Disney California Adventure: Disneyland's Second Theme Park

When Disneyland Park opened in 1955, Walt Disney's theme park legacy began in Anaheim, California. This historic park was followed by the creation of Walt Disney World Resort, beginning with the Magic Kingdom theme park in 1971 and followed by the openings of Epcot in 1982, Disney-MGM Studios (now Hollywood Studios) in 1989, and Animal Kingdom in 1998. Also at Walt Disney World, River Country (Disney's first water park) opened in 1976 (to be closed in 2001), followed by Typhoon Lagoon in 1989 and Blizzard Beach in 1985. Internationally, Disney opened parks in Tokyo in 1983, Europe in 1992, an Tokyo in 2001.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the Disney theme parks' expansion is that Disneyland Park did not truly become Disneyland Resort until 2001, with the addition of a Downtown Disney area and a second theme park called Disney California Adventure. Disney California Adventure opened in February of 2001, offering another park for Disneyland guests to experience the type of attractions that Disney parks are known for. This post will focus on attractions; information on dining and shows will be covered in later posts, so stay tuned!

Overview

Disney California Adventure is composed of 8 districts, arranged in a similar spoke pattern to other Disney theme parks:

• Buena Vista Street
• Hollywood Land
• "a bug's land"
• Cars Land
• Pacific Wharf
• Paradise Pier
• Grizzly Peak
• Condor Flats

 Buena Vista Street

Guests walk down Buena Vista Street upon entrance to Disney California Adventure. This district is designed to resemble the Los Angeles of the 1920s. Several dining locations and shops can be found here. Guests can also ride the Red Car Trolley up Buena Vista Street to Carthay Circle, or all the way into Hollywood Land near the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

Red Car Trolley

Hollywood Land

Hollywood Land was inspired by the Golden Age of Hollywood in the 1930s. Attractions include:
Disney Junior - Live on Stage!, Muppetvision 3D, Animation Academy and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (similar to the attractions of the same names at Hollywood Studios), as well as Turtle Talk with Crush (also found at Epcot). Unique attractions include:

• Sorcerer's Workshop: interactive activities exploring character animation
• Monsters Inc. Mike and Sully to the Rescue!: a taxi cab ride through Monstropolis
• Disney's Aladdin - A Musical Spectacular: a Broadway-style stage show

Monsters Inc. Mike and Sully to the Rescue!

"a bug's land"

In this district, guests can see the world from a bug's perspective. Here, guests familiar with Walt Disney World will find the show "It's Tough to be a Bug!", also found at Animal Kingdom. Other attractions include:

• Flik's Fun Fair: a play area for children
• Francis' Lightning Boogie: a fun spin on a ladybug's back
• Flik's Flyers: a ride on a hot-air balloon made of leaves
• Tuck and Roll's Drive 'Em Buggies: a bumper car attraction
• Princess Dot Puddle Park: a water play area
• Heimlich's Chew Chew Train: a ride in search of caterpillar snacks

Heimlich's Chew Chew Train

Cars Land

This district and all of its attractions are completely unique to Disney California Adventure (for now). The following Cars-themed attractions are found here:

• Mater's Junkyard Jamboree: listen to Mater's music while getting pulled by tractors in a tea-party-like ride
• Luigi's Flying Tires: float around on a spare tire
• Radiator Springs Racers: race on a track using the same technology as Epcot's Test Track

Radiator Springs Racers

Pacific Wharf

This district is inspired in part by San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, and consists mostly of dining and shopping locations. Attractions include a Bakery Tour and Walt Disney Imagineering Blue Sky Cellar, where guests can see constructions projects being completed within the park. Since the latest expansion (Cars Land) was completed in June of 2012, the future of Blue Sky Cellar remains to be seen.

Paradise Pier

Coastal boardwalk areas inspired this district, where the attractions resemble popular amusement park rides. These attractions include:

• California Screamin': a high-speed roller coaster
• King Triton's Carousel: a carousel with an undersea theme
• Toy Story Midway Mania (similar to the attraction of the same name at Hollywood Studios)
• Games of the Boardwalk
• Mickey's Fun Wheel: a ferris-wheel ride
• Silly Symphony Swings: a wave-swinger attraction
• Goofy's Sky School: a smaller roller coaster
• Jumpin' Jellyfish: a parachute-jump-style ride
• Golden Zephyr: a rocket-ship ride
• The Little Mermaid - Ariel's Undersea Adventure (a similar ride of the same name is now part of the New Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom)

California Screamin'

Grizzly Peak

This district evokes memories of California's wilderness and national parks. There are two attractions here: Redwood Creek Challenge Trail (a playground area) and Grizzly River Run, a whitewater raft adventure.

Grizzly River Run

Condor Flats

A tribute to California's flight history, Condor Flats is inspired by airfields of the 1940s to 1960s. The main attraction here is Soarin' Over California (known as "Soarin'" at Epcot).

Soarin' Over California

General Information

Guests to Disneyland Resort can purchase a Park Hopper Pass to allow entrance to both Disneyland Theme Parks.

The Grand Californian Hotel has its own private entrance to Disney California Adventure for guests of the Grand Californian Hotel.

Grand Californian Hotel Room

Though Disneyland Park has many similarities to the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World, Disney California Adventure is a park with most attractions entirely unique to itself. In fact, several of the crossover attractions started in California and were then recreated at Walt Disney World in Florida.

What do you think? Are you ready for a Disney California Adventure? 

Not "Short", Just "Vertically Challenged"

Those of us, young and young-at-heart, who are vertically challenged have found a lot to love at Disney destinations.

Have you ever been to a "traditional" theme park with younger and/or smaller children? Do you have some children in your family who are tall enough to ride the thrill rides and others who can only do the kiddie rides?

Going to a theme park can be very frustrating when the majority of the rides require riders to be 48 or even 52 inches tall or taller! I have a 2 girls who love roller coasters, one is tall enough and the other isn't; and it's such a shame to see the sadness when one gets to ride all of the rides and the other has to stay in the kiddie section, which is a postage stamp compared to the rest of the park.

Not so at Disney destinations!

Did you know that...

There are only 16 rides in the four major Walt Disney World theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom) that have any height requirement at all?

3 of those height requirements are relatively low?

• Tomorrowland Speedway (Magic Kingdom) - 32 inches to ride, 54 inches to drive
• Goofy's Barnstormer (Magic Kingdom) - 35 inches
• Kali River Rapids (Animal Kingdom) - 38 inches

Goofy's Barnstormer

13 of those rides require a height of at least 40 inches?

• Magic Kingdom: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain, Stitch's Great Escape
• Epcot: Test Track and Soarin'
• Hollywood Studios: Star Tours and Tower of Terror
• Animal Kingdom: Dinosaur

Test Track

 Only 5 of those 14 rides require a height of at least 44 inches?

• Space Mountain (Magic Kingdom)
• Mission: Space (Epcot)
• Expedition Everest (Animal Kingdom)

Expedition Everest

And only 2 of those 5 require a height of at least 48 inches?

• Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (Hollywood Studios)
• Primeval Whirl (Animal Kingdom)

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster

At the age of 4, our daughters were able to ride all of the attractions with height requirements of 40 inches. At the age of 5, one daughter was able to ride Space Mountain (barely), which has a height requirement of 44 inches! They LOVED it!

Splash Mountain

There are many reasons why I love Disney destinations so much, and this is a major one. Very rarely do I have to tell my children that they are "not tall enough" to ride. Disney considers their audience, which is families, many with young children. There are very few things those children "cannot" do in the parks!

Disney's Rider Switch Policy

This is one of the best perks at Disney for those who know about it!

If you do have one member of your party who does not meet the height requirement, Disney has a "Rider Switch" policy. A family can ask a castmember at the entrance to the attraction for a "Rider Switch Pass." This allows one adult to stay with the child(ren) who do not meet the height requirement, and the rest of the group to experience the attraction.

When the group is finished, the adults "switch", with the stay-behind adult getting to experience the attraction without waiting in line (usually through the Fast Pass line). The Rider Switch Pass allows up to 3 people to participate, so some of the group can ride again!

My older girls love this, since they get to ride twice: once with Daddy and once with me! I think they'll be disappointed when their little sister meets the height requirement.

Please note: The Rider Switch option is only intended for groups with members who are unable to ride an attraction, not for those who don't happen to want to experience it.

What do you think about Disney's height restrictions? Have you used the Rider Switch? Comment below!

Planning in Advance for Disney: Why It Matters!

Many questions I hear about Disney center around planning time.

For example:

• How far in advance to I need to plan for a Disney vacation?
• Why plan in advance?
• If I wait, can I get a better deal?

Cinderella's Castle at the Magic Kingdom

Read more to find out the answers to these questions, as well as other planning advice.

How far in advance do I need to plan for a Disney vacation?

The answer to this question depends on 2 things:

1. How particular are you about getting what you want when you want it?
2. Which Disney destination are you visiting?

If you are very particular about your plans for your trip, you should plan as far ahead as possible. By planning ahead, you will have your choice of accommodations, as well as dining reservations and activities. If you have your heart set on popular dining locations and activities, it is imperative that you plan well in advance so that you will have the opportunity to participate in those experiences.

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

If, on the other hand, you are willing to take what you can get, you can plan the day before if you like. By planning last minute, you will only have the options available based on what is left after other have booked. This can be a fun and adventurous way to travel, if you are open to trying new things. However, you do need to understand that there are certain reservations that are unlikely to be available the later you plan (more on this later in the post).

Coronado Springs Resort

Different Disney destinations require different levels of planning time:

• Disney World: If you are going to Disney World, my advice is always to book your trip at least 7 months in advance. This gives you a month to decide which reservations you would like to make before those dates become available to reserve experiences.
• Disneyland: Disneyland is a bit more flexible than Disney World, as reservations for dining and other experiences at Disneyland are available up to 60 days in advance.
• Disney Cruise Line: Reservations for shore excursions and signature dining experiences can be made up to 75 days in advance for first-time guests on the Disney Cruise Line. Because these reservations open up to 120 days in advance for repeat guests, it is very important to book your Disney cruise at least 3 months in advance, so that you will have time to decide which experiences you would like to reserve.
• Aulani: Aulani does not have the same restrictions on reservations as other Disney destinations. You can book a year in advance or wait until the last minute. Because Aulani is relatively new, it remains to be seen what the most popular experiences will be, and how far in advance they will need to be booked.
• Adventures by Disney: Adventures by Disney only offers certain trips on certain dates, with limited availability, so it is very important to book as far in advance as possible.

Stones of the Brave in Scotland (Adventures by Disney)

 Why plan in advance?

A main advantage to planning in advance is getting your preferences rather than taking the leftovers. However, there are other advantages as well:

• Payment plan: All Disney destinations have a deadline for final payment. The further in advance you plan, the more you can spread out the cost so the pain in the pocketbook isn't as obvious. If you book after the final payment deadline, full payment is due at the time of booking. You might be surprised at how little it costs to reserve a Disney vacation!
• Availability: Especially if you are travelling during times when almost the entire USA is on school break, options can decrease very quickly. These times include: the week between Christmas and New Year's, the month of July, Easter week, and Thanksgiving week. Presidents' week in February and the months of June and August are also busy, but since some schools are in session, the crowds are a bit lighter.
• Special experiences: Certain experiences book very quickly. If you want to eat at Cinderella's Royal Table (in the castle) at Disney World, or get a princess makeover at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, these reservations fill up extremely quickly, especially during peak travel times. Also popular are the dinner shows like Hoop-de-Doo Revue and Spirit of Aloha. The Disney Cruise Line has signature dining restaurants and shore excursions that have limited availability as well.
• Magical Express: Disney World's free transportation to and from the Orlando International Airport must be reserved at least 2 weeks in advance.

Disney Wonder in Alaska

 If I wait, can I get a better deal?

Actually, you can get the same deals whether you wait or not!

One special perk of doing a Disney vacation is that Disney will adjust the price of your vacation to reflect new discounts! They will not do this automatically; someone needs to call and ask for the adjustment to a specific reservation.

An excellent reason to use a Disney Vacation Planner is that we keep track of the discounts for you, make the calculations, and ask for the adjustments that will get you a better deal.

Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland Park

Why wait?

I hope that this post has helped to answer some questions about planning for Disney vacations.

I think the best question from me is: What are you waiting for?

Grand Floridian Resort

Limited Time Magic: Year of the Ear and January events

It's finally here: the first Limited Time Magic announcements have been made by Disney Parks!

Limited Time Magic is the 2013 special event at Disney Parks. For the entire year, Disney Parks will host special limited time events at the parks. Each event will continue until the next event takes its place. Events are announced shortly before they begin; however, you can be guaranteed a special Limited Time Magic event no matter when you visit Disney Parks in 2013!

Today the first special Limited Time Magic events were announced:

Year of the Ear:  

Disney Parks has committed to making 2013 the "Year of the Ear." This special event features new ear hats and headwear released each month in 2013, from limited-release couture to funky and fun. The year starts off with limited-edition Disney Couture Ear Hats.

Bling in the New Year:  
From December 30, 2012 through January 5, 2013, the "Bling in the New Year" dance party will be held in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom. This party is an opportunity for guests to dance to hit dance party tunes and party with Disney Characters.

Three Kings Celebration: 
From January 4-6, 2013 in Frontierland at the Disneyland Park, the Three Kings Day party will consist of 3 days of music, activities, and food to celebrate the end of the holiday season and honor Southern California's Mexican culture.

A Salute to the Golden Horseshoe Revue: 
From January 10 to February 4, 2013, there will be a revival of the Golden Horseshoe Revue at Frontierland in the Disneyland Park. The Golden Horseshoe Revue was an original world-famous show in Disneyland. This new show will feature favorite song and dance productions in honor of the original show, and as a tribute to fun family-friendly musical productions.

 

Stay tuned for more information on Disney Parks Limited Time Magic! It promises to be a truly magical time for all!

Have a magical day!