Does Disney California Adventure have enough repeatable rides?

[DavidDL]

The sun-dried tomato pasta at Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta is the only repeatable thing DCA needs to pull me in every once in a while. Stuff like Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, Goofy's Sky School, Silly Symphony Swings and the Animation Building are all just bonuses in my eye.

Honestly, just some of the food in general. The idea of just grabbing a Ghirardelli sundae of some kind and snagging a seat in the Pacific Wharf area is powerful enough for me to consider upgrading to the park hopper option, sometimes.

 

[Dear Prudence]

I didn't realize how special Ghirardelli sundaes are to folks, because growing up in San Francisco, Ghirardelli Square and the Ghirardelli store downtown were basically ubiquitous. I've never had the ones at DCA, because I am sure they are way more expensive than they need to be. But it does make me happy to see that people like them!!!

 

[DavidDL]

I didn't realize how special Ghirardelli sundaes are to folks, because growing up in San Francisco, Ghirardelli Square and the Ghirardelli store downtown were basically ubiquitous. I've never had the ones at DCA, because I am sure they are way more expensive than they need to be. But it does make me happy to see that people like them!!!

Awesome you got to grow up so close! My wife and I only visited San Fran for the first time in 2020 (for our first anniversary) and had our first visit to the Ghirardelli Square during that trip. So now, that area of DCA brings back those memories and feelings to us both. I'm sure this would be the case if it were a different brand, ice cream, location, etc., though I've been a fan of the Wharf's area of DCA long before our trip (free tortillas and sourdough bread!). It's just amplified now.

 

[Sailor310]

I didn't realize how special Ghirardelli sundaes are to folks, because growing up in San Francisco, Ghirardelli Square and the Ghirardelli store downtown were basically ubiquitous. I've never had the ones at DCA, because I am sure they are way more expensive than they need to be. But it does make me happy to see that people like them!!!

I had an uncle that lived in Walnut Creek (60's to 70's). We would drive to the end of the cable car line and ride it down to Ghirardelli for a sundae. The smell of the chocolate being refined was wonderful and the sundaes great. I always tried to get an outside spot on the cable car so I could swing out on the downhill turns. It was so fun. The shop in DCA brings back a few of those good memories.

 

[SuddenStorm]

I think DCA is an indoor coaster, boat ride and quality dark ride away from being a legitimate full day sister park to DL. At least attraction roster wise. When MMRR opens up next year that should help even the playing field a bit. Oh wait.

"All DCA needs to be a good sister park to Disneyland is for it to have three things to make it more like Disneyland!"

But seriously, it really does need some quality dark ride experiences and another thrill ride.

 

[Professortango1]

I think Toy Story Mania is very very repeatable. Mission Breakout, Radiator Springs Racers, IncrediCoaster are fun to do more than once too. Yeah I’d say it’s pretty solid in the attractions department.

Midway Mania is fun with friends, but I wouldn't really go on more than once or twice in a visit as its not a relaxing ride that varies. Mission BO is only repeatable in the concept of trying to see every mediocre variation to see if there's a version where the ride is actually good. Incredicoaster you can go on in the day to laugh and the night to almost have it work as a Knott's level attraction.

 

[Professortango1]

"All DCA needs to be a good sister park to Disneyland is for it to have three things to make it more like Disneyland!"

But seriously, it really does need some quality dark ride experiences and another thrill ride.

Avengers Soarin E-Ticket, Replacement for Soarin (2 story D Ticket Darkride), Dis-nification of GRR (add AA's and music), and a Hollywood Land project and you'd have a solid park. The biggest issue I have is that there is nothing to draw folks to the Goofy Sky School corner of the park and there's also not a ton of room on that side with the road directly behind the parade route and the lagoon in front of it. I'd happily have a much smaller lagoon if that meant actually getting a weenie in that corner.

 

[mickEblu]

"All DCA needs to be a good sister park to Disneyland is for it to have three things to make it more like Disneyland!"

But seriously, it really does need some quality dark ride experiences and another thrill ride.

Lol. It'll still be a far cry from Disneyland but at least it will be respectable. Disneyland has 4 boat rides, 5 if you want to count Splash and 9 if you want to count all the ROA attractions. 10 if you want to count the Subs. 11 if we want to count getting splashed on Matterhorn. 12 if you want to count the frog that used to squirt you on Gadgets Go coaster.

Can DCA just have one Disney?

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

Lol. It'll still be a far cry from Disneyland but at least it will be respectable. Disneyland has 4 boat rides, 5 if you want to count Splash and 9 if you want to count all the ROA attractions. 10 if you want to count the Subs. 11 if we want to count getting splashed on Matterhorn. 12 if you want to count the frog that used to squirt you on Gadgets Go coaster.

Can DCA just have one Disney?

Apparently not.

 

[mickEblu]

Midway Mania is fun with friends, but I wouldn't really go on more than once or twice in a visit as its not a relaxing ride that varies. Mission BO is only repeatable in the concept of trying to see every mediocre variation to see if there's a version where the ride is actually good. Incredicoaster you can go on in the day to laugh and the night to almost have it work as a Knott's level attraction.

Once or twice a visit is a lot though. In all my years as an AP I’ve never gone on any particular attraction more than twice on any given visit and that includes trips with multiple park days. I’d imagine that goes for most people?

 

[LittleMerman]

I LOVE DCA. It's a very relaxing theme park and overall it's just fun. For me, I could ride the following rides over and over again: Mission Breakout, Radiator Springs Racers, Soarin', Incredicoaster, Toy Story Mania, and Little Mermaid (I haven't ridden Web Slingers yet). They have great dining options and Frozen Live was amazing (I know it's not there anymore but I hope they replace it with another great live show). World of Color is an awesome nighttime spectacular. In my opinion, DCA is a full day park. There is plenty to do eat and some of the lands are so cute and cool to explore.

I understand that DCA will never compare to DL Park, but I really don't get the hate for it. I love it!

 

[Californian Elitist]

I don’t think any of us hate DCA.

 

[DLR92]

The idea for a second park for Anaheim was a fantastic move. But the execution of what they gave us was unacceptable. It was downright to convincing us that DCA was quality when initially was poor quality. That what we are complaining about. We should have gotten World of Color from the beginning. RSR in the beginning.

I do remember visiting the DCA before the remake. It was a complete opposite of what a Disney park should be. Way worse then what Disney was delivering it WDW sequel parks.

 

[Too Many Hats]

I kind of hate DCA. I find it hard to love a park that was built with so little love. That said, I do enjoy the Iger-era upgrades; Buena Vista Street, Cars Land, and Grizzly Peak are quite charming (but still insufficient to carry the entire park).

Regarding the topic at hand, I think DCA has several repeatable rides, but the lines are often prohibitively long, preventing repeat rides. The park simply needs more attractions (especially C and D tickets).

 

[Californian Elitist]

One of the most frustrating things about DCA is the lack of quality consistency. We haven’t gotten at least 10 straight years of worthiness from the park, in my opinion. It was sad when it first opened, then it re-opened and was re-dedicated 10 years ago and it seemed like it was on the right track to improving. Then they took five steps back by re-skinning Paradise Pier, closing ToT, and opening a bland Marvel land.

There’s no California, there’s no good consistency, there’s no care, and possibly no hope for the near future. Maybe they’ll surprise us for the 25th or 30th anniversaries.

 

[Phroobar]

Remember, DCA used to stand for Don't Come Again.

 

[Professortango1]

Once or twice a visit is a lot though. In all my years as an AP I’ve never gone on any particular attraction more than twice on any given visit and that includes trips with multiple park days. I’d imagine that goes for most people?

In a multi day visit I'll usually ride POTC, HM, BTMRR, and IJA twice a day. They are great rides. Splash too when the weather supports it. Pinocchio and Roger Rabbit are also must rides for my trip. TOT used to be a ride that I'd go on 2-3 times per day easily. Now, DCA doesn't really have a must rides for me other than RSR. If I'm there and the line permits, I'll do Midway Mania. The rest, meh. Its why I don't really park hop anymore unless the people I'm going with feel a need to go to DCA. I really miss the DCA from 10 years ago. Such promise. It was shaping into quite a great park. Now it is more disjointed than before.

 

[MK-fan]

T

One of the most frustrating things about DCA is the lack of quality consistency. We haven’t gotten at least 10 straight years of worthiness from the park, in my opinion. It was sad when it first opened, then it re-opened and was re-dedicated 10 years ago and it seemed like it was on the right track to improving. Then they took five steps back by re-skinning Paradise Pier, closing ToT, and opening a bland Marvel land.

There’s no California, there’s no good consistency, there’s no care, and possibly no hope for the near future. Maybe they’ll surprise us for the 25th or 30th anniversaries.

this is true, they haven’t built a Disney worthy ride from scratch in 10 years. We’ve gotten some redos such as Gaurdians and Soarin’ round the world, and a lackluster spiderman ride in the ITTBAB building. Luigi’s Rollicking Roadsters was probably the most welcome addition.

 

[mickEblu]

One of the most frustrating things about DCA is the lack of quality consistency. We haven’t gotten at least 10 straight years of worthiness from the park, in my opinion. It was sad when it first opened, then it re-opened and was re-dedicated 10 years ago and it seemed like it was on the right track to improving. Then they took five steps back by re-skinning Paradise Pier, closing ToT, and opening a bland Marvel land.

There’s no California, there’s no good consistency, there’s no care, and possibly no hope for the near future. Maybe they’ll surprise us for the 25th or 30th anniversaries.

You just have to wonder what they could have done with all that money instead of retheming lands and rides. To play Devils advocate they don't really have a lot of space to work with and the Eastern Gateway plans fell through but it's still a tough pill to swallow.

 

[Californian Elitist]

You just have to wonder what they could have done with all that money instead of retheming lands and rides. To play Devils advocate they don't really have a lot of space to work with and the Eastern Gateway plans fell through but it's still a tough pill to swallow.

I wish they had used the money they spent on Pixar Pier and Avengers Campus on re-doing Hollywood Land. Pixar Pier is the biggest waste of money.