Disneys California Adventure Park

2 April 2022 by Steve Bell Leave a Comment

Disney’s California Adventure

Disney’s California Adventure (DCA) is the newer of the two Disneyland theme parks. It opened on 8 February 2001, while the original Disneyland Park opened on 17 July 1955. DCA received a major makeover plus the addition of the new Cars Land in 2012, in 2017-2018 Paradise Pier was transformed into Pixar Pier, and most recently A Bug’s Land closed in September of 20218 and was transformed into the Avenger’s Campus which opened 4 June 2021.

Disney says, “California Adventure is a theme park that celebrates California. When you enter you are transported to the land of promise, opportunity and glamour. Disney California Adventure is a journey from the California of yesterday to the California of today and a tribute to this land of dreams.”

In this Overview I use the following Shortcuts:

Attractions

Height Restrictions – Some of the more thrilling attractions have height restrictions. If children are shorter than the set limit, they cannot experience the attraction. Disney will not bend on these restrictions as they are for safety purposes; in many cases they have to do with the attraction seating and associated restraint capability. In some cases just because your child is tall enough to ride, doesn’t mean they are mature enough.

Attractions with height restrictions will be designated like this: (H33) the H designates height restriction and the following number designates how many inches tall you must be in order to ride. In this example (H33) you must be 33 inches tall to ride. Cast members will measure those in question.

Disney Lightning Lane Passes

Attractions that participate in Walt Disney World’s pay to skip the line system will be designated like this:

• Lightning Lane Multi Pass eligible attractions will be indicated by (LL Multi)
• Lightning Lane Single Pass eligible attractions will be indicated by (LL Single)

Read more about Lightning Land Multi and Single Passes here.

Food

I’ll give a brief overview of the type of food available at each restaurant as well as the type of restaurant (table service, etc.), meals served, and average cost.

Restaurant types consist of counter service, grab-and-go, table service and some buffet restaurants. At least one table service restaurant in each park offers a character meal.

Look for these keys to the rough cost of restaurants and the meals they offer:

$ = Less than $15 per adult
$$ = $15 – $30 per adult
$$$ = $30 – $60 per adult
$$$$ = over $60 per adult
B = Breakfast
L = Lunch
D = Dinner
S = Snack

Meal Abbreviations:

B – Breakfast
L – Lunch
D – Dinner
S – Snacks

See my Disneyland Theme Parks Overview for information that in more general in nature and applies to both of the theme parks and my Disneyland Park Page.

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Arrival

Those who are used to the huge size of Walt Disney World in Florida will find the Disneyland Resort to be small and compact. Where all of Florida’s various locations are spread out and most drives between venues are 15 minutes long, Disneyland’s locations are all right next to each other, within walking distance.

Disney’s California Adventure and the Disneyland Park are just steps from each other; their entrance gates are just 278 feet apart! They are separated by a common area called the Esplanade. Disneyland is on the north side of the Esplanade and California Adventure to the south.

The Esplanade contains Ticket Sales Booths and by each park entrance stroller and scooter rental, locker rental, and restrooms.

The whole Disneyland Resort is bracketed by South Walnut Street on the west and South Harbor Boulevard on the east. The Esplanade is adjacent to S. Harbor Blvd on the east, while the west end of the Esplanade connects to the Downtown Disney entertainment district. Downtown Disney then extends further west part the Grand Californian Resort and Spa all the way to the Disneyland Hotel. Disneyland Drive runs north/south through the property and goes under Downtown Disney.

On-property guests will all walk to California Adventure from their Disney hotels. The walking routes to the mai entrance from the hotels all feed into Downtown Disney which then leads to the Esplanade.

There are two entrances to California Adventure, the Main Entrance from the Esplanade and the Grand Californian Hotel entrance.

The Grand Californian Hotel entrance is an entrance exclusively for those guests staying at Disney’s Hotels. It is located towards the rear of the Hotel and enters the park in the Grizzly Peak area near Grizzly River Run.

Guests from all Disney Hotels may follow the signs to the rear of the Grand Californian, where they will go through a security check and then enter the park. The line here is much shorter than you will experience at the front entrance and a valid hotel key is required.

All other, non-Disney Hotel guests will enter at the Main Entrance.

Most off-property guests who are walking or taking hotel shuttles will enter the Esplanade from the east. There are only a couple hotels from which you’d walk from the west side.

Guests driving their personal vehicles will park in one of Disneyland’s parking structures and take the tram which drops them off at the Esplanade end of Disney Springs or they can walk and enter Disney Springs from the west.

Disney California Adventure has a slightly different physical arrangement than the typical Disney theme park, such as Disneyland, Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, or Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

The main entrance deposits you at the north end of Buena Vista Street, you’ll follow the street south to Carthay Circle where to the left you’ll find a street leading to Hollywood Land and to the right one to Grizzly Peak.

When you proceed straight across the circle you will find a road that runs through Performance Corridor and slowly curves to the right around Grizzly Peak on its way to the rear of the park. This walkway leads to the remaining Lands. Along the left side you will find the Avengers Canpus, Cars Land, San Fransokyo Square, and Pixar Pier. Then Paradise Gardens Park will be straight ahead. All the Lands are interconnected off of this main road/walkway as well.

Main Entrance

As noted above, the main entrance to California Adventure is from the Esplanade, and the majority of guests enter here.

After passing through the entrance turnstiles, you will be at the beginning of Buena Vista Street, which is the gateway to the rest of the park.

Alternate Entrances

Disney California Adventure has two alternate entrances, both connected to Disney’s on-property hotels.

The first and most popular is the Grand Californian Hotel entrance, which provides direct access into the Grizzly Peakarea near Grizzly River Run. This entrance is available exclusively to guests staying at one of the three official Disneyland Resort hotels. It’s a beautifully themed entryway surrounded by pines and rockwork, leading straight into the park’s natural heart.

Guests must present a valid hotel room key and park admission to use this gate. Security screening takes place just outside the entrance, and lines here are typically much shorter than those at the park’s main entrance — especially in the morning.

The Pixar Place Hotel entrance, located near Goofy’s Sky School in the Pixar Pier area, will permanently close on January 1, 2026. After that date, Pixar Place guests will need to walk through the Grand Californian Hotel and use its Grizzly Peak entrance instead. This change will likely make the Grizzly Peak security line somewhat busier beginning in early 2026.

Guests staying at any of the Disneyland Resort hotels should follow directional signage to the rear of Disney’s Grand Californian to reach this entrance.

Security

Bag Check… Bag Check…… Bag Check!

All Disneyland Resort common areas are within the security zone, that’s: both theme parks, the Esplanade and Downtown Disney. All guests entering Downtown Disney and Disney’s parks will have to pass through a bag check area prior to entering. All bags, purses, backpacks, camera bags, coolers, etc. must be opened for a visual inspection by Disneyland Security.

Security checkpoints have the old-fashioned metal detectors, requiring you to take metal items out of your pockets and a physical bag check.

Security checkpoints are located at:

• On the east side of the Esplanade (central area between the parks) (right below)
• 3 on the west side of Downtown Disney between DTD and the Disneyland Hotel (left bottom corner)
• At the entrance to Downtown Disney from the Grand Californian Hotel (middle top)
• At the entrance to Disney California Adventure from the Grand Californian Hotel (middle middle)
• At the entrance to Disney California Adventure from the Pixar Place Hotel (middle bottom)
• At the parking structure before boarding the tram (top left)

Guests without bags (and strollers) line(s) are available at all but the small hotel entrance. Those in your party without bags should use this line to quickly get through and make the lines for those with bags shorter, getting everyone through faster.

For those with bags and strollers going through the normal lines, have bags out of their stowed location on the stroller. Please have all pockets on your bag open prior to reaching the Security Cast Member to speed things up and keep the line moving.

See my Full Disneyland Security Post with Tips!

Disney California Adventure Park Layout

Disney California Adventure uses a more open, campus-style layout compared to the classic hub-and-spoke design of Disneyland. Buena Vista Street serves as the entrance land, leading into Carthay Circle, which functions as a loose central hub that distributes guests into multiple directions rather than a single circular pathway.

Disney California Adventure is composed of:

• Buena Vista Street – The entrance land of the park. Carthay Circle serves as the park’s central intersection and visual focal point as guests move deeper into the park.

Lands connected directly to Buena Vista Street at Carthay Circle:

• Hollywood Land – Connects to Buena Vista Street and Avengers Campus
• Grizzly Peak – Connects to Buena Vista Street, Performance Corridor, Pixar Pier, and Paradise Gardens Park

Primary connector and central circulation areas:

• Performance Corridor – The main internal walkway linking Carthay Circle to the western and waterfront lands, connecting to Avengers Campus, Cars Land, San Fransokyo Square, Pixar Pier, Paradise Gardens Park, and Grizzly Peak

Lands further into the park and not directly connected to Buena Vista Street:

• Avengers Campus – Connects to Hollywood Land, Performance Corridor, and Cars Land
• Cars Land – Connects to Avengers Campus, Performance Corridor, and San Fransokyo Square
• San Fransokyo Square – Connects to Cars Land, Performance Corridor, Pixar Pier, and Paradise Gardens Park
• Pixar Pier – Connects to San Fransokyo Square, Paradise Gardens Park, Grizzly Peak, and Performance Corridor
• Paradise Gardens Park – Connects to Pixar Pier, San Fransokyo Square, Performance Corridor, and Grizzly Peak

Buena Vista Street

Buena Vista Street is a salute to 1920s and 30s Los Angeles, around the time that Walt Disney arrived in California.

Carthay Circle at the end of the block features a beautiful fountain and a replica of the Carthay Circle Theater, where the premiere of “Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs” was held in 1937.

Buena Vista Street consists mainly of shopping and dining locations, with no real attractions other than the trolley car to Hollywood Land.

Attractions

None

Dining

Mortimer’s Market – S $ – Fresh fruit, bottled water and soft drinks.

Clarabelle’s Hand-Scooped Ice Cream – S $ – Counter Service – Mobile Order – Serves Dreyer’s ice cream, including bars dipped in milk or dark chocolate that you can finish with sprinkles, pop rocks or other fun toppings.  Sundaes and other frozen treats are also available.

Fiddler Fifer and Practical Café BLDS $ – Counter Service – Enjoy Starbuck’s coffee, espresso, blended beverages, breakfast items and pastries plus other signature sandwiches, soups and desserts.

Carthay Circle Restaurant LD $$$ – Table Service – The menu focuses on seasonal products and the diverse flavors found in Southern California. For example, lunch offerings such as crispy firecracker duck wings or angus flank steak cobb salad.  Dinner featuring Colorado rack of lamb or grilled Jamaican jerked kingfish. Menus change seasonally. Reservations are recommended.

Food and drinks are also available in the collocated Carthay Circle Lounge.

Shopping

Julius Katz & Sons – The Katz family store features gadgets and home decor.

Big Top Toys – Toys, games and plush characters.

Oswald’s – Road-trip essentials, including autograph books, hats, bags, antenna toppers, key chains and travel mugs.

Los Feliz Five & Dime – Features collections of clothing and other souvenirs inspired by railways and trolleys as well as character merchandise featuring Mickey and friends in retro styling.

Elias & Co. – The biggest store on Buena Vista Street, Elias and Company pays tribute to the fancy department stores of yesteryear. Clothing and other merchandise featuring retro-style attraction poster art, plus a selection of men’s period fedoras and executive-style accessories.

Kingswell Camera Shop – Camera supplies as well as being the place to check out your PhotoPass pictures.

Atwater Ink & Paint – Disney items for the home.

Trolley Treats – Trolley Treats features taffy, caramel apples, dipped strawberries, fudge, toffee and other handmade temptations, plus a working candy kitchen.

Hollywood Land

Hollywood Land is a tribute to Hollywood past and present. Classic architecture sets the tone and transports you to Hollywood’s Golden Age.

Attractions

Disney Junior Dance Party – A “musically infused, interactive concert.” The show features characters from the Disney Channel’s “Mickey and the Roadster Racers,” “Doc McStuffins,” “Sofia the First,” and “The Lion Guard.”

Anna and Elsa’s Royal Welcome (Genie+) – The only place in Disneyland Resort to meet the ladies of Arendelle, Queen Elsa and Princess Anna. Genie+ for this attraction is not “connected” to the rest of the system, meaning you can have a Genie+ reservation here on top of your regular use and it does not count against you.

Mickey’s PhilharMagic – This is a 3D movie experience, featuring Donald Duck hijacking Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Hat. Grab your 3D glasses and enter the theatre where the gang is preparing for a show. During the setup Donald unwisely tries to use Mickey’s hat. A whirlwind adventure through several of the best loved Disney movies ensues until Mickey saves the day. One of our family favorites.

Disney Animatioon

• Animation Academy – Venture inside the Magic Mirror Realm, where hands-on exhibitions reveal the “tricks” of the animators’ art, turning still images into the illusion of motion. You can even draw on your imagination—planning, sketching and animating your very own scene.
• Turtle Talk with Crush – This interactive show with everybody’s favorite turtle from Finding Nemo, who appears on the screen to look at all “the humans in the human tank”. Through some amazing technology, Crush is able to interact with the children in the audience
• Sorcerer’s Workshop –

Monsters Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! (Genie+) – This is a slow moving, dark ride and fun for all ages. Take a ride through Monstropolis, where you will see various scenes from the movie including Harry Hausen’s restaurant, and watch as Mike and Sulley try to return Boo to her home.

Dining

Award Wieners – LD $ – Counter Service – Mobile Order – Hot dogs and gourmet sausages.

Fairfax Market – S $ – Fresh fruit, healthy vegetables with dip, deli-style sandwiches, Strawberries with dipping sauce, trail mix, dill pickles and cold beverages.

Hollywood Lounge – S $ – Counter Service – Mobile Order – a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

Schmoozies – S $ – Mobile Order – Fresh Fruit Smoothies!

Studio Catering Co. S $ – Counter Service – Sandwiches, salads, chips and cold beverages.  Open seasonally.

Shopping

Gone Hollywood – This Art Deco-themed shop features Star Wars and Marvel merchandise.

Tower Hotel Gifts – Tower of Terror merchandise.

Off the Page – Features Disney collectibles, animation cels, limited edition prints, books, tapes, DVDs, and other souvenirs. The fun décor is worth a visit. On the ceiling are sketches with the characters literally falling “off the page.”

Studio Store – This shop features Frozen and other merchandise.

Avengers Campus

At Avengers Campus, you’ll enter the campus of your favorite superhero team. Marvel character meet-and-greets and rooftop shows are plentiful here. Experience high-tech Avenger theming and even a Quinjet on the roof of Avengers Headquarters.

Attractions

Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! (LL Multi) – Deep inside his fortress-like collection, the mysterious Taneleer Tivan (aka The Collector) is displaying his newest acquisitions, the Guardians of the Galaxy. They are trapped in customized display cases, suspended over a vast abyss. Unbeknownst to their unscrupulous captor, the intrepid Rocket has escaped and is enlisting the Collector’s VIP guests for help. Guests board a gantry lift, which launches them into a chaotic and hilarious adventure as they join Rocket in an attempt to break his fellow Guardians out of captivity.

WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure  (LL Multi) – Embark on an action-packed adventure alongside the amazing Spider-Man! When Peter Parker’s helpful but otherwise buggy Spider-Bots get stuck in replication mode and escape from a WEB Workshop, Spider-Man must stop the rampaging robots before they wreak total techno-havoc across Avengers Campus. Hop aboard a WEB Slinger vehicle and help weave a frenzied web to trap these friendly neighborhood sidekicks in true Spidey style. It’s up to you to unleash your inner hero and save the Campus from complete chaos!

Dining

Pym Test Kitchen – BLD $ – Counter Service – Mobile Order – Pasta, sandwiches, pretzels, cream puffs, cocktails. All entrees here are cleverly crafted to look like they have been shrunk or enlarged as Dr. Pym was the inventor of Ant Man’s technology.

Pym Tasting Lab – S $ – Counter Service – Mobile Order – Craft beers and cocktails themed to Marvel’s universe. Snacks, such as mini pretzels, peanuts, and popcorn are also available.

Shawarma Palace -S $ – Food cart serving shawarmas.

Terran Treats – S $ – Churro spirals and cosmic orbs are just a few curious concoctions that Terrans—like you—are invited to try at this funky food cart.

Shopping

Campus Supply Pod – Official Avengers Campus gear!

Collector’s Warehouse -Cosmic keepsakes and Super Hero-themed souvenirs.

WEB Suppliers – Join the next generation of Super Heroes with groundbreaking, tech-centric gear from WEB.

Cars Land

Enter Cars Land and Radiator Springs to spend time with all your favorites from the Cars movies. The atmosphere is just like the movies, with buildings designed for cars.

Attractions

Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters – Luigi’s tire yard has turned into a dance floor and guests can ride along with Luigi’s cousins.  Each vehicle has a distinct personality and signature dance moves, making each ride different from the last.

Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree – This ride is a tractor-pulling square dance hosted by Mater.  Guests will be pulled along in trailers as they swing to music by Mater.

Radiator Springs Racers (H40) (LL Single) – Six-passenger vehicles will go on a fast-paced adventure through Radiator Springs and see all of its famous residents.  The ride concludes with a side-by-side race to the finish line.

Dining

Cozy Cones BLD $ – Counter Service – Serves cone-themed snacks.  Offers churro or pretzel bites, soft serve ice cream, “route” beer floats, flavored popcorn, plus edible bread cones filled with bacon and scrambled eggs for breakfast and chicken verde, chili “cone” queso, or bacon mac n’ cheese for lunch and dinner.

Fillmore’s Taste-In S $ – Counter Service – Enjoy fresh fruit, bottled water, juices and soft drinks.

Flo’s V8 Cafe BLD $$ – Counter Service – Mobile Order – Features food inspired by cafes along Route 66. Flo serves comfort food including hot sandwiches, rotisserie chicken, and BBQ pork ribs with Coca Cola BBQ.

Shopping

Sarge’s Surplus Hut – A wide selection of merchandise featuring Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater, kids clothing, costumes, hats toys and plush toys.

Ramone’s House of Body Art – Features clothing and accessories to help you hit the road in style.

Radiator Springs Curios – Features souvenirs for the road: “Cars” themed pins and vinylmation, plus antenna toppers, window clings, license plate frames and magnets.

San Fransokyo Square

In San Fransokyo, you’ll step into a vibrant, diverse locale full of neighborhood restaurants and small businesses—home to Big Hero 6!

Honestly, the new vibe here is annoying! The outdoor dining area is flooded with too loud techno/Japanese music.

This mostly fast-food dining area/outdoor food court was formerly called Pacific Warf.

Attractions

Bakery Tour – See how San Francisco’s famous Boudin sourdough bread is made fresh here at California Adventure. Bread is baked daily, and guests can taste a sample at the beginning of the tour. The bread is used for Disneyland Resort’s bread bowl soups and guests can purchase loaves.

Dining

Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill – LD $$ – Counter Service – Mobile Order – Serves a mix of Californian and Mexican cuisine, featuring chicken and carne asada tacos, carnitas, burritos, nachos, and salads.

Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop – S $ – Counter Service – Satisfy your sweet tooth for hot fudge sundaes and other ice cream specialties at the soda fountain or take home some famous Ghirardelli Squares from the chocolate shop.

Lucky Fortune Cookery – LD $ – Counter Service – Mobile Order – Features chicken, beef, and tofu rice bowls including a selection of sauces.

Port of San Fransokyo Cervecería – S $ – Mobile Order – Beer and snacks.

Rita Baja Blenders S $ – Mobile Order – Frozen margaritas in strawberry or lemon-lime.

Aunt Cass Café – BLD $ – Counter Service – Mobile Order – Choose from a healthy variety of food, including fresh-baked bread, fresh garden salads, soups in a bread bowl, and other baked goods.

Shopping

San Fransokyo Maker’s Market – Discover a glorified salvage yard filled with defeated bots from the previous evening’s matches in Good Luck Alley. Situated on an array of cases used for robot storage, many familiar bots can be found from the Disney feature film and cartoon series, Big Hero 6.

Pan-Pacific Pin Traders – Shop, trade and explore at this pin-credible port of call.

Performance Corridor

This newly named Performance Corridor was formerly part of Pacific Warf, and runs from the circle at the end of Buena Vista Street to Paradise Pier Gardens with Avengers Campus, Cars Land, and San Fransokyo Square on the left.

The area only contains a large building, The Golden Vine Winery, with multiple dining locations and a DVC welcome center. It is mainly just a walkway.

The Golden Vine Winery – LD $$$ – Table and Counter Service – The Golden Vine Winery features four separate areas: Wine Country Trattoria, Mendocino Terrace, Sonoma Terrace, and Alfresco Tasting Terrace.

• Wine Country Trattoria – Italian food is served inside the dining room or out on the terrace for lunch or dinner. Delicious Italian cuisine featuring lasagna, pastas, grilled sandwiches, and soups. The terrace overlooks the Pacific Wharf and Paradise Pier areas. Priority Seating is available. Reservations can be made by calling 714-781-DINE. Walk-ups are not permitted.
• Mendocino Terrace – Wine sampling that’s overseen by a wine expert. You can buy wine by the glass or bottle and enjoy your selection at the counter or under the shady trees of the plaza. The experts are there to answer your questions about the products offered.
• Sonoma Terrace – Mobile Order – Sample a diverse selection of craft beer, plus enjoy gourmet meat and cheese plates.
• Magic Key Terrace, sadly, the Alfresco Tasting Terrace (my favorite spot in California Adventure to relax in the shade and sip a great wine) is no more. Disney decided to turn it into a passholder-only venue. BOO Disney!

 

Pixar Pier

At Pixar Pier, discover a whimsical boardwalk where Pixar Stories and characters come to life!

Attractions

Games of the Pixar Pier – A midway-type area filled with old-fashioned games of luck, chance, and skill. There is a separate charge to play any of the midway games, usually $2.50 per game. Prizes are awarded.

Incredicoaster (H48) (LL Multi) – Go from 0 to 55 miles per hour in 4.7 seconds. Swoop, swirl, dip, and curl in and around Pixar Pier with the epic Parr family. This awesome ride will take you through twists and turns, with a 108-foot drop and an upside-down loop!

Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind – “Balloon” ride with suspended “baskets” that swing around a central axis. The theme is Riley’s emotions (Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger) from Disney-Pixar’s Inside Out.

Jessie’s Critter Carousel – Jessie the yodeling cowgirl invites you for a rootin’ tootin’ spin on Jessie’s Critter Carousel. Saddle up on one of 56 adorable friends, choosing from a turtle, snake, buzzard, armadillo, bunny, deer, raccoon, ram, skunk and two cozy logs inhabited by a family of owls.

Pixar Pal-A-Round swinging gondolas – A new take on the Ferris wheel. It offers spectacular views of the park. There are two types of gondolas and two separate lines. The stationary gondolas do not rock, the swinging gondolas slide around on a circular track and rock back and forth as the wheel spins. Each of the gondolas—swinging and non-swinging—is delightfully decorated with the image of a different Disney Pixar movie character.

Toy Story Midway Mania (LL Multi) – Try to get the most points on this 4D shootin’ arcade ride. The targets and weapons vary, from rings to darts to baseballs.

Dining

Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats – S $ – Soft Serve and frozen parfait.

Angry Dogs – S $ – Hot Dogs.

Jack Jack Cookie Num Nums – S $ – Cookies and milk.

Lamplight Lounge LD $$ – Table Service – The upstairs lounge offers appetizers and drinks, with shareable menu options including potato skins, tuna poke, carne asada rolls, and the ultimate Guest-favorite, lobster nachos. The downstairs dining area offers spinach salad, salmon PLT (pancetta, lettuce, and tomato), chicken sandwich, cheddar burger, or savory ratatouille. Reservations Highly Suggested!

Poultry Place – S $ – Turkey legs, chicken legs, and corn

Señor Buzz Churros – S $ – Churros

Shopping

Knick’s Knacks – A variety of Pixar merchandise

Paradise Gardens Park

Paradise Gardens Park is Disney’s tribute to the carnivals, amusement parks, and boardwalks of old. Plenty of old-fashioned fun.

Attractions

Golden Zephyr – Takes you for a spin over Paradise Bay. The metallic spaceship-looking ride vehicles were inspired by classic sci-fi stories such as Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon.

Goofy’s Sky School (H42) (LL Multi) – Inspired by the 1940 cartoon short, “Goofy’s Glider”, this reimagined coaster follows Goofy’s attempts to teach a group of novice pilots how to fly.

Jumpin’ Jellyfish (H40) – Head “under the sea” and float like a jellyfish on this kid-friendly parachute ride. You’ll soar 40 feet in the air and float back down through the colorful kelp garden.

The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure – Ride in your own clamshell to follow Ariel and her friends through the scenes of the Little Mermaid. After getting into your 2+ person clamshell you’ll descend under the sea in this recreation of the new classic Disney movie. You’ll hear all the famous songs too. As the ride nears the end you’ll surface and see Ariel.

Silly Symphony Swings (H40) – A classic carnival ride, the swings spin around in a circle as you swing outward.

Dining

Bayside Brews – S$ – Mobile Order – Pretzels, draft beer and drinks

Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta – LD $ – Counter Service – Flatbread pizzas, pasta, and freshly-tossed salads.

Corn Dog Castle – S$ – Counter Service – Mobile Order – Regular and spicy corn dogs, cheese sticks, drinks.

Paradise Garden Grill – LD $ – Counter Service – Mobile Order – Features Mediterranean-inspired skewers with various sauces plus classic Greek salads.

Shopping

Seaside Souvenirs – Hats, pins, World of Color merchandise

Grizzly Peak

Grizzly Peak resembles a Northern Californian gold mining operation. The centerpiece of this section is Grizzly Peak, a 110-foot-high bear shaped mountain that is home to the Grizzly River Run attraction.

Attractions

Grizzly River Run (H42) (LL Multi) – Grizzly River Run is a white-water raft ride.  The six-passenger rafts start with a 45-foot high climb up Grizzly Peak. There are two drops, the final one being the Grizzly-Go-Round. Guests drop 22 feet, while the raft spins 360º. Large amounts of water can come into the raft!!! There is an elevated foot rail to keep your feet off the floor. Count on someone in the raft (not everyone) getting very, very wet!

Redwood Creek Challenge Trail – This is a huge children’s play area set in the California redwoods. There are plenty of fun things for kids to do along the trail. (H42 for the Rock Climb and zip-line)

Soarin’ Around The World (H40) (LL Multi) – Fly over scenic world destinations on this hang-glider simulator. Each section of this huge simulator has three long rows of seats. You will strap into your seat and then be lifted up into the air where you will be suspended in front of a huge wide screen upon which the flyover scenes are displayed. Try to notice the scents that accompany many of the scenes! Your seat will move and sway in tune with the video to strengthen the feeling of flying.

See my post about US Air Force aircraft parts used in attractions like Soarin’

Dining

Smokejumpers Grill – BLDS $$ – Counter Service – Mobile Order – Features top-your-own burgers, fries, ribs, grilled chicken sandwiches, salad, onion rings.

Shopping

Rushin’ River Outfitters – Features clothing, postcards, maps, books, and outdoor-related souvenirs. You can buy ponchos here to keep dry on the Grizzly River Run.

Humphrey’s Service & Supplies – Clothing and hats for kids, plus Smokey Bear and other forest-related merchandise.

California Adventure Entertainment

Nighttime Shows

World of Color – “Mixed Media” (water projected images, lasers, lighting effects, and fireworks) set in time to music make this an awesome show. This is another good vs. evil storyline featuring many of your favorite Disney characters. Depending on the wind, those standing up close could get wet from the water mist used for projections.

Parades

Currently no parades at California Adventure.

Final thoughts on Disney’s California Adventure

Disney’s California Adventure has made great strides in recent years with new attractions and lands, and now rivals the original park in the breadth of things to experience.

More on Disneyland’s Theme Parks:

• Disneyland Resort’s Theme Parks Overview
• Disneyland Park

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