By Rick West

As someone there at the Grand Opening of Disney's California Adventure the morning of February 8, 2001, I know first-hand the challenges that the Disneyland Resort's expansion has faced since Day One.

I will never forget getting up at 5:30 A.M., meeting our media escort and having a breakfast/briefing before being taken to the Golden Gate Bridge area just inside the DCA entrance.  Inside the media center as we ate donuts and sipped coffee and orange juice, we were told that Anaheim would be a snarl of traffic as fans and curious guests from near and far clogged the streets and freeways to get to the new theme park on its Opening Day.  We were told that there would ne news helicopters hovering, live radio and television news feeds and a crushing flood of excited visitors rushing into the new park as it was opened, so we all needed to be aware, be safe and enjoy this moment in history.

Fast-forward to me standing below the Golden Gate entry area inside Disney's California Adventure, shoulder-to-shoulder with other photographers and members of the media.  A few hundred feet in front of us was the entry gate - and it was packed with eager fans.  Sure enough, a helicopter or two hovered overhead and there were definitely live remotes from radio stations around the world set up throughout DCA.

The gates were opened, the turnstiles started clicking away and indeed, excited kids and adults rushed in and past us.  For about five minutes, it seemed as though everything was going according to plan.

And then it happened.

The last of the waiting guests came through the entrance.  I, along with others, stood looking at an empty main gate area, as Disney Cast Members stood at the ready for the masses to arrive.  That never happened.

Initially, we were told that it was because there was so much traffic around the Disneyland Resort, that the people simply couldn't get to DCA.

Yet, there were throngs of tourists entering Disneyland Park across the plaza.

Excuse after excuse came and very quickly, it was apparent to those of us previously labeled "crazy Disneyland fans/geeks that have no idea of what is successful and what isn't for Disney" that our fears and concerns had been realized and were materializing before our eyes.  Disney's California Adventure was designed and built on the cheap, with lackluster attractions, no major "E" Ticket rides and the public knew it.  There was no appeal - especially to Southern California residents, who make up the bulk of Disneyland Resort's annual attendance and income.  No - it wasn't because a handful of websites like Theme Park Adventure were out there being very vocal in our concern about the "leadership" and "vision" of Michael Eisner and the likes of Paul Pressler at the time.  The problem was much more wide-spread than our online musings and rants about Team Disney of that time.  California residents simply had no interested in visiting a California-themed theme park with minimally-themed rides and attractions, a huge carnival-style boardwalk area and a park that was originally touted as the first Disney park not to feature Disney characters; something the company was actually standing behind - the main "character" of DCA was to be the State of California itself.

Yeah.

Right.

Whether they said it publicly or not - everyone at Disney knew immediately that there was a serious problem with Disney's California Adventure.  It was a real-life business disaster in motion for The Walt Disney Company and everyone from fans to major shareholders expressed their disappointment and concern.

Time changed things.  Disney characters moved in and now you can't go two feet without either seeing a costumed character or a merchandise location cram-packed with the latest in Mickey and company gear for kids of all ages.

Bigger and better attractions started popping up, with the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror being the biggest single draw to DCA still, even though there were major complaints about that expansion as well.  The project was dubbed "Tower Lite" by Disney Imagineers and fans alike because unlike its most impressive counterpart in Orlando, DCA's version of the Tower of Terror was a scaled-back version, again designed and built "on the cheap", leaving many West Coast Disney fans feeling like they'd been once again, cheated by the company.  The question asked remains a very valid one to this day - why after the original Tower had been so successful (and remains as such) in Orlando, was the California version scaled-back in detail and experience, rather than expanded on and bettered all those years later with new technology and special effects wizardry available to Walt Disney Imagineers?  While the obvious answer was budget concerns, the bigger picture was further cemented and became even more deeply-rooted in a lot of enthusiasts' minds: Disney's California Adventure would never be anything more than a second-rate theme park experience and would always pale in comparison to it's world-famous counterpart, Disneyland Park.

And many fans knew that it would take the ousting of Michael Eisner and his "team" if there would ever be hope for the ill-fated DCA.

Thank goodness for the sands of time and the work they accomplish on occasion.

Today, Disney appears to have finally "gotten the message" and is working hard, putting its money where its mouth is - and for the first time, is really starting to take the DCA issues seriously.  The cash is flowing (kind of - due to recent economic hardships that all Americans and companies are coping with, the DCA expansion has been off-set by as much as a year or more, although the projects are creeping along at a conservative pace), the changes are happening and the public has been invited to have a sneak peek, via the Blue Sky Cellar - an Imagineering portal that allows visitors to Disney's California Adventure the opportunity to see the massive changes that are coming to the ailing theme park in the coming years.

The location of the Blue Sky Cellar inside the Golden Vine Winery is an ironic twist to the overall issues that plague DCA.  Originally a wine-tasting location and in-park sales location for world-renowned wine legend Robert Mondavi, the Golden Vine Winery was one of the first DCA locations to have a major sponsor pull out, leaving Disney an embarrassing and very public void to fill.  Imagineering to the rescue!  For the first time in a long time, the Golden Vine Winery is a must-see location for all Disney's California Adventure guests.

Outside, guests are invited to come inside for a unique look at what Disney will be bringing to the theme park by way of concept art and a very interesting video that showcases the design process and what we can expect from Walt Disney Imagineers in the not-too-distant future here in California.  Outside the building, guests may look at giant hanging "billboards" that highlight some of the changes taking place - the artwork that seems to garner the most attention is for Cars Land; more on that in a moment.

Inside, guests may spend as long as they'd like looking over concept art, models, interactive elements and watching the video presentation in a small theater.  Cast Members are also on hand to answer what questions they can, while providing great friendliness and guest service to anyone and everyone passing through.

The biggest expansion and change to DCA will be that of an entirely new area, Cars Land.  Based on the Pixar hit Cars, this 12-acre expansion will allow guests to enter Radiator Springs, where there will be several new attractions based on the film, including a large-scale ride that is being touted as a "real "E" Ticket" that looks to be an off-shoot of the Test Track attraction at Epcot with some amazing effects and animatronics figures sprinkled throughout.  We've heard from several sources close to this attraction say that this is the real deal - this is going to be a huge and awesome ride, the likes that Disneyland Resort has not seen since the debut of Indiana Jones in 1995.

Another major addition to Disney's California Adventure will be The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Adventure attraction, of course based on Disney's The Little Mermaid.  This sure-hit attraction will be located where the show Golden Dreams once existed.  Golden Dreams, starring Whoopi Goldberg, had its final showing in September, 2008.  Construction of the Little Mermaid ride is scheduled to begin this year.  For a long time, there were plans at WDI to bring this attraction to the old CircleVision building at Disneyland Park; that never happened, obviously.  We're just thrilled to see it finally being installed somewhere at the Disneyland Resort; it's long-overdue and I think it is a classic Disney film that should have been recognized much sooner as an attraction.  Better late than never, however.

Massive aesthetic changes are going to come to Disney's California Adventure as well.  The entire main gate will be altered to look basically the same as the one at Disney's Hollywood Studios Theme Park (formerly Disney MGM Studios) and the entry plaza will be transformed into Buena Vista Street, a nostalgic look at Los Angeles of the 1920s and '30s, the way it was when Walt Disney first arrived in California and set up shop.  That means farewell to the Golden Gate Bridge and hello to a replica of the Carthay Circle Theatre, where Walt Disney debuted Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  It's going to be a total make-over of the entry plaza, and one that will be much more "Disney" and inviting than what currently exists.

Other changes will be made to the Pacific Pier section of Disney's California Adventure, with the most notable already open - Toy Story Mania!  This fantastic 3-D shoot-em-up attraction from the hit Pixar Toy Story franchise opened to rave reviews (and a big 'ol line) last year and is definitely one of the highlights of DCA now.  Johanna Atilano wrote a great story for Theme Park Adventure (further down this page) when Toy Story opened last year and it has since become one of our favorite things to do at California Adventure whenever we hit the resort!

Cosmetic changes to the Sun Wheel, transforming it into Mickey's Fun Wheel are underway and soon the Orange Stinger will become the Silly Symphony Swings and Mulholland Madness will also get a shot in the arm visually.  Couple this with Disney character lay-overs of the current Boardwalk Games, and you finally have a Disney-themed park the way that we like 'em.

One of the biggest challenges that Disney's California Adventure has also faced is that it's not been a day-long park experience for most guests.  They come in, hit a few rides and then cram through the gates of Disneyland Park, making the Magic Kingdom even more crowded all the time.  Attempts in keeping the crowds at DCA after dark have included bringing back the Main Street Electrical Parade and having other nighttime parades/shows.

In a major push that should work, Disney has unveiled plans for the park's huge lake area - a nighttime spectacular in the same class as Fantasmic!, which is being called Disney's World of Color.  This show will transform the lagoon at DCA into a multimedia extravaganza nightly with all of your favorite Disney characters, lots of amazing effects and of course, pyro!  This should do the trick, and in anticipation of the crowds, Disney is already starting to re-work the waterfront viewing areas the same way it did in New Orleans Square back in the day when Fantasmic! was shiny and new.  This is one element of the DCA make-over that I am particularly interested in, which says a lot, since I am not generally a theme park "show" fan by any stretch. 

Will Disney's California Adventure still have obstacles in the future despite these sweeping changes?  Of course.  Public perception is very difficult to sway, and once again, we have to wait on the sands of time to do their thing.  Disney doesn't just have to re-Imagineer a weak theme park; they have to go about their biggest challenge ever... re-Imagineering the faith that people once had in them as a "can do no wrong" company when it comes to theme park design.

One of my favorite writers once put it very bluntly... "You can't polish a turd."

Well, generally, that is correct.  However, this Disney fan believes in Imagineering and believes in the will and the vision of those hard at work now to once and for all, give us the "Disney" in Disney's California Adventure.

The exhibits within the Blue Sky Cellar are slated to rotate every few months.  Theme Park Adventure will continue to bring you these updates from the Cellar and from around DCA itself in the months and years to come.

TOY STORY MIDWAY MANIA: UP-CLOSE-AND-PERSONAL!

By Johanna Atilano

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