It’s hard to believe Disney California Adventure is now 20 years old!  The park that went from parking lot to laughing stock, to born-again gem hits the two decade mark today.  And while the park is currently (mostly) closed, it’s in the midst of yet another transformation into a park chock full of Disney, Pixar, and Marvel properties that do less to celebrate California than they do to celebrate Disney’s vast corporate catalogue. Love it or hate it, the park that once featured attractions celebrating the state’s history, culture, and people is now a playground for Buzz Lightyear, Ariel, and Spider-Man. 

Today we take a look back at the DCA’s twenty years of change and evolution, and a look ahead at what’s next for Disneyland’s little sister. 

From Parking Lot to Laughing Stock

For over four decades, Disneyland stood alone as a single park and hotel in Anaheim, California.  Of course, Walt Disney’s original theme park far preceded the ambitious, sprawling Walt Disney World Resort complex in central Florida, but by the late 1980s the Walt Disney Company’s new CEO turned his attention to duplicating Walt Disney World’s success in California.  

Disneyland overview map, 1986. Scan: angryap.coom
Disneyland overview map, 1986. Scan: angryap.coom

WESTCOT makes way for California

In 1991, Disney unveiled ambitious plans to expand Disneyland from a single theme park into a sprawling multi-day resort.  The new $3.1 billion Disneyland Resort would include a plethora of new amenities including: new recreation and entertainment facilities, a brand new flagship hotel for Disneyland modeled on the Grand Floridian Hotel in Florida, a new shopping district,  an expanded Monorail line and new Peoplemover system, and significant infrastructure upgrades that would benefit both Anaheim city and the new Disneyland Resort.  

 

Disneyland Resort Master Plan 1991.
Disneyland Resort Master Plan. ©Disney via ProgressCityUSA.com
Disneyland Resort Master Plan 1991.
Disneyland Resort Master Plan. ©Disney via ProgressCityUSA.com

The centerpiece of the project, of course, was a second theme park for the resort.  WESTCOT Center was inspired by Walt Disney World’s EPCOT Center, with a sprawling indoor version of Future World called VenturePort, and a re-conceptualized World Showcase that would take guests to the four corners of the world, all connected by what would have been Disney’s largest attraction to date.  

Disney California Adventure, Disney California Adventure at 20: From Zero to Hero
WESTCOT Center. ©Disney via ProgressCityUSA.com
Disneyland Resort infrastructure enhancements
Disneyland Resort infrastructure enhancements. ©Disney via ProgressCityUSA.com

Unfortunately the opening of Euro Disneyland in 1992 became a financial burden on the Walt Disney Company.  Not enough demand paired with too many hotel rooms in Paris left Disney’s European resort struggling to pay the bills. The financial strain left the company’s parks division floundering for years and while Disney officially resisted admitting defeat on the project for some time, Roy E. Disney was quoted admitting the reality of the situation: “Clearly, Euro Disney is making us think twice about a lot of things.”   The strain from the Euro Disneyland project was compounded by local and federal governments unable to help enough financially on parking structures, infrastructure enhancements, and land acquisitions needed to accommodate the new resort.  By the start of 1995, WestCOT and its version of the new Disneyland Resort were officially dead.

New York Times reports on Euro Disney's troubles, 1993.
New York Times reports on Euro Disney’s troubles, July 1993. ©NYT

In the summer of 1995, Disney CEO Michael Eisner and a group of Disney executives went on a 3-day retreat to Aspen, Colorado to devise a new plan for Disneyland’s future.  By the end of their getaway, the team had come up with a modest $1.4 billion plan — half the price of the earlier project.  A new park concept, focusing on recreating the diverse California experience in one place for tourists, was born as Disney’s California Adventure, replaced the more elaborate and ambitious WestCOT Center.   

Early Disney's California Adventure concept art
Early Disney’s California Adventure concept art. ©Disney

 

“I liked it better as a parking lot.”

Disney’s California Adventure opened February 8, 2001 to much fanfare and lofty expectations.  Newspaper headlines leading up to the park’s opening included the infamous “The Most Jam-Packed Theme Park on Earth?” from the Los Angeles Times.  Expectations were high but could Disney deliver? 

The park was small, with only a third of the number of attractions Disneyland offered and with a maximum capacity of only 30,000 guests (just under half of Disneyland’s).  The LA Times pre-opening article warned the public that “senior Disney officials acknowledge that there will be days when California Adventure will have to turn patrons away,” but those days never materialized.  

Disney's California Adventure Fun Map, 2001
Disney’s California Adventure Fun Map, 2001. ©Disney

Early reviews of the park were devastating for Disney; critics and the public alike complained there wasn’t enough to do and what was available consisted too much of off-the-shelf rides found at regional parks and carnivals.  In addition to a lack of things to do, the park simply lacked the design warmth, architectural charm, and green areas that made Disney parks so welcoming.  Disney Legend and long-time Imagineer John Hench perhaps delivered the harshest review: “I liked it better as a parking lot.”  The new park simply didn’t hold a candle to the magic of Disneyland just across the way.  

Disney's California Adventure entrance concept art
Disney’s California Adventure entrance concept art. ©Disney

With harsh reviews and bad word-of-mouth leading to underwhelming spring and summer attendance, followed only by the crippling effects of the September 11, 2001 attacks and collapse of United States tourism — Disney’s California Adventure’s first year saw a total of only 5 million visitors.  Meanwhile, steps away, Disneyland, still managed to pull over 12 million guests.  

Disney's California Adventure main entrance, 2001.
Disney’s California Adventure main entrance, 2001. ©Disney
Grizzly River Run publicity photo, 2001.
Grizzly River Run publicity photo, 2001. ©Disney

The park’s devastating first year resulted in the exit of high-profile corporate sponsorships. Celebrity Chef Wolfgang Puck operated Avalon Cove, a high-end restaurant in Paradise Pier.  California Winemaker Robert Mondavi operated the park’s Golden Vine Winery area, which included a theater presentation on winemaking, a high-end restaurant, and a wine bar.  Wolfgang Puck exited entirely by October, while Robert Mondavi handed operations back over to Disney and continued as a sponsor only.  The LA Times reported:

Disney spokesman Ray Gomez said Wolfgang Puck Food Co.’s upscale seafood eatery, Avalon Cove, was shutting down Monday because it had not met the expectations of either Disney or Puck. It is the first defection of a tenant since the park opened in February.

Also, Robert Mondavi Corp. said that as of Monday, it was no longer running the park’s Golden Vine Winery attraction and high-end restaurant, limiting its role to that of a sponsor. Disney will take over control of Mondavi’s attraction and eatery, which remains open.

“We want to eliminate further financial exposure,” said Nancy Light, a spokeswoman at Mondavi. The Oakville, Calif.-based winery said it will record a charge of $12 million to $13 million related to its investment in the Anaheim theme park.

 

That same LA Times report underscored how poorly the theme park’s performance had been, noting: 

Initially the park was expected to attract about 7 million annually, or 19,000 a day. But in the week before the terrorist attacks, the park drew an average of about 4,500, according to a Disney official who asked not to be identified.

In addition to corporate sponsors leaving, the first two years of the park saw the retirement of a number of opening-day attractions and restaurants including the ill-fated  Disney’s LuminAria holiday water show which only ran for the first holiday season.  The water, light, and fireworks show on Paradise Bay featured large projection screens of holiday cards park guests had created earlier in the day.  The body of water and adjacent park area which served as a viewing area were never designed to host nighttime shows, and resulted in significant challenges for LuminAria. Smoke and fallout from the low level fireworks obscured the show and ultimately rained down on guests as they tried to watch from a space that was never meant to accommodate an audience.

 

LuminAria finale, 2001.
LuminAria finale, 2001. Photo: Yesterland (more)

In the Hollwood Pictures Backlot, Steps in Time, a big-budget Broadway-style show opened with the park but immediately bombed.  The show was quickly reworked but abandoned by mid-October of 2001.  The Power of Blast!, a show based on a larger Broadway show, replaced Steps in Time and ran November 2001 through September 2002.  

Power of Blast!, 2001.
Power of Blast!, 2001. Photo: Yesterland (more)

Meanwhile, the Hollywood & Dine food court in the far back corner of the land closed before the first year was over due to a lack of traffic.  At the entrance of the land, the bizarre table-service ABC Soap Opera Bistro which included a dining room themed to General Hospital‘s nurse’s station, among other soap opera-themed sets, closed November 2002 due to lack of interest.  

Disney’s Eureka! The California Adventure Parade, the park’s main parade, which celebrated the peoples and cultures of California offered little in the way of Disney magic, ended its run by mid-2002.  Disney was so determined to make California Adventure the anti-Disneyland, that not only did the park largely lack Disney characters in its attractions but its signature parade did as well.  While colorful, energetic, and well-designed, with no Disney characters, Eureka! simply didn’t live up to the expectations Disneyland guests had for a Disney parade.

Disney's Eureka!
Disney’s Eureka! ©Disney

Perhaps the most infamous closure, however, was Superstar Limo. A limo ride through Hollywood, Superstar Limo featured grotesque caricatures of late-90s celebrities popular in Disney movies and on ABC shows, including Drew Carey and Regis Philbin.  The attraction was so derided by the public that it was reported that guests satisfaction scores were more positive if customers didn’t ride the attraction. Disney closed the ride for good in early January 2002.

Superstar Limo
Superstar Limo. Photo: Yesterland

 

Ultimately, the writing was on the wall: Michael Eisner’s budget-conscious alternative to WESTCOT Center had failed.  Disney’s California Adventure park had flopped. The Orange County Register summed it up in a pre-opening review: 

It’s a great park. It’s just not a great Disney park. 

Saving a sinking ship

Scathing reviews, not enough to do in the park, a sluggish economy, and a terrorist attack that stifled tourism — it was clear that all roads were leading to failure for Disney’s newest theme park — and no amount of corporate optimism alone could cover it up.    

Millionaires, Bugs, The Twilight Zone, and 2fers

As the new theme park failed to find an audience, Disney scrambled to fix the quickly-sinking ship.  By June, Disney had rolled out a summer promotion for Southern California residents, slashing adult ticket prices to the park by $10.  On top of the $10 discount, every adult ticket included a free admission for one child, ages 3-9.  The company had never allowed free admission to its parks for such an extended period before.  

In July, Disney dusted off Disneyland’s old Main Street Electrical Parade and brought it back to California Adventure in an attempt to boost attendance.  Rechristened Disney’s Electrical Parade, the classic processional failed to do much for attendance.  For the guests that were in the park, however, they now had something to enjoy in the evening in a park that otherwise had very little to do after dark.

Disney's Electrical Parade in Disney's California Adventure
Disney’s Electrical Parade in Disney’s California Adventure. Photo: OC Register

By September 2001, a new soundstage had been built in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot.  The new facility featured the interactive Who Wants to be a Millionaire? — Play it! attraction, which was a clone of the same show that had opened earlier that year at the Disney-MGM Studios park in Florida.  The attraction never saw the attendance levels its more popular Floridian counterpart got.  Building an abundance of theater attractions with limited repeatability was a lesson Disney ended up learning at great expense with Disney’s California Adventure — no matter how good the show, parks that rely on local audiences for attendance simply have no use for them.  The Millionaire show closed in less than 3 years, a major failure in Disney’s attempt to turn the park around.

Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Play it!
Who Wants to be Millionaire? Play it! at Disney’s California Adventure. Photo: Disney via Yesterland (More)

In 2002, Disney opened A Bug’s Land.  The new land was the park’s first significant expansion, carving out new space behind the park’s Bountiful Valley Farm area and serving as an extension to the existing A Bug’s Life-themed “It’s Tough to be a Bug!” 3D show.  Unfortunately, the new land, aimed at giving young children more to do at the park, was resoundingly met with crickets from the public.  While well-themed, the land did little more than add several more off-the-shelf rides to the park, including bumper cars, a spinner ride, a slow-moving train, and a water play area. The addition of even more off-the-shelf rides did little to help the park, which had already been strongly criticized for relying too heavily on cheap carnival rides to pad its attraction roster.

A Bug's Land, 2002
A Bug’s Land, 2002. ©Disney

 

In 2004, Disney opened a new version of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror in the park’s Hollywood Pictures Backlot area.  The ride was a budget version of the popular attraction from the Disney-MGM Studios park in Florida.  California Adventure’s far-less elaborate version of the ride was originally designed to be an addition to the fledgling Walt Disney Studios park in Paris, but as the California park continued to struggle, plans were adapted for and built at Disney’s California Adventure.  The attraction was the first new E-Ticket added to the park since its opening and was largely met with positive reviews from the public, despite criticisms that its facade, grounds, and ride-through experience were all far less detailed than its superior Walt Disney World counterpart.  The Walt Disney World version of the attraction had opened a decade earlier.

The Twilight Zone Tower
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney’s California Adventure. ©Disney

 

In early 2006, the long-closed Superstar Limo ride reopened with a low-budget and quickly-implemented Monsters Inc.-themed remodel.  The ride, greenlit by Disneyland Resort President Matt Ouimet, was rushed to open as an offering for the second half of the Resort’s 50th Anniversary celebration.  

Monsters Inc.: Mike and Sulley to the Rescue!
Monsters Inc.: Mike and Sulley to the Rescue! ©Disney

Monsters Inc.: Mike and Sulley to the Rescue! reused the same ride system and track layout as its predecessor, along with various animatronics and props, just overlaid with new skins.  The slow-moving dark ride took guests through Monstropolis as Mike and Sulley searched for Boo. Surprisingly, the park finally caught a lucky break: guests liked the Monsters ride, as simple as it was.  It quickly became one of the most popular rides in the park for families, unsurprising as it was one of the few things the whole family could actually ride together.

 

Still, even with a popular new E-Ticket in the Tower of Terror and a successful Monsters Inc. dark ride, the public still couldn’t find much reason to visit California Adventure.  Discounted tickets were used to drive attendance for the fledgling park and starting in 2003, Disney’s “2fer” ticket became an annual tradition for Southern Californians.  For years, Disney had to give away California Adventure for free to locals who otherwise didn’t care to visit.  Marketing for the 2fer tickets wasn’t subtle about the lack of appeal for the second gate: “visit Disneyland on 1 day and Disney’s California Adventure park on another day for FREE!”  Admitting failure by giving the park away for free — an interesting way to sell your product. 

2005 2fer Tickets as sold at Southern California grocery stores
2005 2fer Tickets as sold at Southern California grocery stores. ©Disney

Bob Iger steps in

In 2005, with Disney struggling across multiple businesses including film, animation, and theme parks, Roy E. Disney’s “Save Disney” campaign to oust Micheal Eisner from the company finally proved successful.  

Roy E. Disney and Stanley Gold at a Save Disney press conference, 2004.
Roy E. Disney and Stanley Gold at a Save Disney press conference, 2004. Photo: Getty Images

Michael Eisner stepped down as CEO of the Walt Disney Company in September 2005, shortly after Disneyland’s 50th Anniversary.  Disney President Bob Iger was promoted to the role of CEO. 

Michael Eisner and Bob Iger on stage with guests
(L-R) Diane Disney Miller, Bob Iger, Michael Eisner, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Art Linkletter on stage at Disneyland’s 50th Anniversary. ©Disney

Among many other things, Iger turned his sights on revitalizing Disney’s theme park businesses, which had been struggling under the weight of slashed budgets and falling popularity for years.  At Disneyland, California Adventure continued to struggle to find an audience, which Bob Iger publicly acknowledged:

“Any time you do something mediocre with your brand, that’s withdrawal. California Adventure was a brand withdrawal.” 

Walt Disney Imagineering pitched various concepts to fix the failing park. Imagineer Tony Baxter’s plan would have removed the parks entry gates and re-designated it as part of the Downtown Disney shopping district.  In this plan, attractions would be free for Disneyland ticket holders and Passholders and made pay-per-play for the general public. Retail and dining spaces would have been a mix of Disney-operated and run by third parties.  Other options included combining Disneyland and California Adventure into one giant theme park.  Ultimately, Bob Iger along with Pixar’s John Lasseter, who had been named as a principal creative adviser at Walt Disney Imagineering in 2006, made the decision to give California Adventure another chance to survive on its own.  Iger challenged Imagineers to reinvent the park with new attractions, remodeled areas, and new entertainment.   The goal was to give it the warmth, character, and Disney intellectual properties that proved to make Disneyland popular for over 50 years.  In October 2007, Disney announced a $1.1 billion plan to reinvent and expand Disney’s California Adventure — a price tag larger than the cost of the original theme park in 2001.

Bob Iger and executives at press conference
Bob Iger, center, with Disney Parks Chairman Jay Rasulo (L) and Imagineer Bob Weiss (R) at a press conference announcing the new Disney’s California Adventure, 2007.

 

But first, Toys

Although the announcement for Disney California Adventure’s major reimagining wasn’t announced until October 2007, Disney had unveiled plans in January for Toy Story Midway Mania!, an interactive carnival game ride-through featuring the Toy Story characters.  

Toy Story Midway Mania! concept art
Toy Story Midway Mania! concept art. ©Disney

Construction quickly got underway on the new attraction and construction progress gave fans a sneak peek at the quality and placemaking that would soon be applied across the rest of the park. 

In June 2008, the new attraction opened to rave reviews, bringing a new interactive family-friendly attraction to a park that desperately needed it.  

Disney California Adventure, Disney California Adventure at 20: From Zero to Hero
Toy Story Midway Mania! open at Disney California Adventure, 2008.

 

A New Vision

With the $1.1 billion reimagining of the park officially announced, Disney quickly got to work on transforming California Adventure into a brand new destination worthy of the Disney name.

Blue Skies come to California

The Walt Disney Imagineering Blue Sky Cellar opened October 2008 in the former home of the Seasons of the Vine theater. The preview center themed to a wine cellar, offered guests rotating exhibits that offered behind-the-scenes previews at the future of the park through scale models, concept art, video interviews with Imagineers, and more.  

Blue Sky Cellar Preview Center.
Blue Sky Cellar Preview Center. ©Disney

The Blue Sky Cellar was a significant departure for Walt Disney Imagineering. Not only was Imagineering giving a behind-the-scenes look at projects in development but the preview center served as an open admission that they had failed with the original park.  The Blue Sky Cellar preview center was, in effect, a living promise to guests that Disney and Imagineering were doing their best to fix their previous mistakes.

Blue Sky Cellar interior, 2008.
Blue Sky Cellar interior, 2008. ©Disney

Lighting up the night

The first official project of the $1.1 reimagining of Disney’s California Adventure was the addition of a dedicated nighttime experience.  Where Disneyland had its nightly fireworks and Fantasmic spectaculars, California Adventure would have a water fountain show that took guests on a journey through Disney animation.

World of Color concept art.
World of Color concept art. ©Disney

The new $80 million show, dubbed World of Color after Walt Disney’s classic television anthology, transformed Paradise Bay into a massive nighttime water spectacular featuring 1,200 fountains, high-definition projection, lasers, fire, and music.  The addition of a major nighttime entertainment event on the water meant Disney had to rebuild the shore of Paradise Bay into a multi-level viewing terrace in addition to building a sprawling platform of fountains, projection equipment, and flamethrowers in the waters of Paradise Bay. 

World of Color and Paradise Park construction, 2009.
World of Color and Paradise Park construction, 2009.
World of Color, 2010.
World of Color, 2010. ©Disney

Despite requiring an advance (albeit free) reservation to view the show and a long runtime of over 20 minutes, the water and light show was a resounding success for the park.  The first major success in the park’s $1.1 billion overhaul and a signal that Disney was throwing the necessary talent and budget at fixing the park.

In an ad for the new nighttime spectacular, Disney unveiled a new official logo for the theme park as well as a slight change for the park’s name.  “Disney’s” no more — the park would go on to be known as simply “Disney” California Adventure, dropping the possessive “s”. 

New Disney California Adventure logo and name, 2010.
New Disney California Adventure logo and name, 2010. ©Disney

In conjunction with World of Color, Disney unveiled a new nighttime dance party to keep guests busy while waiting for their World of Color FASTPASS time. Glow Fest, the evening dance party featuring loud music, glowing neon, plenty of alcohol, and unique food trucks, proved to be wildly popular with tourists and locals alike.  

Glow Fest, 2010.
Glow Fest, 2010

The success of Glow Fest launched a series of nighttime dance parties including the beloved ElecTRONica, which coincided with the release of TRON: Legacy; the Mad T Party, which took guests into the world of Tim Burton’s live-action Alice in Wonderland; and, eventually, the lackluster Freeze the Night party, themed to Frozen

ElecTRONica, 2010.
ElecTRONica, 2010.

Constructionland, U.S.A.

From 2008 to 2012, over a maze of construction walls, Disney’s California Adventure evolved before guests eyes.  Sunshine Plaza disappeared to make way for the Los Angeles Walt Disney found when he first arrived in California, the Orange Stinger was peeled to make way for the Silly Symphony Swings, a parking lot was cleared to build Route 66, and Golden Dreams went dark for the The Little Mermaid’s life under the sea.  

Disney California Adventure entrance construction, 2011.
Disney California Adventure entrance construction, 2011.

Paradise, Reinvented  

Paradise Pier’s reimagining stripped away the tacky kitsch that defined the land since 2001.  Toy Story Midway Mania’s Victorian-era sea side style was, indeed, a preview of what Imagineers had planned for the rest of the land.  California Screamin’ got some light enhancements, with a new in-theme safety spiel and color scheme changes.  

Mickey's Fun Wheel, 2012
Mickey’s Fun Wheel, 2012. ©Disney

The Sun Wheel became Mickey’s Fun Wheel, bringing Mickey’s smiling face to the front of the Ferris wheel, reminiscent of the opening of classic Mickey Mouse cartoons.  The Maliboomer was removed entirely after Imagineers determined keeping the attraction on the roster was less useful than fixing the skyline of Paradise Pier.  The Orange Stinger’s bee-shaped swings were transformed into a traditional swing ride with ornamental details including Disney flair harkening back to the company’s early years.  

Orange Stinger gets peeled, 2009.
Orange Stinger gets peeled, 2009.

The tackiness of Burger Invasion and Pizza Oom Mow-Mow made way for remodeled restaurants nestled in a lush new park-like dining courtyard with a bandstand for live music.  

Paradise Garden under construction, 2011.
Paradise Garden under construction, 2011. Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta (L) was formerly Pizza Oom Mow Mow. Paradise Garden Grill (R) was previously Burger Invasion.
Paradise Garden, 2012.
Paradise Garden, 2012. ©Disney

Mullholland Madness dropped its tacky road signs and was given a charming, albeit minimal, overlay themed to Goofy’s classic cartoon shorts.   

On the other side of the bay, the minimally-attended Golden Dreams show hosted by Whoopi Goldberg, which presented a Disney-friendly verson of California’s state history, was removed entirely.  

The Little Mermaid under construction, 2010.
The Little Mermaid under construction, 2010.

On June 3, 2011, a full year before the official relaunch of the theme park, The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure opened with special guests Jodi Benson (voice of Ariel) and Pat Carroll (voice of Ursula) in attendance. 

Grand opening of the Little Mermaid, 2011.
Grand opening of the Little Mermaid, 2011.

Not quite the smash hit Disney expected, the attraction saw some significant changes in its early years including a complete re-paint of the ride’s sets in traditional dark ride black light style.  Ultimately, the attraction served its purpose for the park — adding classic Disney stories, increased capacity, and add a family friendly attraction that any age could enjoy.  

The Little Mermaid "Kiss the Girl" scene.
The Little Mermaid “Kiss the Girl” scene. ©Disney

 

Building Route 66

Built on the former Timon parking lot, Cars Land morphed from the concept of adding a Route 66 land to the park which would have featured attractions featuring Goofy as well as Pixar’s popular Cars characters.  As the land’s concept evolved and John Lasseter’s influence grew, the land eventually became an immersive recreation of the Route 66 town of Radiator Springs depicted in the animated film.  

Cars Land concept art.
Cars Land concept art. ©Disney

The massive 12-acre project is the largest expansion in the park’s history and, at the time, the largest single-IP project that had ever been built at the Disneyland Resort.  The land’s three attractions bring guests into the world of the Cars characters, with Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree being a kinetic, and surprisingly fun, lure at the front of the land.  

Cars Land entrance marquee, 2012.
Cars Land entrance marquee, 2012.

Radiator Springs Curios, 2012.
Radiator Springs Curios, 2012.

Further into the land, Luigi’s Flying Tires was an earnest attempt at reviving Disneyland’s classic and infamous Flying Saucers attraction, but like its predecessor, failed to meet its potential.  The ride was replaced in 2016 with Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters, a “dance” in cars utilizing Disney’s trackless ride vehicle system. It’s a ride that’s as fun to watch from the sidelines as it is to ride, a major improvement. 

Luigi's Flying Tires entrance, 2012.
Luigi’s Flying Tires entrance, 2012.

The crown jewel of Cars Land, however, is Radiator Springs Racers, which takes guests through Radiator Springs, meeting its residents along the way to race day.  The attraction culminates with a high-speed race between two Radiator Springs Racers ride vehicles on the outdoor track.  A crowd-pleaser from day one, Radiator Springs Racers (and Cars Land as a whole) brought popular characters to the park in a not-too-wild thrill ride for the entire family.  It remains to this day one of the most popular rides in the entire resort and one of the longest lines. 

Radiator Springs Racers, 2012.
Radiator Springs Racers, 2012. ©Disney

The land’s best magic trick, however, is the moment at dusk when the music comes on and the neon throughout the land flicks on, completing the classic Route 66 experience.  Cars Land’s neon instantly put it in the running for best nighttime theme park land in Disney history.  

Cars Land at night, 2012.
Cars Land at night, 2012. ©Disney
Cars Land at night, 2012.
Cars Land at night, 2012. ©Disney

A Better View

A key part of the park’s overhaul was a complete reimagining of the main entrance.  The pitch?  Turning Walt Disney into the star of the show and allow guests to step into his history.  If Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland was the town of Walt’s boyhood, then Buena Vista Street would be the town where Walt started the Disney Brothers Animation Studio. 

Buena Vista Street concept art overview.
Buena Vista Street concept art overview.

Buena Vista Street would transport guests to the Los Angeles of the 1920s that Walt stepped onto at the start of his career.  Shop names reference places Walt would have been familiar with, characters he would later create, and people from his life.  

"Storytellers" statue depicting Walt Disney and Mickey arriving in Los Angeles, 2012.
“Storytellers” statue depicting Walt Disney and Mickey arriving in Los Angeles, 2012.

Guests would be able to board a charming recreation of Los Angeles’ fabled Pacific Electric Red Car Trolley and ride it down to a stunning recreation of LA’s now-extinct Carthay Circle Theater where Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered.  Carthay Circle, now an upscale restaurant instead of a theater, would act as the park’s new central icon and a complement to Sleeping Beauty Castle across the esplanade.  

Carthay Circle Restaurant, 2012
Carthay Circle Restaurant, 2012

The land, rich with references to Walt Disney’s life in Los Angeles and the company’s early history, would serve as a beautifully detailed, warm, and endlessly charming Disney-style opening act for Disney California Adventure and a launching pad into the park’s new life as a “more Disney” experience. 

Promotional overview of Buena Vista Street, 2012.
Promotional overview of Buena Vista Street, 2012. ©Disney

Adventurous New Beginnings

With the overhaul complete, it was time to relaunch Disney California Adventure and usher in a new era for the park.

Relaunching a Theme Park

On the morning of June 15, 2012, Disney California Adventure officially reopened with Bob Iger leading a rededication ceremony in front of Carthay Circle Theater.  

Disney California Adventure's grand reopening ceremony, 2012.
Disney California Adventure’s grand reopening ceremony, 2012.
Bob Iger at the grand reopening of Disney California Adventure, 2012.
Disney CEO Bob Iger at the grand reopening of Disney California Adventure, 2012.
New dedication plaque in Buena Vista Street, 2012.
New dedication plaque in Buena Vista Street, 2012.

Over 500 fans had camped out the night before to be some of the first to see the newly re-imagined Disney California Adventure.

Opening day crowds flood Cars Land, 2012.
Opening day crowds flood Cars Land, 2012.

A Taste of Success

With the park relaunched, all of Disney’s cards were now on the table.  Would the unprecedented $1.1 billion remodel of an entire theme park do the trick?  Turns out it did, with guests and critics alike raving about Cars Land, World of Color, and the park’s various placemaking projects including Buena Vista Street and Paradise Pier, it seemed like Disney California Adventure had finally turned a corner.  

In its first fiscal year since reopening, Disney California Adventure attendance finally hit the 7 million mark for the first time, the goal Disney had expected the park to hit its first year back in 2001.   The park has continued to see growth since its relaunch with the exception of 2019, when its numbers stayed flat from the previous year, and a disastrous 2020 for the entire industry. 

Bob Iger and Tom Staggs in Cars Land on opening day, 2012.
Disney CEO Bob Iger and Parks Chair Tom Staggs watch cars race opening day at Radiator Springs Racers, 2012.

Marvelous New Adventures

So what’s next when you have a successful park on your hands for the first time in its history?  Disney pushed forward and, in some questionable moves, began rapidly changing the park from its 2012 vision of “more Disney” to “all Disney.”  Original areas that previously featured no Disney characters saw top-to-bottom overhauls, popular attractions were remade with new themes, and plans for new lands focused entirely on IP that had no relevance to the park’s underlaying California theme at all.  The dramatic shift in creative direction for the park startled the fan community but ended up proving popular with the general public, for better or worse.

Starlord replaces Serling

In spring of 2016, rumors began circulating that Disney was looking to retheme California Adventure’s popular Twilight Zone Tower of Terror attraction with a new storyline and aesthetic based on Marvel’s popular Guardians of the Galaxy films. After months of rumors, Disney made their plans official at San Diego Comic Con in July of 2016.  

Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: BREAKOUT! concept art.
Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: BREAKOUT! concept art. ©Disney

Disney wasted no time and began early retheming work on the attraction’s exterior while continuing to run the existing Tower of Terror show inside — giving fans a bizarre and somewhat insulting chance to get a final ride on an old favorite.  The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror closed with a farewell event in early 2017 and the attraction was quickly transformed into the new Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: BREAKOUT! attraction, which officially opened May 27th of the same year.  

Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: BREAKOUT!, 2017.
Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: BREAKOUT!, 2017. ©Disney

The quick turnaround for the attraction was a two-fold project.  First, Disney was already planning on a full Marvel-themed land buildout for California Adventure in the coming years and the Guardians of the Galaxy attraction would serve as the land’s major E-Ticket and anchor.  Secondly, the Guardians of the Galaxy project was essentially a test run on a new mandate from new Disney Parks Chairman Bob Chapek, who wanted to see if Imagineers could completely re-theme attractions into new experiences with tight deadlines and even tighter budgets.  The attraction debuted with a seasonal Halloween version, subtitled “Monsters after Dark,” the same year. 

The project, initially met with a heavy dose of skepticism and criticism from fans, opened to generally positive reviews and long wait times.  The attraction’s popularity met its goals: the first step towards a Marvel-themed land and proof that the Imagineers could flip attractions in short timeframes and on tight budgets. 

Groot meets guests outside of Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: BREAKOUT!
Groot meets guests outside of Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: BREAKOUT! ©Disney

Pixar on the Pier

With Guardians of the Galaxy in the books, Parks Chairman Bob Chapek tasked Imagineers with another re-theming project: Paradise Pier.  In an effort to infuse the parks with more Disney-owned IP, Toy Story Midway Mania on the pier was no longer enough.  Instead, Disney announced at the 2017 D23 Expo that Paradise Pier would be rethemed to Pixar’s ever-growing catalogue of animated classics.  

Pixar Pier concept art, 2017.
Pixar Pier concept art, 2017. ©Disney

California Adventure’s classic California Screamin’ roller coaster would get an Incredibles-themed overlay, the nearby seaside carousel would get a Toy Story theme, Mickey’s Fun Wheel would get a new name and have Pixar characters added to its gondolas.  Ariel’s Grotto and its popular Cove Bar would be turned into a lounge where Pixar animators would feel at home.

Pixar Pier, 2018
Pixar Pier, 2018. ©Disney

In addition to an influx of Pixar characters, the new Pixar Pier received a significant amount of placemaking in the process of its transformation.  More Victorian-era seaside woodwork was added alongside bright, and sometimes garish Pixar character decorations. 

The new Pixar Pier opened on June 23, 2018, just about a year after the initial announcement of the project.  The re-theming and placemaking project brought in a lot more visual interest but with an overall result that felt less like authentic Disney, not unlike how a competitor might design a Disney-like area. At times, the project sparkles with much-welcome thematic enhancements to the Victorian seaside pier aesthetic but most of the time large, brightly-colored Pixar character figurines and decorations sit in stark contradiction to the aforementioned enhancements.  

If nothing else, Pixar Pier is overall a lateral move. It neither dramatically enhanced nor added upon the existing Paradise Pier experience, nor did it really take away from it’s generally underwhelming predecessor.  If anything, the overall project added a lot of contradictory visual noise themed to Pixar. Seeing as Disney wants people to be inundated with their brands while in the parks, it’s a rousing success.

Jessie's Critter Carousel, 2019.
Jessie’s Critter Carousel, 2019. ©Disney

Bye Bye Bugs, Hello Avengers

Disney California Adventure, Disney California Adventure at 20: From Zero to Hero

The latest project for the park, which was expected to open last summer before the world shut down due to a global pandemic, was the Marvel-themed Avengers Campus.  The new area took the place of A Bug’s Land, bringing an end to the opening-day “It’s Tough to be a Bug!” 3D show and the park’s first major expansion, Flik’s Fun Fair.   A Bug’s Land closed in September of 2018 to make way for the new Avengers Campus, which would bring in an all-new Spider-Man themed interactive ride-through attraction along with various shops, dining locations and meet-and-greet areas themed to Marvel superheroes.  

Avengers Campus concept art.
Avengers Campus concept art. ©Disney
Dr. Strange character encounter concept art.
Dr. Strange character encounter concept art. ©Disney

The land, is another injection of IP that would have been in contrast to the park’s overall “California” theme, if it really had one anymore. Still, the addition of the Avengers Campus, which is now expected to officially open when the Disneyland Resort is able to resume regular operations, will give the popular Marvel characters a permanent home at the Disneyland Resort, rather than having them scattered between Disneyland’s Tomorrowland and Disney California Adventure’s Hollywood Land. 

Avengers Campus concept art.
A follow-up E-ticket coaster has been delayed indefinitely.

On the Horizon

A lot has happened in the last 20 years at Disney California Adventure.  From abandoning WESTCOT Center to embracing and then gradually abandoning its California theme, the park — and the Disneyland Resort as a whole — have had to face the realities and repercussions of building a major theme park on the cheap.  

Has it all been worth it now that the park has survived its first two decades?  Are we better off now with California Adventure than we might have been with WESTCOT Center?  We’ll never know what could have been with the more ambitious plan. What we ended up with is the eclectic remnants of multiple projects, some that work, and some that still don’t. But, there are a growing variety of experiences for every member of the family in a park which once was barely worth a visit. Full of potential, Disney California Adventure has the opportunity to grow and flourish as its big sister across the esplanade has for over 65 years now. 

While the current state of the world and economy will slow down progress at the park, a new land awaits when the park returns, and if we’re lucky, will help the Resort bounce back from hard times.  Hopefully Disney’s new CEO, Bob Chapek, will embrace spending when the parks reopen and place his bets on driving the recovery of Disney’s theme park business through investment, rather than prudence.  Still, with a future so uncertain, only time will tell how long we’ll have to wait to see the next major evolution of Disney’s California Adventure take place before our eyes.

Disney California Adventure, Disney California Adventure at 20: From Zero to Hero

For now, guests can enjoy Disney California Adventure, at least partially, as an outdoor shopping experience — not unlike the plan Tony Baxter had pitched as a way to save the park back in the mid-2000s. 


Disney California Adventure, Disney California Adventure at 20: From Zero to Hero

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Let’s Hear From You

Are you a California Adventure fan or critic, or a bit of both? Did you have a favorite attraction which was changed or replaced? Do you have dreams about what will become of the park in the future? And what about those dreamy plans for Westcot? Let us know what your DCA hits and misses are in the comments below. 

Happy 20th Anniversary, Disney California Adventure!

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Andy Castro
Andy is a Southern California native and a life-long fan of Disney theme parks and animation. From 2007-2016, Andy wrote the weekly Dateline Disneyland photo, news and opinion blog here on MiceChat. Today, Andy continues to produce occasional Dateline Disneyland articles and additional special guest content for MiceChat.