Disney California Adventure Park

It's sometimes difficult not to think of Disney California Adventure® Park as Disneyland® Park's younger sibling since they are adjacent to each other and have the same parent... company. But with thrilling attractions and multiple renonvations (and more to come!), Disney California Adventure® Park has emerged from Disneyland's shadow.

Disney California Adventure® Park has gone through some noticeable changes in the past few years expanding upon what is already an impressive Disneyland® Resort. The theme park opened on February 8, 2001 with following five themed lands: A Bug’s Land, Golden State, Hollywood Pictures Backlot, Paradise Pier and Sunshine Plaza. In the fall of 2007, a significant renovation was announced that included new attractions, shows, a new entrance, and even an entire new land.

In summer 2008, new attraction Toy Story Mania opened, followed by Games of the Boardwalk in 2009, which incorporated several classic Disney characters and themes. The giant Sun Wheel was replaced with a giant image of Mickey Mouse and became "Mickey's Fun Wheel." The nighttime spectacular "World of Color" debuted in the summer of 2010, as did "Silly Symphony Swings," a Disney take on the classic swings attraction, which is themed to the 1935 Mickey Mouse cartoon "The Band Concert."

What's New at Disney California Adventure Park®:

Summer of 2011 brought "The Little Mermaid - Ariel's Udersea Adventure" and "Goofy's Sky School" to California Adventure. In 2012, the expansion will culminate with two projects, the first of which is a new main entry and front area called Buena Vista Street, designed to resemble the Los Angeles that Walt Disney experienced in the 1920s and 1930s. It will include red car trolleys and a replica of the historic Carthay Circle Theater (where Snow White and the Seven Dwarves debuted in 1937). The second project, a 12-acre expansion for the park called Cars Land is set to open in summer of 2012, will bring the town of Radiator Springs from the popular Disney/Pixar film "Cars" to life with three exciting new attractions - "Luigi's Flying Tires," "Mater's Junkyard Jamboree" and "Radiator Springs Racers."

Did you know? Facts About Disney California Adventure® Park:

The World of Color nighttime spectacular features almost 1,200 programmable fountains and 36 fire-emitting cannons, plus 28 high definition projectors.
The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure features an ornate 86-foot-long hand-painted mural.
The pilot/narrator of Soarin' Over California is actor Patrick Warburton