The atmosphere was truly geared towards all age groups, with families fitting in just as well in the situation as teenagers. The current offerings at Tomorrowland’s venue are decidedly more family-prohibitive, but when the venue has been continuing a 30-year tradition, it’s not has hotly debated as a new program being introduced in another park.

It should be noted, however, that these same “the sky is falling” arguments have come up before. When it was first announced that the yet-to-be-opened Disney’s California Adventure would serve wine and beer, many complained about how “inappropriate” this would be for a family theme park. Nevertheless, the park opened with – and still has – numerous locations to purchase wine and beer, and visitors are well within their rights to wander a good portion of Pacific Wharf with a beer in hand. The park even has a full bar – the Cove Bar – located right beside the family-oriented Ariel’s Grotto restaurant. Disney World’s Epcot has been selling alcohol since it opened in 1982; controlling alcohol sales and consumption at a Disney theme park is hardly new ground.

As far as a “street party” atmosphere with alcohol is concerned, observations have been made on internet boards about how Videopolis was tucked away, but Glow Fest takes over a major thoroughfare of the park, thereby forcing families to expose their children to the scene. In reality, Hollywood Pictures Backlot is a dead-end area. Videopolis was also not that tucked away; it was adjacent to the Fantasyland Station for The Disneyland Railroad, a few yards from “it’s a small world”, and practically on top of the park’s parade route.

With Glow Fest happening only at night, families who truly do wish to keep children away from the event (for whatever personal reason), have several hours to experience the land’s attractions during the day; it should be noted that beer, wine and cocktails though are available all day in other areas of the park – as they have always been.

Disney isn’t playing stupid, however, with making sure that everyone stays in line at Glow Fest. Reports of marijuana or alcohol being snuck in the parks isn’t due to Glow Fest; it’s been happening since Disneyland opened in 1955, and Disney is well aware of it. As has always been done, Disney Security (both uniformed and plainclothes) patrol the event and the rest of the park on a regular basis. Anybody found to be intoxicated or under the influence of an illegal drug are immediately removed from the park.

While Glow Fest may attract more local young adults to enjoy the festivities, Disney’s security forces are local legend in Orange County – the few who risk it nearly always get caught, long before creating a disturbance. Glow Fest does exactly what Disney has always done – cater to its different markets. No one demographic owns the Disney experience – and not everything is created for everyone. Families have nothing to worry about with Glow Fest, but if it’s something that some wish to avoid, it is quite easy to do so. Visit the parks and make memories with your family, without being concerned that everything isn’t quite your cup of tea. The family experience is very well in tact, even when local college students are drinking a beer and singing along to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing”.

-Editorial by William J. Nash-McAdam