California Adventure: Disneyland for Adults

Disneyland: If you want to learn what sets California apart from the rest of the USA, here's your park!

After two visits to Disney's California Adventure, I have a full and vivid appreciation of what sets this half amusement park/half California museum apart from the pack. It's Disneyland for adults who can appreciate the cultural, geographic, topographical, and entertainment wonders of the great state. From the Golden Gate Bridge at the entrance gate; through the welcome plaza with the beach-music band, to several pop-culture highlights in the Hollywood backlot, and on to Paradise Pier's thrill rides and arcade, California Adventure is divided into segments that each, in their own way, highlight the uniqueness of the state, and without the treacle (and 5,000 tot strollers) of Disneyland. Terrifying rides like the California Screamin' roller coaster and Maliboomer rocket launcher, and the charmingly impish "A Bug's Life" theatre satisfy the kid in you. The Muppets 3-D Theatre is a hilarious break in the day. The Hollywood backlot's main street, with tongue-in-cheek "offices" like Philip A. Couch Casting Agency (!) and Art Deco/Frank Lloyd Wright architecture highlights, prompt admiration from adults with more mature theme park tastes. You can buy a season "passport" that gets you in to both parks for very affordable prices. In Disneyland, I'm a happy 10 year old again. In California Adventure, I'm a proud Californian reveling in Paradise and all its wonders.

You know, I actually agree fully with your reasons! Thats one thing about this site that is wrong! A majority of people seem to not like this park. Me, being a Disney World guy, loved DCA! It is definatly a more adult park with the winery and stuff!

Good job!

i always wondered why people hate DCA so much. i love getting away in DCA, less crowds, less kids,and the most important, they have beer.

I think alot of people think that why not go and see the real things that they are copying since the sites are only about a mile away! Also DCA does not have the best set up in land so there are alot of dead ends and weird areas to get stuck. The only area like this in Disneyland is Critter Country, but the rest of the time, you move around in a circle. Same problem at MGM. Still, DCA is really really cool and yes, beer and wine!!

Well, I can't really speak for everyone else, but I didn't really like DCA because it was a boring regular amusement park. Aside from a couple of 3D shows like Muppets, there's nothing there that I can't do at the state fair when it comes to town. The whole place seems kind of lifeless and without character. And, while I doubt that the average park goer would put it in those specific terms, that probably has a lot to do with why people just don't seem to like the place.

Also, you kind of answered your own question in the title of the thread: Disneyland for adults. That's semi-sort of like saying something is like "an Erector set for adults." That's fine, if you're one of the slim minority of adults who would consider such a thing to be fun. The great breadth of Disneyland patrons is always going to be families, and adult fun is just a part of the necessary overall experience.

"Aside from a couple of 3D shows like Muppets, there's nothing there that I can't do at the state fair when it comes to town."

Ignoring the pier area, I don't think you'd see anything that's at DCA that'd be at a fair. Honestly. Grizzly River Run? Tower of Terror? Soarin' over California? I don't remember any of those rides at a state fair.

Now, to the pier, yes. That place in my opinion was the least inspired area of the park. Sure it's fun, and I like the rides, but it IS missing that Disney feel.

But you can't sum up the entire park based off of one area. I also agree with D.J. as I love DCA a lot.

California Adventure includes some of the worst attractions Disney's built, including the insulting It's a Bug's Land and the uninspired Paradise Pier. The park's layout is the antithesis of Disneyland's intutitive hub-and-spoke layout, a USF clone with a lopsided design and a nasty dead end in Hollywood.

I've always thought Soarin' an overrated attraction, with a forgettable music and a lame preshow crippling what could have been a stunning experience. Grizzly is also regrettably underthemed for a Disney attraction, and should have provided a new home for the Country Bears.

The food's nothing spectacular, either, suffering in comparison with the Patina Group restaurants in Downtown Disney.

All that said, Tower of Terror's a fun ride, as is Monsters, Inc. (both of which opened long after the park's lousy reputation was established.)

By industry standards, this is no longer a bad park. But by Disney standards, well, it falls behind every other Disney park in the U.S.

Actually I have to disagree with you on some parts Robert:

I will first go out and say I am not from CA and really have never been there. So I do not see the "rip off" value that it has!

Soarin over CA is a great ride because its for everybody! A majority of guests can go on it and it gets its purpose across. Paradise Pier, in my opinion, was kinda fun as well, but I understand the strange shape of it. The food at the Winery was some of the best on the trip and my family loved Golden Dreams (yeah, we are weird!)

Anyway, thats my opinion of it, but you are totally entitled to yours as well. I was just disappointed in the site in general for it being so hard on DCA. Granted, Disney can do better (Bugs Land, my God that was terrible), but it wasn't as bad as people were writing or maybe I was reading too much into these.

I'm going to have to disagree with the Soarin' Over California coment Robert. In my opinion, the music is great, the pre-boarding video is funny, and the ride experience I feel is fantastic (I know you have your opinion, just felt like stating mine).

Now, Paradise Pier I believe is the biggest let down for me(I don't enter Bug's Land, so I ignore its existence).

I think Grizzly River Run (although under-themed), is a nice ride. Fun for me too.

Monsters Inc. disappointed me very much so. When the movie came out, I thought, "How awesome would it be for a ride where you ride on the doors. It'd be great!" So, when I went on this ride seeing that the cars are the same as Superstar Limo, track is the same, and most of the other stuff fairly similar(but just with monsters), I was just bummed. I also waited an hour and a half, which probably made it 5 times worse. The only think that I find funny is the old grumpy monster (I forget her name) making those comments after the ride. That's clever.

I honestly like DCA overall. I think of it as another park, and don't exactly compare it to other Disney parks (maybe I should).

I think, ultimately, what we're discovering here is the contrast between a theme park visitor, which make up the vast proportion of guests to a park, and a theme park critic, of which there are considerably fewer. Sure, DCA might be a fun day out, with some enjoyable rides and luscious scenery. It might even tickle your personal tastes. But when one puts on the hat of a critic, one must take the park in the context of what's gone before, who has made it, why they made, how they made it, and a million other variables that ultimately decide whether the park is as good as it could have been, and whether it'll be successful to its target audience.

Basically, it's the difference between Average Joe loving the newer Star Wars films, and Roger Ebert finding them average at best. (Yes, I know he quite liked 'Revenge' but you get the point.) It's a case of enjoying a park and its attractions on face value, or genuinely getting deep under their skin, and thinking about their true merit. What's been interesting has been seeing the shift in the way members of TPI view and rate theme parks, and the comments they make, as the focus of the site has shifted. I think that, really, is the best example of the visitor vs critic outlooks.

"The only think that I find funny is the old grumpy monster (I forget her name) making those comments after the ride."

Roz?

I have a love hate relationship going on with DCA. I love soaring, it is the closest thing to the circle vision of old, and carries on that tradition. I love Tower, even though I usually hate this type of ride, I think the theming is great and they do a good job with the Twilight Zone tie-in.

Paradise Pier is a bit under themed and to big. The overall look does mimic the once numerous ocean side parks that pre-date Disney, but it is way to hot in the summer! The games are not very well received and the space could be used for other things.

I whole-heartedly agree that the entire layout is a nightmare. There are too many dead ends. You head for something you see in the distance....then have to backtrack to get there.

I have never ridden Grizzly, but it would have been a good place for the Country Bears. One aesthetic point, the mountain does not look like a bear, most people think it is a wolf or coyote.

The entrance was a mystery to me until TPI pointed out that it was a postcard. I have to say, the exit sucks. I was there one evening trying to get in as much as possible before heading to the fireworks. Unfortunately, most of the park had the same idea. It took forever to get out as the entire park was funneled through 4 openings on each side of the entrance. It would have made more sense to have some of the entrances opened for exiting, but they must have had their reasons.

Food wise, I think the best is in Downtown, but between parks DCA has better food. The wine is overrated and way more expensive that it needs to be, but it is an experience in California wine tasting. Another plus for DCA....it has the electrical parade! Cheesy music and all!

The "dead-ends" in DCA...Did they do that to make the park seem larger?

No, poor layout. MGM has issues like that too!

I personally liked the Wine Tasting and the Tortilla Factory, but my family is nerdy! LOL

Where are there dead ends at MGM Studios? Besides the road that leads down to the ampitheater and Tower of Terror, the whole park leads to itself, I think.

DCA sucks.

It is 1-part Six Flags Paradise Pier, except the rides aren't nearly good enough for Six Flags.

It is 1-part cheap WDW left overs (Bugs, Muppets)

and 1 part BORING!!!!! The themes are a collection of mundane places that I actively avoid having to go to: Run-down-ugly-airport-land, run-down-ugly-industrial-area-food-court-land, generic-amusement-park-land.

THANK GAWD that got rid of "farm".... Did they REALLY think people would pay top $ to watch plants GROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The people that designed this park were complete idiots. What they had to work with was the sigle most valuable chunk of theme park land in the WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The collection of crap that they plunked down on that valuable piece of land is a CRYING SHAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank goodness all those IDIOTS have long ago been FIRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DCA SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

geess, oh well, like i said, i like dca, its fun.

Well, we pay top dollar to watch plants grow in the Land at EPCOT and its one of the more popular attractions at the park!

I love DCA! The whole park is a giant mixture of Magic for everyone. I was pleasantly surprised on my first visit in 2003. We stayed at the Grand Californian and could jump right in from the hotel. It is still a baby and will become more and more magnificent as time goes on. I think people who rag on DCA want more of a thrill ride park and tend to miss alot of what Disney is about. I feel the Magic there too! DCA haters should stay at six flags and quit complaining.

My family and I went there in late 2004. It was our 1st trip to California. We realy enjoyed DCA as a theme park. However it did not have the Disney feel/magic.

It also kind of felt spooky because it was so quiet nearly all day.

I think it may have been better to build this park in Florida, and have a Florida theme park in California. That way they would be novelties to people who only get to go to the East or West coast.

I like DCA too, I have only been once and it was in the year that opened. I think Soarin was great and i was so glad they built it in Orlando. Didnt go on the water ride as it was too cold but it looked good. Your are right it doesnt have the magic of Disneyland but i dont think its trying to have it. I think they made a mistake not putting more rollercoasters in though. If you are trying to compete with Six Flags then you have to compete in thrills

I agree, I secretly like DCA and it would help to have more rollercoaster/thrill rides. I love the idea that they should have switched themes between FL and CA. It does not have the magic of Disneyland, but it is not the Magic Kingdom. Should they gear the park for out-of-towners, or locals? Someday I will have to venture to the other coast and experience WDW for myself. I will always be a Disney lover, and will root for whatever they do.

The "Adult" park in WDW is EPCOT, which doesn't have a roller coaster. I just thought that was interesting. When I went to DCA, parts of it reminded me of EPCOT. Roller Coasters are great, but I do not think they really make or break the park. Now you are all probably going to say Everest at AK, but there are other fine attractions and shows that compliment the park nicely.

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