Over the course of four decades, the Disney theme park brand has grown far beyond its origins in Anaheim, CA. Disney World, in Orlando, FL, is a virtual nation-state, with the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios, and Animal Kingdom, plus other attractions. After its controversial opening, Disneyland Paris has settled in and now draws crowds from all over the continent. There's Disney park in Japan, with another set to open later this year. A Hong Kong venue is scheduled to open later this decade. It's an astonishing achievement, given the fact that doomsayers predicted the imminent demise of Disneyland after its rocky opening in the late 50s.
But over the years, as Disney became the premier name in themed entertainment, Disneyland got a little bit lost in the shuffle. Although the park has evolved over the years, its location, on a relatively small parcel of land in the middle of the urban sprawl that is Anaheim, prevented attempts at significant expansion. Even as Disney World grew at an exponential pace and Disney parks opened in Asia and Europe, Disneyland remained what it always was, I well-executed theme park, fun for families and suitable for day-trippers. Disneyland was venerable, the place that started it all, but the real pizzazz was to be found elsewhere.
However, that may have changed this spring when the Disney Organization opened a new gate adjacent to Disneyland, known as Disney's California Adventure. If you think you know what to expect from a Disney theme park-well, forget it. Disneyland celebrates the extensive stable of Disney characters. California Adventure plays down Mickey and Minnie to create its own set of myths. Disneyland is designed to bring out the child in each attendee. California Adventure is aimed at the eternal adolescent in us. It's a smarter, funnier sort of park, more aware, more self-referential. With the addition of a Downtown Disney restaurant-and-retail complex, Disneyland has been transformed into a two or three-day destination that is capable of attracting adults as well as kids and families.
As the title suggests, Disney's California Adventure celebrates the history of the state, its many communities and cultures. Guests pass through the Golden Gateway, designed after San Francisco's famous bridge, into a park divided into three main areas. Golden State pays tribute to the immigrants who settled California; subdivisions includes Pacific Wharf, inspired by Monterey; Bay Area, dominated by a replica of San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts; Bountiful Valley Farm, which celebrates the state's agricultural history; and Condor Flats, which recalls the state's aerial pioneers. Condor Flats also features the ride Soarin' Over California, in which guests are virtually thrust into the center of an IMAX screen for a bird's-eye tour of the state's topography.
Hollywood Pictures Backlot takes guests through a replica of D.W. Griffith's Babylon set for Intolerance and down a re-imagined Hollywood Boulevard, where they learn about the art of animation, snack on "Academy Award Wieners in a Supporting Roll," encounter the Muppets in 3D, take a spin on the Superstar Limo dark ride, and catch a show at the Hyperion Theatre, said to be the first legitimate theatre ever designed for a theme park. (Check out entertainmentdesignmag.com for stories about two other dining venues here, Soap Opera Bistro and Hollywood and Dine).
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