So I'll admit, I think my love for California Adventure rivals
@JacknSally 's love for Hollywood Studios. The old version of the park wasn't terrible, it just wasn't refined. Obviously going to a Mission Tortilla Factory tour or having California shoved down your throat when you're IN California and have lived in the state for 18 years (for me) when it launched wasn't so great, but beyond the cheesy facade was a really fun park that had no lines and some fun attractions.
I found an old online photo album earlier today at work and I figured that I'd share one of my favorite pics. The letters out front were always fun to pose on, and I loved the C for... Courtney

I think that picture is from 2003? I'm 20, slightly pudgy and unable to enjoy the best of what California Adventure has to offer: the alcohol!
For those of you who have yet to go to California Adventure -- you need to ride Radiator Springs Racers and watch World of Color. RSRs is such an amazing ride - they basically took EPCOT's Test Track and put it on another level. World of Color makes me cry every time I watch it - who knew that water and lights could do that to a person.
I have plenty more pictures I could share of the park in its old format. The gigantic orange that used to cover the now-Mickey's Symphony Swings and the former MaliBOOMer attraction that almost duplicated the effects of Tower of Terror, but in a carnival like setting. Let me know if you want to see them. They're not great, but hey.... they're 14 years old