As anyone in Disney administrations can tell you, budgets were approved yesterday, and that means big announcement time.

The biggest is the plans for California Adventure have been finally set. The company plans to spend a reported 1.1 billion dollars (with a B) on a re-theming and renovation project. And this does apparently mean it will cease to be California Adventure, a theme critics have long said was too limited and a huge mistake on Eisner's part.

The amount of money involved is higher that the amount spent to build it in the first place, so expect some huge alterations.

Michael Iger is set to give a news conference later today, so stay tuned.

UPDATE: here's a press release on this story.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Since its 2001 debut, the Walt Disney Co. theme park Disney's California Adventure has floundered in the shadow of its legendary neighbor, Disneyland. To fix it, Disney is now planning a $1.1 billion overhaul -- the most extensive makeover the company has ever given to a theme park.

Disney's board recently approved the investment, which will be poured into California Adventure over roughly five years, according to people familiar with the plan. The sum is particularly significant, considering the theme park cost around $1 billion to build and Disney has already spent more than $100 million trying to improve it.

Originally aimed at luring visitors to spend more time and money at the Disneyland Resort, California Adventure has been criticized as lacking Disney's trademark creative spark. The California theme has fallen flat with visitors from the western U.S., who make up the bulk of attendance. Last year, the park drew just under six million visitors, compared with nearly 15 million at Disneyland and short of Disney's original forecast of seven million visitors a year for the new park.


Disney's California Adventure theme park, next to Disneyland, celebrated its grand opening in 2001.
Now Disney hopes to turn the park around by making it more like its successful neighbor, filled with references to company founder Walt Disney, say people familiar with the plan. A key project will be redesigning the entrance plaza, now a hodgepodge of California icons, and replacing it with something akin to Disneyland's signature Main Street.

Just as Main Street harks back to Walt Disney's hometown of Marceline, Mo., in the early 1900s, California Adventure's new entrance will trace the footsteps of Walt Disney from when he arrived in Los Angeles in the 1920s, these people say. Similar to Disneyland's iconic castle, the redesigned park will feature a replica of Hollywood's former Carthay Circle theater, where Walt Disney premiered the movie "Snow White" in 1937.

The new-look park also will be expanded by around 12 acres and will bulk up its attractions, with a heavy emphasis on animated movies created by Pixar, including "Cars" and "Toy Story."

Jay Rasulo, who inherited California Adventure when he became president of the parks in 2002, says the park has had some success in extending the time visitors spend at the resort as a whole and does have some popular rides. But he concedes: "Guests have told us that when they stand in California Adventure, they don't have an emotional connection to it." Mr. Rasulo declined to comment on the investment Disney is making.

Several of Disney's efforts in recent years have had teething problems that forced Disney to spend big money on efforts to fix them, raising questions about Disney's theme-park strategy. New Disney parks in Paris and Hong Kong -- seen as too small and lacking insight into the cultures they serve -- have needed big additional investments after initially drawing slim crowds.

When Walt Disney created Disneyland in 1955, and the company started the Disney World resort in Orlando, Fla., in 1971 with the first Magic Kingdom park, the parks were powerful brand builders. But it is unclear whether that is still the case in the 21st century, when kids are more interested in the Internet and Disney has more tools to play with, such as the relatively investment-light but popular Disney Channel.

Disney maintains its parks are a good return on investment. In fiscal 2006, they accounted for almost 30% of the company's total revenue of $34 billion and reported 30% growth in operating income. Mr. Rasulo says the parks are long-term undertakings and the company always anticipates having to invest in changes. Walt Disney himself said Disneyland was never finished.

Even so, California Adventure has had special problems. On a recent afternoon at the Disneyland Resort, 18-year-old season-pass holder Megan White made a standard complaint: "Disneyland is a magical place, but California Adventure is just a theme park you can get anywhere." Ms. White, of Valencia, Calif., adds she spends most of her visits at Disneyland, only entering California Adventure for one or two rides because it has "no imagination."

California Adventure was the result of a years-long attempt to build on Disneyland's success. In 1991, Disney originally announced it was working on a plan to build Westcot, a West Coast version of Disney's Florida park, Epcot, which had opened nearly a decade earlier.

According to people involved, Disney's then-chief executive, Michael Eisner, was eager to replicate the successful model of Walt Disney World in Florida, which had grown to include several theme parks, a fleet of hotels and a thriving retail and entertainment district. The expansions created a destination that families sometimes visit for a week.

But Westcot came with a price tag of as much as $3 billion and, according to these people, Mr. Eisner got cold feet after the new Disney park outside Paris became a financial and public-relations nightmare.

In 1995, Disney ditched Westcot. In the summer of that year, Mr. Eisner held a three-day retreat in Aspen, Colo., where about 30 executives came up with an idea for a California-themed park, say people at the meeting. Mr. Eisner chose Disneyland chief Paul Pressler to oversee a $1.4 billion project in Anaheim that included California Adventure, a retail district and hotels.

He positioned the new park as a contemporary alternative to Disneyland. It included three main areas: the Hollywood Pictures back lot; the Golden State wharf, which included offbeat, decidedly sedate features like a vegetable garden and tortilla factory; and the carnival-style Paradise Pier, anchored by a big, traditional roller coaster.

When the park opened in 2001, visitors complained it was light on rides and that the ones there lacked the imagination of Disneyland hits such as the indoor roller coaster Space Mountain. As a brigade of Web sites savaged the park, a perception set in that it was a dud.

Mr. Pressler, who left Disney in 2002, says the park suffered from comparisons to its successful neighbor, but he denies the budget was ever a problem. "What we missed the mark on was not having enough for young kids compared to the Magic Kingdom," he says. He quickly added new rides: The vegetable garden was replaced by A Bug's Land, based on the 1998 Pixar movie "A Bug's Life." Disney also later added a $100 million attraction called The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

The Disneyland resort as a whole, especially the Downtown Disney retail district and hotels, succeeded in increasing visitors' average stay from one day to two. But attendance at California Adventure languished, while Disneyland was bursting at the seams.

Bob Iger, who took over as Disney chief executive in 2005, asked the company's legendary theme-park designers -- known as Imagineers -- to come up with a plan about a year ago, according to people involved in the planning. An initial idea was to combine Disneyland and California Adventure, creating a massive park that required one ticket. But the investment in infrastructure to transport visitors around that area was prohibitive, so they focused instead on creating a second Disneyland.

This summer, Disney hired theme-park consultant Bob Weis to oversee the new project. The remake is a complex undertaking, according to people familiar with the situation. Disney plans to keep California Adventure open during the five-year project, a plan that will require visitors to navigate construction zones and initially go in through a temporary entrance. Disney has no plans to discount ticket prices during that period, they say. Though prices vary, an adult ticket for a day at either park now costs $66, while a combined ticket is $91.

Mr. Weis will add a new area called Cars Land, which will re-create the fictional town of Radiator Springs from the 2006 Pixar movie "Cars," say people familiar with the plans. The centerpiece will be a cutting-edge attraction in the style of Disneyland's popular "Indiana Jones" ride.

Addressing criticism of Paradise Pier, Mr. Weis plans to add a flagship ride based on the 1989 animated movie "The Little Mermaid" and another on the 1995 feature "Toy Story," the people say. The Mulholland Madness ride, which re-creates a careening drive along a famous Los Angeles street, will be rethemed featuring Disney characters. Others, like the Maliboomer thrill ride, are likely to be axed.

It is still unclear what will happen to the name, as the company sees appeal in the words "Disney," "California" and "Adventure," these people say. But there is a big risk in leaving it the same. That said, some unusual relics will be left untouched for now, including the tortilla-making factory and a bread-baking demonstration. A person familiar with the plan says the Golden State area isn't considered as thematically out-of-place as others in the new plan and won't be changed in the near-term.

I have a quote from the LA Times Newspaper this morning:

Disney to spend $1.1 billion to overhaul California Adventure
Don Kelsen / Los Angeles Times
Crowds of people fill California Adventure's Hollywood Pictures Backlot area in 2004. The park's makeover will include several new attractions based on Pixar animated films such as "Cars" and "Toy Story."
The Anaheim park had been a disappointment since its opening six years ago.
By Richard Verrier and Dave McKibben, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
October 17, 2007
California Adventure is getting a $1.1-billion makeover -- with Walt Disney Co. planning to spend more than it did to build the theme park just six years ago.

The struggling park, which sits in Disneyland's shadow, was a disappointment from the start, failing to draw the crowds the company had anticipated. The idea behind the overhaul recently approved by the board of directors is to give it new attractions and a sharper identity -- and make it more like Disneyland.

"They're trying to give it some heart," said a person familiar with the plan who asked not to be identified. "Right now, you go through California Adventure once, and that's about it."

Rob Doughty, a Disneyland spokesman, declined to comment on the plans. Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger is scheduled to appear today at a news conference to provide details.

Like much-bigger Disneyland, sources at the company said, California Adventure will have more clearly defined theme sections and will tip its hat more frequently to the late Walt Disney, who built the first park in an orange grove and opened it to rave reviews in 1955.

Favorite California Adventure attractions -- including the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, one of several added in an effort to address criticism that the park had too few blockbuster rides -- won't be dismantled. A host of new attractions will include several based on Pixar animated films such as "Cars" and "Toy Story."

The entrance plaza will be redesigned and iconic structures reminiscent of old-time Hollywood will be added, including a replica of the Carthay Circle Theatre.

Disneyland's younger sibling, which is loosely focused on the Golden State, attracted fewer than 6 million visitors last year -- short of the 7 million people the company said would attend every year and a far cry from the 15 million who bought tickets to Disneyland.

The brainchild of former CEO Michael Eisner, the park opened in February 2001 and soon became known as Eisner's misadventure; critics seized on its poor performance when they campaigned to oust him in 2004. Walt Disney's nephew Roy Disney accused the company of building the park "on the cheap."

Even California Adventure enthusiasts were pleased to hear about the refurbishing, first reported on the Wall Street Journal's website.

"I love it but not in the same way as Disneyland," said Taylor Rockwell, a visual-effects production assistant who is an annual Disneyland Resort pass holder. "They tried to work the California angle but it wasn't successful. What is there now just isn't up to Disneyland standards."

Al Lutz, who owns and edits the popular Disney fan website Miceage, said a renovation was long overdue.

"Finally, they've acknowledged the elephant in the room," Lutz said. "They are turning it more into a companion to Disneyland as opposed to an afterthought."

Anaheim Councilman Bob Hernandez said he found the timing of today's news conference curious, given the entertainment giant's heated battle with Anaheim officials over the direction of the resort district.

Disney wants to keep the district focused on tourist-related uses, while a majority of the Anaheim City Council supports construction of a 1,500-unit residential project that could help alleviate the city's housing shortage.

Disney sued the city to block the housing project and a Disney-backed coalition has qualified anti-housing initiatives for an upcoming city election.

By touting its plan to beef up California Adventure with a $1.1-billion investment -- more than it has ever spent on a park revamp before -- Disney is clearly trying to sway voters, Hernandez said.

"It's so obvious to those who don't have pixie dust in our eyes," he said.

California Adventure was part of a $1.4-billion remake of the Disneyland Resort that included a luxury hotel, the Grand Californian, and the Downtown Disney shopping district.

Disney has added to the smaller park since with, among other things, the Tower of Terror and "Aladdin," a well-received Broadway-style musical patterned after the animated movie. The Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, a climbing park for kids, was expanded with a tie-in to the animated film "Brother Bear."

To lure visitors, Disney discounts the admission price, selling tickets to the two parks in pairs called Park Hoppers.

"It's basically been half price since it opened," Lutz said. "Nobody ever buys a ticket just for that park."

wow! I cant wait to read it even tho I haven't read it yet! lol Ill be back soon with all the Omg!'s if there are any. ;)

I think they'd save more money without DCA. $1 billion for a park no one goes too is too much to ask for.

Drat I'll be in college by the time they finish this park -_-

Deleted! sorry guys

I'm excited. I was VERY disappointed with the overall blandness of DCA from the get go. Honestly the only good ride is Soarin', followed by California Screamin', but for the most part I've always felt disappointed by DCA.

I think intergrating Pixar in is a wise move, it will bring in the younger crowd and many consider Pixar movies to be "Disney Classics". (Don't send me hate mail if you don't feel they are classics, ok?)

I also do kinda agree about what that lady said about the park feeling like a normal park because when Im in Disneyland its like a theme park in heaven or something and it makes you feel like your in another world but with DCA it's like your in a carnival or something. But DCA is still a great park

With 1.1 billion dollars they better make DCA a place that people would want to travel across the continent to visit.

Cars Land seems quite interesting. It seems as though the "Test Track" technology will be used in a completely outside environment. The pictures they have released show scenes that couldn't possibly be indoors. It'll be extremely interesting to see how nicely themed Cars Land will be.

EDIT- I happened to stumble across these screen shots from a news story about the renovations, along with others. Check them out:

http://www.vmkforums.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=1024&ppuser=3367

I'm personally exstatic about the Make-Over. I have thought that DCA was a complete failure since the beginning and now I see i'm not the only one. I can't wait to see what they have up their sleeve to do to make this a happier park for everyone. The park as said in my quote, the park is loosely based on the California state, and I agree completely with that statement.

This is just my opinion,
- Groovy S.

I have two thoughts on it.

1) It's not enough.

2) It's too heavily based on movies again. There's little innovation here and it's certain not what Walt would have wanted (although I always hesitate to invoke the W word in these matters).

So how much of the budget pie did VMK get?

Walt Disney would not like how the Disney parks are now days . I remember the grand opening of DCA - seems like it was just yesterday ..

Great pics Schmoofy!
I never understood why we needed to see what California attractions were while living in CA.
I get that people from everywhere come to the magic kingdom but most visitors are in or close to the state. It seems easy to me that they could of copied the Epcot area of WDW. I like the direction on the pics you had but to me, other than the fact they want to charge admission for 2 parks, just seems like one big DLR expansion.
Still, it looks better than what is going on there now.
Goodbye California Adventure - Hello Pixar Planet!

Guess they finally woke up, and realized why WDW doesn't have a New Orleans Square. Why build a copy when you are so close to the original?

I agree with Gatsby. This is not enough. Sounds to me like a cheap facelift. They need to shut the gates, speed up the schedule and crank it all out at once, without worrying about guests getting in the way. Trust me, a few years with no attendance in DCA will NOT hurt their income. Like most people who visit DCA, I only go for a few things, then hightail it out of there.

I'm interested to see the new plans, but I'm not holding my breath that it will be great.

Ok, after viewing the pics from Schmoofy, I have to admit that it does sound like a "cheap face-lift" as Jacques said.

They should just close it and do a complete overhaul. Would anyone miss DCA if it were closed for over-hauling? I wouldn't.

In my honest opinion, I think Carsland is an alright idea as I don't like it making up a WHOLE land but it would be better as an addition to say.. Hollywood Picture Studios. I really like the idea of what they are going to do in Paradise Pier and make the front area look a whole lot better.

The area which is Hollywood Picture Studios and where GRR is, in my opinion, is fine. They should redo the area by Soarin' but not take out the ride, just give it a facelift.

In my opinion, I think it is enough and I am glad they are doing something with the park. They will not close DCA for the over-hauling as I don't know how it would effect some guests thoughts on their trip. Also, why does everyone expect DCA to be just as good or better than Disneyland because it is not intended to be and will never be, they just want it to be a nice second gate.

- Zach

Also, why does everyone expect DCA to be just as good or better than Disneyland because it is not intended to be and will never be, they just want it to be a nice second gate. - Zach

Nothing will ever be as good as the original Disneyland (sorry, WDW folks ;) ). But DCA falls far short of being a nice second gate.

Nothing will ever be as good as the original Disneyland (sorry, WDW folks ;) ).

I agree, I've been to WDW, I have always wanted to visit Disneyland so badly.

DCA falls far short of being a nice second gate.

LOL. So right.

Here's from this morning's star:


GLENDALE — Out with the Golden Gate Bridge and in with “Cars.”

The Walt Disney Co. will go back to the drawing board and overhaul its underperforming California Adventure theme park, a project the company said Wednesday could even result in a new name for the property.

The company acknowledged that the park next door to Disneyland in Anaheim had not attracted as many guests as planned since opening in 2001.

“It hasn’t performed up to expectations and they have had to add new items to the park over the years,” media analyst Harold Vogel said. “They didn’t invest as much as they should have at the time.”

Disney Chief Executive Officer Robert Iger and other executives would not disclose the cost of the project, but it will exceed $1 billion, according to a person familiar with the plans who was not authorized to speak publicly about it.

The figure eclipses the original cost of California Adventure, which opened in 2001.

The overhaul, which will take five years, will be designed to make the park look and feel more like it was conceived by Walt Disney himself, complete with a recreation of the movie theater that hosted the 1938 premier of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” It also will add a 12-acre section based on the hit Pixar Animation movie “Cars.”

The overhaul is designed to bolster attendance that in some years has barely reached half the numbers of Disneyland despite attempts to lure visitors with discount tickets.

In 2005, Disneyland drew 14.5 million visitors, an 8.5 percent increase over the previous year, while California Adventure drew only 5.8 million, a 3.6 percent increase.

Figures for 2006 were not immediately available.

Disney executives acknowledged the need to rethink and expand the attractions at California Adventure to lure new visitors.

They pointed to growing attendance at Disneyland as proof that a similar approach would work at California Adventure.

“If you build it right, they will come,” Iger said during a news conference. “Disneyland is telling us that loud and clear these days.”

Erin Willis, 28, of Cincinnati was visiting Disneyland on Wednesday with her husband and toddler son. She said she had found California Adventure to be “kind of boring” on previous visits.

“The rides were fun, but it didn’t have a lot of the excitement Disneyland had,” Willis said.

Revised from the start

Poor attendance forced Disney to tweak California Adventure almost from the time it opened.

Tourists balked when Disney initially charged as much to attend California Adventure as it did for Disneyland, which had many times the number of rides and attractions.

Since then, California Adventure has largely failed its initial purpose of making the Anaheim parks a multiday destination. Eventually, Disney had to offer discounted admission packages known as “park hopper” tickets.

A single day’s adult admission to either park is now $66. A “park hopper” ticket that allows visits to both parks on the same day is $91.

A sampling of guests at the Anaheim complex said they preferred Disney to California Adventure but would give California Adventure a second look after the renovation.

Disney also will replace some of the park’s less popular sections with new attractions based on the Disney film “Little Mermaid” and the Pixar film “Toy Story,” the company said.

Walt will be a presence

The project will include a new plaza greeting guests that more resembles the iconic “Main Street” at Disneyland, and an interactive attraction will tell the story of company founder Walt Disney.

The overhaul will begin next year and take until 2012, Disney executives said.

The park was the brainchild of former Disney CEO Michael Eisner and includes sections dedicated to various California attractions.

The famous Disneyland monorail travels over a reproduction of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge and other sections evoke the memory of 1940s Hollywood.

The park was designed to appeal more to adults and included a restaurant sponsored by a winery.

None of the iconic Disney characters, including Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, made appearances in the park at first.

The park also was built with economy in mind, importing several rides and attractions that had debuted at Walt Disney World in Florida.

— Associated Press writer Gillian Flaccus contributed to this report from Anaheim.



Have fun reading!

The overhaul will take until 2012. I assume that they will start the Cars attraction in 2009 and finsh in maybe 2011. I think the main plaza will be the section of the renovation that will stretch until 2012 or possibly go late (like most things usually do) and go until 2013/14.

This will be interesting to follow. As of now, I consider DCA as Disney's thrill park and the closest thing they have to a Six Flags which can be good or bad whatever way you look at it. Mostlikely bad as most people are considering an amazing Disney experience rather than good or okay.

- Zach

I was at DLR yesterday, I pulled into the gate at the Timon Parking lot, they have it all roped off, and there were a bunch of guys in hard hats in there.
There wasnt any contruction equipment through.
They were re routing traffic to the Mickey & Friends structure.

I asked, and they told me "They are making some more magic over there"

The overhaul will take until 2012. I assume that they will start the Cars attraction in 2009 and finsh in maybe 2011. I think the main plaza will be the section of the renovation that will stretch until 2012 or possibly go late (like most things usually do) and go until 2013/14.

This will be interesting to follow. As of now, I consider DCA as Disney's thrill park and the closest thing they have to a Six Flags which can be good or bad whatever way you look at it. Mostlikely bad as most people are considering an amazing Disney experience rather than good or okay.

- Zach

I consider it a bad thing.

Hmm. I always thought DCA was boring. There was not 1 ride there I wasn't afraid to go on, except for that sea animals Meryy go round thing XD Well yeah, Im a ScaredyCat, but it was pretty kewl there, but Im probably never gonna go there again so I shouldnt really care about it much. Kalifornia is too far away anyway.

Guess they finally woke up, and realized why WDW doesn't have a New Orleans Square. Why build a copy when you are so close to the original?

I agree with Gatsby. This is not enough. Sounds to me like a cheap facelift. They need to shut the gates, speed up the schedule and crank it all out at once, without worrying about guests getting in the way. Trust me, a few years with no attendance in DCA will NOT hurt their income. Like most people who visit DCA, I only go for a few things, then hightail it out of there.

I'm interested to see the new plans, but I'm not holding my breath that it will be great.

I agree too. I've only been there once and well, that was enough. As for their renovations it sounds to me they are colliding movies and the "real world" seeing how they will still have California Screamin and other california based attractons while balancing little mermaid, and cars land which by the way seems like a disaster to me...

This will be cool because Im going to be going to Disneyland almost every year now for a little bit bc Im gonna be saving up and stuff to by my own ticket then I could see how the process is coming along and stuff so itll be good hopefully :)

I dont know if anyone else has heard this yet but, the Sun Wheel's sun face will be replaced with a mickey face and the mickey ears in the California Screamin' loop will be replaced with a Paradise Pier logo sign. The name of the new revamp for the Muholland Madness ride will turn into Goofy's Flight School.

It's kind of a shame, because California Adventure had SOME good things (well, pretty things-- the rides aren't all that great). They can't stick with a single theme though, it sounds like the same mishmosh it already is.
I wonder what they'll do with the big lake?

Well, the big lake, is the lagoon and there gonna add the new Water Show there. But Disneyland doesn't have a single theme. It has a whole bunch of lands and stuff.

EDIT: sorry if Im wrong calling it the lagoon. I sort of blacked out on what they call it. lol ;)

DCA park brought really great memories for me, it will be miss. I hope they will keep Grizzley River Run, Soaring Over California, Tower of Terror, California Screamin, Animation Buidling, Hyperion Theater.

DCA park brought really great memories for me, it will be miss. I hope they will keep Grizzley River Run, Soaring Over California, Tower of Terror, California Screamin, Animation Buidling, Hyperion Theater.

There keeping those. They would have announced it if they weren't but they wouldnt remove those because those are the rides that makes people come to the park to ride them. They couldnt remove Grizzly because thats in the Grizzly mountain and they couldnt really remove it. They cant really close down soarin because thats on of the top rides there. They cant close Tower because they sort of just built it and its one of the biggest rides there. Cant close screamin because, thats the most popular ride there, and they cant remove since it snakes around everything in Paradise Pier. But not sure about the Animation building and the Hyperion theater. I think they could maybe close animation and built it into something else, but not tear it down. Same with the theater. Cant really close that one down either since its a full sized theater. The only things that there gonna move or take away are:

Maliboomer (take away or retheme)
Orange Stinger (take away)
Golden Zephur (move to somewhere else in the park)

and then maybe removing all those little kiddie rides. Because I think they should remove those to add more bigger rides.

Awe mailboomer was great. Orange Stinger and Golden Zephur I can live without.

Awe mailboomer was great. Orange Stinger and Golden Zephur I can live without.Problem is rides like the Maliboomer (the correct spelling BTW, based on "Malibu") is that you can find it in every cheap amusement park around the country. Not up to Disney standards . . . or what used to be Disney standards.

One of the aims of this renovation, no doubt, is the replacement of "off the shelf" rides with attractions more closely associated with Disney.

My complaint, as many of you already know, is that they are too closely associated with Disney movies and not Disney imagination.

I COMPLETELY agree with GreatGatsby! You hit the nail on the head, it's about endorsing Pixar now rather than creating rides on IMAGINATION.
The great rides at Disney, like space mountain or matterhorn, are not based on movies, they don't have Disney characters, but they're DEFINATELY themed and they're some of the best in the park. Why can't DCA just put in a few good ones like those??

Why can't DCA just put in a few good ones like those??

Because sadly, the person that came up with those types of attractions is long gone.

Ok, well I must be one of the only people on the planet who like the California Adventure just the way it is. I will admit that it could use "something" to attract more visitors, but a major re-haul adding a bunch of pixar themed rides just doesn't seem right. While I do love the pixar movies, I dont really consider them Disney movies. Now before you start screaming at me you have to agree that they are not like the classic disney movies. This "DCA makeover" is going to turn the park into as mrmyth stated above - Pixar Planet! And sadly, I dont agree with the disney exects on this at all.

So how much of the budget pie did VMK get?

LOL sorry that made me laugh

Ok, well I must be one of the only people on the planet who like the California Adventure just the way it is. I will admit that it could use "something" to attract more visitors, but a major re-haul adding a bunch of pixar themed rides just doesn't seem right. While I do love the pixar movies, I dont really consider them Disney movies. Now before you start screaming at me you have to agree that they are not like the classic disney movies. This "DCA makeover" is going to turn the park into as mrmyth stated above - Pixar Planet! And sadly, I dont agree with the disney exects on this at all.
^The only Pixar attractions they are adding are from Toy Story and Cars and I think the Toy Story attraction is a very good idea as it is already known as one of Disney's premire modern movies. Cars, I'm not sure about that.

I also like California Adventure but you gotta to admit, some of the areas in the park were just plain under-done especially Sunshine Plaza and Paradise Pier. I do think that what they are doing to Paradise Pier is very smart especially taking out some of those eyesores (Orange Stinger, Maliboomer, Burger Invasion, etc..) They just don't fit into the "Paradise Pier theme" that well at all. I also like how they are going for the more Victorian theme here.

Also in the new Walt Disney Plaza area of the park, I think that it is going to look great and I kind of like the DHS look that they will be giving to that front area of the park. I am also glad that for the most part, they aren't doing much to the Golden State and Hollywood Pictures Backlot area as I think those areas look pretty nice already although they are doing some improvement which is always okay, especially at a Disney park.

About Carsland, I don't think they should make it as big as they are making it as I see Pixar movies as a fad especially a movie like Cars. Now movies like Finding Nemo or Toy Story (also Pixar) are probably the few movies that seem like the blockbusters from Pixar and are more than fine being in the parks. I think Cars was a hit, but in 15 years, will anyone really care about that movie..

Also, what is going to happen to "A Bugs Land", are they going to keep it, or are they going to close it down. I really think that is also an area that needs some work done on it although I haven't really been in that area.

Overall, this will benifit the Disneyland Resort, Disneyland, and DCA attendence wise and enjoyment wise.

- Zach

^Also, VMK getting a budget cut. Compared to the parks or movies, VMK means nothing to Disney. lol

^The only Pixar attractions they are adding are from Toy Story and Cars

Joining A Bug's Land and Monsters, Inc. All that's left out are The Incredibles and Ratatouille. Guess they don't care for Brad Bird's Pixar films...

About Carsland, I don't think they should make it as big as they are making it as I see Pixar movies as a fad especially a movie like Cars. Now movies like Finding Nemo or Toy Story (also Pixar) are probably the few movies that seem like the blockbusters from Pixar and are more than fine being in the parks. I think Cars was a hit, but in 15 years, will anyone really care about that movie..

Well, I beg to differ with you there. You may not have liked Cars that much, but there's a huge population that did; NASCAR fans. The movie went over very well with them, and their kids love the characters. I think it will be just as popular as any of the others. (Whether it's as good or not is a different story.)

Also, what is going to happen to "A Bugs Land", are they going to keep it, or are they going to close it down. I really think that is also an area that needs some work done on it although I haven't really been in that area.

Sadly, not many people do go in there. From the outside, it;s very hard to see that there's even a land back there.

Joining A Bug's Land and Monsters, Inc. All that's left out are The Incredibles and Ratatouille. Guess they don't care for Brad Bird's Pixar films...
At least they occasionally have characters from The Incredibles show up in the park. I've yet to see Remy and Emile available for photos. And why isn't there yet a Ratatouille-themed restaurant? Paging the France pavillion at Epcot....

Aren't they making a Car's themed ride kinda like Test Track at Epcot in WDW?

I think Cars was a hit, but in 15 years, will anyone really care about that movie.


who remembers wind in the willows? who cares? the movie was a basis for a great ride, that has lasted for over 50 years. i believe the cars ride has the same potential. a whole land based on it, however, does seem a bit excessive.

I'm really glad they're working on re-doing DCA. One of our biggest complaints is that there is nothing for younger children to do. Nearly all of the rides my kids are still too small for (heights), my oldest is only just starting to reach a couple of them but they're not his type of rides. The only other things they can do is sit at shows, and I'm sorry, there are only so many sit on your bottom shows you can do in one day.
There is no shade at all it seems, I can't stand going there during the summer months when it's really hot.
We can cover the very few things of interest in no more than a couple hours and we're done and go back to DLR. The few times we've spent our whole day there for whatever reason we come home grumpy from it and end up in Downtown more then usual.
I find the Cars Land conversation interesting. My kids are right at the target age for all the stuff for that. Believe me, we have Cars stuff here! By the time it's up and running those kids will be a bit older and I can see it lasting. Cars is really a movie of this generation. Even if us adults let it fade I don't know if the kids will and that's why it sounds fine to me. Personally I am looking forward to it. I really liked that movie. I love all the Pixar movies, they go back to the original story telling of original Disney movies, the only difference is they use a computer for them. They really harken back to original Disney values and standards. But that's another conversation really.
Also, here's one of my odd questions...are they adding more parking if they're taking over the Timon lot? During busy times the exisiting parking can be full and that would be taking away a good amount of spots. Just curious.

At least they occasionally have characters from The Incredibles show up in the park. I've yet to see Remy and Emile available for photos.
Try New Orleans Square. They usually hang out there.

Try New Orleans Square. They usually hang out there.

Last time we went to New Orleans we saw Remy displays in the windows.

About Carsland, I don't think they should make it as big as they are making it as I see Pixar movies as a fad especially a movie like Cars. Now movies like Finding Nemo or Toy Story (also Pixar) are probably the few movies that seem like the blockbusters from Pixar and are more than fine being in the parks. I think Cars was a hit, but in 15 years, will anyone really care about that movie..



I heard something about Cars pulling in over $1 billion in merchandise last year. If that is true, I would say the movie is quite popular, which I know for a fact it is very popular with young kids.

so is dca closed right now/ because my family is planning a trip, and if it's not open, we're going to want to to it for a less amount of days.

DCA will not be closing during the remodel. When they work on the entrance plaza, they will have another way in.

Following years of viewing topics concerning the Disney parks, I'd have to conclude (still with an open mind) that the most difficult problem with any form of "enchancement or rebuild" is that there will ALWAYS be debate on the way the company (like all corporate business) should run things. ...and with Uncle Walt gone, it is our duty to clarify what should and/or shouldn't happen. Noticably I've seen better management charged with Igar - and I can only hope that things such as the DCA expansion will further into the future of entertainment, resort and film.

I wonder if they are planning on changing the parks name if it will no longer have a "main" california theme?

I think they'll probably change the name of the park to incorporate a more Disney feeling.

I wonder if they are planning on changing the parks name if it will no longer have a "main" california theme?

That's an interesting thought. I think it's still going to have the CA feeling to it even with the remodel though. They're making the entrance to look more like LA when Walt Disney got here, that's still CA. Cars-land works, Route 66 end point is CA and how most people got here back in it's hayday. It all still fits IMO to keep the name. Changing a name would be a huge undertaking too..I don't see them wanting to waste time or money on that :vwink: