Disney's California Adventure
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Disney California Adventure is a
theme park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, and events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often fea ...
at the
Disneyland Resort The Disneyland Resort is an entertainment resort in Anaheim, California, United States. It is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company through its Disney Experiences, Experiences division and is home to two theme parks (Disneyland and Dis ...
in
Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orang ...
. It is owned and operated by
the Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...
through its
Experiences Experience refers to conscious events in general, more specifically to perceptions, or to the practical knowledge and familiarity that is produced by these processes. Understood as a conscious event in the widest sense, experience involves a subj ...
division. The park is themed after Disney's interpretation of
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, by the use of
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
,
Pixar Pixar (), doing business as Pixar Animation Studios, is an American animation studio based in Emeryville, California, known for its critically and commercially successful computer-animated feature films. Pixar is a subsidiary of Walt Disney ...
and
Marvel Marvel may refer to: Business * Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company ** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment ** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe ** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comics ...
properties. The park opened on February 8, 2001, and is the second of two theme parks built at the Disneyland Resort complex, after
Disneyland Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. 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, ...
. The concept of a theme park dedicated to California arose from a meeting of Disney executives in 1995, following the cancellation of WestCOT, a planned West Coast version of
Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort is an destination resort, entertainment resort complex located about southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Experiences, a division of the Wa ...
's EPCOT Center. 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, 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 and Cars Land along with the re-dedication of the park in June 2012. In 2023 the park hosted approximately 10 million guests, making it the 11th-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, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...
in the 1950s and functioned as the parking lot of
Disneyland Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. 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, ...
for over 40 years. After succeeding with the multi-park business model at
Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort is an destination resort, entertainment resort complex located about southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Experiences, a division of the Wa ...
resort 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, a west coast version of what was then known as EPCOT Center, 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 (now Disneyland Paris). Additionally, Disney president
Frank Wells Franklin G. Wells (March 4, 1932 – April 3, 1994) was an American businessman who served as President and Chief Operating Officer of The Walt Disney Company from 1984 until his death in 1994. Life and career Wells was born in Coronado, Califo ...
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 ...
, Disney's CEO at the time, gathered company executives in
Aspen, Colorado Aspen is the List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule city that is the county seat and the List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous municipality of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The city population ...
, 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 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 S. Pressler (born 1956) is an American business executive. He is currently the chairman of the board of directors of eBay. He has previously held executive positions at companies such as Gap, Inc., The Walt Disney Company, and was a partner ...
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, USA in Disneyland, a Disney's California Adventure Preview Center opened in October 1998. The park's construction was accompanied by Downtown Disney and Disney's Grand Californian Hotel, in addition to renovation of the Disneyland Hotel and the re-theming of the Disneyland Pacific Hotel into Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel (known today as Pixar Place 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'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' 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 and families, 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 at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. 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, ...
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 chef and restaurateur. Early life 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 of his stepfather, Jos ...
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'', then-
Walt Disney Imagineering Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development, Inc.—commonly referred to as Walt Disney Imagineering, Imagineering, or WDI—is the research and development arm of The Walt Disney Company, responsible for the creation, design, and construc ...
creative executive Kevin Rafferty described how he and other Imagineers felt about the original entrance 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 was brought to the park (where it ran until 2010) as well as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire – Play It!, and several of the park's original rides and attractions were closed, such as the stage show Disney's ''Steps in Time'' and the Superstar Limo ride, which were closed in 2001 and 2002, respectively. During the 2001 holiday season, '' Disney's LuminAria'' was presented on Paradise Bay. In October 2002, Flik's Fun Fair opened as part of the new A Bug's Land area, which added attractions for children, and in May 2004, ''The Twilight Zone'' Tower of Terror opened, with Who Wants to Be a Millionaire – Play It! closing in August 2004. The park also regularly featured seasonal promotions such as concert series, food festivals, and promotions for other Walt Disney Company franchises including the
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and ABC
soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...
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 Alan Iger (; born February 10, 1951) is an American media executive who is chief executive officer (CEO) of the Walt Disney Company. He previously was the president of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) between 1994 and 1995 and p ...
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 inspired by Disney and
Pixar Pixar (), doing business as Pixar Animation Studios, is an American animation studio based in Emeryville, California, known for its critically and commercially successful computer-animated feature films. Pixar is a subsidiary of Walt Disney ...
stories. The project began in December 2007 and was completed in stages. Toy Story Midway Mania! opened in Paradise Pier in June 2008, in space formerly occupied by a store and restaurants. '' World of Color'', nighttime water and lights show on Paradise Bay, opened in June 2010. That same year, the park also received a modified name; Disney California Adventure. The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure opened on the site formerly occupied by the '' Golden Dreams'' 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 changed from a giant postcard design into Buena Vista Street, a representation of Los Angeles as it appeared when Walt Disney moved there in the 1920s. The giant "California" letters in front of the turnstiles were removed and donated to Cal Expo 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, (such as Maliboomer), or re-themed to have more of a focus on Disney characters (such as Mickey's Fun Wheel, Goofy's Sky School, and Silly Symphony Swings). Cars Land, an area that recreates Radiator Springs from Pixar's ''
Cars A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people rather than cargo. There are around one billio ...
'' 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 commo ...
Radiator Springs Racers. Construction was completed in 2012 and the park was then re-dedicated on June 15, 2012. 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. In 2013, speaking on the attendance increase at Disney California Adventure, Jay Rasulo, then-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."


Subsequent updates

In 2015, the Condor Flats area of the park was re-themed into Grizzly Peak Airfield and was incorporated into the Grizzly Peak area. ''The Twilight Zone'' Tower of Terror closed in January 2017 and was replaced with ''Guardians of the Galaxy'' – Mission: Breakout!, which opened in summer of the same year. Pixar Pier, a re-theme of Paradise Pier, debuted in June 2018, with the area that includes Silly Symphony Swings, Jumpin' Jellyfish, Goofy's Sky School, Golden Zephyr and The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure becoming
Paradise Gardens Park 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 Pie ...
. In September 2018, A Bug's Land was removed to make room for
Avengers Campus Avengers Campus is a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)–themed area located at Disney California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris, and being developed for Hong Kong Disneyland under the name Stark Expo. The Marvel-t ...
. In addition, Jessie's Critter Carousel (a re-theme of King Triton's Carousel of the Sea) officially opened in Pixar Pier in April 2019, and A Bug's Land spinner ride Flik's Flyers was re-themed into Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind and relocated to Pixar Pier later that year at the former site of Maliboomer. Avengers Campus opened in 2021, with ''Guardians of the Galaxy'' – Mission: Breakout! then becoming part of it. San Fransokyo Square, a re-theme of the Pacific Wharf area, debuted in late August 2023.


COVID-19 pandemic closure in 2020, partial and full reopening in 2021

Disney California Adventure, along with the rest of the
Disneyland Resort The Disneyland Resort is an entertainment resort in Anaheim, California, United States. It is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company through its Disney Experiences, Experiences division and is home to two theme parks (Disneyland and Dis ...
, 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 and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. The park was scheduled to reopen alongside Disneyland Park 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 and eat 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 Health ...
that Disney California Adventure was allowed to reopen with capacity restrictions beginning April 1, 2021. Then-Disney CEO
Bob Chapek Robert Alan Chapek (born 1959) is an American businessman and former media executive who was the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Walt Disney Company from 2020 to 2022. He joined Masimo's board of directors in 2024. Before becoming CEO, Ch ...
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 Experiences, commonly known as Disney Parks, is one of the three major divisions of the Walt Disney Company. It was founded on April 1, 1971, exactly six months before the opening of the Walt Disney World, Walt Disney World Resort. Led ...
announced that both Disney California Adventure and Disneyland would officially reopen on April 30, 2021, with limited capacity and social distancing and 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 variant. In February 2022, face masks were made optional for guests who are fully vaccinated.


Park layout and attractions

Disney California Adventure is divided into nine themed lands; Buena Vista Street, Hollywood Land,
Avengers Campus Avengers Campus is a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)–themed area located at Disney California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris, and being developed for Hong Kong Disneyland under the name Stark Expo. The Marvel-t ...
, Cars Land, San Fransokyo Square, Performance Corridor, Pixar Pier,
Paradise Gardens Park 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 Pie ...
, and Grizzly Peak. File:Carthay Circle Theatre (28099409870).jpg, Buena Vista Street (Carthay Circle Restaurant decorated for the 60th anniversary celebration of Disneyland Park) File:Dca hollywood backlot.jpg, Hollywood Land (pictured in 2009) File:Disney California Adventure (51242016469).jpg,
Avengers Campus Avengers Campus is a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)–themed area located at Disney California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris, and being developed for Hong Kong Disneyland under the name Stark Expo. The Marvel-t ...
File:Radiator Springs Route 66.jpg, Cars Land File:San Fransokyo Square (May 2024).jpg, San Fransokyo Square File:Disneyland 2019 - 48857010606.jpg, Pixar Pier File:Disney California Adventure (51242353250).jpg, Paradise Gardens File:GrizzlypeakLeft fxwb.jpg, Grizzly Peak


Buena Vista Street

Buena Vista Street is the first area seen upon entering the park. It represents
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
in the 1920s, when
Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...
first arrived there. Similar to Main Street, USA in Disneyland Park, it has shops, restaurants, and a transportation system. Its central hub has entrances to Hollywood Land and Grizzly Peak. In the hub's center, also known as Carthay Circle, is a replica of the Carthay Circle Theater, where
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
's ''
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs "Snow White" is a German fairy tale, first written down in the early 19th century. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'', numbered as Tale 53. The original title was ''Sneewittch ...
'' debuted in 1937. Restaurants include Mortimer's Market, Trolley Treats, Clarabelle's Hand Scooped Ice Cream, Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Cafe, and Carthay Circle Restaurant. Main stores along the street include Oswald's, Five & Dime, Big Top Toys, Kingswell Camera Shop, and Elias & Co.


Hollywood Land

Hollywood Land 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, Stroud#Golden Val ...
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'' and the Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! attraction, a dark ride based on the characters from
Pixar Pixar (), doing business as Pixar Animation Studios, is an American animation studio based in Emeryville, California, known for its critically and commercially successful computer-animated feature films. Pixar is a subsidiary of Walt Disney ...
's 2001 film ''
Monsters, Inc. ''Monsters, Inc.'' (also known as ''Monsters, Incorporated'') is a 2001 American animated comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. Featuring the voices of John Goodman, Billy Crystal, Steve Buscemi, James Cobu ...
''. The land is also home to the 2000-seat Hyperion Theater. Disney Junior – Live on Stage! opened on March 25, 2011, in the Disney Theater. Its final day of performance was April 9, 2017. It was replaced by Disney Junior Dance Party, which opened on May 26, 2017, until the final performance on March 23, 2025. It was announced that was replaced by a new show, ''Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live!'', which will be open on May 16, 2025. Nearby Disney Theater is the Animation Building, which hosts Sorcerer's Workshop (a walk-through exhibit focused on basic animation), Animation Academy (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 Pavilion) at Epcot and later at ...
, 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 Sr. (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed List of Frank Lloyd Wright works, more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key ...
's Storer House, located in the
Hollywood Hills The Hollywood Hills is a residential neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. It borders Studio City, Universal City and Burbank on the north, Griffith Park on the north and east, Los Feliz on the southeast, Hollyw ...
area of Los Angeles. The stamped concrete structure is typical of Wright's pioneering design.


Avengers Campus

Avengers Campus Avengers Campus is a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)–themed area located at Disney California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris, and being developed for Hong Kong Disneyland under the name Stark Expo. The Marvel-t ...
is inspired by the
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
(MCU), featuring attractions based on characters originating from
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
appearing in MCU media. The area is anchored around an
Avengers Avenger(s) or The Avenger(s) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of "The Infinity Sag ...
campus located on the former restricted grounds of a California
Stark Industries Stark Industries, later also known as Stark International, Stark Innovations, Stark Enterprises and Stark Resilient, is a fictional multi-national conglomerate appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Frans Robe ...
and Strategic Scientific Reserve complex. Attractions and restaurants include ''Guardians of the Galaxy'' – Mission: Breakout!, Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure, and Pym Test Kitchen. The area's shops include WEB Suppliers, Avengers Vault, and The Collector's Warehouse.


Cars Land

Cars Land is a tribute to
Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) is one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The high ...
and is a recreation of the town of Radiator Springs from
Pixar Pixar (), doing business as Pixar Animation Studios, is an American animation studio based in Emeryville, California, known for its critically and commercially successful computer-animated feature films. Pixar is a subsidiary of Walt Disney ...
's ''
Cars A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people rather than cargo. There are around one billio ...
'' franchise on the town's big race day. The land spans and contains three attractions. The largest attraction, Radiator Springs Racers, is a dark ride that utilizes the technology of Test Track at Epcot. With a budget of an estimated US$200 million, Radiator Springs Racers 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. 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. The land includes several dining and shopping venues. The district serves as a connection between San Fransokyo Square, Hollywood Land, and
Avengers Campus Avengers Campus is a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)–themed area located at Disney California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris, and being developed for Hong Kong Disneyland under the name Stark Expo. The Marvel-t ...
. Starting in 2017, Cars Land receives Halloween decorations during Halloween Time at the
Disneyland Resort The Disneyland Resort is an entertainment resort in Anaheim, California, United States. It is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company through its Disney Experiences, Experiences division and is home to two theme parks (Disneyland and Dis ...
. Two attractions, Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters 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.


San Fransokyo Square

Located between Cars Land and Pixar Pier, San Fransokyo Square is a waterfront neighborhood inspired by California's fishing wharfs. San Fransokyo, as seen in Disney Animation's 2014 film '' Big Hero 6'', is a combination of
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
and
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
. The story of San Fransokyo Square is set after the events of the film, with the waterfront neighborhood holding a celebration in honor of the Big Hero 6 superhero team. Most of the signage in the area includes Japanese translations. The area's restaurants include Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop, Lucky Fortune Cookery, Aunt Cass Café ( Boudin Bakery), Rita's Turbine Blenders, Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill, and Port of San Fransokyo Cervecería ( Karl Strauss Brewing Company). The area's shops include San Fransokyo Maker's Market. San Fransokyo Square is also home to The Bakery Tour.


Performance Corridor

The Performance Corridor area hosts the park's parades and cavalcades, with most starting in
Paradise Gardens Park 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 Pie ...
and traveling north through the Performance Corridor towards Buena Vista Street. The Performance Corridor area hosts many of the Resort's seasonal and cultural celebrations throughout the year. Some of these celebrations include the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival in the spring, 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"). The area has no attractions, but several dining locations.


Pixar Pier

Pixar Pier is inspired by Victorian boardwalks that were once found along the coast of California. The area is themed after films produced by
Pixar Animation Studios Pixar (), doing business as Pixar Animation Studios, is an American animation studio based in Emeryville, California, known for its critically and commercially successful computer-animated feature films. Pixar is a subsidiary of Walt Disney S ...
, 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, Incredicoaster, Jessie's Critter Carousel, Games of Pixar Pier, Toy Story Midway Mania, 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 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 Pie ...
at both ends; its main entrance is via a bridge under a large Pixar Pier gateway.


Paradise Gardens Park

Paradise Gardens Park has direct entrances to Pixar Pier, San Fransokyo Square and Grizzly Peak. Paradise Gardens Park is the main viewing area for the World of Color water show. Paradise Garden's attractions include Goofy's Sky School, Silly Symphony Swings, Jumpin' Jellyfish, Golden Zephyr, and The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure.


Grizzly Peak

Grizzly Peak is themed around California's wilderness and national parks, with particular references to
Yosemite Yosemite National Park ( ) is a national park of the United States in California. It is bordered 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
Redwood Sequoioideae, commonly referred to as redwoods, is a subfamily of Pinophyta, coniferous trees within the family (biology), family Cupressaceae, that range in the Northern Hemisphere, northern hemisphere. It includes the List of superlative tree ...
national parks. Its main attraction is Grizzly River Run, 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, ...
-esque river rapids ride around the area's summit. Nearby is the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, a playground area with elements from Disney Animation's ''
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. It was directed by Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker and produced by Chuck Williams, f ...
'' (2003) and
Pixar Pixar (), doing business as Pixar Animation Studios, is an American animation studio based in Emeryville, California, known for its critically and commercially successful computer-animated feature films. Pixar is a subsidiary of Walt Disney ...
's ''Up'' (2009). It has an entrance exclusively accessible to guests of Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. Grizzly Peak Airfield 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''', which simulates a hang-glider tour of locations, landscapes and landmarks across six of the world's continents. The area also includes the Smokejumpers Grill restaurant, the shop Humphrey's Service & Supplies, and a decorative
fire lookout tower A fire lookout tower, fire tower, or lookout tower is a tower that 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 ...
.


Upcoming attractions

The park will receive two attractions for
Avengers Campus Avengers Campus is a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)–themed area located at Disney California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris, and being developed for Hong Kong Disneyland under the name Stark Expo. The Marvel-t ...
; Avengers Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab, as well as a ride based on
Pixar Pixar (), doing business as Pixar Animation Studios, is an American animation studio based in Emeryville, California, known for its critically and commercially successful computer-animated feature films. Pixar is a subsidiary of Walt Disney ...
's 2017 film ''
Coco Coco or variants may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Coco'' (2009 film), a French comedy film * ''Coco'' (2017 film), an American animated fantasy film * '' Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle'' (), a 2020 Japanese anime film ...
''. In addition, the park will receive an area inspired by
20th Century Studios 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
' 2022 film '' Avatar: The Way of Water'' and future ''
Avatar Avatar (, ; ) is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means . It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearance" is sometimes u ...
'' films.


Former areas


Sunshine Plaza

Sunshine Plaza was the first land guests would find after entering Disney California Adventure. It featured two 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 in 2012.


Bountiful Valley Farm

Bountiful Valley Farm was a themed area presented by
Caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder ...
. It featured farm equipment and various crops growing. 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.


Paradise Pier

Paradise Pier opened in 2001 with the park. It featured attractions such as California Screamin', Maliboomer, The Sun Wheel and King Triton's Carousel of the Sea. The land closed in 2018 and reopened as Pixar Pier.


A Bug's Land

A Bug's Land (stylized "a bug's land") was inspired by
Pixar Pixar (), doing business as Pixar Animation Studios, is an American animation studio based in Emeryville, California, known for its critically and commercially successful computer-animated feature films. Pixar is a subsidiary of Walt Disney ...
's 1998 film ''
A Bug's Life ''A Bug's Life'' (stylized in all lowercase) is a 1998 American animated comedy film directed by John Lasseter from a screenplay written by Andrew Stanton, Donald McEnery, and Bob Shaw, and a story conceived by Lasseter, Stanton, and Joe Ran ...
'', 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!'' was a 3D film based on Pixar's 1998 film ''A Bug's Life''. The attraction first opened with Disney's Animal Kingdom on April 22, 1998, seven months before ''A Bug's Life'' debuted in theaters, and was housed within t ...
'', 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 (MCU)–themed area located at Disney California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris, and being developed for Hong Kong Disneyland under the name Stark Expo. The Marvel-t ...
. When A Bug's Land closed in 2018, Flik's Flyers was re-themed into Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind, inspired by Pixar's 2015 film '' Inside Out'', and relocated to Pixar Pier.


Pacific Wharf

Located between Cars Land and Pixar Pier, Pacific Wharf was themed to resemble the old waterfront of
Monterey, California Monterey ( ; ) is a city situated on the southern edge of Monterey Bay, on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California. Located in Monterey County, California, Monterey County, the city occupies a land area of and recorded a popu ...
as a tribute to its fishing industry. Its attractions were The Bakery Tour and the Walt Disney Imagineering Blue Sky Cellar. This area was 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 Vendor, vendors and provides a common area for self-serve di ...
. In September 2022, it was announced that Pacific Wharf would be re-themed to San Fransokyo, a combination of
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
and
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, as seen in Disney Animation's 2014 film '' Big Hero 6''. In February 2023, it was announced that the name of the re-themed area would be San Fransokyo Square. The area debuted on August 31, 2023.


Alcohol policy

Unlike Disneyland Park (with the exception of Carnation Cafe in
Main Street, U.S.A. Main Street, USA 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, USA is themed to resemble American small towns during the early 20th centu ...
, River Belle Terrace in
Frontierland Frontierland is one of the "themed lands" at the many Disneyland-style parks run by The Walt Disney Company, Disney around the world. Themed to the American frontier of the 19th century, Frontierlands are home to cowboys and Settler, pioneers, ...
,
Club 33 Club 33 is the name of a number of private dining clubs located within Disney Parks. The first opened inside Disneyland in 1967, and was modeled after sponsor lounges at the 1964 New York World's Fair. At the time it opened, Club 33 was the on ...
,
Blue Bayou Restaurant Blue Bayou is a full-service chain of New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state o ...
and Café Orleans in
New Orleans Square New Orleans Square is a themed land found at Disneyland 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 $18 mi ...
, 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

Five and Dime is a traveling street show featuring Dime and her five band mates. They can be seen driving through Hollywood Land in their 1920s-style car and perform in Buena Vista Street on a stage in front of the Carthay Circle Restaurant, and '' World of Color'' is nighttime water and light show on Paradise Bay. During the holiday season, a holiday version of the show is offered. In addition, many Disney,
Pixar Pixar (), doing business as Pixar Animation Studios, is an American animation studio based in Emeryville, California, known for its critically and commercially successful computer-animated feature films. Pixar is a subsidiary of Walt Disney ...
, and
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
characters can be found in the park, greeting visitors.


Annual events

* The Lunar New Year Celebration (originally begun as the Happy Lunar New Year Celebration at
Disneyland Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. 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, ...
) is a festival first held at Disney California Adventure in 2013. The festival celebrates the Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean cultures, taking place in January and February. * The Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival, inaugurated in 2006, is an annual festival celebrating the cuisine, wine, and beer of California, taking place during spring. * Oogie Boogie Bash, a separately ticketed after hours Halloween event, began in 2019 and takes place on select nights in September and October. The event is named after the character Oogie Boogie from the 1993 film ''
The Nightmare Before Christmas ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (formerly known as ''Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas'') is a 1993 American stop motion Animation, animated Gothic film, gothic musical film, musical fantasy film directed by Henry Selick in his f ...
''. * 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.


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 caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, no rankings were done for the year.


See also

*
List of Disney theme park attractions The following table shows most of the attractions found in all of the Disney Experiences around the world. Key: A – C D – F G – I J – L M – O P – S T – Z See also *List of Disney attractions using ...
* List of Disney attractions that were never built * List of incidents at Disneyland Resort


Similar Disney parks

* Epcot *
Disney's Hollywood Studios Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. It is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division. Based on a concept by Marty Sklar, Randy Br ...
*
Disney's Animal Kingdom Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park is a zoological theme park at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. Owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division, it is the largest theme park in the worl ...
*
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 prope ...
*
Walt Disney Studios Park Walt Disney Studios Park ( French: ''Parc Walt Disney Studios'') is the second of two theme parks built at Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallée, France. The park opened on 16 March 2002, and it is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company t ...


California Adventure rides

* List of Disney California Adventure attractions * List of former Disney California Adventure attractions *
Rail transport in Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Rail transport can be found in every amusement park, theme park resort property owned or licensed by Disney Experiences, one of the three business segments of the The Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney Company. The origins of Disney theme park r ...
* List of amusement parks


References


External links

* * {{Authority control 2001 establishments in California Amusement parks in California California culture Amusement parks opened in 2001 Disneyland Resort