Disney's California Adventure Park
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| Disney theme park | |
  Grizzly Peak is the icon of Disney's California Adventure Park |
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| Disney's California Adventure Park | |
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| Location | Anaheim, California, USA |
| Opening Day | February 8, 2001 |
| Resort | Disneyland Resort |
| Theme | California |
| Website | Disneyland Resort Homepage |
| Operator | The Walt Disney Company |
| Disneyland Resort |
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| Resort Hotels |
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Disneyland |
Disney's California Adventure Park (commonly referred to by its initials, DCA) is a theme park in Anaheim, California, adjacent to Disneyland Park and part of the larger Disneyland Resort. It opened on February 8, 2001. The park is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company.
This 55-acre theme park was constructed as part of a major expansion that transformed the Disneyland area and its hotels into the Disneyland Resort and consists of five areas: Sunshine Plaza, Hollywood Pictures Backlot, The Golden State, A Bug's Land and Paradise Pier. Most of them are meant to resemble various aspects of California, its culture, landmarks and history.
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[edit] Dedication
To all who believe in the power of dreams... welcome. Here we pay tribute to the dreamers of the past... The native people, explorers, immigrants, aviators, entrepreneurs and entertainers who built the Golden State. And we salute a new generation of dreamers who are creating the wonders of tomorrow ... From the silver screen to the computer screen ... From the fertile farmlands to the far reaches of space. Disney's California Adventure celebrates the richness and the diversity of California ... Its land, its people, its spirit and, above all, the dreams that it continues to inspire.
[edit] Concept and construction
In 1991, Disney announced the plan to build a second gate in Anaheim, WestCOT, a west coast iteration of Epcot, in place of the existing Disneyland main parking lot,[1] but due to various reasons the project was canceled in 1995, which led to the idea of Disney's California Adventure, a park to celebrate and pay tribute to California, providing a similar experience to stepping inside a California postcard. DCA was part of the plan to expand the one park property and convert it into a greater, multi-day vacation resort destination which would be able to appeal to a greater audience - similar to Walt Disney World resort.
The construction of DCA began in 1998, as part of the Disneyland Resort expansion project which included the new theme park, the Disney's Grand Californian Hotel, Downtown Disney, and the renovation of the Disneyland Hotel and the Paradise Pier Hotel, and was completed in 2001. DCA occupies the site of the former parking lot for 5,000 vehicles, and parking is now provided in the multi-level "Mickey and Friends" parking structure, giving space for more than 10,000 vehicles.[2]
The new park was designed to appeal to an older audience when compared to Disneyland and the overall intention was to create an alternative to Disneyland.[citation needed] It features various thrill ride attractions for older guests as well as rides for the whole family, and at the beginning lacked kiddie rides when compared to Disneyland.
[edit] Park Layout
[edit] Sunshine Plaza
The entrance is designed to give the feel that guests are stepping inside a California postcard. After guests pass the giant postcard letters spelling out California, they come across a replica of Golden Gate Bridge, which serves as a track for the monorail. On both sides of the Golden Gate Bridge are two mountain murals depicting California. Beyond the Golden Gate Bridge is Sunshine Plaza, the entrance to the park. At the end of the path, there is a fountain that includes a giant sun icon in the center, which reflects the light of the sun. Sunshine Plaza is also home to a replica of the California Zephyr, which houses the plaza's two counter service restaurants: Baker's Field Bakery and Bur-r-r Bank Ice Cream. The plaza is also home to two of the park's biggest souvenir shops, Greetings from California and Engine Ears Toys.
[edit] Paradise Pier
Paradise Pier is themed after a California boardwalk, based on popular coastal boardwalks such as the Santa Monica Pier and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Paradise Pier's attractions consist of the classic amusement park rides found in many boardwalks such as the Sun Wheel, California Screamin’, the Maliboomer, and the Orange Stinger. Toy Story Midway Mania!, an interactive attraction inspired by classic midway games and featuring Pixar characters, is under construction and is scheduled to open on June 17, 2008.
A section of Paradise Pier is themed after the Historic Route 66, a desert road area that starts with Paradise Pier's crashed fireboat the S.S. rustworthy. Notable attractions are the Jumpin' Jellyfish, Golden Zephyr, and Mulholland Madness as well as the Sunglass Shack in the shape of a giant roadside attraction dinosaur.
[edit] Golden State
This land allows guests to experience California's natural settings. It is further divided into five sub-lands:
[edit] Condor Flats
This sub-land is themed after the aviation industry. The featured attraction here is Soarin’ over California, a popular ride that simulates a hang glider tour of California. Also in this area is the Taste Pilot's Grill counter service restaurant.
[edit] Grizzly Peak Recreational Area
This sub-land is themed after California's wilderness, such as Yosemite and Redwood national parks. Attractions include Grizzly River Run, a fast-paced river rapids ride around Grizzly Peak, the park's icon. Nearby is the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail; an interactive playground area which also includes a show housed in an amphitheater featuring characters from Disney's Brother Bear, The Magic of Brother Bear. A special entrance to Disney's Grand Californian Hotel is also located in this area.
[edit] The Bay Area
This sub-land is themed after the Bay Area. It features Golden Dreams, a film about the history of California, starring Whoopi Goldberg housed in a theatre. Outside of the theatre is a mural and a replica of the Palace of Fine Arts. The Bay Area also includes an avenue of houses similar to the Victorian architecture of many townhouses found in San Francisco.
[edit] The Golden Vine Winery
This sub-land is themed after Northern California's Napa Valley and the wine making industry. Included in this area are two restaurants, The Vineyard Room, a fine dining dinner-only table service restaurant which features a great selection of wines, and Wine Country Trattoria, a more casual table service dining restaurant which features wines and many Italian foods. The former main attraction in this area, Seasons of the Vine, a film showcasing Napa Valley and the changes throughout the seasons, housed in a wine cellar-like theatre, closed on March 30th, 2008 to be converted into a Disneyland Resort Preview Center. Guests also have the opportunity to taste several wines for an additional price.
[edit] Pacific Wharf
This sub-land is based on Monterey's Cannery Row area, especially as depicted in John Steinbeck's novels, and also resembles San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf. This area includes many restaurants, cafes, along with a Karl Strauss beer truck and Margarita stand. This sub-land also features attractions such as the Mission Tortilla Factory, which features a tour on how tortillas were once made, and showcases working corn and flour tortilla machines. Another attraction is the Boudin Bakery Tour, which is a tour of the sourdough bread making process with Rosie O'Donnell and Colin Mochrie as video tour guides.
[edit] Hollywood Pictures Backlot
Hollywood Pictures Backlot is an area styled to appear as Hollywood boulevards and movie backlots, with Hollywood, Television, and movie-themed attractions. A version of the Tower of Terror attraction from Disney's Hollywood Studios opened in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot in 2004. Recently, a new attraction, Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! based on the characters from Monsters, Inc. opened in the attraction building which used to house Superstar Limo. The 2000-seat Hyperion Theatre currently plays host to Disney's Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular.
Also featured since the park's opening is Muppet Vision 3-D, a show that also originated at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
The entrance to the area with the sign Hollywood Pictures Backlot featuring two ceramic elephants sculptures atop columns is a homage to a huge set constructed for the epic 1916 Hollywood film Intolerance directed by D.W. Griffith. This homage is echoed at the Hollywood and Highland entertainment complex in Los Angeles which currently houses the Academy Awards ceremonies at Kodak Theatre (which opened the same year, 2001) which also has elephant sculptures atop columns.
As you enter, there are bathrooms on the right. They are in the style of Frank Lloyd Wright's Ennis house located in the base of the Santa Monica Mountains. The stamped concrete structure is typical of Wright's pioneering design.
[edit] "a bug's land"
Featuring Flik's Fun Fair, It's Tough to be a Bug! and the Bountiful Valley Farm, based on the Disney-Pixar film "a bug's life", opened in 2003 and offers various kid-friendly rides. Such rides including Fliks Flyers, Francis' Ladybug Boogie, Tuck & Rolls Drive em' Buggies, Heimlichs Chew Chew Train, and Dots Puddle Park.
[edit] Performance Corridor
The Performance Corridor is the primary parade route through the park, and as-built curves around Sunshine Plaza, passes the entrance to A Bug's Land and the Golden Vine Winery, past the Golden Dreams attraction, and halfway around the Paradise Pier water feature, exiting adjacent to California Screamin'.
Current performances include:
 DCA Entrance at night |
 Paradise Pier |
 Golden Gate Bridge replica |
 The Tower of Terror attraction |
 Entrance to the Hollywood Pictures Backlot |
 The California Screamin' roller coaster. |
[edit] Initial lack of success and criticisms
Disney’s California Adventure was expected to draw early crowds that were several times larger than what they initially welcomed. Some of the most popular theories surrounding the low attendance in the park's early years include:
- Bad word-of-mouth from early visitors discouraged future visitors, stating the park was lacking in Disney-quality attractions.[3]
- Hollywood Pictures Backlot had lack of focus on the restaurants, shops and attractions.
- Lack of children's rides
- Fans criticized the Paradise Pier area of the park because many of the attractions in this area were generic rides that guests do not expect to find at a Disney park. This was ironic because Walt Disney originally created the neighboring Disneyland to provide a theme park experience unlike boardwalk piers and amusement parks of the era, and instead wanted to create a park where the entire family could enjoy themselves.
- With an estimated price tag of $600 million, the park was criticized for being built "on the cheap," with a small amount of attractions and minimal theming. [4]
- Many guests complained that a single day admission ticket to Disney's California Adventure cost the same as a single day admission ticket to Disneyland Park, yet contained fewer attractions, shows & entertainment.[5]
Disney's chief executive officer, Robert Iger went on record during the company's annual stockholder meeting on March 10, 2006, when someone asked about a potential third park being built in Anaheim. "We're still working to assure the second gate is successful", Iger said, referring to California Adventure. "In the spirit of candor, we have been challenged."[6]
[edit] Expansion plan
On October 17, 2007, The Walt Disney Company announced a multi-year, $1.1 billion expansion plan for Disney's California Adventure Park.[7]
[edit] Walt Disney Plaza
The Sunshine Plaza will undergo major retheming and be renamed Walt Disney Plaza. The concept is a street representing Los Angeles in the 1920s, when Walt Disney first arrived in Los Angeles.
The Golden Gate Bridge replica will be removed while the sun sculpture will be replaced with a model of the Carthay Circle Theater, which showed the world premiere of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937. The building will become the new visual icon of Disney's California Adventure.
The entrance gates will be moved forward to where the postcard letters presently stand. Red Car trolleys will travel through the plaza. Construction of Walt Disney Plaza will begin in 2009 and will be opened 2011.
[edit] Hollywood Pictures Backlot
Hollywood Pictures Backlot will be renamed to Hollywoodland and will represent the old Hollywood glitz and glamour that was in the 1930s. The land will house several ticketed events in the future. Disney film directors, writers and animators will occasionally be in the area to inform guests about their careers. The popular family stage show "Playhouse Disney Live on Stage" will be updated and the Red Car trolleys from Walt Disney Plaza will go though this land. Construction will begin in 2010.
[edit] Cars Land
The new Cars Land will contain three attractions and will span 12 acres. The first, Radiator Springs Racers, will be an E-Ticket attraction using the technology of Epcot's Test Track. It will be among the most expensive rides ever built at an estimated 200 million dollars. [8] and will be a detailed dark ride that ends with an outdoor side by side dueling racing finale. The ride will begin with a race briefing from Lightning McQueen and end at the Wheel Well Motel from the movie. Some elements said to be featured in the attraction are switchbacks, tunnels, bridges, waterfalls and banked turns.
The other two attractions are going to be smaller family attractions featuring Mater's Junkyard Jamboree and Luigi's Roamin' Tires, a revival of the 1960s Tomorrowland "Flying Saucers" ride. Cars Land will also feature a life size model of Radiator Springs and several dining and shopping venues.
It will take the place of the existing Timon parking lot behind the Tower of Terror and is supposed to open in 2012, after the park celebrates its 10th anniversary. Construction is set to begin in June 2008.
[edit] Paradise Pier
Paradise Pier will be re-themed as a romantic Victorian boardwalk. The changes will begin with the opening of Toy Story Midway Mania! on June 17, 2008.[9]
The Sun Wheel will be renamed "Mickey's Fun Wheel" and the sun face is to be replaced with a large Mickey Mouse face. The silhouette of Mickey will be removed from California Screamin' and replaced with a Paradise Pier sun logo. The bay will become home to a new nighttime spectacular called "Disney's World of Color." To accompany seating for this show, a new 9,000 person standing-room only viewing area will be added.
Also included in this re-theming will be re-imagined midway games, a new beer garden-themed eatery (to replace Pizza Oom Mow Mow and Burger Invasion), Goofy's Sky School (a newly re-themed Mulholland Madness) and the removal of the Maliboomer. Golden Dreams is to be removed and replaced with an attraction based on The Little Mermaid, scheduled to open in 2011. The first portion of Paradise Pier's re-theming will be completed by Summer 2008.
[edit] Golden State
The Golden State will see the addition of several new restaurants based on California's farmland and heritage. California-themed Food and Wine Festivals will take place in this area of the park. The Seasons of the Vine attraction will be replaced by a preview center, set to open June 2008, that will showcase future additions to the resort.
[edit] See also
- List of current Disney's California Adventure attractions
- List of past Disney's California Adventure attractions
- Music from Disney's California Adventure
[edit] References
- ^ Tony Baxter. Tony Baxter... on WestCOT. Retrieved on August 21, 2006.
- ^ Jim Hill Media. California Misadventure: Part 3. Retrieved on August 21, 2006.
- ^ Archived D-I-G Update: 6/25
- ^ New York Times - "Will Disney Keep Us Amused" - 2/10/2008
- ^ "Dark" Days Ahead?
- ^ Shareholders content at Disney meeting - MarketWatch
- ^ Los Angeles Times Staff Writers. "Disney looks home for renewal", LA Times, October 18, 2007. "The company moves to transform Anaheim's resort district in the image of the popular Walt Disney World. But critics remain skeptical."
- ^ Disney Cars ride: thrills, sticker shock. Retrieved November 21, 2007,
- ^ Drawing the line at lines: Disney Creating New Ride'?.
[edit] External links
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