Pls Give Me Your Impressions Of California Adventure!

[ADisneyPrincess]

Add my vote for a thumbs up for DCA! As others have said, it is no Disneyland, but it is a very pretty park and there is plenty to do. I still spend most of my time at DL, but I spend ample time at DCA as well.

DCA doesn't have as many rides, but they have shows and such. Check out the guide as there are always lots of little shows going on in addition to Aladdin. Many are geared towards kids, but they are still fun.

 

[SoCalKDG]

One more thumbs up here as well. Going Thursday night for ice-cream and the electric light parade. Wife and my kid, with a friend of hers and kid, will spend 1.5 hours in Bugs land, then join me at a table for the parade.

 

[Michelle2]

We love DCA...I know alot of things that I would say, have already been said, like the great rides like: Soarin over CA, California Screamin is my favorite coaster too...it is soooo smooth, I get headaches easily from jarring coasters, and of course all the other attractions. I actually think that my kids and I prefer it! You have alot of the best rides from WDW but in just one park! I also love the conveniece of being right across the way from DL. You can just walk from one, right into the other.
Anyways, I know that it has gotten a bad rap, but I didn't mind because it kept it more uncrowded for us! We LOVE it!

 

[madcoco]

Another family here who really likes DCA. Some may disagree but imho it is a welcome addition to the area. We try not to make comparisons between the parks but look at the positive aspects of each one separately.

 

[vjc715]

Does anyone feel that DCA attracts more "a bad crowd"? I know this was the feeling I had at Six Flags. And it was starting to get like that at Knotts Berry Farm.

Reason why I ask, I had heard that it was the case and probably due to the area that you can play the type of games at fairs.

Again, I haven't been there so I'm just asking what everyone things or what they have observed to be the case.
Thanks

 

[Firefly777]

I've never really noticed anything like that at DCA. It's a similar crowd to what you would find at DL.

 

[iceskatejen]

I think it's pretty much the same type of crowd as DL. I think the reason for this is the cost of admission--higher than Six Flags or Knott's--compared with the number of thrill rides. Also, fewer discounts are offered (like coupons for half-price admission, etc... that you can pick up in markets or fast food places or on soda cans) in comparison to the others. Also, for many in the bad crowd, Disney parks are considered too much for little kids and not cool enough. I wish Six Flags didn't attract so much of that element (Magic Mountain had metal detectors pre-9/11), because I do love roller coasers and there are 3 there I have yet to ride, but part of what keeps me away (other than the 2+ hour drive) is the crowd they get.

 

[lulubelle]

vjc-
You are way off base with the DCA thing. I can understand your thinking that way due to the carnival type games and DCA being more of a carnival type park, but no, the crowds are the same folks that are at DL. All us dorks with families and such

Please come and enjoy both parks as well as DTD, it is an awesome family vacation experience.

 

[KAMLEM]

We were just at DL and DCA for the first time last week after about a dozen trips to WDW and we actually discussed the crowds there. We found that there were a lot of unsupervised teens and the crowd just felt very different to us. We estimated that at least 50% of the people we came across did not even speak English amongst each other. We never experienced that in WDW. It certainly didn't feel dangerous or anything like that, just different.

 

[MouseClubMom]

DCA was nice but it is definitely my least fave of all the Disney parks in the US. It seemed more like a carnival/fair than a Disney themed park. Soarin' was nice but not spectacular - reminded me of the IMAX scene in Horizons... The park is beautiful to walk around and the food is good but overall I would much rather spend the day at Disneyland!

 

[ADisneyPrincess]

Originally posted by KAMLEM
We were just at DL and DCA for the first time last week after about a dozen trips to WDW and we actually discussed the crowds there. We found that there were a lot of unsupervised teens and the crowd just felt very different to us. We estimated that at least 50% of the people we came across did not even speak English amongst each other. We never experienced that in WDW. It certainly didn't feel dangerous or anything like that, just different.

It is a different crowd which I think is due to DL being in the middle of a city. Local teens have easy access to the park whereas access is a bit harder at WDW. Also the DL AP's are so much cheaper than at WDW.

 

[Firefly777]

Originally posted by KAMLEM
We were just at DL and DCA for the first time last week after about a dozen trips to WDW and we actually discussed the crowds there. We found that there were a lot of unsupervised teens and the crowd just felt very different to us. We estimated that at least 50% of the people we came across did not even speak English amongst each other. We never experienced that in WDW. It certainly didn't feel dangerous or anything like that, just different.

\
That's probably due to the location. Disneyland is in Southern California, which has a large hispanic population.

 

[Friend_of_Piglet]

Originally posted by KAMLEM
We were just at DL and DCA for the first time last week after about a dozen trips to WDW and we actually discussed the crowds there. We found that there were a lot of unsupervised teens and the crowd just felt very different to us. We estimated that at least 50% of the people we came across did not even speak English amongst each other. We never experienced that in WDW. It certainly didn't feel dangerous or anything like that, just different.

Hi
Kinda like when I went to WDW for the first time, it was a shock to me (having never been on the East coast), 50% of the people I heard spoke with an accent. Southern or eastern. Did not bother us though, my Mom and I just kept speaking Spanish.

Sooz

 

[IandGsmom]

Originally posted by Friend_of_Piglet
Hi
Kinda like when I went to WDW for the first time, it was a shock to me (having never been on the East coast), 50% of the people I heard spoke with an accent. Southern or eastern. Did not bother us though, my Mom and I just kept speaking Spanish.

Sooz

 

[vjc715]

Didn't mean to be "way off base"....., it was just something I had been told. ;-) Glad to hear that my information may had been misleading!

Just wondering if DCA was turning into a Six Flags, as I never thought DL was full of bad crowds. I had gone to Six Flags once, lasted 1 hr and left. It had nothing to do with anyone's race, just the way the teenagers behaved and there were GANGS at Six Flags. ugggh! Something that I had not seen going prior times. I had not been back and this was 1998.

Thanks for everyone's opinions. Regardless....I'm looking forward to seeing what DCA is all about. As alot of the areas within that park sound awesome!

 

[disneyma80]

We went to Disneyland/CAdventure July 5-9. Even though Disneyland is our favorite, there are some good things about DCA. For one, it's a nice break from the crowds. We would go to Disneyland in the morning, then hop over to DCA to get fastpasses, enjoy some rides, and then back to DL, and then back again to use our fast passes. It's just a nice change of pace. The park hopper is really the way to go, and there is something for everyone: for small kids: Bugs life area, teenagers and thrill seeksers: Calif screamin' and maliboomer, and TOT-and everyone will enjoy soarin. It's just a slower pace, and even though DL is a sentimental favorite, I'm glad they added DCA. Grizzly rapids is so much fun, even though you are guarnteed to get wet! MY DH isn't the biggest DL fan (after going so many times) but he was very glad to get a way to DCA for a change of pace.

 

[DaveH]

We just got back. The backlot area feels like DS/MGM at WDW. Disney did a great job of the theming of all the areas. That is why it does not feel special to me. I grew up around amusment piers and parks. That is all old stuff to me and not very special. The rides are great.

 

[ksjayhawks]

We were just at DL and DCA. Really liked DCA. Seemed like there was so much for every age group to do. It felt like a combo of MGM, an amusement park, the beach piers, and a county fair. We liked the wide streets, how easy it was to find a location to watch the parade, the quiet areas, the variety of tours-shows-rides. I found it to be very relaxing.

I am glad that they have both. It was a nice change of pace from DL.