Your opinions for a first-timer to California Adventure

[Nicole220]

That's true of virtually anything though. My point is that I find it funny that whenever people are recommending DCA, they seem to often have to mentally prepare the person for the visit by saying things like, "just go in with an open mind". I've never heard anyone describe the other Disney parks that way. To me, that's very indicative of how I think people truly feel about this park deep down.

And speaking of "all the bashing" this park gets....What does that tell you? Do the other Disney parks get the "bashing" this one does? Not by a long shot! That's because they are all high quality parks. This one is not and I think Disney has publicly acknowledged this fact and are now trying to rectify it. But they're not there yet. This park is still a dog and will be for at least several years until improvements are made.

That's because all the other Disney parks don't get bashed like DCA does. Deep down I still love the park, yeah DL is far more better, but DCA is still fun and enjoyable.

 

[isitingood]

Any time someone describes Paradise Pier in this way, all I can think is how they've been duped by the people who built this park on the cheap and then tried to pass it off as being "themed". Hello? It's an amusement park. Amusement parks have no themeing. That was the whole basis for why Walt wanted to build a theme park. Also, it would not be accurate to say that I "don't get California". Not only have I lived in California my entire life, but I have a strong interest and fascination with California history. This park tries to pass off the seaside amusement park as being a significant role in California history and culture. That's not the case at all.

Like I said you don't get it, all you're doing is attacking people's opinion's about the park.

 

[Rufus T Firefly]

Wow...this has sure turned into a lively thread...! I figured i might be opening up a "old wound" with some folks as DCA has always seemed to have done so since day one.

I'm going to check it out, but will probably only have one day to do so. The plan is to do DL Sunday late afternoon/night, and Monday all day. Tuesday i will hit DCA and see what i would like to see.

I think my expereince at DCA will be interesting. For years i have been following it's "saga" since it first opened it's gates and the fan community began voicing it's opinions. I like to hear the thoughts of different fans, as usually everyone has some good opinions of things amoung the ones i may consider not so good. That's what great about message forums..everyone can have there say about any given topic. It's great...and i can see DCA has set off a lively debate.

So getting back to DCA, for those that have been: What resturants/quick-serve places would you recommend for Lunch or Dinner? Chances are i will only be there for Lunch, as i will be meeting friends later on and we may likely go elsewhere for out nighttime meal.

Still awaiting any further info on the "Brother Bear Totem Ceremony" show. Hopefully someone will find there way into this thread and be able to shed some light on it.

Grizzly River now.....i will probably give it a try if it is nice out weather wise. I liked Kali but like many agree that it was too short and mild for what i was expecting. It did'nt live up to it's name really, but i loved the elaborate theming a great deal in the que leading up to the actual load area. I could stay in that temple all day! If Grizzly is just as nice, in a more nature-based way, and longer....i will probably be glad i rode it.

I love Soarin'.....and even though i have been on the EPCOT version many times i will likely ride at DCA too. If it has a huge wait time i will pass, but if it's a clear shot i will do it.

The attractions that i have already seen in WDW i will more then likely pass....though if time allows i may just do them anyway as i enjoy seeing the small differences ( if any in some cases)

I will definately do the Sun Wheel...though more then likely a non-moving car.

Monsters Inc is a definate too...i love dark rides and consider it a must do for that alone.

Hmmm...is there anything else i am missing?

Let me paraphrase an old saying: "Opinions are like elbows, everybody has them"
It would be a boring world indeed, if everyone thought the same and felt the same.
My best advice to you concerning DCA is simple: Try it and make up your own mind.

 

[ingamba]

Agree about Aladdin. It is, so far, the only thing that has come out of DCA that I'd describe as truly impressive and unique. Not sure it's worth the price of admission, but if you're there anyway, then definitely see this.

I wouldn't say that it's the only impressive and unique thing to come out of DCA, considering that Soarin' originated at DCA, and to me, that is one of the most inventive and unique attractions at any Disney theme park.

 

[Rufus T Firefly]

So getting back to DCA, for those that have been: What resturants/quick-serve places would you recommend for Lunch or Dinner? Chances are i will only be there for Lunch, as i will be meeting friends later on and we may likely go elsewhere for out nighttime meal.

I've always had good luck at the Taste Pilot's Grill (burgers and ribs) You place your own order on a touch screen. It's kinda cool.

 

[davewasbaloo]

Ok, I am likely to get flamed with my response, but I want to help the OP out here. For the record, we have been to 8 of Disney's parks around the globe and DCA is my wife's favorite. And for me as a California expat, I have a real soft spot for DCA. FWIW, here's my take:

Hollywood Pictures Backlot - I love the Animation Building - it is worth going in there just for the lobby alone. This has some wonderful exhibits and if you are an animation fan, can eat lots of time.

Aladdin is a fantastic show blowing every stage show (except maybe Finding Nemo) at WDW out of the water. Great, and the theatre is wonderful. ToT is great too - I think it get's too hard a time. The change in design was not for cheapness, it was actually so the hourly through put could be increased. I recommend the OP rides it (if you can take ToT) and make up your own mind. We love Muppetvision 3d and Playhouse Disney, but they are largely the same as at WDW.

Bugs land is cute, but only worth a 5 min stroll. ITTBAB is great, but it is essentially the same as at DAK. Soarin' is about the same, but for us, it's always a do not miss. Grizzly is not the same as Kali, it's far better. It's nearly twice as long and has 2 large drops, the second one is designed to spin. To me this is the greatest raft ride anywhere.

I have not seen the Brother Bear show sadly, but it is in a great setting.

I love Golden Dreams. To me this is a wonderful film that if you enjoy the Epcot films, be sure to take this in. WE saw it three times on our last trip and loved it. Also, a little hidden gem is Seasons of the Vine at the Winery. This is a cute little Epcotish film about wine making. You can take a glass of wine in with you to enjoy and talk to the cast members about the wines. Also, they have wonderful wine tasting sessions at the winery.

My wife really loves Mission Tortilla and the Boudin Factories because we like to cook and don't really have anything like it in the UK.

Paradise Pier you can skip if you don't like thrills (but we LOVE Screaming).

The Electrical Parade is wonderful as always.

For me, I would recommend for food - The Trattoria, Ariel's or Corn Dog Castle (best corn dogs anywhere!!!!). However, the Napa Rose at the Grand Californian is the best Disney restaurant on the planet - better than V&A's or the California Grill IMHO. Also Storytellers is quite good at the Grand, and Whitewater Snacks is a cheap and good quality counter service. All of these can be accessed via the private DCA/Grand entrance.

What my wife and I love about DCA is the vibe, the diversity of experiences, the good food and the fact that it has some of our fav WDW attractions and more. Could it be better? Sure. But I would still rather spend a day at DCA than MGM.

 

[mickster]

Well, I'm not going to lie, DCA is the worst Disney Park I've been to. But does that make it a bad park overall? No, it certainly doesn't. It's a fun little park for about a half to two thirds of a day. I just don't like how you treat it like a poor man that just came off the streets compared to Disneyland... yeah, Disneyland is far surperior, but DCA is fun, too.

-Skip

You are correct that simply being the worst Disney park does not, on it's own, make DCA a bad park. After all, one of them has to be at the bottom of the list, right? Nevertheless, I do think DCA is a bad park, and not just because the others are better. I think what makes it a bad park is the fact that it was so clearly done on the cheap, that it has so many attractions that exist already at other parks, and the fact that the major section of the park (Paradise Pier) is so radically contrary to what Disney parks are supposed to be about. I am measuring it by Disney standards, as I would any park with the Disney name on it. This park isn't simply a case of being at the bottom of the list of Disney parks...It is nowhere in the same league as any of the other Disney parks, and it is highly flawed. There are non-Disney parks that surpass this one by leaps and bounds.

 

[mickster]

I wouldn't say that it's the only impressive and unique thing to come out of DCA, considering that Soarin' originated at DCA, and to me, that is one of the most inventive and unique attractions at any Disney theme park.

It was unique when it first came out, but it has since been duplicated, thus making it no longer unique. Since the OP has been to all of the WDW attractions many times, I didn't recommend any of the DCA attractions that exist elsewhere.

 

[mickster]

That's because all the other Disney parks don't get bashed like DCA does. Deep down I still love the park, yeah DL is far more better, but DCA is still fun and enjoyable.

You're right, the other Disney parks don't get bashed like DCA does. What does that tell you?:lol:

 

[mickster]

No you are not expressing your opinion of the park, you are trying to demean everyone else's opinion and then throw your opinion in as fact. Once again, you just proved my point, what you are doing is rude and uncalled for.

Explain how exactly I'm "throwing my opinion in as fact". Is it because I don't end every statement with "that's my opinion"? :veryconfu

 

[mickster]

Like I said you don't get it, all you're doing is attacking people's opinion's about the park.

I think you are the one who doesn't "get it". This is a discussion forum. Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion. I think the OP probably stated it best:

I like to hear the thoughts of different fans, as usually everyone has some good opinions of things amoung the ones i may consider not so good. That's what great about message forums..everyone can have there say about any given topic. It's great...and i can see DCA has set off a lively debate.

 

[mickster]

It would be a boring world indeed, if everyone thought the same and felt the same.

Here here!! :wave: Well said!

 

[The Mom]

Please keep this thread on the discussion side of the line; it's getting close to crossing it.

 

[Tim G]

I would say half day at the absolute most! Remember, every minute you're spending in DCA is precious time taken away from DL.



There's nothing original about the Sun Wheel though. It's based on an old design from Coney Island (which of course has nothing whatsoever to do with California, but that's a whole other debate).



Agree 100%. I only suggested it because WDW doesn't have one. But I would add, only ride it if you can basically walk right on. Not worth a long wait.



But unless you've never had a tortilla before, there's nothing special about these. I think it's a stretch that people are recommending this as a must see. It is, in my opinion, very telling of just how weak this park is.



"much better"? I'd be very curious as to why you think that.



There are subtle differences, and if you have an eye for detail then I suppose you are right that it is worthwhile comparing the two.



Agree about Aladdin. It is, so far, the only thing that has come out of DCA that I'd describe as truly impressive and unique. Not sure it's worth the price of admission, but if you're there anyway, then definitely see this.



I think when you have to tell somebody to experience something "with an open mind", it's somewhat telling as to how weak you may think it is deep down. I've never heard anyone describe Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, MGM or Animal Kingdom that way. :lol:

:lookaroun :lookaroun :lookaroun :lookaroun

 

[Nicole220]

Please keep this thread on the discussion side of the line; it's getting close to crossing it.

I'm sorry, I'll be done now.

 

[darthjohnny]

Not to put too fine a point on it, I suspect you may receive a lot of heavily biased responses to your request for input. Keeping in mind, as I'm sure you already have, that this input is coming from loyal hardcore Disney fans, many of whom may be reluctant to be critical of anything Disney, I'd like to recommend that you factor this into your interpretations of the advice you get in this thread.

For example, some of the advice you were given in the very first response to this thread was advice I would not have given. The poster listed Grizzly River Rapids, for example, as a "must see" attraction. Had you never been on Kali River Rapids, I would have made the same recommendation. But the two are so similar (as the poster who recommended it to you acknowledged) that you probably don't want to devote your limited time to attractions you've essentially already done. I would skip Grizzly River Rapids. I would also skip It's Tough to Be a Bug, Tower of Terror and Soarin' for the very same reasons. It's Tough to Be a Bug is identical, in every way, to the AK version. Soarin' is also identical as far as the attraction itself is concerned. But where the Epcot version at least has somewhat of a queue to speak of, the DCA version does not. Tower of Terror, however, is significantly inferior to the MGM version. It lacks the elaborate exterior grounds, the fifth dimension scene, and the random drop sequences. There are some who will tell you that this one is "better in some ways" or that it has "some surprises". But the truth is, all it really has that's different is one effect that is pretty cheesy.

You were also given advice, by another poster, that you should visit the Mission Tortilla display to try their "delicious" free samples. The thing to keep in perspective here is that yes they are free,....but they are just slices of tortillas. There is truly nothing spectacular about it. :brick:

Paradise Pier is an area that I would avoid altogether if I were you. The only attraction in this section that has any originality is California Screamin', and you mentioned that you are not a fan of thrill rides. All of the other rides in this section are nothing more than off the shelf carnival rides. In fact, the whole "feel" of this area is basically everything Walt detested about amusement parks. I never thought I'd see the day when Disney would strive to be a Six Flags wannabe, but that's exactly what Paradise Pier is,...no matter how a lot of Disney fans will try and dress it up.

Given the limited amount of time that you have to visit the Anaheim resort, and the fact that you've never been to Disneyland, I would strongly suggest that you plan your trip primarily around Disneyland itself, and only do DCA as a quick visit. While there, I'd suggest seeing Aladdin, Monsters, Inc., and A Bug's Land. For the latter, I can't recommend any of the rides as they are all just carnival kiddie rides. But the look of this section is cute and worth seeing.

Hope this helps! Have a great trip!!

Hey I was just offering some tips and trying to describe what the rides are like. My response is not biased.

And those tortillas are delicious! :brick:

 

[mickster]

And those tortillas are delicious! :brick:

But there's nothing special about them. They're the same as free samples you would get at Costco. They used to give out free chocolate chip cookies at Innoventions in Epcot too (not sure if they still do). Those cookies were a lot more "delicious" then these tortilla samples and yet I never read or heard anyone recommend them to first-time visitors. Why? Because there is so much more to see at Epcot! It's a spectacular park, as any park with the Disney name on it should be. Consequently, something so minor as free samples is not going to stand out among all the other engaging things to see and do.

But with DCA, people often recommend the Mission Tortilla Factory. Why? Because there's not much else to see at this park and so free tortilla samples stand out as being an "attraction". Because of this, I think Figment's Friend, a first time visitor to the resort, deserves to know the truth about this type of "attraction" so that she doesn't waste her time, and instead can see the stuff that truly is worthwhile seeing (nearly all of which is at Disneyland, not DCA).

 

[darthjohnny]

But there's nothing special about them. They're the same as free samples you would get at Costco. They used to give out free chocolate chip cookies at Innoventions in Epcot too (not sure if they still do). Those cookies were a lot more "delicious" then these tortilla samples and yet I never read or heard anyone recommend them to first-time visitors. Why? Because there is so much more to see at Epcot! It's a spectacular park, as any park with the Disney name on it should be. Consequently, something so minor as free samples is not going to stand out among all the other engaging things to see and do.

But with DCA, people often recommend the Mission Tortilla Factory. Why? Because there's not much else to see at this park and so free tortilla samples stand out as being an "attraction". Because of this, I think Figment's Friend, a first time visitor to the resort, deserves to know the truth about this type of "attraction" so that she doesn't waste her time, and instead can see the stuff that truly is worthwhile seeing (nearly all of which is at Disneyland, not DCA).

No, the tortillas are made specially fresh for you. They are warm and tasty
.

 

[mickster]

No, the tortillas are made specially fresh for you. They are warm and tasty
.

Try to imagine never having been to Disneyland before and having a very limited time to see it. Would you really want people recommending to you that you take time out to have a tiny little slice of tortilla? Would you want to return from your trip having to say, "Yeah unfortunately I didn't get a chance to ride Indy because I was over at California Adventure waiting in line to try a piece of tortilla. Yes, that's right, the same ones I can get here at the grocery store here in town." I mean, honestly, it's not like these tortillas create a state of euphoria with every bite. They're tortillas. Nothing special, really. Don't waste precious time here.

 

[Nicole220]

No, the tortillas are made specially fresh for you. They are warm and tasty
.

:slurp: Mmmmm...I want some now!

If you have a day or a half a day to spend in DCA, then I would say go and try them. It only takes a few minutes, maybe 2-3 to do the whole thing. Honestly, that's not going to ruin your day and take time out of going on some of the better rides...