On this day (February 8th) in 2001, Disneyland's second gate, Disney's California Adventure opened!
This space was acquired by Walt Disney in the 1950s and served as the Disneyland parking lot for over 40 years. Disney first announced plans to build over this area in 1991, announced a west coast EPCOT Center-like park aptly called WestCOT. Shortly thereafter, Euro Disneyland opened to less fanfare than anticipated, leading to budget cuts. In 1995, WestCOT was one such victim.
In the summer of 1995, the CEO at the time, Michael Eisner, gathered Disney executives in Aspen, Colorado to think of new ideas for a second gate at Disneyland. Knowing that visitors to Disneyland primarily consist of California locals and guests visiting Disneyland as a larger California trip, the decision was made to theme the park around California. Construction began on January 22nd, 1998.
The park officially opened on February 8th, 2001. In its first year, it saw 5 million visitors (as opposed to Disneyland's 12.3 million). Complaints from visitors included the lack of appropriate attractions for children, as Eisner had envisioned California Adventure as a theme park for adults, and the lack of nighttime shows or other entertainment. As a result, on October 17th, 2007, The Walt Disney Company announced a major overhaul of the park.
In June 2018, a major portion of the park was rethemed to Pixar Pier. The most recent update to the park, debuting August 31st, 2023, is the conversion of the Pacific Wharf area into San Fransokyo Square.
Currently, the park is divided into 9 unique lands: Buena Vista Street, Hollywood Land, Grizzly Peak, Paradise Gardens, Pacific Wharf/San Fransokyo Square, Cars Land, Pixar Pier, and Avengers Campus.
Buena Vista Street
The first area you come across upon entering the park. It is themed to 1920s Los Angeles. It features a lot of shops, restaurants, and a transportation system.
Hollywood Land
Inspired by the 1930's Golden Age of Hollywood, in this area of the park, you can find attractions such as Mickey's PhilharMagic and Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
Grizzly Peak
This area is themed around California's natural wonders, their national parks, including Yosemite and Redwood National Forest. Major attractions in this area are Grizzly River Run (a river rapids ride) and Soarin'.
Paradise Gardens
This space has direct entryways into Pixar Pier, San Fransokyo, and Grizzly Peak. Attractions include Goofy's Sky School, Silly Symphony Swings, Jumpin' Jellyfish, Golden Zephyr, and The Little Mermaid - Ariel's Undersea Adventure.
San Fransokyo Square
This waterfront land is inspired by California's fishing wharfs, as featured in the fictional town of San Fransokyo (itself inspired by a mix of San Francisco and Tokyo) in the movie, Big Hero Six. There are several restaurants located in this land, including Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop.
Cars Land
Cars Land serves a dual role, being themed after both Pixar's Cars series and the famous Route 66. The major attraction in this land is Radiator Springs Racers, which uses the same ride system at Test Track in Walt Disney World's Epcot.
Pixar Pier
Originally inspired by the boardwalks found across California's beach towns in the Victorian area, this area is now rife with Pixar-themed attractions, such as Pixar Pal-A-Round, Incredicoaster, Jessie's Critter Carousel, Games of Pixar Pier, Toy Story Midway Mania, and the Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind.
Avengers Campus
A newer area in the park, Avengers Campus opened on June 4th, 2021, replacing A Bug's Land. This area is inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe and features the Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout! and Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure attractions.
Why Should I Visit?
There are so many things that make this park unique! Some of my favorites are the Incredicoaster, Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout, Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!, and World of Color.
Incredicoaster
This ride is so fun and unique! This is a fast moving, highly-themed roller coaster that is part of the iconic DCA skyline. It has twists, turns, airtime, and an inversion, making it a great option for thrill seekers like me.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout
Okay, I'll admit, I was skeptical about this one. I grew up going to Disney World and highly resented even the idea of changing Tower of Terror. Plus, when I went on it, I hadn't even seen most of the Marvel movies... but then I went on it. This ride is AMAZING. The changing soundtrack and the alien critters really add an extra element of fun to this ride.
Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
This ride is so cute! Monsters Inc. was a favorite of mine when I was a kid and this dark ride does an excellent job retelling and condensing the story. Fun fact about this attraction: it quickly replaced a very short-lived attraction about celebrities and Hollywood (Superstar Limo).
World of Color
World of Color may be one of the most moving nighttime shows across the Disney properties. It's kind of like Fantasmic! in that it involves projections on water features in the central lagoon, but that is really underselling it. World of Color makes use of its 1200 water fountains in varying fashions. It matches the mix of colors on its fountains to the emotion of whatever scene is on the mist screens in such a beautiful way. It evokes whimsy and fun and sadness and wonder and I would be remiss if I didn't link it so you can watch it yourself (or if you don't want to be spoiled, don't press play!).
Ready to plan your journey through the magical lands of California Adventure? I've got you covered! Reach out today to start discussing your Disneyland/Southern California vacation!
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