Filled with a sense of enchantment and optimism, Disneyland is the standard-bearer for all theme parks. By comparison, the smaller Disney's California Adventure, which opened in 2001, seems more like a collection of attractions (some of which are quite spectacular) rather than a cohesive theme park experience. And there aren't all that many attractions. That will be changing over the next five years, however, as Disney announced in October 2007 that it has ambitious plans to transform the underperforming park. According to the Wall Street Journal, the company is planning to spend a whopping $1.1 billion on the project. That's more than it cost to build the original park.
The overarching theme that will give DCA the magic spark it's been missing will be none other than Walt Disney. The iconic founder of the company that bears his name resonates deeply with generations of fans, and the focus on Walt at DCA will allow the Mouse House to celebrate a legacy that is uniquely theirs. Instead of a generic California adventure, the emphasis will be on Disney's California adventure.
The new tone will be established at the front gate. Instead of the mishmash of Golden State markers, the entry plaza will be recast as circa-1920s California, the vintage Los Angeles and Hollywood that Walt Disney encountered when he first headed west to chase his dreams. Like Disneyland's Main Street U.S.A., the idealized boulevard will lead to a stylized landmark, a building designed to evoke the Cathay Circle Theatre. The real Cathay Circle hosted the world premiere of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937. DCA's new theater will present a revamped Walt Disney Story (which will apparently permanently move from its on-and-off original home at Disneyland). To help establish a sense of place, streetcars, reminiscent of LA's old Pacific Electric Railway, will ply the thoroughfare.
Additional changes, including new attractions, new shops and restaurants, new shows, and landscaping will be made throughout the park. Highlights will include:
Toy Story Mania! opens in 2008
An interactive ride-through attraction featuring the characters from the Pixar hit,
Toy Story, will open in the Paradise Pier section of the park. Befitting its seaside amusement park location, the ride will offer a series of carnival-style midway games. Guests will wear 3-D glasses and use an electronic activator to shoot targets and rack up points in the games. Toy Story Mania! is scheduled to open in summer 2008.
Cars Land
By appropriating twelve acres from what's left of Disneyland's original parking lot, DCA will add a new land based on the Pixar film,
Cars. (Isn't there something at least a bit ironic there?) The featured attraction will be Radiator Springs Racers. While Disney hasn't released much official info about the E-ticket attraction, the buzz is that it will use a ride system similar to the one at Test Track in Walt Disney World's Epcot. Since that attraction is reminiscent of slot cars, adapting it for a racing ride sounds like a great idea. Look for hairpin turns, banked curves, and plenty of peel outs. Cars Land will also offer two other, smaller rides based on the film's characters, Luigi and Mater. And the Cars Land Drive-In Restaurant, in which diners will watch old movie clips about cars while eating inside retro-fitted automobiles, sounds like it will mimic the fun Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant at Walt Disney World. Cars Land will probably debut in 2011.
Disney's World of Color
Disneyland has rousing fireworks and the wild Fantasmic! show. Now DCA will get its own nighttime spectacular. To be located in a new 9,000-capacity viewing area alongside the Paradise Pier lagoon, the show will use water effects and pyrotechnics to highlight classic Disney animation. (Hmm, that sorta sounds like Fantasmic!, doesn't it? We'll have to wait until Disney releases more details to see how this show will differ.) Look for Disney's World of Color to make its splash in 2009.
The Little Mermaid ride
A dark ride featuring the wonderful music and characters from the hit film will be coming to the Paradise Pier area. Again, Disney hasn't released much detailed info, but its rumored $100 million budget should make this a marquee attraction. No firm dates have been announced for The Little Mermaid ride; it could debut in 2009, 2010, or 2011.
Disney's Grand Californian Hotel
When DCA first opened in 2001, it was part of an expansion plan to transform the California property into a multi-day destination resort. In addition to the two theme parks, the 500-acre property now includes the Downtown Disney entertainment, restaurant, and retail center and Disney's Grand Californian Hotel. By late 2009, the elegant hotel will add an additional 250 rooms.
