Disney's California Adventure, Disneyland's New Neighbor
Written: Feb 04 '01 (Updated Feb 04 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A Great new Disney Theme Park. There are Adult Rides
Cons: Not very many Disney Characters. Park fills up fast.
The Bottom Line: This is a great park, but recommended for those with kids aged 7 or older.
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| hephep1's Full Review: Disney's California Adventure |
In case you haven't seen the commercials, Disneyland has a new neighbor! For the first time in over 40 years a new Disney Theme Park (in California) has opened it's doors.It is a park designed to give guest a history lesson about the State of California. You get to travel through several districts including Vinyards, Beaches, Mountains, and the great cities of California.
On Thursday, February 8, 2001, Disney's California Adventure will have it's Grand Opening. The park has been in sneak preview mode for a month. It has been opened to special guest, cast members and invited members of the media. I got a chance to preview the park in early January.
I had seen the park during it's construction, and was even involved with the development of one of the attractions, but I was not fully prepared for what was ahead of me.
This park is different form the rest of the parks in the Disney Family. If someone didn't tell you that it was a Disney Park, you may not realize it. I was shocked to find the Lack of the "Disney Brand," unlike Disneyland or the Magic Kingdom, you won't find Mickey Mouse around every corner, you won't be serenaded by Dancing Dolls, there are no flying fairies sprinkling pixie dust. This park was designed for Adults.
A great number of the rides have height restrictions of over 42 inches. A few of the more elaborate rides have a 48 inch restriction. So, if your child is under 6 years old, you have a crying kid on your hands, because 7 out of the 12 rides have height restrictions.
At most of the Disney Parks, you find Disney Characters running around everywhere. The only characters that I found at this park where the Characters from the Movie Bug's Life. They were in the Bountiful Harvest section of the Park. The park map says that there were characters in the Hollywood Backlot, but I never saw any there.
As I mentioned before, most of the rides are designed for Adults. A great deal of the rides involve HEIGHT, or the simulation of being very high in the air.If you have a fear of heights, you may find the rides at this new park a bit unnerving. I pushed my fear aside long enough to give a few of these rides a trsil, but I can tell you that one trip on the SUN WHEEL is enough to last me a life time.
The Sun Wheel is a Ferris Wheel. it designed to look like a Ferris Wheel at Coney Island.This 150 foot Ferris Wheel is like 2 rides in 1. The cars are the gondola, or hanging bucket type, rather than the modern bench seat type. Some of the buckets just go around like a normal Ferris Wheel, but most of them travel! There are large ovals built into the frame work of the Wheel, and some of these buckets spin and slide with the movement of the wheel. you have no control of your bucket, it just dangles and slides.I was scared to move a muscle. Oh My gosh, this is as close to death as I want to come. I was scared for my life. I will never do this ride again. You can hear people screaming on it from across the park.If you really want to ride this, try it after dark, the lights are beautiful, and you get a great view of the rest of the park.
The Mulholland Madness is a rollercoaster .It is in the "Wild Mouse" family of coasters which is secret code word for WHIPLASH.It looks like a wooden coster, but it is really steel. It is a spin off on the crazy California Free Way system. Your car whips around corners, you feel like you will fall off of the track. You buzz past stop signs, and other traffic hazzards. It is pretty scary, but tame compared to some of the other big coasters in the ares.You have to be 42 inches tall to ride this ride.
One of the best rides in the park is the Grizzly River Run, like it's cousin at the Animal Kingsom in Florida, the Kali River Rapids, this ride is an Animal Habitat. Instead of Tigers, this ride is home to Grizzly Bears. Your raft travels through some rough water for some up close views of the California Grizzly Bears. You go through rapids, geysers, and water falls! The climax is a trip down a huge waterfall. This ride is worth the wait. You must be 42 inches to ride. TIP***There are FREE rental lockers in front of the ride, Use them. You will need dry clothing or a towel when you exit.
Ifg you have some extra money to spend for lunch, try theABC Soap Opera Bistro. The table are made to look like the sets of ABC Soap Operas. I hade my lunch at the Nurse's station from Genereal Hospital. My waiter was one person pretending to be both a good twin and a bad twin. The cast members act like soap opera stereotypes. Some pretend to have amnesia.The lunch menu included pizza, salads and other basic food. it was fun, but overpriced. I spent $16.00 including the tip for lunch.This restaurant is in the Hollywood Backlot.
Like other Disney Theme Park, Disney's California Adventure has the FAST PASS SYSTEM.
It's Tough to be a Bug .(This is a 3 D Movie, featuring the cast of It's A Bug's Life).
California Screamin. Thjis is a Huge Rollercoaster, feautinf a loop that goes rightr over a Huge Icon of Mickey Mouse. you must be 48 inches tall to ride.
Soarin over California. This is a simulated hangglider experience. You feel just like you are on a hangglider, you are in front of a giant IMAX screem. Don't miss this one. You must be 42 inches to ride.
Jim Henson's Muppet Vision 3D. This is a 3D Movie featuring the muppets.It is just like the show at Dsiney MGM Studios in Florida.
Mulholland Madness. This rollercoaster is locted in the Pacific Pier area of the Park.
The posted ticket prices are lower, than I thought that they would be. For a one day ticket, for Adults the price is $43.00, for kids ages 3-9, the price is $33.00.
You should know that only guest at the Disney Hotels are allowed to PARK HOP,or go from Disneyland to the new park, in the same day.
Also, this park fills up fast, if you are not at the front gates at opening time, you may be turned away. On certain days (which are determined each week) the guest at the 3 Disneyland Hotels are admitted early, so the park will be near capacity before the gates are officially opened. So if DCA is high on your priority list call 1 414 781 4560, to find out the early admission days and park hours.
Overall, I love this new park, I went with a group of Adults. I know that my daughter will love it, but I will wait a few years before I bring her, she is to small to enjoy a majority of the rides. For now, Disneyland or the Magic kingdom will do for her.
It takes at least a full day to see everything. For first time guest,I recommend a 4 day pass, that way you can spend 2 days at the new park, and 2 days at Disneyland.
Have a MAGICAL Trip!
Have a MAGICAL Trip!
****** NOTE****** There was no section under THEME PARKS to place this review. The Disney California Adventure theme park, has not been added to the data base yet. This is the place to write a review about a book ebtilted Disney's California Adventure. I will move this Epinion as soon as I can,*******
Recommended:
Yes
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hephep1
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