California Adventure vs Hollywood Studios

[BlakeW39]

DCA was arguably the best Disney park stateside, save for Disneyland proper, in 2015. Unfortunately changes have been made since then to harm its reputation, but to say it will never amount to anything more than an outcast among the US parks when less than 10 years ago it was better than most of the parks in Walt Disney World.

While I didn't make it out west until 2019 and did not get to see DCA prior to that, Exactly which WDW parks was DCA superior to in 2015? When it had the inferior version of Tower of Terror?

 

[Consumer]

Exactly which WDW parks was DCA superior to in 2015?

All of them. I could easier spend a full day at DCA in 2015 than I could in any single WDW park.

 

[BlakeW39]

All of them. I could easier spend a full day at DCA in 2015 than I could in any single WDW park.

LOL. Okay I think we're done here. DCA being superior to all of the WDW parks is a pipe dream and I was willing to hear you out until you just said a nicer version of WDS was better than MK, DAK, EPCOT or DHS.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Easily DCA, it’s a full day park and HS is still a half day park.

The other advantage DCA has is it feels unique, if you visit the Disney parks regularly HS just becomes a collection of rides you can do at the other parks, Slinky Dog is the only unique reason to go to HS.

 

[Phroobar]

What I hated about DHS was the duplication of rides that I could already do elsewhere. If you take those away, you left with a number of shows that originally came from Disneyland and haven't changed in thirty years.

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

Attraction line up, I'd pick DCA- I think. But atmosphere wise, the Studios hands down- I think.
Neither one is a great, complete park. Both have strengths and glaring weaknesses.

I can't stand the Pixar Pier aesthetic. Toy Story Land is at least consistent.
Hollywoodland at DCA is just plain ugly. But Muppet Studios is not much better.

Cars Land and Galaxy's Edge are a wash in atmosphere.

Half of the Studios feels unbuilt, but so does half of DCA.

 

[J4546]

DCA isnt a great standalone park...yet, but its a great sister park to DL imo. DHS feels so small and confined with a weird layout that...they really need to demo animation courtyard building and building behind it and expand with a new looping pathway

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

DCA isnt a great standalone park...yet, but its a great sister park to DL imo. DHS feels so small and confined with a weird layout that...they really need to demo animation courtyard building and building behind it and expand with a new looping pathway

This is a great point, for many of us DCA doesn’t need to stand on its own because we walk back and forth a few times a day and use it as an extension of DL, HS isn’t close enough to easily park hop so if we run out of things to do and leave we are typically done with it for the trip.

This is true of DTD also, for us it’s a part of every DL day whereas Disney Springs is a destination of its own and requires some planning. We love Disney Springs but we typically only visit once a trip.

 

[Parteecia]

DCA for the win. Free sourdough bread samples!

 

[DLR92]

I voted DCA but both are terrible sequel parks. At least with DCA, there more attraction line ups despite being small compare to Hollywood Studios space of 135 acres!

 

[celluloid]

About the same, not because DCA has improved too much, but because DHS has been breaking.

 

[Californian Elitist]

The good thing about DCA is that it sits directly across from what is highly likely the best Disney park in the country. That’s a win. DCA is not worth spending a full day in, so having Disneyland across the way is fantastic.

 

[TP2000]

DCA for the win. Free sourdough bread samples!

I hope you noticed I included it as a walk-thru/exhibit attraction on The List!

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

I will add that the Studios needs water in some form. That little lake just doesn't really cut it. I do love Gertie the Dino, though.

 

[Suspirian]

I'll be honest. It's not even about attractions to me. To put it bluntly, I think DCA is a hole.... always has been, always will be. It was cheap trash when Michael Eisner built it, and nothing Bob's done has changed that fact. It doesn't even feel like a Disney theme park to me.

Thats interesting. I find DCA, even in its current state, more aesthetically compelling than DHS.

 

[DavidDL]

Hollywood Studios has Muppet*Vision 3D, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster and the Tower of Terror. That's literally all I need to have a great day there.

All DCA has left for me is Grizzly Peak and the sun-dried tomato pasta from Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta. Love those both but it's rarely enough for me to even consider a park-hopper ticket.

Hollywood Studios is always a must-do on my Orlando trips because of those three attractions. Even if it's only a half day affair.

 

[PiratesMansion]

Exactly which WDW parks was DCA superior to in 2015?

In 2015, I probably would have given the edge to DCA over DHS. Superior TOT aside, and as much as I enjoy RNRC, DCA at that point was basically in its best ever state and DHS needed some help.

Now I would say the situation has reversed. DCA has more rides, but I wouldn't say it has better rides-RSR is really the only thing that gives DCA any sort of edge for me at the moment. Otherwise it's a bunch of rides you could find at Six Flags, a bunch of rides that used to be better than they currently are, and Grizzly River Rapids.

While I haven't been to DHS since 2017, and I imagine that it would be a pain to experience with its capacity limitations, it has a better overall roster of attractions (including the still unbeaten OG Tower of Terror) and a good roster of table service restaurants. Not every part of DHS is beautiful, but I wouldn't be walking through thinking about how much better it used to be the way I am with DCA. And the parts of DHS that work really work for me.

So I'd give the win to DHS, though it's definitely benefitting from the upswing it's been on recently vs. DCA's downswing.

 

[Centauri Space Station]

I find DHS better themed and more fun but one thing it definitely has is great themed restaurants. Sci fi dine in, and 50s prime time are one of a kind restaurants with pretty great food. Brown Derby is my go to place and the only remnant of the CA version with the best rolls and Cobb salad on the planet. I find SWGE is a much better fit at DHS. I went to the DL version and just didn’t see it as good fit with the rest of the park. Frozen singalong may sound stupid but it’s honestly very fun. Lots of improv by the hosts and not just a paint by numbers retell. The Walt Disney presents aka One Mans Dream is great as well.

 

[TP2000]

In 2015, I probably would have given the edge to DCA over DHS. Superior TOT aside, and as much as I enjoy RNRC, DCA at that point was basically in its best ever state and DHS needed some help.

Not to pick on you, as I have also said much the same sentiment in threads here about DCA. But this thread made me think...

What is actually different at DCA in 2023 compared to 2015?

It seems to break down into four main changes/deletions since '15;

1. Pixar Pier overlay within the coaster envelope (but not extending to Paradise Gardens/Little Mermaid)
2. Avengers Campus replacing A Bug's Land
3. Cancelling Paint The Night with no replacement parade
4. San Fransokyo construction

I honestly thought Lamplight Lounge was a nice, rather upscale upgrade to the former Ariel's Grotto princess pavilion. The only pleasant thing that came out of the Pixar Pier overlay.

Otherwise, I can't think of anything major that has changed in DCA since '15, except a few minor quibbles as a park naturally evolves;

• MuppetVision got replaced with a C'heapo D'Amaro version of Mickey's Philharmagic, but MuppetVision was pretty much a snore fest left over from the George Bush I administration circa 1990. So an even trade?
• Whatever version of Soarin' they are now showing, which I honestly have lost track of. California circa 2000? Or is it The World as approved by the Chinese Communist Party? I've lost track what's playing now in DCA.
• The replacement for the Frozen show in the Hyperion, whatever that might be. Rogers? As in Rogers & Hammerstein? (I doubt it.)
• Did the Disney Jr. Dance Party, Presented by Pampers get a rewrite? New cartoon characters in the last few years?
• Whatever version of World of Color they're on now. World of Color Magical Wish Dream+, Presented by RainBird Sprinklers?

Other than that, I can't think of any aesthetic changes to DCA since 2015. Was there really a huge fan base for A Bug's Land? They took Flik's Flyers, arguably the most entertaining ride there, and turned it into Emotional Whirlwind. Everything else got scrapped. Are people really mourning the loss of Heimlich's Chew Chew Train and Francis' Lady Bug Boogie and a dozen of those popsicle stick benches? Cause I'm not.

Aside from Bug's Land getting exterminated for Avenger's Campus and that Spiderman ride, plus the short list of Chapek/D'Amaro cheap crap like Pixar Pier and San Fransokyo overlays, not much has changed at DCA in the last 8 years. What am I missing?

 

[Mark Norris]

What is actually different at DCA in 2023 compared to 2015?

They took out Luigi's Flying Tires in 2015. Straight downhill after that.