Tuesday, February 8, 2011

California Adventure's 10th Anniversary....Who Cares?

Well, Disney's California Adventure turned 10 today. Does anyone care? Disney didn't seem to. Let me start by saying that I have been to Disneyland on it's 26th, 30th, 40th, 41st, 50th, 51st, 53rd, 54th and 55th anniversaries. I have also been to Tokyo Disneyland on it's 25th and 26th anniversaries. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a fan of California Adventure, but for some strange reason, I decided to go there today for the 10th anniversary (it helped that I already had the day off). I did think that something special might have been planned for the occasion. Even on Disneyland's less significant anniversaries, some sort of ceremony is held. Sometimes they even have special dated merchandise available....and on a very rare occasion, there is a special map for that day or something special is given out to guests. Not at California Adventure. Not today. But, rather than go on with the negative, I will try very hard in this post to focus just on the positive. Ready for a mini-trip report? Here we go....

There is a new "Disneyland Resort" sign out in the Esplanade that is reminiscent of the original sign that used to stand out on Harbor Blvd. Each panel changes at different times to reveal either a letter or a photo. Pat, Vanna....can I have an "n". I think it adds a nice retro touch to the new "Let The Memories Begin" campaign.


Photos have been available online for while now showing the construction walls at the entrance of the park, so I'm just posting this one panel. I do like the retro artwork and the use of the earlier Disney characters which include Clarabelle Cow, Horace Horsecollar, Clara Cluck, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and Pegleg Pete.


The tile murals at the entrance are gone. Yay!



I did go into Guest Relations just to ask if anything special was being done today and I found this mural inside. Just look at all the things that aren't around anymore.....the Maliboomer, the sun on the Ferris Wheel, the Mickey head on the roller coaster, the giant orange and Superstar Limo!


Construction on Carsland is moving along.


This sign shows guests what the view from this spot will look like when Carsland is completed.


Here's a view of just the construction.......


....and here's a shot of just the sign.


These new attraction posters are now on display inside the Blue Sky Cellar.


A model of the future Little Mermaid attraction has been on display in the Blue Sky Cellar for a while now. This photo shows the "Under The Sea" portion of the ride.


Below, is the "Kiss The Girl" segment. Behind that, is "Ursula's Lair."


This shows a close up of the "Ursula's Lair" scene.


And here's a new (and much larger) model showing the same scene. With flash......


.....and without flash. I hope it really looks like this when the attraction opens!


Again, I like the artwork on the construction walls....even if I don't think they should be spending money to re-theme Mulholland Madness into "Goofy's Sky School". Just tear it down and give us something that isn't "off-the-shelf"!




Here's the construction wall that is located at the exit. Funny, I didn't notice until just now that it has the same artwork as the one that's located at the entrance. You can just barely see that the center portion of the entrance/exit structure has been removed.


There was one tiny acknowledgement of the park's 10th anniversary that was made, but it was only for the cast members. They were all given these badges to wear for the day.


Happy 10th Anniversary, California Adventure! Sorry, but I still wish you were WESTCOT Center!

11 comments:

Connie Moreno said...

Ok, my post disappeared so I'm trying again. What I said was...

Good thing you took a photo of the badge. Apparently I wasn't thinking clearly enough to do that!

Major Pepperidge said...

Wonder what they did with that giant tile mural? Maybe folks would have cared more if it hadn't been so ugly

Neat view with that sign and the Carsland construction, it's cool the way they line up. Those new posters are particularly nice, somebody finally got it right. Thanks for the photos of the Ursula scenes... they look pretty cool.

Snow White Archive said...

Thanks for the tour Tokyo. I too hope the Little Mermaid ride looks like your photo. Did the cast member stand still for you to take the pic of the 10th Anniversary badge or did you sneak the shot?

TokyoMagic! said...

Connie, I almost didn't even notice the badges and then when I did, I almost didn't bother to take a photo!

Major, I agree about the murals. Maybe if they had recreated the Tomorrowland Mary Blair murals? I don't know. When you look at the quaintness of DL's entrance with the train station and flowers and then across the way you had giant letters, two huge walls of tile, and a bridge "slapping" you in the face.

SWS, I did ask the cast member if I could get up close and take the photo. I figured if Disney isn't going to give something out to the guests, or even have something that guests could purchase for the occasion, then maybe I better at least get a photo of the only acknowledgement of the anniversary.

Dan Alexander said...

I do like Classic Mickey getting some love in the Paradise Pier section. They are missing such an obvious attraction: A Mickey Mouse Wild Mouse Coaster, using pie-eyed Mickey Mouse vehicles and the "Minnie's Yoo-Hoo" song as a soundtrack!

Horizons said...

Well, that's funny you thought there would be some sort of ceremony. They haven't had one for years. In fact I believe it was their 3rd anniversary but they may have had one for the 5th.

It would have been awkward to have one as this is more or less and transitional time for DCA. You can't really celebrate a park that doesn't have a consistent theme as some areas are finishing up and others are just starting.

Vintage Disneyland Tickets said...

Well, technically I guess I did'nt (don't) care since i didn't even know it was DCA's 10th until today!

With that said this is a super post, makes me have a glimmer of hope for DCA, although I still want WESCOT instead.

TokyoMagic! said...

Dan, I like your idea better than "Goofy's Sky School". It is a "wild mouse" style coaster....or is that "mad mouse"?

Horizons, I agree with you...it is funny that I thought something would be going on. And it's funny that I actually went there to see if they were doing something (so I guess I cared a little). It's just that a "10th" anniversary kind of seems like a big thing to me. Disneyland had a year long "Tencennial" celebration back in the day. I do realize though, with DCA being all torn up...and still being a very ugly park, it would be a little awkward for them to be celebrating.

VDT, I'm not even sure what made me think of it. I really don't keep track of that park's anniversary. I kind of knew it was sometime in Feb., so I looked it up and like I mentioned, I happened to be off work this week. Ha! I'm defending myself for going to the very park I hate, for a potential 10th anniversary celebration that never happened! I do have a little bit of hope for the Little Mermaid attraction and Carsland, but I still don't think it's enough. I hope they are planning a "phase two"!

Dan Alexander said...

A "Mad Mouse" coaster makes me think of Mickey Mouse "Runaway Brain" Coaster! Wishful thinking for Paradise Pier would include a Traditional Mickey Mouse "Mouse" Coaster and a Spinning Mouse "Runaway Brain" Coaster! (think of the Primeval Whirl coaster at Animal Kingdom with a Runaway Brain Mickey vehicle).

While we're at it, let's build a Donald Duck boat water ride in Paradise Pier!

James said...

I am so with you on your feelings towards DCA.

The obvious question no one is addressing in this make billion dollar make over of CALIFORNIA adventure is the biggest addition of Cars Land is in Arizona, not California. The billion-dollar makeover continues to add even more confusion to the California theme. Another testament to the DCA legacy is the abrupt end of rockwork for Cars Land creating a visual intrusion visible through much of the park. It just stops in a perfect line as if it was a cake with a slice taken out and the internal support structure is visible. I hope the interior structure will be encased, but even if it is it will become the Great Wall of DCA. They are attempting to fix this park and still they aren’t even addressing newly generated sightline issues created by their own expansion. They must be carrying on the DCA legacy of doing things half way. Hurray for DCA!

TokyoMagic! said...

Dan, I like your ideas (I always like your ideas), but I think I would rather see them incorporated into a new dark ride or new rollercoaster rather than an overlay on a ride that should have never been built in a Disney park in the first place!

James, You are singing my song! It boggled my mind when I found out that they weren't going to give the park a completely different name along with the makeover. At least if they got rid of the California theme, then they could throw whatever the hell they want (as they have been doing anyway) into the park and it wouldn't conflict with that theme (not that they care about theme anymore) Even just dropping "California" from the name and calling it "Disney's Adventure Park" would be all- encompassing enough. Of course, I've always liked calling it "Six Flags Over Anaheim", or "That Church Carnival They Set Up In The Disneyland Parking Lot."