Are you looking for an adventure that
includes fun rides to sweep you off your feet? California Adventure will do that to you. Soar in a ride that
takes you into the air like an eagle, passing over the Pacific Ocean and
California beaches in one of California Adventure's most popular virtual
experiences suitable for young kids to adults. It's just one of the hundreds
of thrills in an a family fun vacation that creates smiles to remember. We
love Disneyland, but now we love its companion park, California Adventure.
Disneyland is located
1313
Harbor Boulevard, Anaheim, CA. Call: (714)
781-4565
California Adventure is the newest Anaheim theme
park from the Disney Corporation. It opened in
February 2001 as a smaller theme park (one third the size of Disneyland). With
some great rides, attractions, and restaurants, California Adventure is best
enjoyed with a park hopper pass allowing you to enter both parks. Geared
toward all ages, this theme park is easier to navigate for smaller children,
yet it offers fun rides adults return to experience more than once.
The California Adventure
theme park is a family fun vacation attraction. It features great kiddy
rides, youth and adult fun all in one smaller, easy-to-get-around venue.
Shows, restaurants and attractions are within reach in a single day and
what's best, you can stay at the Grand Californian Resort Hotel which enters
directly into California Adventure with its own private gate for half an
hour early admission (with ticket). While the Grand Californian has become
more popular and expensive, Disneyland's surrounding hotels have really done
an excellent job of offering affordable rooms across the street from the
theme parks. We hate to say so, but if we had to pick a place for value,
Anaheim hotels seems to come out on top for their location, price points,
and amenities.
California Adventure theme park
includes parades, restaurants, thrill rides, shows, arcades
and lots of shops. Most people stay a few days in Anaheim or Garden Grove so
they can see everything offered in the Disneyland experience. We sell many,
many hotel rooms in Anaheim. What we can tell you about the hotels (since we
stay at them a lot) is that they are pretty good values. The chain hotels
surrounding the theme parks are just across the street so family
members can split up and meet back at the room. Also, they are
quite affordable by Southern California pricing standards. In other cities
the rooms would cost more. Competing with the Dinseyland Resort hotels
Disneys Paradise Pier Hotel, Disneyland Hotel and Disneys Grand Californian,
other hotels offer great value with lower prices. You don't have to stay at
Disneyland owned hotels to enjoy Goofy's Kitchen where themed characters are
available for photos with your children over a breakfast, lunch or dinner
meal.
Where to stay? We have tried all
the top hotels in Anaheim. We've stayed at the three Disneyland resort
properties and of them, prefer the Grand Californian, no contest! It
ranks a 5 Diamond (top) and you'll pay for that. The other Disneyland hotels
capture the magic as well, with their character breakfasts where your
kids can be photographed with Disneyland cartoon characters. The are all
very, very Disney oriented.
We've tried the convention hotels,
Marriott and Hilton, and we really enjoyed them, too. The walk into the park
is a few steps longer but for conventioneers, that's where you may want to
be. The smaller hotels across Harbor Boulevard are very popular. They have
restaurants, shops and a short walk across the street to the park.
If you need to pay even less, check further away down Harbor Boulevard and
perimeter streets just a few blocks. The buses run between them and the
parks so you'll have easy access and won't have to pay parking.
Here are some California Adventure attractions:
Paradise Pier is designed
to represent a California boardwalk from earlier days.
Screamin is a roller
coaster modeled after wooden roller coasters of the 1920's. Taking you
from 0 to 55 miles per hour in under five seconds with a loop around Mickey's
ears. Enjoy the 180 foot drop and the twists and turns of excitement
new to this corner of Anaheim.
Sun Wheel is modeled
after Coney Island's 1927 Wonder Wheel. It offers two opportunities. You
can ride the stationary gondola which provides a traditional ferris wheel
experience or your can board a gondola which slides on a rail and rocks
as it rotates.
Maliboomer is three 180
foot towers which take you to the top, then drop you back down.
Mullholland Madness offers
twists, turns and obstacles, Golden Zephyr is a spinning spaceship, Jumpin'
Jellyfish is an easy going children's ride, Orange Stinger is a four-story
California orange complete with orange scents and a spiraling ride
inside, King Triton's Carousel with 56 aquatic creatures to sit on and
bob up and down and boardwalk games.
Editor's Review: The new California Adventure is fantastic!
Enhanced virtual reality experiences include smells and special effects
that make shows seem more real. As you approach the park admission gates,
California looms large with the word spelled out in sculptured letters,
C-A-L-I-F-O-R-N-I-A. Beyond the entrance, you pass intricate tiled murals
of San Francisco which lead to a replica Golden Gate bridge you walk under.
Straight ahead is the Hollywood experience and to the right is Grizzly
Country and Paradise Pier.
A stroll down the Paradise Pier boardwalk at night includes
classic tunes such as "Wish they all could be California girls," or "This
is the dawning of the age of Aquarius,". People stroll with their
kids, grandparents and mates and sing the words as screams from a roller
coaster ride that dips and dives can be heard. Don't hesitate to visit
California Adventure and check out some special surprises at California
Soarin' and It's Great to Be a Bug.
The park is clearly Disney branding with merchandise opportunities
galore. Now offering sticky buns and espressos, Disney is finally departing
from the "one size fits all" approach to theme park food. Be prepared to
pay close to $5 for a triple shot espresso drink and several dollars for
a specialty muffin.
The fine art and quality air brush looks we expect from
the world's best graphic artists put to the imagineering test do not disappoint.
As a photographer, I have a special appreciation for graphics, which I
find mesmerizing at the Cal-Adventure Hollywood back lot. My night time
visit and awe-struck amazement at the use of color made me wonder how an
amusement park must go about creating a daytime splash and using the same
canvases, so to speak, to paint the night scene. With the return
of the Electrical Light Parade debut in the new California Adventure park,
guests will come and linger for the night light adventure.
