“To all who believe in the power of dreams…welcome. Here we pay tribute to the dreamers of the past…the native people, explorers, immigrants, aviators, entrepreneurs and entertainers who built the Golden State. And we salute a new generation of dreamers who are creating the wonders of tomorrow…from the silver screen to the computer screen…from the fertile farmlands to the far reaches of space. Disney’s California Adventure celebrates the richness and the diversity of California…its land, its people, its spirit and, above all, the dreams that it continues to inspire.”
— Michael Eisner, February 8, 2001
(Feb. 8, 2001 —Present) BACKSTORY: 55-acre theme park built to make the Disney property into a greater multi-day vacation resort destination, keeping guests on-site for longer periods of time (like WDW). Construction began in 1998 and included the new theme park, the Grand Californian Hotel, Downtown Disney (an outdoor shopping, dining, & entertainment area) and the renovation of the Disneyland Hotel and the Paradise Pier Hotel. DCA occupies the site of the former 5000 space parking lot; parking is now provided in the multi-level “Mickey & Friends” parking structure, with space for 10,000+ vehicles. It is often joked that the parking lot was more profitable than DCA. The park was challenged from day one, when the state was experiencing horrible brown-outs. Much of the failure of DCA is due to last-minute cost cutting, too-few attractions, and in comparison to Disneyland, poor design/layout of the park. According to Bob Iger, the company is committed to turning DCA around and is already in the process of adding more attractions and redesigning troublesome areas in the park. Attendance has slowly increased over the last few years.
Sunshine Plaza, Hollywood Pictures Backlot, The Golden State, A Bug’s Land, Grizzly Peak, Condor Flats, and Paradise Pier are the 7 areas that recreate various aspects about California, its culture, landmarks and history. Often referred to by its initials, DCA has a different line-up of attractions from Disneyland, including some family-friendly rides as well as an emphasis on adult oriented thrill rides. Alcohol is served in various DCA locations. |
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