DCA Turns 20

[Darkbeer1]

I was there a few months after it opened and as a 9-year-old, I was incredibly disappointed and wanted to go across the way to the better park. With that being said, I did love Soarin’ Over California and I actually really enjoyed the California puns and references in the park. I miss the big C A L I F O R N I A letters, too.

Head to the State Fairgrounds in Sacramento.



Appropriate it found a much more suitable location.

 

[Darkbeer1]

Before my thoughts and memories, here is a good account of opening day from a fan's experience.

The Grand Opening of Disneyâs California Adventure: A Personal Memoir

Can you recall, precisely, where you were in the early morning hours of February 8, 2001? I certainly recall where I was. I was at the Happiest Place on Earth, trying to get some sleep on the freezing cold pavement of the parade route between Sleeping Beauty Castle and the Matterhorn. As I...

dapsmagic.com

 

[Darkbeer1]

OK, 20 years ago, I woke up at the Grand California after a night of free booze....

Tonight, after Lisa got off work, we headed back. (Lisa wasn't part of my life 20 years ago, and her first visit wasn't until Christmas time of 2001.

This time, the GCH is closed, and the ticket entrances were closed, but one of the two exit gates were open, and offering two way traffic.

Now, the CM's were not wearing the traditional Happy Anniversary buttons, but if you look back in history, Disney didn't issue CM buttons for DCA most years,

Now, Disney did put up some signage...

Dca 20th - Darkbeer

Hi there, I am David Michael, and this is my photo album.... A hobby gone bad, I am now a Theme Park Reporter and Photographer (in my spare time). I hope you enjoy the photos, and thanks for visiting. If you see me at a park, please come over and say hello! If you want to send an e-mail, you...

darkbeer.smugmug.com

So it was walk back 20 years in history, and for Lisa, hearing stories and memories.

If you go back in history, DCA started in my eyes back in 1995, when the city of Anaheim was notified that WestCot was cancelled and DCA was the replacement. (Didn't go over too well with the city's leaders).

So I was following the issue, taking photos of the grading, then attending multiple preview days,

I was eligible and requested media credentials, but since the application stated I was doing "background" for other reporters/photographers, I was treated more like an invited guest. As my credential was a "national" media ne, I qualified for a Hotel Room and invite to the Opening party Wednesday night, Celebrity's and others high on Disney's list.

Now on February 7th. during the day they had set up Press Tents for interviews, plus certain rides running for VIP's plus camera rides for the press. That was an interesting afternoon, got to talk to some folks, plus a few knew me, or were introduced to me from other media folk. Spent the day talking DCA history plus the opinions coming from regular fans regarding the preview days, and lack of excitement.

At the special event in the evening, no official interviews were allowed. (Leave the Celebrities alone!). But I was still being called over to talk about things.

So headed to bed, glad I didn't need to drive, as Disney had the full bar open, only tips were needed.

In the morning, checked in, had a perky CM walk me over to breakfast and then my marked space, which was in the invited guest area, giving me a front and center view. After the opening ceremony was over, walked into the park, started to do the press stuff, mainly interviewing CM's and regular guests, had Ms. Perky following me, after disappearing for the actual ceremony. After about 4 hours, decided to grab my press packet (now filled with photos and quotes from the ceremony) and head home to San Diego. I had two jobs that gave me time off to attend the event.

Now, my impressions were pretty much set from the preview events, celebrities have been in my life for years, so nothing new there. So it was more work than anything else, and it was a mediocre ceremony, including the attempt at daytime fireworks. As someone else poster, a Meh event for a Meh park.

in 2006, DCA was such a mixed bag, it was worse than opening, which was hard to do.

In 2011, there was some hope for DCA.

But now in 2020 (pre-COVID), it was better, but still having problems, and Avengers Campus doesn't sound very good in its version 1.0 opening. But there is hope over the next few years, but they need to look at Pixar Pier again.

But what a change from 2001, where Execs who had their heads up their, well, you know, and refused to accept the absolute failure of DCA v1.0, v1.5, and even 2.0. Hosting the X-games Xperience, Who Wants to be a Millionare Play It! or County Fair Bands did nothing to add "Disney" to a park that really needed it. Nor did JUST bringing over Mickey, Minnie and their friends.

It took new folks in charge to admit DCA was a Failure, and major changes were needed.

So here is hoping for a better 25th Anniversary!

 

[TP2000]

I miss Cynthia. She was so fabulously fake, and was perfect for DCA.

Here she is dedicating Jim Henson's MuppetVision 3D on February 8th, 2001.

 

[TP2000]

Never has so much sequined spandex and daytime fireworks been wasted on such an unworthy cause...

 

[Sailor310]

Boy! With an opening ceremony like that, how could that park possibly fail?

 

[fctiger]

Yesterworld just put out an amazing (and sad) run down on the history of DCA. Most will know most of this of course, but to recall it is pretty fun (unless you were actually there). Anyway, it's divided into two parts:

 

[the.dreamfinder]

We cannot forget to mention Peter Dominick’s excellent Grand Californian Hotel. A tragedy we lost such a wonderful architect, who also designed AKL and WL in Florida, at such a young age.

HOSPITALITY — 4240 Architecture

www.4240architecture.com

 

[Jiggsawpuzzle35]

I miss Cynthia. She was so fabulously fake, and was perfect for DCA.

Here she is dedicating Jim Henson's MuppetVision 3D on February 8th, 2001.

I’ve had two interactions with her before. Once as a Cast Member and once at another store I worked at. She was pleasant to talk to both times.

 

[Darkbeer1]

I’ve had two interactions with her before. Once as a Cast Member and once at another store I worked at. She was pleasant to talk to both times.

She was very good at that. I had a few interactions myself.

But having a pleasant communication style was only a small part of the job, and she really lacked at the rest of the job!

 

[el_super]

Y'know, its funny to me how everyone chalks up Superstar Limo to be Disney's absolute WORST attraction ever, when I firmly believe JIYI really takes the cake. At least Superstar Limo was a "so bad it's so good" experience, while JIYI was downright depressing, and replaced/destroyed an absolute masterpiece of an attraction. Superstar Limo didn't replace anything, it was just kind of there.

I think that "Hollyweird" version of Superstar Limo was just too ahead of it's time. I think it would have found a more receptive audience in a world with TMZ and Bojack Horseman.

 

[Darkbeer1]

I think that "Hollyweird" version of Superstar Limo was just too ahead of it's time. I think it would have found a more receptive audience in a world with TMZ and Bojack Horseman.

In a park with Disney in the name?

I don't think so.

A Fail is still a Fail.

 

[Stevek]

She was very good at that. I had a few interactions myself.

But having a pleasant communication style was only a small part of the job, and she really lacked at the rest of the job!

Exactly...there are plenty of really fine people out there that just aren't right for certain jobs. Being bad at a job does not make one a bad person.

Or perhaps she was very good at her job, doing what the company wanted her to do even if it was detrimental to the parks in the eyes of many.

 

[el_super]

In a park with Disney in the name?

I don't think so.

A Fail is still a Fail.

Maybe it would have some trouble, but only in so much as that every thing built in a Disney park now has to have a Disney property attached. Still a humorous dark ride in Hollywood, poking fun at the craziness of the place, that could somehow mix the world of Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars and Disney (and could even be updated with some Fox references), would probably work really well today.

People love to make fun of Hollywood.

 

[denyuntilcaught]

Boy! With an opening ceremony like that, how could that park possibly fail?

Okay, but not going to lie, they had me with those weird yellow firework balloons around the 10-minute mark!

 

[Stevek]

Maybe it would have some trouble, but only in so much as that every thing built in a Disney park now has to have a Disney property attached. Still a humorous dark ride in Hollywood, poking fun at the craziness of the place, that could somehow mix the world of Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars and Disney (and could even be updated with some Fox references), would probably work really well today.

People love to make fun of Hollywood.

It would have to be done well...this was done anything but well. One of the problems is that celebrities, especially the ones they were using, come and go and their relevancy diminishes. I dare say the youth of today and most of the parents would not care about Antonio Banderas, Melanie Griffith, Regis Philbin, Whoppi Goldberg, Cindy Crawford, Cher, Jackie Chan, etc. Maybe Drew Carey and Tim Allen have some relevancy now? Bottom line, they built a ride that beyond being laughable (in a bad way) would become very dated had it stayed around.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

The fact that it was instantly horribly dated added to its charm. Who wants A Grade celebrities greeting you when you can have a weird robot of Cher and Regis Philbin popping out with Monopoly money?

 

[truecoat]

The best video on the early days of DCA.

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

Well, that was about 23 years ago, when they started the grading of the Lot.

Good point sir

 

[Darkbeer1]

Yesterland: Strolling through Disney California Adventure, February 2001

www.yesterland.com