Disney California Adventure
Template:Short description Template:Pp-move Template:More citations needed Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox amusement park Template:Disneyland Resort sidebar Disney California Adventure is a theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division. The Template:Convert park is themed after Disney's interpretation of California, by the use of Disney Animation, Pixar and Marvel properties. The park opened on February 8, 2001, and is the second of two theme parks built at the Disneyland Resort complex, after Disneyland.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The concept of a theme park dedicated to California arose from a meeting of Disney executives in 1995, following the cancellation of WestCOT,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> a planned West Coast version of Walt Disney World's EPCOT Center. Construction of the park began in June 1998 and was completed by early 2001. Disney initially projected high attendance rates at the new park;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> a series of preview openings held in January 2001 led to negative reviews, however, and after the park officially opened to the public, the company's attendance projections were never met. Disney spent the next several years incrementally adding new rides, shows, and attractions, and implementing other promotions aimed at boosting attendance. In 2007, Disney announced a major overhaul of the park consisting of new expansion as well as re-construction of existing areas of the park.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Construction lasted for five years and was completed in stages, culminating with the opening of Buena Vista Street and Cars Land along with the re-dedication of the park in June 2012.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2024 the park hosted approximately 10 million guests, making it the 11th-most visited theme park in the world that year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
History
Concept and creation
The present-day site of Disney California Adventure was acquired by Walt Disney in the 1950s and functioned as the parking lot of Disneyland for over 40 years. After succeeding with the multi-park business model at Walt Disney World resort in Florida, the Disney company decided to turn Walt Disney's original theme park into a multi-park resort complex as well. Disneyland was boxed-in, however, because of the growth of Anaheim around the park; while the Walt Disney World property was 30,000 acres at the time, the Disneyland site was about 400. This consisted of the park itself, the 100-acre parking lot, and the newly acquired Disneyland Hotel and vacation property from the Wrather Corporation. In 1991, Disney announced plans to build WestCOT, a west coast version of what was then known as EPCOT Center, on the site of Disneyland's parking lot. The price tag of the proposed park was high and the company was facing financial and public relation problems with the newly opened Euro Disneyland (now Disneyland Paris).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Additionally, Disney president Frank Wells died in a helicopter crash in 1994.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> These issues led Disney to cancel WestCOT in 1995.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In the summer of 1995, Michael Eisner, Disney's CEO at the time, gathered company executives in Aspen, Colorado, to think of another idea for a second theme park in California. They broke down the Disneyland problem as follows: The majority of the people visiting Disneyland consisted primarily of California residents, locals, or those traveling from nearby states. Those who were visiting from another state or another country, probably had Disneyland as one of the several attractions to do in California. Based on this, Disney decided it would instead build a park themed to California's history and culture to keep guests at the resort instead of going off-site. This would require less expensive hotels, a single parking garage, and very little additional property acquisition, with most of the park residing on the Disneyland parking lot. Then-Disneyland president Paul Pressler relied on merchandising and retail staff instead of Imagineers to design the park. As an adult-oriented park-like Epcot, dining, and shopping were the design focus. Construction of the park began on January 22, 1998. On Main Street, USA in Disneyland, a Disney's California Adventure Preview Center opened in October 1998.<ref name=tpt>Template:Cite news</ref> The park's construction was accompanied by Downtown Disney and Disney's Grand Californian Hotel, in addition to renovation of the Disneyland Hotel and the re-theming of the Disneyland Pacific Hotel into Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel (known today as Pixar Place Hotel).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Opening and initial criticism
The park was expected to draw large crowds when it opened on February 8, 2001.<ref name=lat>Template:Cite news</ref> There were four districts with 22 shows and attractions and 15 restaurants.<ref name=tpt/>
On January 14, a Los Angeles Times article stated, "Senior Disney officials acknowledge that there will be days when California Adventure will have to turn patrons away, particularly in the first weeks after the park opens, during spring break and again in the summer."<ref name=lat/> The attendance that year was substantially less than expected, however. This is suggested to have happened as a result of negative reviews from early visitors.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For example, the park was aimed at adults, rather than children and families, which became the basis of significant criticism.<ref name=via>Template:Cite journal</ref>
The park opened to 5 million visitors in 2001 while its sister park Disneyland saw 12.3 million visitors during the same time frame.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Low attendance caused Disney to lower ticket prices for California Adventure, slashing as much as $10 off the park's ticket prices.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In its first year, the park averaged 5,000 to 9,000 visitors on weekdays and 10,000 to 15,000 on the weekends, despite having a capacity of 33,000. Visitor surveys reported that 20% of visitors to the park in its first year were satisfied with their experience.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By October 2001, both Wolfgang Puck and Robert Mondavi had closed their high-profile restaurants in the park,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> citing low crowds, though Mondavi remained as a sponsor.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In the 2019 documentary series The Imagineering Story, then-Walt Disney Imagineering creative executive Kevin Rafferty described how he and other Imagineers felt about the original entrance design of California Adventure:
Reflecting on the park's initial reception in The Imagineering Story, Barry Braverman, executive producer of California Adventure (1995–2001) stated;
Early changes and expansions
Two major criticisms of the park in its first year were the lack of attractions appealing to children and the lack of a nighttime show or parade to keep visitors from leaving at nightfall. Within the first year of operation, Disney's Electrical Parade was brought to the park (where it ran until 2010<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>) as well as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire – Play It!, and several of the park's original rides and attractions were closed, such as the stage show Disney's Steps in Time and the Superstar Limo ride, which were closed in 2001 and 2002, respectively. During the 2001 holiday season, Disney's LuminAria was presented on Paradise Bay. In October 2002, Flik's Fun Fair opened as part of the new A Bug's Land area, which added attractions for children, and in May 2004, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror opened,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> with Who Wants to Be a Millionaire – Play It! closing in August 2004.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The park also regularly featured seasonal promotions such as concert series, food festivals, and promotions for other Walt Disney Company franchises including the X Games and ABC soap operas. Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! opened in the former Superstar Limo building in January 2006.Template:Citation needed
Major redesign and expansion
By 2007, Disney began making plans for major updates to the park. CEO Bob Iger said, "Any time you do something mediocre with your brand, that's withdrawal. California Adventure was a brand withdrawal." Iger briefly considered combining California Adventure and Disneyland Park into one large park, but the price would have cost as much as completely remodeling California Adventure.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On October 17, 2007, the Walt Disney Company announced a multi-year, $1.1 billion redesign and expansion plan for Disney's California Adventure Park (against its initial $600 million cost to build).<ref name="times-oct17">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="times-oct18">Template:Cite news</ref> Each district was reimagined to transform the park from a spoof of modern California culture to a romanticized, idealized version of the state, exploring specific time periods and historic settings inspired by Disney and Pixar stories. The project began in December 2007 and was completed in stages. Toy Story Midway Mania! opened in Paradise Pier in June 2008, in space formerly occupied by a store and restaurants. World of Color, nighttime water and lights show on Paradise Bay, opened in June 2010. That same year, the park also received a modified name; Disney California Adventure.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure opened on the site formerly occupied by the Golden Dreams theater in June 2011.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The most drastic changes to the park included a complete overhaul of the main entrance, Sunshine Plaza, and Paradise Pier and an expansion into the last of the parking area originally designated as future growth space for the park. The main entrance and Sunshine Plaza were changed from a giant postcard design into Buena Vista Street, a representation of Los Angeles as it appeared when Walt Disney moved there in the 1920s. The giant "California" letters in front of the turnstiles were removed and donated to Cal Expo in Sacramento. Paradise Pier was turned from a contemporary representation of California boardwalks into a representation of Victorian seaside amusement parks of the 1920s, and some of the area's off-the-shelf rides were either removed outright, (such as Maliboomer), or re-themed to have more of a focus on Disney characters (such as Mickey's Fun Wheel, Goofy's Sky School, and Silly Symphony Swings). Cars Land, an area that recreates Radiator Springs from Pixar's Cars franchise, was added to the southeast portion of the park and features three rides, including the E ticket Radiator Springs Racers. Construction was completed in 2012 and the park was then re-dedicated on June 15, 2012.<ref name="ocresort.ocregister.com">Template:Cite web</ref>
The redesign and expansion of the park saw attendance rates increase dramatically. In 2012, Disney California Adventure reached a record high for the park of over 7 million visitors (a 23% increase from the year before), a number Disney had hoped the park would attain in its first year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The day of the park's rededication saw the park draw a record number of 43,000 visitors in one day. The night before the rededication, over 500 people camped outside of the park in order to be the first admitted in. Two days later, the park hit a new record of 45,000 visitors.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2013, speaking on the attendance increase at Disney California Adventure, Jay Rasulo, then-Disney's chief financial officer, said: "We had a very uneven distribution where most people spent most of their time at Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure was empty. Now, half of the folks go to one, half of the folks go to the other. It's almost a dream come true."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Subsequent updates
In 2015, the Condor Flats area of the park was re-themed into Grizzly Peak Airfield and was incorporated into the Grizzly Peak area.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror closed in January 2017 and was replaced with Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout!, which opened in summer of the same year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Pixar Pier, a re-theme of Paradise Pier, debuted in June 2018, with the area that includes Silly Symphony Swings, Jumpin' Jellyfish, Goofy's Sky School, Golden Zephyr and The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure becoming Paradise Gardens Park.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In September 2018, A Bug's Land was removed to make room for Avengers Campus. In addition, Jessie's Critter Carousel (a re-theme of King Triton's Carousel of the Sea) officially opened in Pixar Pier in April 2019, and A Bug's Land spinner ride Flik's Flyers was re-themed into Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind and relocated to Pixar Pier later that year at the former site of Maliboomer. Avengers Campus opened in 2021,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> with the adjacent Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout! then becoming part of it.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> San Fransokyo Square, a re-theme of the Pacific Wharf area, debuted in late August 2023.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
COVID-19 pandemic closure in 2020, partial and full reopening in 2021
Disney California Adventure, along with the rest of the Disneyland Resort, was closed indefinitely starting on March 14, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The park was scheduled to reopen alongside Disneyland Park on July 17,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but due to rising cases in California, both parks remained closed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In October 2020, it was announced that Buena Vista Street would open as an expansion of the Downtown Disney District. This expansion would allow for additional shops and dining options for visitors to the Disneyland Resort, while the parks remained closed under State guidelines.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In February 2021, Disney California Adventure announced there would be a limited-capacity ticketed event called "A Touch of Disney", which would allow Disney fans to shop and eat around the park from March 18 through April 19, 2021.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On March 5, 2021, it was announced by the California Department of Public Health that Disney California Adventure was allowed to reopen with capacity restrictions beginning April 1, 2021.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Then-Disney CEO Bob Chapek then announced the following week that the company planned on officially reopening the park in late April 2021.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On March 17, 2021, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products announced that both Disney California Adventure and Disneyland would officially reopen on April 30, 2021, with limited capacity and social distancing and mask guidelines in effect.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Mask policies were relaxed at the Disneyland Resort in the summer of 2021, but ultimately were reinstated for indoor shops and attractions in July in response to the Delta variant.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In February 2022, face masks were made optional for guests who are fully vaccinated.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Park layout and attractions
Disney California Adventure is divided into nine themed lands; Buena Vista Street, Hollywood Land, Avengers Campus, Cars Land, San Fransokyo Square, Performance Corridor, Pixar Pier, Paradise Gardens Park, and Grizzly Peak.
- Lands of Disney California Adventure
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Buena Vista Street (Carthay Circle Restaurant) -
Hollywood Land (pictured in 2009) -
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San Fransokyo Square -
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Buena Vista Street
Buena Vista Street is the first area seen upon entering the park. It represents Los Angeles in the 1920s, when Walt Disney first arrived there.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Similar to Main Street, USA in Disneyland Park, it has shops, restaurants, and a transportation system. Its central hub has entrances to Hollywood Land and Grizzly Peak. In the hub's center, also known as Carthay Circle, is a replica of the Carthay Circle Theater, where Disney Animation's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs debuted in 1937. Restaurants include Mortimer's Market, Trolley Treats, Clarabelle's Hand Scooped Ice Cream, Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Cafe, and Carthay Circle Restaurant. Main stores along the street include Oswald's, Five & Dime, Big Top Toys, Kingswell Camera Shop, and Elias & Co.
Hollywood Land
Hollywood Land is inspired by the Golden Age of Hollywood in the 1930s.<ref name=ocr20120527>Template:Cite news</ref> It includes attractions based on film, television, theater and a subsection called Hollywood Studios, which is designed to appear as an active studio backlot. Found within that subsection is the 3D film Mickey's PhilharMagic and the Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! attraction, a dark ride based on the characters from Pixar's 2001 film Monsters, Inc.. The land is also home to the 2000-seat Hyperion Theater.
Disney Junior – Live on Stage! opened on March 25, 2011, in the Disney Theater. Its final day of performance was April 9, 2017. It was replaced by Disney Junior Dance Party, which opened on May 26, 2017, until the final performance on March 23, 2025. It was announced that was replaced by a new show, Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live!, which opened May 16, 2025. Nearby Disney Theater is the Animation Building, which hosts Sorcerer's Workshop (a walk-through exhibit focused on basic animation), Animation Academy (a workshop that teaches guests how to draw Disney characters), Turtle Talk with Crush, and a meet and greet with Anna and Elsa. Outside of the Animation Building and Disney Theater are the land's two main stores: Off the Page and Gone Hollywood.Template:Citation needed
The restroom facilities in the district are designed in the style of Frank Lloyd Wright's Storer House, located in the Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles. The stamped concrete structure is typical of Wright's pioneering design.Template:Citation needed
Avengers Campus
Avengers Campus is inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), featuring attractions based on characters originating from Marvel Comics appearing in MCU media. The area is anchored around an Avengers campus located on the former restricted grounds of a California Stark Industries and Strategic Scientific Reserve complex. Attractions and restaurants include Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout!, Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure, and Pym Test Kitchen.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The area's shops include WEB Suppliers, Avengers Vault, and The Collector's Warehouse.
Cars Land
Cars Land is a tribute to Route 66 and is a recreation of the town of Radiator Springs from Pixar's Cars franchise on the town's big race day. The land spans Template:Convert and contains three attractions. The largest attraction, Radiator Springs Racers, is a dark ride that utilizes the technology of Test Track at Epcot. With a budget of an estimated US$200 million, Radiator Springs Racers is the most expensive theme park ride ever built.<ref name="latimes962">Template:Cite news</ref>
The other attractions at Cars Land are family attractions with smaller height requirements: Mater's Junkyard Jamboree and Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters. Mater's Junkyard Jamboree opened with Cars Land in 2012. Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters opened on March 7, 2016, and replaced Luigi's Flying Tires.
The land includes several dining and shopping venues. The district serves as a connection between San Fransokyo Square, Hollywood Land, and Avengers Campus.
Starting in 2017, Cars Land receives Halloween decorations during Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort. Two attractions, Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters and Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, became Luigi's Honkin' Haul-O-Ween and Mater's Graveyard JamBOOree. Cars Land also receives holiday overlays, where Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters becomes Luigi's Joy to the Whirl, and Mater's Junkyard Jamboree becomes Mater's Jingle Jamboree.
San Fransokyo Square
Located between Cars Land and Pixar Pier, San Fransokyo Square is a waterfront neighborhood inspired by California's fishing wharfs. San Fransokyo, as seen in Disney Animation's 2014 film Big Hero 6, is a combination of San Francisco and Tokyo. The story of San Fransokyo Square is set after the events of the film, with the waterfront neighborhood holding a celebration in honor of the Big Hero 6 superhero team. Most of the signage in the area includes Japanese translations. The area's restaurants include Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop, Lucky Fortune Cookery, Aunt Cass Café (Boudin Bakery), Rita's Turbine Blenders, Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill, and Port of San Fransokyo Cervecería (Karl Strauss Brewing Company). The area's shops include San Fransokyo Maker's Market. San Fransokyo Square is also home to The Bakery Tour.
Performance Corridor
The Performance Corridor area hosts the park's parades and cavalcades, with most starting in Paradise Gardens Park and traveling north through the Performance Corridor towards Buena Vista Street. The Performance Corridor area hosts many of the Resort's seasonal and cultural celebrations throughout the year. Some of these celebrations include the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival in the spring, the Dia de los Muertos celebration during the fall (with two shows, A Musical Celebration of Coco and Mariachi Divas), the Festival of the Holidays (with "Disney Viva Navidad Street Party" and "Mickey's Happy Holidays"), and the Lunar New Year Festival (with "Mulan's Lunar New Year Processional"). The area has no attractions, but several dining locations.
Pixar Pier
Pixar Pier is inspired by Victorian boardwalks that were once found along the coast of California. The area is themed after films produced by Pixar Animation Studios, and is divided into four districts; Incredibles Park, Toy Story Boardwalk, Pixar Promenade, and Inside Out Headquarters. Its attractions include the Pixar Pal-A-Round, Incredicoaster, Jessie's Critter Carousel, Games of Pixar Pier, Toy Story Midway Mania, and the Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind. Its main stores are Knick's Knacks, Midway Mercantile, and Bing Bong's Sweet Stuff, and offers table-service dining at the Lamplight Lounge. It is connected to Paradise Gardens Park at both ends; its main entrance is via a bridge under a large Pixar Pier gateway.Template:Citation needed
Paradise Gardens Park
Paradise Gardens Park has direct entrances to Pixar Pier, San Fransokyo Square and Grizzly Peak. Paradise Gardens Park is the main viewing area for the World of Color water show. Paradise Garden's attractions include Goofy's Sky School, Silly Symphony Swings, Jumpin' Jellyfish, Golden Zephyr, and The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure.
Grizzly Peak
Grizzly Peak is themed around California's wilderness and national parks, with particular references to Yosemite and Redwood national parks. Its main attraction is Grizzly River Run, a Gold Rush-esque river rapids ride around the area's summit. Nearby is the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, a playground area with elements from Disney Animation's Brother Bear (2003) and Pixar's Up (2009). It has an entrance exclusively accessible to guests of Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.
Grizzly Peak Airfield is a sub-land within Grizzly Peak, themed to an airfield in California's High Sierras in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The area's main attraction is Soarin', which simulates a hang-glider tour of locations, landscapes and landmarks across six of the world's continents. The area also includes the Smokejumpers Grill restaurant, the shop Humphrey's Service & Supplies, and a decorative fire lookout tower.<ref name=pimentel>Template:Cite news</ref>
Upcoming attractions
The park will receive two attractions for Avengers Campus; Avengers Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In addition, a ride based on Pixar's 2017 film Coco will be built near Pixar Pier and Paradise Gardens Park, and an area inspired by 20th Century Studios' 2022 film Avatar: The Way of Water and future Avatar films will be built in a portion of the park's Hollywood backlot.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Former areas
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Sunshine Plaza
Sunshine Plaza was the first land guests would find after entering Disney California Adventure. It featured two stores, Engine Ears Toys and Greetings from California. At the center of the plaza was the "Sun Icon".
The land closed in 2010<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and was replaced by Buena Vista Street in 2012.
Bountiful Valley Farm
Bountiful Valley Farm was a themed area presented by Caterpillar. It featured farm equipment and various crops growing. When A Bug's Land opened in 2002, the district was absorbed into the land. Caterpillar ended their sponsorship in 2007 and the area closed in 2010. It was replaced by Cars Land.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Paradise Pier
Paradise Pier opened in 2001 with the park. It featured attractions such as California Screamin', Maliboomer, The Sun Wheel and King Triton's Carousel of the Sea. The land closed in 2018 and reopened as Pixar Pier.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
A Bug's Land
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Template:Main A Bug's Land (stylized "a bug's land") was inspired by Pixar's 1998 film A Bug's Life, where oversized human items were scattered throughout. It featured Flik's Fun Fair (a collection of themed, family and child-friendly attractions such as Flik's Flyers, Francis' Ladybug Boogie, Tuck & Roll's Drive 'em Buggies, Heimlich's Chew Chew Train, and Dot's Puddle Park). It opened as the park's first expansion in 2002 to expand the park's family-friendly attractions. The land was built around the existing attraction It's Tough to Be a Bug!, a 3D film based on A Bug's Life, which opened with the park in 2001.
It's Tough to Be a Bug! closed on March 19, 2018. The rest of A Bug's Land closed on September 4, 2018, to make way for Avengers Campus.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> When A Bug's Land closed in 2018, Flik's Flyers was re-themed into Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind, inspired by Pixar's 2015 film Inside Out, and relocated to Pixar Pier.
Pacific Wharf
Located between Cars Land and Pixar Pier, Pacific Wharf was themed to resemble the old waterfront of Monterey, California as a tribute to its fishing industry. Its attractions were The Bakery Tour and the Walt Disney Imagineering Blue Sky Cellar.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This area was primarily an outdoor food court.
In September 2022, it was announced that Pacific Wharf would be re-themed to San Fransokyo, a combination of San Francisco and Tokyo, as seen in Disney Animation's 2014 film Big Hero 6.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In February 2023, it was announced that the name of the re-themed area would be San Fransokyo Square.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The area debuted on August 31, 2023.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Alcohol policy
Unlike Disneyland Park (with the exception of Carnation Cafe in Main Street, USA, River Belle Terrace in Frontierland, Club 33, Blue Bayou Restaurant and Café Orleans in New Orleans Square, and Oga's Cantina in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge), Disney California Adventure serves beer, wine, and cocktails throughout its restaurants, stands, and food kiosks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The park also hosts the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival, an annual event featuring a number of themed kiosks, each featuring food and beverages from a particular aspect of California cuisine.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Live entertainment
Five and Dime is a traveling street show featuring Dime and her five band mates. They can be seen driving through Hollywood Land in their 1920s-style car and perform in Buena Vista Street on a stage in front of the Carthay Circle Restaurant,<ref name="disneyland.disney.go.com">Template:Cite web</ref> and World of Color is nighttime water and light show on Paradise Bay. During the holiday season, a holiday version of the show is offered.<ref name="disneyland.disney.go.com" /> In addition, many Disney Animation, Pixar, and Marvel Cinematic Universe characters can be found in the park, greeting visitors.
Annual events
- The Lunar New Year Celebration (originally begun as the Happy Lunar New Year Celebration at Disneyland) is a festival first held at Disney California Adventure in 2013.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The festival celebrates the Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean cultures, taking place in January and February.
- The Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival, inaugurated in 2006, is an annual festival celebrating the cuisine, wine, and beer of California, taking place during spring.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Oogie Boogie Bash, a separately ticketed after hours Halloween event, began in 2019 and takes place on select nights in September and October.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The event is named after the character Oogie Boogie from the 1993 film The Nightmare Before Christmas.
- Disney Festival of Holidays is a festival inspired by cultural traditions, started in 2016 and taking place in winter.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The festival celebrates traditions from holidays including Christmas, Navidad, Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa and Three Kings Day.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Attendance
| Year | Attendance | Worldwide Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 5,000,000<ref name="2001 attendance">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 2002 | 4,700,000<ref name="2002 attendance">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 2003 | 5,310,000<ref name="2003 attendance">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 2004 | 5,600,000<ref name="2004 attendance">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 2005 | 5,800,000<ref name="2005 attendance">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 2006 | 5,950,000<ref name="2006 attendance">Template:Cite web</ref> | 13<ref name="2006 attendance" /> |
| 2007 | 5,680,000<ref name="2007 attendance">Template:Cite web</ref> | 13<ref name="2007 attendance" /> |
| 2008 | 5,566,000<ref name="2008 attendance">Template:Cite web</ref> | 8<ref name="2008 attendance" /> |
| 2009 | 6,095,000<ref name="2009 attendance">Template:Cite web</ref> | 11<ref name="2009 attendance" /> |
| 2010 | 6,287,000<ref name="2010 attendance">Template:Cite web</ref> | 11<ref name="2010 attendance" /> |
| 2011 | 6,341,000<ref name="2011 Report">Template:Cite web</ref> | 13<ref name="2011 Report" /> |
| 2012 | 7,775,000<ref name="2012 attendance">Template:Cite web</ref> | 11<ref name="2012 attendance" /> |
| 2013 | 8,514,000<ref name="2013 attendance">Template:Cite web</ref> | 10<ref name="2013 attendance" /> |
| 2014 | 8,769,000<ref name="2014 attendance">Template:Cite web</ref> | 10<ref name="2014 attendance" /> |
| 2015 | 9,383,000<ref name="2015 attendance">Template:Cite web</ref> | 11<ref name="2015 attendance" /> |
| 2016 | 9,295,000<ref name="2016 attendance">Template:Cite web</ref> | 11<ref name="2016 TEA">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2017 | 9,574,000<ref name="2017 attendance">Template:Cite web</ref> | 13<ref name="2017 attendance" /> |
| 2018 | 9,861,000<ref name="2018 attendance">Template:Cite web</ref> | 12<ref name="2018 attendance" /> |
| 2019 | 9,861,000<ref name="2019attendance">Template:Cite web</ref> | 13<ref name="2019attendance" /> |
| 2020 | 1,919,000Template:Ref<ref name="2020attendance">Template:Cite web</ref> | Template:N/aTemplate:Ref |
| 2021 | 4,977,000<ref name="2021 Attendance">Template:Cite web</ref> | Template:N/aTemplate:Ref |
| 2022 | 9,000,000<ref name="2022 Attendance">Template:Cite web</ref> | Template:N/aTemplate:Ref |
| 2023 | 10,000,000<ref name="2023 Attendance">Template:Cite web</ref> | 11<ref name="2023 Attendance" /> |
| 2024 | 10,050,000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
- Notes
- Template:Note Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the park was only open in 2020 from the beginning of the year through March 14
- Template:Note Due to the worldwide impacts on park attendance caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, no rankings were done for the year.
See also
- List of Disney theme park attractions
- List of Disney attractions that were never built
- List of incidents at Disneyland Resort
- Walt Disney Studios Park, the second theme park of Disneyland Paris
- Rail transport in Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
- List of amusement parks
Disney California Adventure attractions
- List of Disney California Adventure attractions
- List of former Disney California Adventure attractions
References
External links
Template:Disney California Adventure Template:Disneyland Resort Template:Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Template:Amusement parks in California Template:Authority control