Anyone else still like DCA?

[DisneyAndUniversalFan]

@George Lucas on a Bench asked this question about two years ago, and I thought it was appropriate to ask it again in DCA's current state. Is the park one of the best/worst/meh Disney parks? To me, It's quickly becoming one of the weakest Disney parks in the world. I won't venture out to CA for the resort now, for sure.

 

[DrAlice]

We still enjoy DCA. It's not perfect, but it has rides that we enjoy and has more charm than Six Flags (for whatever that is worth). Would I travel to Anaheim for just DCA? No, but we never skip it on a trip to DL.

 

[DavidDL]

It's a "meh" park for me. Worth the park-hopper add-on for the handful of things I like to do and places that I like to eat there. But I'd never pay one day, one park ticket price for it.

Thankfully, everything I enjoy about the park or want to do can be reached without even having to go through the things I don't.

 

[Stevek]

Yes, we enjoy it.

 

[MagicWDI]

I enjoy DCA. Do I put it on the same level as DL? Absolutely not. I don't even put MK on the same level as DL. But I still enjoy DCA very much. I even rank it above DHS, and I still enjoy DHS.... somewhat. It's mostly only about the attractions at DHS, but that's another story.

I still think the California theme is very limiting and should be changed in the future. But DCA has amazing offerings and I always have a good time while there, and still always get a park hopper because of it.

 

[Disneysea05]

Absolutely I do. I enjoy the park very much. I roll my eyes at some of the criticism it constantly receives, but I also agree with some of the criticism it receives. It’s not on the level with the greatest Disney parks like DisneySea or Disneyland, but it’s a solid park.

 

[CaptinEO]

Its OK. It just became frustrating for me when they changed all my favorites for the worse instead of adding new rides to a park that was always lacking in rides.

 

[Suspirian]

I still like it but my interest has waned a bit solely bc TOT was my fave attraction in the park and I find GOTG annoying. Im still very invested in seeing DCA grow into whatever park it will become because it feels likes its in a perpetual stage of development.

 

[mickEblu]

It’s no Disneyland but it’s still the second best theme park in California.

 

[DrAlice]

But I still enjoy DCA very much. I even rank it above DHS, and I still enjoy DHS

After my one trip to WDW, my exact thought after visiting DHS was that it was a "knockoff of DCA". (disclaimer: this was many years ago; lots have changed at both parks since then)

 

[MagicWDI]

After my one trip to WDW, my exact thought after visiting DHS was that it was a "knockoff of DCA". (disclaimer: this was many years ago; lots have changed at both parks since then)

Lots has changed but still the same problem. One issue I had with DHS is how bland it is. GE and Toy Story Land has helped a bit and a welcome change, but once I leave these lands and come back to the main park I am once again reminded how bland the park is with it's huge stucco studio structures and lack of shade. It is my least favorite park at WDW.

That being said, I still enjoy my days at DHS and don't let these issues ruin our day. I love ToT, RnRC, the Indy Stunt Show, and can't wait to ride the new additions when we return next year. However, one thing we do not do is Fantastic there. We like the DL version so much more we don't even feel the need to do version over there.

 

[Californian Elitist]

It’s fine. I grew up going to DCA and it has never caught my attention the way Disneyland has and it never will. It’s been 20 years and it still doesn’t really have an identity. It’s not trash, but it’s not good either.

 

[J4546]

I like it, its a great sister park to DL and almost everything in it is exclusive to CA. But I still dont consider it an all day park, but its getting there. The hollywood backlot/monsters inc area is pretty weak though, i hope they tackle that next....

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Hated the park when I first visited in 2008, liked it a lot from 2012-2015, and now it's just confusing.

I feel like DCA peaked with Grizzly Peak Airfield (and before Soarin' Around the World), but the changes since haven't helped. As fun as Mission Breakout is, the building remains hideous and it's a strange fit overall. Pixar Pier is even worse, and Avengers Campus looks underwhelming (but may still be fun?).

DCA definitely has solid content, but I'd probably take the 2015 version of the park over what currently exists.

 

[fctiger]

Yep still love DCA. It went from a 'this sucks' park at the beginning to a 'this is pretty cool' park for me. Yes it took about 10 years but it happened lol. That said I still don't think it's worth the 1 day ticket price though (at least the current prices) and probably wouldn't spend on that alone. But definitely worth buying a PH or AP for.

But I genuinely enjoy going there and you're talking to someone who has been to TDS about a dozen times now. Its nowhere CLOSE to that park lol, but it at least now have some of same the kind of elements that TDS had from the beginning that makes it feel so cool now. And with AC open, it's going to be an even bigger benefit to go.

 

[Nirya]

Honestly, DCA is fine. It's evolved from perhaps the worst Disney park into being middle of the pack, which is pretty good considering how many of the parks have backslid in the same time frame. Like, right now I'd put it in the same tier as Epcot, thanks to one improving and one....not doing so. That said, DCA still has a ton of room to evolve, and the most recent new stuff (Pixar Pier, Avengers Academy) are not up to the same quality that the Buena Vista Street and Cars Land changes were. And it will probably never help that the park is directly next to the crown jewel of the US-parks in Disneyland, so it's always going to be unfairly compared to the original.

 

[Too Many Hats]

By far my least favorite of the six American parks. Lacks identity/purpose and doesn't feel truly immersive. It's also taken some real steps backwards in recent years (Pixar Pier is unacceptable, IMO). I enjoy Buena Vista Street and Cars Land quite a bit, but the rest of the park fails to meet the high bar Disney has set elsewhere.

 

[D.Silentu]

The needle on my enjoyment meter was on a steady climb from 2004 until 2012. When the nighttime parties were taken away, it dipped a little. Pixar Pier made the needle waver a bit, but at the end of the day that intrinsically flawed area of the park wasn't altered enough to make a real difference. California Adventure was and remains the kid sister park; fun for awhile.

It’s been 20 years and it still doesn’t really have an identity.

I quoted you because what you say is worth repeating! Until that existential crisis is resolved we will always be asking questions such as the title of this thread.

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

Never liked DCA. Felt too generic and too forced. Feels nothing like Disneyland. It is so inferior. Loved Tower of Terror but have no interest in Mission Breakout. Radiator Springs looks fun but just one and done. Avenger's Land looks just mediocre all around and really not much to do there. The park has no coherent theme or flow. Its a miss match of different things. It was one hell of a parking lot though back in the before times.

 

[DanielBB8]

There’s the Universal vs DCA thread that’s worth reading. DCA is doing quite well. They need to develop the south east empty lot. The thing is we’re waiting for the Eastern Gateway to be approved and built so DCA master plan for Hollywood Pictures Backlot can be realized after nothing happened after the major remodel in early 2010s. Then we have Disneyland Forward that could change Pixar Pier on the west side. We just don’t know their plans yet.