Disney California Adventure
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Disney California Adventure Park, commonly referred to as California Adventure or by its acronym DCA, is a
theme park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...
located at the
Disneyland Resort The Disneyland Resort, commonly known as Disneyland, is an entertainment resort in Anaheim, California. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division and is home to two theme parks (Di ...
in
Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...
. It is owned and operated by
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
through its Parks, Experiences and Products division. The park is themed after Disney's interpretation of
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, which is manifested through the use of various Disney,
Pixar Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californi ...
and
Marvel Studios Marvel Studios, LLC (originally known as Marvel Films from 1993 to 1996) is an American film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of the Walt Disney Company. Marvel Studios produces the Mar ...
properties. The park opened on February 8, 2001 as Disney's California Adventure Park and is the second of two theme parks built at the Disneyland Resort complex, after
Disneyland Park Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney initially envision ...
. The concept of a theme park dedicated to California arose from a meeting of Disney executives in 1995, following the cancellation of
WestCOT WestCOT was a planned second theme park for the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It was essentially a replica of EPCOT Center at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, and was dedicated to the celebration of human ac ...
, a planned West Coast version of
Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, th ...
's utopian
EPCOT Center Epcot, stylized in all uppercase as EPCOT, is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division. Inspired by an unre ...
. Construction of the park began in June 1998 and was completed by early 2001. Disney initially projected high attendance rates at the new park; a series of preview openings held in January 2001 led to negative reviews, however, and after the park officially opened to the public on February 8, 2001, the company's attendance projections were never met. Disney spent the next several years incrementally adding new rides, shows, and attractions, and implementing other promotions aimed at boosting attendance. In 2007, Disney announced a major overhaul of the park consisting of new expansion as well as re-construction of existing areas of the park. Construction lasted for five years and was completed in stages, culminating with the opening of
Buena Vista Street Buena Vista Street (formerly known as Sunshine Plaza) is a themed "land" at Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort. Though named for the real-life Burbank thoroughfare that the Walt Disney Studios sits on, the central plaza repres ...
and
Cars Land ''Cars'' Land is a themed area of Disney California Adventure, inspired by the Disney·Pixar franchise, ''Cars'', and Route 66 in America. The area, built as part of Disney California Adventure Park's $1.1 billion expansion project, opened on Ju ...
along with the re-dedication of the park in June 2012. The most recent addition to the park was the completion of
Avengers Campus Avengers Campus is a Marvel Cinematic Universe–themed area located at Disney California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris, and being developed for Hong Kong Disneyland. The Marvel-themed areas or "lands" are being dev ...
when the Disneyland Resort reopened in mid-2021, after being closed for over a year due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. According to the
Themed Entertainment Association The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) is an international non-profit association that represents creators, developers, designers and producers of themed entertainment. It is also noted for its THEA Awards, which were founded in 1995 and ar ...
, the park hosted approximately 9.9 million guests in 2018, making it the 12th-most visited theme park in the world that year.


History


Concept and creation

The present-day site of Disney California Adventure was acquired by
Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
in the 1950s and functioned as the parking lot of
Disneyland Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney in ...
for over 40 years. After succeeding with the multi-park business model at
Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, th ...
in Florida, the Disney company decided to turn Walt Disney's original theme park into a multi-park resort complex as well. Disneyland was boxed-in, however, because of the growth of Anaheim around the park; while the Walt Disney World property was 30,000 acres at the time, the Disneyland site was about 400. This consisted of the park itself, the 100-acre parking lot, and the newly acquired Disneyland Hotel and vacation property from the Wrather Corporation. In 1991, Disney announced plans to build
WestCOT WestCOT was a planned second theme park for the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It was essentially a replica of EPCOT Center at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, and was dedicated to the celebration of human ac ...
, a west coast version of what was then known as
EPCOT Center Epcot, stylized in all uppercase as EPCOT, is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division. Inspired by an unre ...
, on the site of Disneyland's parking lot. The price tag of the proposed park was high and the company was facing financial and public relation problems with the newly opened
Euro Disneyland Disneyland Park, originally Euro Disneyland Park, is a theme park found at Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallée, France. The park opened on 12 April 1992 as the first of the two parks built at the resort. Designed and built by Walt Disney Ima ...
(now Disneyland Paris). Plus, Disney president
Frank Wells Franklin G. Wells (March 4, 1932 – April 3, 1994) was an American businessman who served as president of The Walt Disney Company from 1984 until his death in 1994. Life and career Wells was born in Coronado, California and traced his ancestry ...
died in a helicopter crash in 1994. These issues led Disney to cancel WestCOT in 1995. In the summer of 1995,
Michael Eisner Michael Dammann Eisner (born March 7, 1942) is an American businessman and former chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of The Walt Disney Company from September 1984 to September 2005. Prior to Disney, Eisner was president of rival film st ...
, Disney's CEO at the time, gathered company executives in
Aspen, Colorado Aspen is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 7,004 at the 2020 United States Census. Aspen is in a remote area of the Rocky Mounta ...
, to think of another idea for a second theme park in California. They broke down the Disneyland problem as follows: The majority of the people visiting Disneyland consisted primarily of California residents, locals, or those traveling from nearby states. Those who were visiting from another state or another country, probably had Disneyland as one of the several attractions to do in California. Based on this, Disney decided it would instead build a park themed to California's history and culture. Disney's executives aimed to make California a theme park, to keep guests at the resort instead of going off-site. This would require less expensive hotels, a single parking garage, and very little additional property acquisition, with most of the park residing on the Disneyland parking lot. Then-Disneyland president
Paul Pressler Paul Pressler is the chair of the board of directors of eBay. He was previously CEO of Gap, Inc., chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and a partner at the private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice. Early life and career Pressler receive ...
relied on merchandising and retail staff instead of Imagineers to design the park. As an adult-oriented park-like Epcot, dining, and shopping were the design focus. Construction of the park began on January 22, 1998. On
Main Street, U.S.A. Main Street, U.S.A. is the first "themed land" inside the main entrance of the many theme parks operated or licensed by The Walt Disney Company around the world. Main Street, U.S.A. is themed to resemble American small towns during the early 20t ...
, a Disney's California Adventure Preview Center opened in October 1998. The park's construction was accompanied by
Downtown Disney Downtown Disney (officially the Downtown Disney District) is an outdoor shopping center located at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It opened on January 12, 2001; a component of the Disneyland Resort expansion project alongside the ...
and Disney's Grand Californian Hotel, in addition to renovations of the Disneyland Hotel and Disneyland Pacific Hotel.


Opening and initial criticism

The park was expected to draw large crowds when it opened on February 8, 2001. There were four districts with 22 shows and attractions and 15 restaurants. On January 14, a ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' article stated, "Senior Disney officials acknowledge that there will be days when California Adventure will have to turn patrons away, particularly in the first weeks after the park opens, during spring break and again in the summer." The attendance that year was substantially less than expected, however. This is suggested to have happened as a result of negative reviews from early visitors. For example, Disney had originally planned the park to be aimed at adults, rather than children, which became the basis of significant criticism. The park opened to 5 million visitors in 2001 while its sister park
Disneyland Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney in ...
saw 12.3 million visitors during the same time frame. Low attendance caused Disney to lower ticket prices for California Adventure, slashing as much as $10 off the park's ticket prices. In its first year, the park averaged 5,000 to 9,000 visitors on weekdays and 10,000 to 15,000 on the weekends, despite having a capacity of 33,000. Visitor surveys reported that 20% of visitors to the park in its first year were satisfied with their experience. By October 2001, both
Wolfgang Puck Wolfgang Johannes Puck (born July 8, 1949) is an Austrian-American chef and restaurateur. Early life and career Puck was born in Sankt Veit an der Glan, Austria. He learned cooking from his mother, who was a pastry chef. He took the surname o ...
and
Robert Mondavi Robert Gerald Mondavi (June 18, 1913 – May 16, 2008) was an American winemaker. His technical and marketing strategies brought worldwide recognition for the wines of the Napa Valley in California. From an early period, Mondavi promoted label ...
had closed their high-profile restaurants in the park, citing low crowds, though Mondavi remained as a sponsor. In the 2019 documentary series ''
The Imagineering Story ''The Imagineering Story'' is a 2019 documentary streaming television miniseries created, directed and executive produced by Leslie Iwerks. The series is focused on Walt Disney Imagineering and takes an in-depth look at the history and creation ...
'', then-
Walt Disney Imagineering Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development, Inc., commonly referred to as Imagineering, is the research and development arm of The Walt Disney Company, responsible for the creation, design, and construction of Disney theme parks and attra ...
creative executive Kevin Rafferty described how he and other Imagineers felt about the original design of California Adventure: Reflecting on the park's initial reception in ''The Imagineering Story'', Barry Braverman, executive producer of California Adventure (1995–2001) stated;


Early changes and expansions

Two major criticisms of the park in its first year were the lack of attractions appealing to children and the lack of a nighttime show or parade to keep visitors from leaving at nightfall. Within the first year of operation, Disney's Electrical Parade and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire – Play It! were brought to the park, and several of its original rides and attractions were closed, including Superstar Limo and the stage show ''Disney's Steps in Time''. During the 2001 holiday season, ''
Disney's LuminAria ''Disney's LuminAria'' was a 2001-2002 fireworks show on Paradise Bay at Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. The show was short-lived, lasting only one winter season. The show design was similar to Illumi ...
'' was presented on Paradise Bay. In October 2002, the Flik's Fun Fair area opened, which added attractions for children, and in May 2004,
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror ''The Twilight Zone'' Tower of Terror, also known as Tower of Terror, is a series of similar accelerated drop tower dark rides located at Disney's Hollywood Studios, Tokyo DisneySea, Walt Disney Studios Park, and formerly located at Disney Cali ...
opened as another
E ticket An E ticket (officially an E coupon) was a type of admission ticket used at the Disneyland and Magic Kingdom theme parks before 1982, where it admitted the bearer to the newest, most advanced, or popular rides and attractions. It is now commonl ...
. The park regularly featured seasonal promotions such as concert series, food festivals, and promotions for other Walt Disney Company franchises including the
X Games The X Games are an annual extreme sports event organized, produced and broadcast by ESPN. Coverage is also shown on ESPN's sister network, ABC. The inaugural X Games were held during the summer of 1995 in Providence and Newport, Rhode Island, ...
and
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
s. Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! opened in the former Superstar Limo building in January 2006.


Major redesign and expansion

By 2007, Disney began making plans for major updates to the park. CEO
Bob Iger Robert Allen Iger (; born February 10, 1951) is an American businessman who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Walt Disney Company. He previously served as the President of ABC Television between 1994 and 1995 and the President and Ch ...
said, "Any time you do something mediocre with your brand, that's withdrawal. California Adventure was a brand withdrawal." Iger briefly considered combining California Adventure and Disneyland Park into one large park, but the price would have cost as much as completely remodeling California Adventure. On October 17, 2007, The Walt Disney Company announced a multi-year, $1.1 billion redesign and expansion plan for Disney's California Adventure Park (against its initial $600 million cost to build). Each district was reimagined to transform the park from a spoof of modern California culture to a romanticized, idealized version of the state, exploring specific time periods and historic settings. The project began in December 2007 and was completed in stages.
Toy Story Midway Mania! Toy Story Midway Mania! (also known as ''Toy Story Mania!'') is an interactive 4-D theme park attraction, located at three Disney theme parks: Disney's Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort, Disney California Adventure at the Disn ...
opened on
Paradise Pier Paradise Gardens Park is a themed land at Disney California Adventure. The area opened as Paradise Pier in 2001 along with the rest of the theme park. In 2010, World of Color and Silly Symphony Swings were added. To complete the Paradise Pier ...
in June 2008, in space formerly occupied by a store and restaurants. ''
World of Color ''World of Color'' is a nighttime show at Disney California Adventure in the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. Conceived by Vice President of Parades and Spectaculars, Steve Davison, and designed by Walt Disney Creative Entertainment, th ...
'', nighttime water and lights show on Paradise Bay, opened in June 2010. The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure opened on the site formerly occupied by the ''
Golden Dreams ''Golden Dreams'' is a film about the history of California. It was a featured attraction at Disney California Adventure Park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, opening with the park on February 8, 2001. It starred Whoopi Goldbe ...
'' theater in June 2011. The most drastic changes to the park included a complete overhaul of the main entrance, Sunshine Plaza, and Paradise Pier and an expansion into the last of the parking area originally designated as future growth space for the park. The main entrance and Sunshine Plaza were turned from a "giant postcard" spoof of California into
Buena Vista Street Buena Vista Street (formerly known as Sunshine Plaza) is a themed "land" at Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort. Though named for the real-life Burbank thoroughfare that the Walt Disney Studios sits on, the central plaza repres ...
, a representation of Los Angeles as it appeared when Walt Disney moved there in the 1920s. The "CALIFORNIA" sign in front was removed and donated to
Cal Expo The California Exposition and State Fair (Cal Expo) is an independent state agency established by law in the California Food and Agriculture codes. Cal Expo is governed by an appointed 11-member Board of Directors and daily operations are managed ...
in Sacramento. Paradise Pier was turned from a contemporary representation of California boardwalks into a representation of Victorian seaside amusement parks of the 1920s, and some of the area's off-the-shelf rides were either removed outright (
Maliboomer The Maliboomer was an attraction at the Paradise Pier section of Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, US. Manufactured by S&S Power, Mailboomer was a Space Shot attraction, meaning it launched guests from ...
) or re-themed to have more of a focus on Disney characters (
Mickey's Fun Wheel Pixar Pal-A-Round (formerly known as the Sun Wheel and Mickey's Fun Wheel) is a eccentric wheel at Disney California Adventure, at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. The attraction opened to the public on February 8, 2001 at Paradis ...
,
Goofy's Sky School Goofy's Sky School is a steel wild mouse roller coaster at the Paradise Gardens Park section of Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, California. The ride is based on Disney's 1940 short film ''Goofy's Glider''. The rethemed attraction opene ...
,
Silly Symphony Swings Silly Symphony Swings is a wave swinger attraction in Paradise Gardens Park at the Disneyland Resort in California. Themed to Disney's 1935 short film ''The Band Concert'', Mickey Mouse conducts from high atop the attraction, synchronized with th ...
).
Cars Land ''Cars'' Land is a themed area of Disney California Adventure, inspired by the Disney·Pixar franchise, ''Cars'', and Route 66 in America. The area, built as part of Disney California Adventure Park's $1.1 billion expansion project, opened on Ju ...
, an area that simulates Radiator Springs from
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
·
Pixar Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californi ...
's ''
Cars A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarded as t ...
'' film franchise, was added to the southeast portion of the park and features three rides, including the
E ticket An E ticket (officially an E coupon) was a type of admission ticket used at the Disneyland and Magic Kingdom theme parks before 1982, where it admitted the bearer to the newest, most advanced, or popular rides and attractions. It is now commonl ...
Radiator Springs Racers Radiator Springs Racers is slot car ride in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure. The attraction features a third-generation version of transport technology originally developed for the Test Track attraction at Epcot in Walt Disney World. Ra ...
. Construction was completed in 2012 and the park was then re-dedicated on June 15, 2012. The park received a modified name, Disney California Adventure, and a new logo first put into use in June 2010. The redesign and expansion of the park saw attendance rates increase dramatically. In 2012, Disney California Adventure reached a record high for the park of over 7 million visitors (a 23% increase from the year before), a number Disney had hoped the park would attain in its first year. The day of the park's rededication saw the park draw a record number of 43,000 visitors in one day. The night before the rededication, over 500 people camped outside of the park in order to be the first admitted in. Two days later, the park hit a new record of 45,000 visitors. Speaking on the attendance increase at Disney California Adventure,
Jay Rasulo James A. "Jay" Rasulo was the Senior Executive VP and CFO of The Walt Disney Company. On June 30, 2015, Christine McCarthy was announced as his successor. Prior to being appointed CFO, he was chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts from October ...
, Disney's chief financial officer, said: "We had a very uneven distribution where most people spent most of their time at Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure was empty. Now, half of the folks go to one, half of the folks go to the other. It's almost a dream come true."


COVID-19 pandemic closures, partial and full reopening

Disney California Adventure, along with
Disneyland Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney in ...
, was closed indefinitely starting on March 14, 2020 in response to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. The park was scheduled to reopen alongside Disneyland on July 17, but due to rising cases in California, both parks remained closed. In October 2020, it was announced that Buena Vista Street would open as an expansion of the Downtown Disney District. This expansion would allow for additional shops and dining options for visitors to the Disneyland Resort, while the parks remained closed under State guidelines. In February 2021, Disney California Adventure announced there would be a limited-capacity ticketed event called “A Touch of Disney”, which would allow Disney fans to shop at stores and enjoy eateries around the park from March 18 through April 19, 2021. On March 5, 2021, it was announced by the
California Department of Public Health The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is the state department responsible for public health in California. It is a subdivision of the California Health and Human Services Agency. It enforces some of the laws in the California Healt ...
that Disney California Adventure was allowed to reopen with capacity restrictions beginning April 1, 2021. Disney CEO
Bob Chapek Robert Alan Chapek (born 1960) is an American media executive who was the chief executive officer (CEO) of The Walt Disney Company from 2020 to 2022. Before becoming CEO, Chapek had a 26-year career with The Walt Disney Company, beginning in th ...
then announced the following week that the company planned on officially reopening the park in late April 2021. On March 17, 2021,
Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, Inc., formerly Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and informally known as Disney Parks, is one of The Walt Disney Company's five major business segments and a subsidiary. It was founded on Apri ...
announced that both Disney California Adventure and Disneyland would officially reopen on April 30, 2021 with limited capacity and social distancing/mask guidelines in effect. Mask policies were relaxed at the Disneyland Resort in the summer of 2021, but ultimately were reinstated for indoor shops and attractions in July in response to the Delta strain. In February 2022, face masks were made optional for guests who are fully vaccinated.


Park layout and attractions

Disney California Adventure is divided into eight themed lands;
Buena Vista Street Buena Vista Street (formerly known as Sunshine Plaza) is a themed "land" at Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort. Though named for the real-life Burbank thoroughfare that the Walt Disney Studios sits on, the central plaza repres ...
,
Pixar Pier Pixar Pier is a themed land at Disney California Adventure, based on that of Victorian boardwalks that were once found along the coast of California. Despite its name and the presence of a nearby man-made lake, Pixar Pier is not actually a pier ...
, Paradise Gardens, Pacific Wharf, Grizzly Peak,
Hollywood Land Hollywood Land is a themed land at Disney California Adventure park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, Anaheim, California. The area is inspired by the Classical Hollywood cinema, 1930s Golden Age period of Cinema of the United Sta ...
,
Avengers Campus Avengers Campus is a Marvel Cinematic Universe–themed area located at Disney California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris, and being developed for Hong Kong Disneyland. The Marvel-themed areas or "lands" are being dev ...
, and
Cars Land ''Cars'' Land is a themed area of Disney California Adventure, inspired by the Disney·Pixar franchise, ''Cars'', and Route 66 in America. The area, built as part of Disney California Adventure Park's $1.1 billion expansion project, opened on Ju ...
. File:Carthay Circle Theatre (28099409870).jpg,
Buena Vista Street Buena Vista Street (formerly known as Sunshine Plaza) is a themed "land" at Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort. Though named for the real-life Burbank thoroughfare that the Walt Disney Studios sits on, the central plaza repres ...

(The Carthay Circle Restaurant in 2016) File:Hollywood Pictures Backlot.JPG,
Hollywood Land Hollywood Land is a themed land at Disney California Adventure park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, Anaheim, California. The area is inspired by the Classical Hollywood cinema, 1930s Golden Age period of Cinema of the United Sta ...

(the area's entrance in 2008) File:Golden State.JPG, Grizzly Peak
(
Grizzly River Run Grizzly River Run is a river rapids ride located at Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It is similar to Kali River Rapids in Disney's Animal Kingdom but distinctive as the rafts are engineered to spin a ...
in 2009) File:Disney California Adventure (51242353250).jpg, Paradise Gardens
( The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure in 2021) File:Pacific Wharf DCA.jpg, Pacific Wharf
(2009) File:Radiator Springs Route 66.jpg,
Cars Land ''Cars'' Land is a themed area of Disney California Adventure, inspired by the Disney·Pixar franchise, ''Cars'', and Route 66 in America. The area, built as part of Disney California Adventure Park's $1.1 billion expansion project, opened on Ju ...

(2012) File:Disneyland 2019 - 48857010606.jpg,
Pixar Pier Pixar Pier is a themed land at Disney California Adventure, based on that of Victorian boardwalks that were once found along the coast of California. Despite its name and the presence of a nearby man-made lake, Pixar Pier is not actually a pier ...

(
Incredicoaster Incredicoaster is a steel roller coaster at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, California. Manufactured by Intamin, it opened to the public as California Screamin' in 2001. It is the only roller coaster at the Disneyland Resort with an inver ...
and
Pixar Pal-A-Round Pixar Pal-A-Round (formerly known as the Sun Wheel and Mickey's Fun Wheel) is a eccentric wheel at Disney California Adventure, at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. The attraction opened to the public on February 8, 2001 at Paradise ...
in 2019) File:Disney California Adventure (51242016469).jpg,
Avengers Campus Avengers Campus is a Marvel Cinematic Universe–themed area located at Disney California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris, and being developed for Hong Kong Disneyland. The Marvel-themed areas or "lands" are being dev ...

(Avengers Headquarters and Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout! in 2021)


Buena Vista Street

Buena Vista Street is the first area seen upon entering the park. It represents
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
in the 1920s, when
Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
first arrived there. Similar to
Main Street, U.S.A. Main Street, U.S.A. is the first "themed land" inside the main entrance of the many theme parks operated or licensed by The Walt Disney Company around the world. Main Street, U.S.A. is themed to resemble American small towns during the early 20t ...
in Disneyland Park, it has shops, restaurants, and a transportation system. Its central hub has entrances to Hollywood Land, Grizzly Peak, and Pacific Wharf. In the hub's center, also known as Carthay Circle, is a replica of the
Carthay Circle Theater The Carthay Circle Theatre was one of the most famous movie palaces of Classical Hollywood cinema, Hollywood's Golden Age. Located on San Vicente Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, it opened in 1926 and was demolished in 1969. The auditorium ...
, where Disney's '' Snow White and the Seven Dwarves'' debuted in 1937. Guests can ride from Buena Vista Street to the end of Hollywood Land on the
Red Car Trolley The Red Car Trolley is a tramway and transportation attraction at Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. Construction began on January 4, 2010, and the attraction opened on June 15, 2012, as part of the re ...
. It stops at Kingswell Camera Shop, and the Carthay Circle Restaurant. Other restaurants along the street include Mortimer's Market; Trolley Treats; Clarabelle's Hand Scooped Ice Cream; and Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Cafe. Main stores along the street include Oswald's, Five & Dime, Big Top Toys, Kingswell Camera Shop, and Elias & Co.


Hollywood Land

Hollywood Land Hollywood Land is a themed land at Disney California Adventure park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, Anaheim, California. The area is inspired by the Classical Hollywood cinema, 1930s Golden Age period of Cinema of the United Sta ...
is inspired by the
Golden Age of Hollywood Golden means made of, or relating to gold. Golden may also refer to: Places United Kingdom *Golden, in the parish of Probus, Cornwall *Golden Cap, Dorset *Golden Square, Soho, London *Golden Valley, a valley on the River Frome in Gloucestershir ...
in the 1930s. It includes attractions based on film, television, theater and a subsection called ''Hollywood Studios'', which is designed to appear as an active studio backlot. Found within that subsection is the 3D film ''
Mickey's PhilharMagic ''Mickey's PhilharMagic'' is a 4D film attraction found at several Disney theme parks around the world, including Magic Kingdom theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort, Hong Kong Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Park (Paris), and ...
'' and the Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! attraction, a dark ride based on the characters from
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
·
Pixar Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californi ...
's ''
Monsters, Inc. ''Monsters, Inc.'' (also known as ''Monsters, Incorporated'') is a 2001 American computer-animated Monster movie, monster comedy film produced by Pixar, Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. Featuring the voices of John Goodman, B ...
'' The land is also home to the 2000-seat
Hyperion Theater The Hyperion Theater is located at Disney California Adventure in Hollywood Land. It was presenting ''Frozen – Live at the Hyperion''. The theater can seat up to 1,984 people. The facade is modeled after that of the Los Angeles Theatre on LA ...
, which formerly presented ''
Frozen – Live at the Hyperion ''Frozen – Live at the Hyperion'' was a musical stage show inspired by Disney's 2013 animated film '' Frozen''. It was presented at the Hyperion Theater in Hollywood Land at Disney California Adventure. The show premiered on May 27, 2016 and h ...
''. Between Monster's Inc. and ''Mickey's Philharmagic'' is Stage 17: Backlot Premiere Shop, a large store dedicated to carrying all Marvel merchandise.
Disney Junior – Live on Stage! ''Disney Junior – Live on Stage!'' (originally ''Playhouse Disney – Live on Stage!'' until 2011) was a live show attraction featuring puppets of characters from Disney Junior's popular television programs, located at three Disney theme park ...
opened on March 25, 2011 in the Disney Theater, and has featured stage productions such as ''
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse ''Mickey Mouse Clubhouse'' is an American interactive computer-animated children's television series which aired from May 5, 2006, to November 6, 2016 on the Disney Channel. Produced by Disney Television Animation, it is the first computer-anima ...
'', ''
Sofia the First ''Sofia the First'' is an American animated fantasy children's television series. The show follows a young peasant girl named Sofia ( Ariel Winter), who becomes a princess after her mother marries the king of Enchancia. Episodes focus on her ad ...
'', ''
Doc McStuffins ''Doc McStuffins'' is an American educational computer-animated children's television series created and executive produced by Chris Nee (an Irish-American who was an associate producer for international versions of Sesame Street) and produce ...
'', and ''
Jake and the Never Land Pirates ''Jake and the Never Land Pirates'' (titled ''Captain Jake and the Never Land Pirates'' for the fourth season and associated merchandise) is an American animated musical and interactive preschool children's television series shown on Disney Junior ...
''. Its final day of performance was April 9, 2017. It was replaced by Disney Junior Dance Party, which opened on May 26, 2017, and most recently featured ''
Mickey and the Roadster Racers ''Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures'' is an American CGI-animated preschool television series that was broadcast on Disney Junior. Produced by Disney Television Animation, the series is the successor to ''Mickey Mouse Clubhouse''. Originally air ...
'', ''
Doc McStuffins ''Doc McStuffins'' is an American educational computer-animated children's television series created and executive produced by Chris Nee (an Irish-American who was an associate producer for international versions of Sesame Street) and produce ...
'', ''
Vampirina ''Vampirina'' is a computer-animated children's television series created by Chris Nee. Based on the ''Vampirina Ballerina'' series of books written by Anne Marie Pace and published by Disney-Hyperion, the series was announced in March 2016 and ...
'', and ''
The Lion Guard ''The Lion Guard'' is an American animated television series developed by Ford Riley and based on Disney's 1994 film ''The Lion King''. The series was first broadcast with a television film titled ''The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar'' on Disney C ...
''. Next door to Disney Theater is the Animation Building, which hosts Sorcerer's Workshop (a walk-through exhibit focused on basic animation and determining which Disney character matches your personality),
Animation Academy Animation Academy is an attraction at Disney California Adventure, Walt Disney Studios Park, Hong Kong Disneyland, Disney's Animal Kingdom and Epcot. The same attraction formerly existed in Disney's Hollywood Studios, and DisneyQuest, which clo ...
(a workshop that teaches Guests how to draw popular Disney characters),
Turtle Talk with Crush Turtle Talk with Crush is an interactive talk show type attraction that has appeared at several of the Disney theme parks. It first opened on November 16, 2004 at The Living Seas pavilion (later renamed The Seas with Nemo & Friends) at Epcot and ...
, and an Elsa & Anna Meet and Greet. Outside of the Animation Building and Disney Theater are the land's two main stores: Off the Page and Gone Hollywood. The restroom facilities in the district are designed in the style of
Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...
's Storer House, located in the
Hollywood Hills The Hollywood Hills are a residential neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Geography The Hollywood Hills straddle the Cahuenga Pass within the Santa Monica Mountains. The neighborhood touches Studio City, Univer ...
area of Los Angeles. The stamped concrete structure is typical of Wright's pioneering design.


Grizzly Peak

Grizzly Peak is themed around California's wilderness and national parks, with particular references to
Yosemite Yosemite National Park ( ) is an American national park in California, surrounded on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service and covers an ar ...
and
Redwood Sequoioideae, popularly known as redwoods, is a subfamily of coniferous trees within the family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affini ...
national parks. Its main attraction is
Grizzly River Run Grizzly River Run is a river rapids ride located at Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It is similar to Kali River Rapids in Disney's Animal Kingdom but distinctive as the rafts are engineered to spin a ...
, a
Gold Rush A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New Z ...
-esque river rapids ride around the area's summit. Nearby is the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, a playground area with elements from
Disney's The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
''
Brother Bear ''Brother Bear'' is a 2003 American animated musical fantasy comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 44th Disney animated feature film, it was directed by Aaron Blaise and Robert Wa ...
'' and
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
·
Pixar Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californi ...
's ''Up''. It has an entrance exclusively accessible to guests of
Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa (also known as the Grand Californian) is a hotel located at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. The hotel was constructed as part of a major expansion of the Disneyland Resort in 2001. It was c ...
. Grizzly Peak Airfield, formally known as Condor Flats, is a sub-land within Grizzly Peak, themed to an airfield in California's High Sierras in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The area's main attraction is '' Soarin' Around the World'', which simulates a hang-glider tour of locations, landscapes and landmarks across six of the world's continents. The area also has the Smokejumpers Grill counter-service restaurant, a shop, and a decorative
fire lookout tower A fire lookout tower, fire tower or lookout tower, provides housing and protection for a person known as a "fire lookout" whose duty it is to search for wildfires in the wilderness. It is a small building, usually on the summit of a mountain or ...
.


Paradise Gardens

Paradise Gardens, the largest land in Disney California Adventure, is at the park's center, with direct entrances to Pixar Pier, Pacific Wharf and Grizzly Peak. The Paradise Gardens Park area, in front of The Little Mermaid, is a prominent place to watch the
World of Color ''World of Color'' is a nighttime show at Disney California Adventure in the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. Conceived by Vice President of Parades and Spectaculars, Steve Davison, and designed by Walt Disney Creative Entertainment, th ...
water show and for taking photos with Pixar Pier as a backdrop. Paradise Garden's five attractions include
Goofy's Sky School Goofy's Sky School is a steel wild mouse roller coaster at the Paradise Gardens Park section of Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, California. The ride is based on Disney's 1940 short film ''Goofy's Glider''. The rethemed attraction opene ...
,
Silly Symphony Swings Silly Symphony Swings is a wave swinger attraction in Paradise Gardens Park at the Disneyland Resort in California. Themed to Disney's 1935 short film ''The Band Concert'', Mickey Mouse conducts from high atop the attraction, synchronized with th ...
,
Jumpin' Jellyfish Jumpin' Jellyfish is a Paratower, a parachute jump–style ride at Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California in the US and Tokyo DisneySea at Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan. The attraction's name comes from the jel ...
,
Golden Zephyr Golden Zephyr is an attraction at Paradise Gardens Park in Disney California Adventure Park built by D. H. Morgan Manufacturing. Themed to the Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon style rocket ships, it takes park guests on a relaxing trip. Unlike it ...
, and
The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel's Undersea Adventure The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure (stylized The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel's Undersea Adventure) is a dark ride attraction based on the 1989 Disney animated film ''The Little Mermaid'', located in Paradise Gardens Park at Disne ...
. The Paradise Gardens neighborhood also hosts many of the Resort's seasonal and cultural celebrations throughout the year. Some of these celebrations include the Dia de los Muertos celebration during the fall (with two shows, ''A Musical Celebration of Coco'' and ''Mariachi Divas''), the Festival of the Holidays (with "Disney Viva Navidad Street Party" and "Mickey's Happy Holidays"), and the Lunar New Year Festival (with "Mulan's Lunar New Year Processional"). Most parades and cavalcades that run through the park begin in Paradise Gardens and travel north towards Buena Vista Street.


Pacific Wharf

Located between Pixar Pier and Cars Land, Pacific Wharf is themed to resemble the old waterfront of
Monterey, California Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bo ...
as a tribute to its fishing industry. Its attractions are
The Bakery Tour The Boudin Bakery Tour, which opened with Disney California Adventure on February 8, 2001, is a tour that shows how sourdough bread is made, hosted by Boudin Bakery. In January 2015, the Boudin Bakery Tour was given an update. The tour video ...
and the
Walt Disney Imagineering Blue Sky Cellar Walt Disney Imagineering Blue Sky Cellar opened October 20, 2008 replacing the Seasons of the Vine Theater at Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It closed on September 29, 2013, and reopened on April 13, ...
.This area is primarily an outdoor
food court A food court (in Asia-Pacific also called food hall or hawker centre) is generally an indoor plaza or common area within a facility that is contiguous with the counters of multiple food vendors and provides a common area for self-serve dinner. I ...
with the following restaurants: *Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill *Lucky Fortune Cookery Chinese Wok *Mendocino Terrace *
Ghirardelli The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company is an American confectioner, wholly owned by Swiss confectioner Lindt & Sprüngli. The company was founded by and is named after Italian chocolatier Domenico Ghirardelli, who, after working in South America, move ...
Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop *Magic Key Terrace *Pacific Wharf Café (
Boudin Bakery Boudin Bakery ( Anglicized pronunciation: ) is a bakery based in San Francisco, California, known for its sourdough bread (trademarked as "The Original San Francisco Sourdough"). The bakery is recognized as the "oldest continually operating busin ...
) *Pacific Wharf Distribution Co. *Rita's Baja Blenders *Sonoma Terrace *Wine Country Trattoria In September 2022, it was announced that Pacific Wharf will be re-themed to San Fransokyo from
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
's 2014 film '' Big Hero 6''.


Cars Land

Cars Land ''Cars'' Land is a themed area of Disney California Adventure, inspired by the Disney·Pixar franchise, ''Cars'', and Route 66 in America. The area, built as part of Disney California Adventure Park's $1.1 billion expansion project, opened on Ju ...
is a land designed to look like the town of Radiator Springs from the
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
·
Pixar Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californi ...
's 2006 film ''
Cars A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarded as t ...
'' on the town's big race day. The land spans and contains three attractions. The largest attraction,
Radiator Springs Racers Radiator Springs Racers is slot car ride in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure. The attraction features a third-generation version of transport technology originally developed for the Test Track attraction at Epcot in Walt Disney World. Ra ...
, is a dark ride that utilizes the technology of
Epcot Epcot, stylized in all uppercase as EPCOT, is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division. Inspired by an unreal ...
's
Test Track Test Track is a high-speed slot car thrill ride located in World Discovery at Epcot, a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. The ride is a simulated excursion through the rigorous testing procedures that General Mot ...
. Based on Pixar's '' Cars'' films, the ride begins with a scenic drive through the mountains, then enters a show building, where the vehicle finds its way into the town of Radiator Springs and gets a race briefing from Doc Hudson; the ride ends with an outdoor, side-by-side dueling race to the Comfy Caverns Motor Court. With a budget of an estimated US$200 million, it is the most expensive theme park ride ever built. The other attractions at Cars Land are family attractions with smaller height requirements: Mater's Junkyard Jamboree and
Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters is a trackless dancing cars ride located in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure. The attraction, which opened on March 7, 2016, features Luigi, the Italian roadster who runs the Casa Della Tires shop in Radiator ...
. Mater's Junkyard Jamboree opened with Cars Land in 2012. Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters opened on March 7, 2016, and replaced
Luigi's Flying Tires Luigi's Flying Tires was an amusement ride in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure, At the Disneyland Resort In Anaheim, California. Guests rode on tire-shaped bumper car vehicles that floated on a cushion of air, similar to an air hockey game ...
. The land includes several dining and shopping venues. The district serves as a connection between Pacific Wharf, Hollywood Land, and Avengers Campus. Construction began in July 2009 and opened to the public on June 15, 2012. In September 2017, Cars Land received Halloween decorations during Halloween Time at the
Disneyland Resort The Disneyland Resort, commonly known as Disneyland, is an entertainment resort in Anaheim, California. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division and is home to two theme parks (Di ...
. Two Cars Land attractions,
Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters is a trackless dancing cars ride located in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure. The attraction, which opened on March 7, 2016, features Luigi, the Italian roadster who runs the Casa Della Tires shop in Radiator ...
and Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, became Luigi's Honkin' Haul-O-Ween and Mater's Graveyard JamBOOree. Cars Land also receives holiday overlays, where Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters becomes Luigi's Joy to the Whirl, and Mater's Junkyard Jamboree becomes Mater's Jingle Jamboree.


Pixar Pier

Pixar Pier is themed after films produced by
Pixar Animation Studios Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californi ...
, and is divided into four districts; Incredibles Park, Toy Story Boardwalk, Pixar Promenade, and Inside Out Headquarters. Its attractions include the
Pixar Pal-A-Round Pixar Pal-A-Round (formerly known as the Sun Wheel and Mickey's Fun Wheel) is a eccentric wheel at Disney California Adventure, at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. The attraction opened to the public on February 8, 2001 at Paradise ...
,
Incredicoaster Incredicoaster is a steel roller coaster at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, California. Manufactured by Intamin, it opened to the public as California Screamin' in 2001. It is the only roller coaster at the Disneyland Resort with an inver ...
,
Jessie's Critter Carousel Jessie's Critter Carousel is a carousel at Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. The attraction opened to the public as King Triton's Carousel of the Sea on February 8, 2001. King Triton's Carousel was clo ...
, Games of Pixar Pier,
Toy Story Midway Mania Toy Story Midway Mania! (also known as ''Toy Story Mania!'') is an interactive 4-D theme park attraction, located at three Disney theme parks: Disney's Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort, Disney California Adventure at the Dis ...
, and the Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind. Its main stores are Knick's Knacks, Midway Mercantile, and Bing Bong's Sweet Stuff, and offers table-service dining at the Lamplight Lounge. It is connected to Paradise Gardens Park at both ends; its main entrance is via a bridge under a large Pixar Pier gateway.


Avengers Campus

Avengers Campus Avengers Campus is a Marvel Cinematic Universe–themed area located at Disney California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris, and being developed for Hong Kong Disneyland. The Marvel-themed areas or "lands" are being dev ...
is inspired by the
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...
, featuring attractions based on characters originating from
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
and appearing in MCU media. The area is anchored around an
Avengers Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
campus located on the former restricted grounds of a
Stark Industries Stark Industries, later also known as Stark International, Stark Innovations, Stark Enterprises and Stark Resilient, is a fictional company appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The company is depicted as being owned an ...
and
Strategic Scientific Reserve The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on superhero films and other series starring various titular superheroes independently produced by Marvel Studios and based on characters that appea ...
complex. Attractions and restaurants include ''Guardians of the Galaxy'' – Mission: Breakout!, Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure, the Ancient Sanctum, and the Pym Test Kitchen. The area opened on June 4, 2021 on the former site of
A Bug's Land "A Bug's Land" (stylized "a bug's land") was an area of Disney California Adventure themed after the 1998 Disney·Pixar film ''A Bug's Life''. The land consisted of Flik's Fun Fair, which opened on October 7, 2002, and was set in a representatio ...
, after its July 2020 opening was delayed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.


Characters

As with other Disney Parks, characters based on Disney properties roam around the themed areas of the park. Following the COVID-19 reopening, up-close character meet and greets have returned to pre-pandemic state. Nonetheless, character cavalcades began in Paradise Gardens, as Pixar characters from
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
·
Pixar Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californi ...
's ''
The Incredibles ''The Incredibles'' is a 2004 American computer-animated superhero film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Written and directed by Brad Bird, it stars the voices of Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah V ...
'' and ''Toy Story'' roam through the land. Characters also began to meet and greet with Guests from a distance; including Goofy and Max from a balcony on Pacific Wharf, Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde from Disney's ''
Zootopia ''Zootopia'' (titled ''Zootropolis'' in various regions) is a 2016 American computer-animated buddy cop action comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 55th Disney animated feature film, ...
'' outside of The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel's Undersea Adventure, Anna and Elsa from Disney's '' Frozen'' on Buena Vista Street, and the Avengers from the
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...
in Avengers Campus.


Former areas


Sunshine Plaza

Sunshine Plaza was the first land guests would explore when entering Disney California Adventure. It featured 2 stores, Engine Ears Toys and Greetings from California. At the center of the plaza was the “Sun Icon”. The land closed in 2010 and was replaced by
Buena Vista Street Buena Vista Street (formerly known as Sunshine Plaza) is a themed "land" at Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort. Though named for the real-life Burbank thoroughfare that the Walt Disney Studios sits on, the central plaza repres ...
in 2012.


Bountiful Valley Farm

Bountiful Valley Farm was a themed area presented by Caterpillar. It featured farm equipment, different crops, and fake animals. When A Bug’s Land opened in 2002, the district was absorbed into the land. Caterpillar ended their sponsorship in 2007 and the area closed in 2010. It was replaced by
Cars Land ''Cars'' Land is a themed area of Disney California Adventure, inspired by the Disney·Pixar franchise, ''Cars'', and Route 66 in America. The area, built as part of Disney California Adventure Park's $1.1 billion expansion project, opened on Ju ...
.


Paradise Pier

Paradise Pier opened in 2001 with the park. It featured attractions such as California Screamin’, The Maliboomer, The Sun Wheel and King Triton’s Carousel. The land closed in 2018 and reopened as
Pixar Pier Pixar Pier is a themed land at Disney California Adventure, based on that of Victorian boardwalks that were once found along the coast of California. Despite its name and the presence of a nearby man-made lake, Pixar Pier is not actually a pier ...
.


A Bug's Land

A Bug's Land (stylized "a bug's land") was seen from the point of view of Flik, the inventor ant from the
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
·
Pixar Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californi ...
film ''
A Bug's Life ''A Bug's Life'' is a 1998 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It was the second feature-length film produced by Pixar. Directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Andrew Stant ...
'', where oversized human items were scattered throughout. It featured Flik's Fun Fair (a collection of themed, family and child-friendly attractions such as Flik's Flyers, Francis' Ladybug Boogie, Tuck & Roll's Drive 'em Buggies, Heimlich's Chew Chew Train, and Dot's Puddle Park). It opened as the park's first expansion in 2002 to expand the park's family-friendly attractions. The land was built around the existing attraction ''
It's Tough to Be a Bug! ''It's Tough to Be a Bug!'' is a 9-minute-long 3D film based on the 1998 Disney·Pixar film ''A Bug's Life'', using theater lighting, 3-D filming techniques, audio-animatronics and various special effects. Flik, a character from the movie, hos ...
'', a 3D film based on ''A Bug's Life'', which opened with the park in 2001. ''It's Tough to Be a Bug!'' closed on March 19, 2018. The rest of A Bug's Land closed on September 4, 2018 to make way for
Avengers Campus Avengers Campus is a Marvel Cinematic Universe–themed area located at Disney California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris, and being developed for Hong Kong Disneyland. The Marvel-themed areas or "lands" are being dev ...
. When A Bug's Land closed in 2018, Flik's Flyers was re-themed into Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind and relocated to
Pixar Pier Pixar Pier is a themed land at Disney California Adventure, based on that of Victorian boardwalks that were once found along the coast of California. Despite its name and the presence of a nearby man-made lake, Pixar Pier is not actually a pier ...
.


Alcohol policy

Unlike
Disneyland Park Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney initially envision ...
(with the exception of
Club 33 Club 33 comprises a number of private dining clubs located within the various Disney Parks. First opening in 1967 inside Disneyland Park, the club was modeled after numerous executive VIP lounges created by pavilion sponsors in the 1964 New Yo ...
in
New Orleans Square New Orleans Square is a themed land found at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California. Based on 19th-century New Orleans, Louisiana, the roughly three-acre area was the first land to be added to Disneyland after the park's opening, at a cost of $ ...
and Oga's Cantina in ''Star Wars'': Galaxy's Edge), Disney California Adventure serves beer, wine and cocktails throughout its restaurants, stands and food kiosks. The park also hosts the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival, an annual event featuring a number of themed kiosks, each featuring food and beverages from a particular aspect of California cuisine.


Live entertainment


Live performances

* Formerly, at the Hyperion Theater, guests were able to see ''
Frozen – Live at the Hyperion ''Frozen – Live at the Hyperion'' was a musical stage show inspired by Disney's 2013 animated film '' Frozen''. It was presented at the Hyperion Theater in Hollywood Land at Disney California Adventure. The show premiered on May 27, 2016 and h ...
'', an hour-long musical version of
the film The Film is a 2005 Indian thriller film directed by Junaid Memon also produced along with Amitabh Bhattacharya. The film stars Mahima Chaudhry, Khalid Siddiqui, Ananya Khare, Chahat Khanna, Ravi Gossain, Vaibhav Jhalani and Vivek Madan in lea ...
of the same name. The show used projections and special effects to create the fictional kingdom of Arendelle with
Anna Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century) * Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 1221) ...
, Elsa,
Olaf Olaf or Olav (, , or British ; Old Norse: ''Áleifr'', ''Ólafr'', ''Óleifr'', ''Anleifr'') is a Scandinavian and German given name. It is presumably of Proto-Norse origin, reconstructed as ''*Anu-laibaz'', from ''anu'' "ancestor, grand-father" a ...
and
Kristoff Kristoff is a version of Kristopher (Scandinavian, Greek): respelling of Christopher. People * Kristoff St. John (1966-2019), American actor. * Ivan Kristoff (born 1968), aviator, rescue worker, and rope access expert * Kristoff Raczyñski (born ...
. ''Frozen – Live at the Hyperion'' at the
Hyperion Theater The Hyperion Theater is located at Disney California Adventure in Hollywood Land. It was presenting ''Frozen – Live at the Hyperion''. The theater can seat up to 1,984 people. The facade is modeled after that of the Los Angeles Theatre on LA ...
opened to the public on May 27, 2016 and was cancelled following the Park's reopening in April 2021. * Five and Dime is a traveling street show featuring the musical talents of Dime and her five bandmates. They can be seen driving through Hollywood Land in their 1920s-style car. Following the reopening of Disney California Adventure, the performance has now shifted to a stage in front of the Carthay Circle fountain * Red Car Newsboys is Disney California Adventure's lively street show featuring singing, dancing newsboys, and a surprise character visit. * ''
World of Color ''World of Color'' is a nighttime show at Disney California Adventure in the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. Conceived by Vice President of Parades and Spectaculars, Steve Davison, and designed by Walt Disney Creative Entertainment, th ...
'' is nighttime water and light spectacular that transforms Paradise Bay into a water canvas. The 22-minute water show features scenes from popular Disney and Pixar films and can be used with the Made with Magic ears and accessories. During the holiday season, a holiday version of the show is offered. *
Paint the Night Parade ''Paint the Night Parade'' was a nighttime parade at Hong Kong Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, and Disneyland. The Hong Kong version premiered on September 11, 2014, as part of the park 9th anniversary expansion. The Disneyland versio ...
came to Disney California Adventure after being in Disneyland.


Character experiences

*
Anna Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century) * Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 1221) ...
and Elsa's Royal Welcome is one of the more popular character meet-and-greets in the park. The two sisters of ''Frozen'', plus
Olaf Olaf or Olav (, , or British ; Old Norse: ''Áleifr'', ''Ólafr'', ''Óleifr'', ''Anleifr'') is a Scandinavian and German given name. It is presumably of Proto-Norse origin, reconstructed as ''*Anu-laibaz'', from ''anu'' "ancestor, grand-father" a ...
, and occasionally
Kristoff Kristoff is a version of Kristopher (Scandinavian, Greek): respelling of Christopher. People * Kristoff St. John (1966-2019), American actor. * Ivan Kristoff (born 1968), aviator, rescue worker, and rope access expert * Kristoff Raczyñski (born ...
, meet guests daily at Disney Animation. *
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...
(MCU) characters
Captain America Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
,
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
, Captain Marvel, and
Black Panther A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical rosettes are also present. They have been d ...
currently meet guests daily in Avengers Campus. Additionally,
Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred groves ...
,
Loki Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...
, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and
Doctor Strange Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as Sorce ...
occasionally meet guests in Avengers Campus, either at designated meet locations or as roaming encounters.
Groot (Marvel Cinematic Universe) Groot is the name of two fictional characters voiced by Vin Diesel and portrayed via motion capture by Diesel, Krystian Godlewski, Sean Gunn, James Gunn, and Terry Notary, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise, based on the Marvel ...
also meets guests daily in front of the Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout! attraction and sometimes joins
Star-Lord Star-Lord (Peter Jason Quill) is a fictional character and superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character, created by Steve Englehart and Steve Gan, first appeared in ''Marvel Preview'' #4 (January 1976) ...
and
Gamora Gamora is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/artist Jim Starlin, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #180 (June 1975). Gamora is the adopted daughter of Thanos, and ...
during the Guardians of the Galaxy - Awesome Dance-Off! daily street show performances. *
Buzz Lightyear Buzz Lightyear is the main character in the ''Toy Story'' franchise created by Disney and Pixar mainly voiced by Tim Allen. He is a Superhero toy action figure based on the in-universe media franchise consisting of a blockbuster feature fi ...
, Woody, Sulley, Mr. Incredible,
Elastigirl Helen Parr (née Truax), also known as Elastigirl and Mrs. Incredible, is a fictional superhero who appears in Pixar's animated superhero film ''The Incredibles'' (2004) and its sequel ''Incredibles 2'' (2018). Voiced by actress Holly Hunter, t ...
, and other Pixar characters meet guests at various locations within Pixar Pier. *The Pixar Pals cavalcade began following the reopening of the Park in summer 2021. Throughout the day, a green army man drives a jeep full of Andy's toys, and is followed by characters from various Pixar films, including Woody, Jessie, Bo Peep, Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, and
Frozone The following is a list of fictional characters from the 2004 Disney/Pixar computer-animated superhero film ''The Incredibles'' and its 2018 sequel ''Incredibles 2''. The Parr Family (The Incredibles) Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible) Robert "Bob" Pa ...
.


Annual events

* The Lunar New Year Celebration (originally begun as the Happy Lunar New Year Celebration at Disneyland) is a festival first held at Disney California Adventure in 2013. The festival celebrates the Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean cultures and includes Asian-inspired foods and a processional, taking place in January and February. The event was canceled for 2021 due to the closure of the park as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and resumed in 2022. The 2023 festival will take place from January 20, 2023 to February 15, 2023 and will feature “Hurry Home – Lunar New Year Celebration”, a water show preceding the
World of Color ''World of Color'' is a nighttime show at Disney California Adventure in the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. Conceived by Vice President of Parades and Spectaculars, Steve Davison, and designed by Walt Disney Creative Entertainment, th ...
, calligraphy demonstrations, the Lucky Wishes Wall and Disney character appearances, including Mulan from Mulan and Raya of
Raya and the Last Dragon ''Raya and the Last Dragon'' ( ) is a 2021 American computer-animated fantasy action-adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The 59th film produced by the studio, it wa ...
. * The Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival, inaugurated in 2006, suspended in 2011 and revived in 2016 after a five-year hiatus, is an annual festival celebrating the cuisine, wine, and beer of California, taking place during spring. It ended abruptly after two weeks in 2020 and was canceled for 2021, both as a consequence of the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
before returning in 2022 with the re-opening of the park. The 2023 edition of the festival is scheduled to run from March 3, 2023 to April 24, 2023 and will again feature live entertainment, culinary demonstrations, winemaker receptions and tasting seminars. * Oogie Boogie Bash is a separately ticketed after hours event begun in 2019 taking place on selected nights in September and October. The park closes several hours early and attendees are treated to special Halloween-themed activities, such as a music and light projection show entitled "Villainous!", an overlay of the Redwood Challenge Creek Trail area called Villains Grove, the DescenDANCE party and Mickey's Trick & Treat Show, the Frightfully Fun Parade, character meet and greets and Disney villain-themed trick or treat candy stations. Event-exclusive food items are available for purchase. Oogie Boogie Bash was canceled for the 2020 Halloween season as a result of the closure of the park due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was held again in fall 2021, featuring three new villain treat trails (including Sid from
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
·
Pixar Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californi ...
's ''
Toy Story ''Toy Story'' is a 1995 American computer-animated comedy film directed by John Lasseter (in his feature directorial debut), produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The first installment in the '' Toy Story ...
'', Cruella from Walt Disney Studios's '' Cruella'' (2021), and
Agatha Harkness Agatha Harkness is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is a powerful witch, typically portrayed as a friend and teacher of Wanda Maximoff, as well as the mother of Nicholas Scratch. Agatha is ...
from
Marvel Studios Marvel Studios, LLC (originally known as Marvel Films from 1993 to 1996) is an American film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of the Walt Disney Company. Marvel Studios produces the Mar ...
's ''
WandaVision ''WandaVision'' is an American television miniseries created by Jac Schaeffer for the streaming service Disney+, based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch and Vision. It is the first television series in ...
''). The 2022 Bash began on September 6, 2022 and ran until October 31, 2022 and did not feature the Villainous! show. New treat trail villains include Ernesto de la Cruz from '' Coco'', Mad Madam Mim from '' The Sword in the Stone'', and Mother Gothel from ''
Tangled ''Tangled'' is a 2010 American 3D computer-animated musical adventure fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Loosely based on the Grimms' Fairy Tales, German fairy tale ''Rapunzel'' ...
''. * Disney Festival of Holidays is a festival inspired by cultural traditions, started in 2016 and taking place in winter. The festival celebrates traditions from holidays including Christmas, Navidad, Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa and Three Kings Day. The main attraction is the Festive Foods Marketplace, offering multicultural and diverse cuisine at participating kiosks. The event returned for its second year during the 2017 holiday season, and added new entertainment and dining options. The event did not take place for the 2020 winter season due to the closure of the park as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic but returned for the 2021-2022 winter season. The 2022-23 winter season festival is scheduled to run from November 11, 2022 to January 8, 2023 with live entertainment such as Mickey's Happy Holidays dance party and Holiday Toy Drummers, several musical and dance acts, a Santa meet and greet at the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail and holiday-themed overlays for the Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters and Mater's Junkyard Jamboree attractions in Cars Land.


Attendance

;Notes : Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the park was only open in 2020 from the beginning of the year through March 14 : Due to the worldwide impacts on park attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 ranking is only among the parks that were in the top 25 for attendance in 2019


See also

*
List of Disney theme park attractions The following table shows most of the attractions found in all of the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts around the world. Key: A – C D – F G – I J – L M – O P – S T – Z See also * List of Disney attr ...
*
List of Disney attractions that were never built This is a list of publicly known Disney attractions that were never built, that is, rides and shows of Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate hea ...


Similar Disney parks

*
Tokyo DisneySea is a theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, just next to Tokyo. It opened on 4 September 2001, at a cost of 335 billion yen. The Oriental Land Company owns the park, and licenses intellectual proper ...
*
Epcot Epcot, stylized in all uppercase as EPCOT, is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division. Inspired by an unreal ...


California Adventure rides

*
List of Disney California Adventure attractions Disney California Adventure is a Disney theme park in Anaheim, California, adjacent to Disneyland and part of the larger Disneyland Resort. It opened on February 8, 2001. Here is a list of the current attractions found therein, arranged by "land ...
* List of former Disney California Adventure attractions *
Rail transport in Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Rail transport can be found in every theme park resort property owned or licensed by Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, one of the four business segments of the Walt Disney Company. The origins of Disney theme park rail transport can be t ...
*
List of amusement parks This page provides links to lists of amusement parks by region (below), and alphabetically beginning with the name of the park (right). By region ; Africa ; America ; Asia ; Oceania ; Europe {{Amusement Parks * Amusement parks ...


References


External links

* * {{Amusement parks in California 2001 establishments in California Amusement parks in California California culture Amusement parks opened in 2001