Disney California Adventure


Disney California Adventure Park, commonly referred to as Disney California Adventure, California Adventure, or DCA, is a theme park located in Anaheim, California. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division. The park is themed after the history and culture of California, which celebrates the fun and adventure of the state through the use of various Disney, Pixar and Marvel properties. The park opened on February 8, 2001 as Disney's California Adventure Park or Disney's California Adventure, and it is the second of two theme parks built at the Disneyland Resort complex, after Disneyland Park.
The concept of a theme park dedicated to California arose from a meeting of Disney executives in 1995, following the cancellation of WestCOT, a planned West Coast version of Walt Disney World's utopian EPCOT Center. Construction of the park began in June 1998 and was completed by early 2001. Disney initially projected high attendance rates at the new park; however, a series of preview openings held in January 2001 led to negative reviews, and after the park officially opened to the public on February 8, 2001, the company's attendance projections were never met. Disney spent the next several years incrementally adding new rides, shows, and attractions, and implementing other promotions aimed at boosting attendance. In 2007, Disney announced a major expansion of the park as well as a major overhaul of a significant portion of the park. Construction lasted for five years and was completed in stages, culminating with the opening of Buena Vista Street and Cars Land in June 2012.
According to the Themed Entertainment Association, the park hosted approximately 9.9 million guests in 2018, making it the 12th-most visited theme park in the world that year.

History

Concept and creation

The present-day site of Disney California Adventure was acquired by Walt Disney in the 1950s and functioned as the parking lot of Disneyland for over 40 years. After succeeding with the multi-park business model at Walt Disney World in Florida, the Disney company decided to turn Walt Disney's original theme park into a multi-park resort complex as well. In 1991, Disney announced plans to build WestCOT, a west coast version of what was then known as EPCOT Center, on the site of Disneyland's parking lot. The high price tag of the proposed park as well as the company's financial and public relations problems with the newly opened Euro Disneyland led Disney to cancel WestCOT in 1995.
In the summer of 1995, Michael Eisner, Disney's CEO at the time, gathered company executives in Aspen, Colorado, to think of another idea for a second theme park in California. From those meetings, Disney decided it would instead build a park themed to the history and culture of the state of California. Disney's executives aimed to make California a theme park, so as to keep guests at the resort instead of going off site. Then Disneyland president Paul Pressler relied on merchandising and retail staff instead of Imagineers to design the park. As an adult-oriented park like Epcot, dining and shopping was the design focus. Construction of the park began on January 22, 1998. On Main Street, U.S.A., a DCA Preview Center opened in October 1998. The park's construction was accompanied by Downtown Disney and Disney's Grand Californian Hotel, in addition to renovations of the Disneyland Hotel and Disneyland Pacific Hotel.

Opening and initial criticism

The park was expected to draw large crowds when it opened on February 8, 2001. There were four districts with 22 shows and attractions and 15 restaurants.
On January 14, a Los Angeles Times article titled "The most Jam-Packed Theme Park on Earth?" stated, "Senior Disney officials acknowledge that there will be days when California Adventure will have to turn patrons away, particularly in the first weeks after the park opens, during spring break and again in the summer." However, the actual attendance that year was substantially less than expected. This is suggested to have happened as a result of negative reviews from early visitors, including the lack of focus in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot, the lack of attractions for children, a large number of off-the-shelf attractions, a high number of stores and restaurants relative to the number of attractions, and having a theme that was considered to be redundant, given that the park is located in California. The park also lacks a perimeter berm to separate it from surrounding neighborhoods. The berm in Disneyland Park uses trees and earthen mounds to establish a physical barrier around the park so that structures external to the park cannot be seen, with the aim of more fully immersing guests in the park setting. At Disney California Adventure Park, nearby hotels, power lines, radio towers, and the Anaheim Convention Center are all visible, reducing the sense of immersion. Furthermore, Disney had originally planned the park to be aimed at adults, rather than children, which became the basis of significant criticism.
The park opened to only 5 million visitors in 2001 while its sister park Disneyland saw 12.3 million visitors during the same time frame. Low attendance caused Disney to lower ticket prices for California Adventure, slashing as much as $10 off the park's ticket prices. In its first year, the park only averaged 5,000 to 9,000 visitors on weekdays and 10,000 to 15,000 on the weekends, despite having a capacity of 33,000. Visitor surveys reported that only 20% of visitors to the park in its first year were satisfied with their experience. By October 2001, both Wolfgang Puck and Robert Mondavi had closed their high-profile restaurants in the park, citing low crowds, though Mondavi remained as a sponsor.

Early changes and expansions

Two major criticisms of the park in its first year were the lack of attractions appealing to children and the lack of a nighttime show or parade to keep visitors from leaving at nightfall. Within the first year of operation, Disney's Electrical Parade and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire – Play It! were brought to the park, and several of its original rides and attractions were closed, including Superstar Limo and the stage show Disney's Steps in Time. During the 2001 holiday season, Disney's LuminAria was presented on Paradise Bay. In October 2002, the Flik's Fun Fair area opened, which added attractions for children, and in May 2004, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror opened as another E ticket. The park regularly featured seasonal promotions such as concert series, food festivals, and promotions for other Walt Disney Company franchises including the X Games and ABC soap operas. Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! opened in the former Superstar Limo building in January 2006.

Major redesign and expansion

By 2007, Disney began making plans for major updates to the park. CEO Bob Iger said, "Any time you do something mediocre with your brand, that's a withdrawal. California Adventure was a brand withdrawal." Iger briefly considered combining California Adventure and Disneyland Park into one large park, but the price would have cost as much as completely remodeling California Adventure. On October 17, 2007, The Walt Disney Company announced a multi-year, $1.1 billion redesign and expansion plan for Disney's California Adventure Park. Each district was reimagined to transform the park from a spoof of modern California culture to a romanticized, idealized version of the state, exploring specific time periods and historic settings. The project began in December 2007 and was completed in stages. Toy Story Midway Mania! opened on Paradise Pier in June 2008, in space formerly occupied by a store and restaurants. World of Color, a nighttime water and lights show on Paradise Bay, opened in June 2010. opened on the site formerly occupied by the Golden Dreams theater in June 2011.
The most drastic changes to the park included a complete overhaul of the main entrance, Sunshine Plaza, and Paradise Pier, as well as an expansion into the last of the parking area originally designated as future growth space for the park. The main entrance and Sunshine Plaza were turned from a "giant postcard" spoof of California into Buena Vista Street, a representation of Los Angeles as it appeared when Walt Disney moved there in the 1920s. The "CALIFORNIA" sign in front was removed and donated to Cal Expo in Sacramento. Paradise Pier was turned from a contemporary representation of California boardwalks into a representation of Victorian seaside amusement parks of the 1920s, and some of the area's off-the-shelf rides were either removed outright or re-themed to have more of a focus on Disney characters. Cars Land, an area that simulates Radiator Springs from Disney·Pixar's Cars film franchise, was added to the southeast portion of the park and features three rides, including the E ticket Radiator Springs Racers. Construction was completed in 2012 and the park was then re-dedicated on June 15, 2012. The park received a modified name, Disney California Adventure, and a new logo first put into use in June 2010.
The redesign and expansion of the park saw attendance rates increase dramatically. In 2012, Disney California Adventure reached a record high for the park of over 7 million visitors, a number Disney had hoped the park would attain in its first year. The day of the park's rededication saw the park draw a record number of 43,000 visitors in one day. The night before the rededication, over 500 people camped outside of the park in order to be the first admitted in. Two days later, the park hit a new record of 45,000 visitors. Speaking on the attendance increase at Disney California Adventure, Jay Rasulo, Disney's chief financial officer, said: "We had a very uneven distribution where most people spent most of their time at Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure was empty. Now, half of the folks go to one, half of the folks go to the other. It's almost a dream come true."
In 2019, a Disney+ episode of "The Imagineering Story" covered the negative reaction that the park received in its early days. Disney Legend John Hench was quoted as saying "I liked it better as a parking lot."
Disney California Adventure, along with Disneyland, was closed indefinitely starting on March 14, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The park was scheduled to reopen alongside Disneyland on July 17, but due to rising cases in California, the park is remaining closed until further notice.

Timeline

Disney California Adventure is divided into eight themed lands.

Buena Vista Street

The first area seen upon entering the park. It is set in a modern-day California city. Similar to Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland Park, it has shops, restaurants, and a system of transportation. It also has a central hub to other areas at the end of it. This hub has entrances to Hollywood Land, Grizzly Peak, Public Wharf, and Paradise Gardens Park. Guests can ride from Buena Vista Street to the end of Hollywood Land on the Red Car Trolley. Its station is located near the main entrance by the flagpole. The trolley will eventually run through Avenger Campus and create a full loop around the park. Some restaurants along the street include Mortimer's Market, Trolley Treats, and Clarabelle's Hand Scooped Ice Cream. Shops include Oswald's, Big Top Toys, and Elias & Company.

Pixar Pier

Pixar Pier is themed after Pixar films, namely the Toy Story characters, Inside Out, and The Incredibles films. The area is styled after a 1950's amusement park with a ferris wheel, old style roller coaster, carousel, and even a hot dog cart. The Mickey Mouse head on the ferris wheel serves as the park's emblem. The "Pixar Pier" sign with the signature ball is also presented on the Incredicoaster which can be seen from outside the park. Pixar Pier is also one of the areas to watch the World of Color water show. To the side of it is Paradise Gardens Park but the main entrance is a bridge connecting to Public Wharf.
in 2006

Paradise Gardens Park

Paradise Gardens Park is the largest area of the park. It is located at the center of the park and has direct entrances to all but one of the areas. It also has a pathway to, specifically, World of Disney and Downtown Disney. It is the prominent place to watch the World Of Color water show which is themed after The Wonderful World of Disney. It includes rides such as, Walt Disney Imagineering Blue Sky Cellar, and a collection of Mickey Mouse themed attractions.

Grizzly Peak

Grizzly Peak is themed around California's wilderness and national parks, with particular references to Yosemite and Redwood national parks. Its main attraction is Grizzly River Run, a Gold Rush-esque river rapids ride around the summit of Grizzly Peak. Nearby is the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail; a playground area that includes elements from Disney's Brother Bear and Disney·Pixar's Up. An entrance exclusively accessible to guests of Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is located in this area.
Grizzly Peak Airfield is a sub-land within the Grizzly Peak area of California Adventure Park. It is themed to an airfield in California's High Sierras in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The featured attraction is Soarin' Around the World, a ride that simulates a hang glider tour of locations, landscapes, and landmarks across six continents of the world. The district also contains the Smokejumpers Grill counter service restaurant, a shop, and a decorative fire lookout tower.

Hollywood Land

is inspired by the Golden Age of Hollywood in the 1930s. It includes attractions based on film, television, theater and a subsection called Hollywood Studios, which is designed to appear as an active studio backlot. Found within that subsection is the 3D film Mickey's PhilharMagic and the Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! attraction, a dark ride based on the characters from Disney·Pixar's Monsters, Inc. The 2000-seat Hyperion Theater located in the center of Hollywood Land presents Frozen – Live at the Hyperion. At the far end of this area is, which opened on May 27, 2017, based on Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy film series.
Disney Junior – Live on Stage! opened on March 25, 2011, and has featured stage productions such as Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Sofia the First, Doc McStuffins, and Jake and the Never Land Pirates. Its final day of performance was April 9, 2017. It was replaced by Disney Junior Dance Party, which opened on May 26, 2017, and most recently features Mickey and the Roadster Racers, Doc McStuffins, Vampirina, and The Lion Guard.
The restroom facilities in the district are designed in the style of Frank Lloyd Wright's Storer House, located in the Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles. The stamped concrete structure is typical of Wright's pioneering design.

Cars Land

spans and contains three attractions. The largest attraction, Radiator Springs Racers, is a dark ride that utilizes the technology of Epcot's Test Track. Based on Pixar's Cars films, the ride begins with a scenic drive through the mountains, then enters a show building, where the vehicle finds its way into the town of Radiator Springs and gets a race briefing from Doc Hudson; the ride ends with an outdoor, side-by-side dueling race to the Comfy Caverns Motor Court. With a budget of an estimated US$200 million, it is the most expensive theme park ride ever built.
The other attractions at Cars Land are family attractions with smaller height requirements: Mater's Junkyard Jamboree and Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters. Mater's Junkyard Jamboree opened with Cars Land in 2012. Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters opened on March 7, 2016, and replaced Luigi's Flying Tires.
Cars Land is designed as a life-size model and near-exact replica of the town of Radiator Springs from the Cars films. The land includes several dining and shopping venues. The district serves as a connection between Pacific Wharf, Hollywood Land, and A Bug's Land. Construction began in July 2009 and opened to the public on June 15, 2012.
In September 2017, Cars Land received Halloween decorations during Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort. Two Cars Land attractions, Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters and Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, became Luigi's Honkin' Haul-O-Ween and Mater's Graveyard JamBOOree.

Future expansion

On March 20, 2018, the addition of a Marvel-themed land was announced, scheduled to open on July 18, 2020. The land will be based around the preexisting attraction and will be built on the former site of A Bug's Land. During the D23 Expo in August 2019, Disney announced that the Marvel-themed lands at Disneyland Resort and Disneyland Paris will be called "Avengers Campus".

Characters

Hollywood Land

A Bug's Land

A Bug's Land was seen from the point of view of Flik, the inventor ant from the Disney·Pixar film A Bug's Life, where oversized human items were scattered throughout. It featured Flik's Fun Fair. It opened as the park's first expansion in 2002 to expand the park's family-friendly attractions. The land was built around the existing attraction It's Tough to Be a Bug!, a 3D film based on A Bug's Life, which opened with the park in 2001.
It's Tough to Be a Bug! closed on March 19, 2018. A Bug's Land closed on September 5, 2018 to make way for the Avengers Campus, set to open in 2020.

Alcohol policy

Unlike Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure serves beer, wine and cocktails throughout its restaurants, stands and food kiosks. The park also hosts the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival, an annual event featuring a number of themed kiosks, each featuring food and beverages from a particular aspect of California cuisine.

Live entertainment

Disney's California Adventure offers an array of entertainment options, including live performances and opportunities for guests to meet characters.
Live performances:
Character experiences:

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