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Disney's California Adventure Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Resort Disneyland Resort
Opened February 8, 2001
Theme California
Operator The Walt Disney Company
Website Disneyland Resort Homepage
Disneyland Resort
Disneyland
Disney's California Adventure
Downtown Disney
Resort Hotels
Disneyland
Disney's Paradise Pier
Disney's Grand Californian
Disney's California Adventure Park 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 (220,000 m2) 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. Each area is meant to resemble various aspects of California, its culture, landmarks and history.
Dedication
To all who believe in the power of dreams... welcome. Disney's California Adventure opens its golden gates to you. 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.—Michael Eisner, February 8, 2001
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 (DCA), 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]
Park layout
Sunshine Plaza
Sunshine Plaza serves as the main entrance into the park. It is designed to evoke the sensation of stepping into a California postcard. After guests pass the giant letters spelling out CALIFORNIA, they walk under a mock-up of San Francisco Bay's Golden Gate Bridge, which serves to disguise a portion of the resort's monorail track. Flanking both ends of the faux Golden Gate Bridge are two massive murals depicting various landmarks of and the vast mountain ranges in California. After passing under the bridge, guests reach the main area of Sunshine Plaza that serves as an access hub to the park's Hollywood Picture Backlot and Golden State. Rising over Sunshine Plaza, a large metal sunburst and surrounding fountain reflect solar rays into the surrounding area. 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.
Paradise Pier
Paradise Pier is themed after a Victorian-era California boardwalk, based on popular coastal boardwalks such as the Santa Monica Pier and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The land's attractions, such as California Screamin’ and the Maliboomer, resemble the classic amusement park rides found at many boardwalks. Toy Story Midway Mania! is an interactive 3D attraction inspired by classic midway games.
Mickey's Fun Wheel (formerly the Sun Wheel) is a 160-foot-wide Ferris wheel overlooking Paradise Bay, a large body of water that dominates the Paradise Pier area. A new hydrotechnic show, Disney's World of Color, is scheduled to premiere at Paradise Bay in late Spring or Summer of 2010. (No official date has been announced yet.)
A section of Paradise Pier was themed after the Historic U.S. 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. This area is being re-themed as Route 66 will be given its own land, Cars Land, opening in a new area of the park in 2012.
Golden State
This land allows guests to experience California's natural settings. It is further divided into five sub-lands:
Condor Flats
This sub-land is themed after the aviation industry. The featured attraction here is Soarin’ Over California, a ride that simulates a hang glider tour of California. Also in this area is the Taste Pilot's Grill counter service restaurant.
Grizzly Peak Recreation 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 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.
The Bay Area
This sub-land is themed after the California Bay Area. It used to feature Golden Dreams, a film about the history of California, starring Whoopi Goldberg housed in a theatre. Its last showing was on September 7, 2008. 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. The main area is scheduled to be converted to The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Adventure (Voyage of The Little Mermaid), construction has started. When Voyage of the Little Mermaid opens, this area will then be included within Paradise Pier.
Golden Vine Winery
This sub-land is themed after Northern California's Napa Valley and the winemaking industry. Included in this area is Wine Country Trattoria, a casual table service-dining restaurant which features wines and Italian foods. The former main attraction in this area, Seasons of the Vine, a film showcasing Napa Valley and the changes throughout the seasons, was housed in a wine cellar-like theatre. It closed on March 30, 2008 and was converted into the Walt Disney Imagineering Blue Sky Cellar, which opened in October 2008. The new attraction displays the upcoming changes to the park. The exhibits will be rotated every few months until 2012, when the major park improvement project is scheduled to be finished. Guests also have the opportunity to taste several wines for an additional price.
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 the Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill, Pacific Wharf Cafe, along with a Karl Strauss beer truck and a 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.