What's so wrong with California Adventure?

[LisainCalifornia]

Besides the obvious--poor themeing and unremarkable rides...I would say the lack of landscaping is glaring. If you walk into Disneyland one of the first things that hits your senses is the beauty of the trees, flowers, and plants that are very well cared for in the park. It gives the park a storybook feel along with lots of shade and greenery. The flowers add color and beauty to the park.

Anyone who walks into California Adventure can see that the landscaping is sorely lacking. I could hardly believe that concrete jungle is built by Disney! It is painful to walk around in there because it feels like what it is--a paved over parking lot. The heat just beats down on you, and there is no relief. There is no layered beauty of greenery and color to add to the buildings--just asphalt. Disney can indeed truck in mature trees--they just have to be willing to pay for it.

I hope that there are a great team of wonderful engineers working on the redesign of this park, which I do think has the potential to be in a similar league to DL. With enhanced landscaping, enriched themeing, and better rides--we could all be enjoying a much better park.

 

[Spokker]

The problem with DCA isn't that there isn't enough to do. Tokyo DisneySea has taught us that a park with half the attractions of a mature Magic Kingdom style park can be wonderful. The fact that TDS was built in roughly the same timeframe as DCA didn't exactly help the California park among diehard Disney enthusiasts.

The problem with DCA is that it was built on the cheap, with more emphasis on shopping and dining than attractions. People don't want to pay a premium price to enter a mall, hence DCA's failure to attract guests.

I don't understand how DCA, sitting next to the greatest theme park in the world, Disneyland, can only attract roughly half the visits that Disneyland sees per year.

And of those half, very few of them pay full price to enter, instead getting in free with the help of 2fers and annual passes.

If that doesn't tell you something's wrong, I don't know what would. Hopefully the upgrade turns it into a park worth paying full price for.

I hear people complain all the time about the fact that the rides are not Disney type rides but I thought the point of DCA was to capture the spirit of California, not Disneyland.

You know, I have heard this said many times and I would agree with this statement if not for the fact that DCA does not capture the spirit of California very well. California is a wonderful and diverse state with a rich history and DCA fails miserably at capturing it. Golden Dreams is a nice, if not cheesy film, but what else is there?

 

[Corpsebride]

The problem with DCA isn't that there isn't enough to do. Tokyo DisneySea has taught us that a park with half the attractions of a mature Magic Kingdom style park can be wonderful. The fact that TDS was built in roughly the same timeframe as DCA didn't exactly help the California park among diehard Disney enthusiasts.

The problem with DCA is that it was built on the cheap, with more emphasis on shopping and dining than attractions. People don't want to pay a premium price to enter a mall, hence DCA's failure to attract guests.

I don't understand how DCA, sitting next to the greatest theme park in the world, Disneyland, can only attract roughly half the visits that Disneyland sees per year.

And of those half, very few of them pay full price to enter, instead getting in free with the help of 2fers and annual passes.

If that doesn't tell you something's wrong, I don't know what would. Hopefully the upgrade turns it into a park worth paying full price for.You know, I have heard this said many times and I would agree with this statement if not for the fact that DCA does not capture the spirit of California very well. California is a wonderful and diverse state with a rich history and DCA fails miserably at capturing it. Golden Dreams is a nice, if not cheesy film, but what else is there?

I totally agree with you. I am a native Southern Californian. I grew up in San Diego and have lived in Los Angeles for the last 17 years. 14 of those years were in the heart of Hollywood Ca. Our state has such diverse history. Disney can do so much with DCA. I am a diehard DL fan. I have an AP. We go all the time. I have been in DCA once and was bored. They could have done so much with the Hollywood section. They totally missed the rich history of Hollywoods Golden era. They could have done a whole California gold rush thing , California pottery, a thing like marine world , the California Indian culture,(sans casinos,lol) The history of the Spanish coming to what now is California and what was once Mexico. Mexico!! Hello, up until jjust over 180 years ago, this was Mexico. Aye Aye Aye!! Get me the phone!! And what about the missions that dot the pch California Landscape. What about the Chinese influence on the wharf living of San Francisco area and the state capitol in Sacramento. Well, I think I have said enough. I hope that they do more with our history than they did. thanks for "listening!"

 

[quiltymom]

We've never been to DCA, but will be going for our one and only visit this next trip. We'd much rather spend our one Disneyland Resort day at Disneyland. We're planning on spending the entire day there, just hanging out and experiencing everything. Maybe after the renovation we'll decide whether to go back again, or not.

And about the "whether you can spend all day there" discussion that's been going on ...

People complain that they can't spend all day there. Well guess what, you can't really spend all day at AK in WDW either, and that park is older.

We feel that Animal Kingdom is at least a two, maybe three day park. There's just too much to do there! So, while most people feel AK is a half-day park, we don't feel that way. And that's okay! It all depends upon what you and your family like best.

 

[CoolPool]

Oh my garsh darn. AK a less than one day park? AK is HUGE and PACKED with things to do and see. It takes half a day to walk around the Tree of Life.

And nobody dropped the ball on theming there either. Its got amazing details and imagination that DCA can't even come close to. DCA is a jumble of rides sprewn about an old parking lot. In fact the only comparison I can make is that "AK also has a tacky area with a few boardwalk rides" but unlike DCA, the rest of the park is extraordinary.

 

[bumbershoot]

We've never been to DCA, but will be going for our one and only visit this next trip. We'd much rather spend our one Disneyland Resort day at Disneyland. We're planning on spending the entire day there, just hanging out and experiencing everything. Maybe after the renovation we'll decide whether to go back again, or not.

Thats what we did in our first two one-day blasts through DL.

And then we discovered DCA and sorely regretted the missed opportunities to visit DCA on those two trips.

Our DL days were full and rich and nonstop, but I wish we had gone over anyway, even if just for lunch. Well, and, because going to bug's land would have been lovely for my son. He likes that place more than Fantasyland, that's for sure!

 

[DoomBugger]

Thats what we did in our first two one-day blasts through DL.

And then we discovered DCA and sorely regretted the missed opportunities to visit DCA on those two trips.

Our DL days were full and rich and nonstop, but I wish we had gone over anyway, even if just for lunch. Well, and, because going to bug's land would have been lovely for my son. He likes that place more than Fantasyland, that's for sure!

I know I'm an adult (no kids) and I get an eye roll from my lady when I occasionally suggest we go see the Bug's Life show. I think it is great! I just thought that was a really fun animated movie and the characters translate well for an animatronics show.

The best part of all is in the que line, maybe my favorite California Adventure Disney detail are the spoof movie posters tying Bug's Life characters to old film classics. I love, love that so much and a few of them are kinda isoteric for the non-film historian. Very clever.

 

[bumbershoot]

Doom, I can't wait until my boy is brave enough to withstand that show. I meant to see it on my solo trip, but just ran out of time.

 

[DoomBugger]

Doom, I can't wait until my boy is brave enough to withstand that show. I meant to see it on my solo trip, but just ran out of time.

You are both going to love it! Even the kids that get scared are over it in one second and then they think it is great, I've seen many who were apprehensive before and during the show have so much fun they run around to do the show again but this time thinking they know when all the gags will come. It is great, kids and adult kids like us too.

 

[kelmac284]

For me I love Disneyland because it is quaint and it is what I grew up with. It is even different to me then even the Magic Kingdom in Florida and probably would be different if I went to any of the other parks in the world. I grew up with the orig Disneyland and so there is a lot of sentimentality about it. Plus it is "Walt's Park". I love that it takes you into a whole other world when you step under those tunnels. It is so fantasy like and so neat to me. DCA just doesn't have that to me. To me the theming is more like a six flags type park.

I do enjoy going there to go on ToT and Soaring as well Screamin but esp back in the Paradise Pier area it seems very chintzy. The rides don't seem as themed or as elaborate. They seem very much like carnival rides. Also I agree that there just doesn't seem like much to do there and we find that we get done with everything very quickly when we go there.

If we go on vacation there we usually don't spend more than one day at that park.

I am anxious for the improvements and I will always go to that park as I enjoy the rides they DO have but I admit I do much prefer Disneyland. There is just something about it that appeals more to me. It is not that I don't like DCA I just prefer Disneyland.

 

[Spokker]

Oh my garsh darn. AK a less than one day park? AK is HUGE and PACKED with things to do and see. It takes half a day to walk around the Tree of Life.

AK is beautiful landscaped but it's lacking on attractions. It bills itself as "nahtazu" but for people who tire easily of driving around sleeping animals, it's not a great Disney park. The signature E-Ticket is Everest and is excellent, but the rest of the park lacks great Disney quality rides.

 

[CoolPool]

AK is beautiful landscaped but it's lacking on attractions. It bills itself as "nahtazu" but for people who tire easily of driving around sleeping animals, it's not a great Disney park. The signature E-Ticket is Everest and is excellent, but the rest of the park lacks great Disney quality rides.

I then don't know what your definition is of "great Disney quality rides."

 

[Spokker]

I then don't know what your definition is of "great Disney quality rides."

It's not the dinosaur ride based on Indy technology. It's not the wild mouse coaster in the dinosaur area. It's not the rapids ride that, though well landscaped, is in many amusement parks in many different forms.

The animal thing, I just don't get it. Personally I'm not a fan of for-profit zoos and I would rather support something like the San Diego Wild Animal Park rather Animal Kingdom.

 

[CoolPool]

I'm in favor of for-profit zoos then. I never realized it but I've never seen animals presented so beautifully and with nods to the cultures that surround them.

Or maybe its just that I'm not a thrill ride person anyway. I haven't actually been on the dinosaur ride because it has zero appeal to me. As does the Indy ride at DLR so I had no idea that it also did not measure up to "Disney quality rides." I'm all about joy, wonder, and amusement. In fact, I think I like Disney parks so much because their roller coasters are lame yet they are surrounded by things that charm and delight.

I also love The Lion King show and the Nemo show.

Clearly we are disagreeing about something, but I think DCA will improve with time and bucket loads more money.

 

[DLR29]

It's not the dinosaur ride based on Indy technology. It's not the wild mouse coaster in the dinosaur area. It's not the rapids ride that, though well landscaped, is in many amusement parks in many different forms.

The animal thing, I just don't get it. Personally I'm not a fan of for-profit zoos and I would rather support something like the San Diego Wild Animal Park rather Animal Kingdom.

What's wrong with Dinosaur? Plus Kilimanjaro Safaris. But one thing that AK has way better than DCA is entertainment. Festival of the Lion King was my favorite live show of the whole resort. Didn't get to see Finding Nemo: the Musical, but I have heard nothing but good reviews of that too. Then you've got ITtbaB and 2 well themed animal trails. I've also heard that Flights of Wonder and the parade are decent.

 

[DoomBugger]

I LOVED Kilimanjaro Safaris. Great attraction you can ride several times with different results.

Dinosaur is very cool, I like it very much. Nothing wrong with that ride either.

I like AK, animals rule!

Just about everyone agrees that CA is not immersive enough, not near the level achieved in DL park. I think part of it is the "berm" factor surrounding DL, it provides a great cover for the outside world and makes the entry/exit to many rides interesting, as well as the entrance to the park.

CA, especially when walking around the far edges of the park is the complete opposite. You see a chainlink fence and some sparsly covered dirt. Around GCH it looks very up to Disney spec but the other end... you might as well catch a cab on Harbor and it just takes the fantasy element down a notch, something you rarely feel inside DL because you rarely can notice the outside world inside DL.

 

[Silly Little Pixie]

What's wrong with Dinosaur? Plus Kilimanjaro Safaris. But one thing that AK has way better than DCA is entertainment. Festival of the Lion King was my favorite live show of the whole resort. Didn't get to see Finding Nemo: the Musical, but I have heard nothing but good reviews of that too. Then you've got ITtbaB and 2 well themed animal trails. I've also heard that Flights of Wonder and the parade are decent.

I like Dinosaur! and I don't mind that it's the same technology as Indy. So what, it's a different immersive experience. Both good rides! But as you mention Finding Nemo: the Musical, DCA has Aladdin: the Musical. My kids love the High School Musical parade and Electric Light Parade. DCA also has IT2BaB, and the Redwood Creek Challenge. My kids love Redwood Creek and the Brother Bear show. They ask to go every time we go there (although frankly, I get tired of Brother Bear...) Kali River Rapids is similar and just as much fun as Grizzly River Run. They both have the boardwalk type land too. I hated that my son won some stupid fair quality stuffed animal at AK that we had to pay for him to win and then cart around all day. Hello, LA County Fair!

Obviously, the main difference is the safari! But remove that, and I think both parks are remarkably similar in terms of attractions. DCA probably even has the edge. But not of course, in the impeccable theming of AK. Having one park with ONE unifying theme seems to be what's lacking in DCA, that Disney did with the other parks. It's what happened when you build on the cheap and expect 4 Star results. But as I said before, DL wasn't built in a day either. It evolved a lot over it's first 30 years in particular as they fine tuned what the park should be. That's what I hope will occur with DCA as well.

 

[Leofoenget]

AK is beautiful landscaped but it's lacking on attractions. It bills itself as "nahtazu" but for people who tire easily of driving around sleeping animals, it's not a great Disney park. The signature E-Ticket is Everest and is excellent, but the rest of the park lacks great Disney quality rides.

I think the point is it's NOT about the rides but about the Animals. They are trying to do something different than just rides.

 

[GregC]

Kelmac said it best..took the words right out of my mouth. I do like the DCA because it is what it is,however I personally never grew up with it and took a 10 year break from DLR from 1997 til 2007 and WHAM! all this new stuff it was like going 100 years into the future shock to the system.Long Live DLR!

 

[IndyBride]

I can not remember going to Disneyland without going to California Adventure. My family and I have been avid disney goers for only the past ten years or so. But I LOVE DCA! I think it is very different and I have never really compared the two parks. Our usual day starts in DL and then around lunch we head over to DCA and stay there for the early afternoon and head back to the hotel for the night. I am excited for the changes and Disney was not created in one day. There are still changes going on: Finding Nemo for example. As long as everyone is happy when they leave Disney that is all that really matters though!