Your opinions for a first-timer to California Adventure

[darthjohnny]

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...

Exactly.

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.

I would be thankful since the tortillas are so good.

Besides, you exaggerate. The Mission Tortilla stop only takes a few minutes. It wouldn't hinder you from going on the Indiana Jones Adventure. And you really did have a limited amount of time, then just skip it if you really want to do something else. I'm just offering suggestions. Geez....:lookaroun

 

[mickster]

Besides, you exaggerate. The Mission Tortilla stop only takes a few minutes.

You don't think it's exaggerating to call the Mission Tortilla Factory an "attraction"? Actually not a big surprise really. In a park like DCA, which has very little to offer, you have to grab at straws and suggest every little thing so that it seems to have more than it actually does. It's funny, if the Mission Tortilla Factory were in Disneyland, or any other Disney park besides DCA, it wouldn't stand out at all and people would probably barely realize it's there. But at DCA it's a "must see". :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Nicole220]

You don't think it's exaggerating to call the Mission Tortilla Factory an "attraction"? Actually not a big surprise really. In a park like DCA, which has very little to offer, you have to grab at straws and suggest every little thing so that it seems to have more than it actually does. It's funny, if the Mission Tortilla Factory were in Disneyland, or any other Disney park besides DCA, it wouldn't stand out at all and people would probably barely realize it's there. But at DCA it's a "must see". :lol: :lol: :lol:

If DL gave out free tortillas, I'd go every time! And it's not really a must see, just something that is fun and tasty!

 

[Fried Chicken]

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?

This arguement doesn't make sense. First you say, California Adventure only takes half a day to do, would 5 more minutes in the park to get a tortilla kill anyone?

I live 2500 miles away from the resort and we took time every trip to see the tortilla and sour dough bread factories. Because first off, when we go to the parks we try to do as much as possible, including every little thing that makes our trip that much better. We don't just by-pass everything and head straight to Indy.

 

[mickster]

This arguement doesn't make sense. First you say, California Adventure only takes half a day to do, would 5 more minutes in the park to get a tortilla kill anyone?

I live 2500 miles away from the resort and we took time every trip to see the tortilla and sour dough bread factories. Because first off, when we go to the parks we try to do as much as possible, including every little thing that makes our trip that much better. We don't just by-pass everything and head straight to Indy.

I have every respect for the concept of spending time seeing the little details, and I think that's something that makes Disney unique and special. But we're talking about tortillas here! :brick: It just cracks me up that people are building them up into something spectacular and saying things like, "You have to go get one!" I would understand if they were giving them out at the main entrance or something. But why go out of your way to get them? It's silly.

 

[MainSt1993]

I have every respect for the concept of spending time seeing the little details, and I think that's something that makes Disney unique and special. But we're talking about tortillas here! :brick: It just cracks me up that people are building them up into something spectacular and saying things like, "You have to go get one!" I would understand if they were giving them out at the main entrance or something. But why go out of your way to get them? It's silly.

Because they're hot and delicious! :sohappy:

 

[mickster]

Because they're hot and delicious! :sohappy:

You do realize these are the very same Mission Tortillas you can get in the grocery store, right? :animwink:

 

[isitingood]

It's an amusement park. Amusement parks have no themeing.


A theme park has no themeing?:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[isitingood]

Relax...Calm down...Take some deep breaths. No one's attacking anyone. This is a discussion forum. And as such, you're going to occasionally see...discussions taking place from time to time. Some of those discussions may entail differing opinions...and guess what? That's okay. :wave:



I just don't think it's being very helpful to tell the OP that a full day is "needed" in order to fully appreciate DCA. The OP has a very limited time to visit and has never been to DLR before. Wouldn't you agree the majority of the time should be devoted to Disneyland? Especially since so much of DCA is stuff the OP has already experienced at WDW. Our goal should be to provide the OP with practical information that he/she requested. This, to me, includes being honest about how much time is truly needed to appreciate DCA (rather than try to "sell" it to the OP or convince him/her that all the negative reviews aren't true). Figment's Friend, trust me, half a day is more than enough time to see everything worthwhile at DCA.



As has been stated before, the OP has already been on Soarin' at Epcot. Why waste time on this when there are so many other things to see that are unique to DLR?



The key phrase here is, "many people perceive it as awful". There's a reason for that...it IS awful! And I would not characterize this attraction as being educational, unless historical accuracy is not a criteria for being educational.



Yet again, these are two attractions that would not be new to the OP. Muppets is the exact same show in every way. Tower of Terror does have some slight differences, but this version is a radically scaled back version that just screams, "We didn't want to spend a lot of money to build this one."



The OP, I'm sure, is well aware of the queue and other details of this attraction. It was in AK for years before it came to DCA. Again, not gonna be anything new to the OP.



Couldn't have said it better myself! :lol:

This is not a discussion,you did a transcript on what Fried Chicken said and picked at almost all of it and you did the same with Nicole and Skip.The Tortilla's are not the same as store bought because with store bought they pack a bunch of preservatives to keep them fresh. Is Mission Tortilla a must see? Not to me but to some people the place is so who are you or I to judge what people want to see or do. I know people here in Washington that have never eaten a Tortilla so I know some people who visit from Asia or Europe haven't either. For something that seems so basic it takes a lot of work to make a Tortilla from scratch.

 

[mickster]

This is not a discussion,you did a transcript on what Fried Chicken said and picked at almost all of it and you did the same with Nicole and Skip.

On a message board, there are often several conversations going on at once. Without quoting the post to which you are responding, it can sometimes be difficult to know what a person is responding to. People are welcome to "do a transcript" as you call it, of my statements too if they would like. That's all part of having a discussion. I don't take it personally like you do.

The Tortilla's are not the same as store bought because with store bought they pack a bunch of preservatives to keep them fresh. Is Mission Tortilla a must see? Not to me but to some people the place is so who are you or I to judge what people want to see or do. I know people here in Washington that have never eaten a Tortilla so I know some people who visit from Asia or Europe haven't either. For something that seems so basic it takes a lot of work to make a Tortilla from scratch.

Trust me, they're no different than store bought except that they are warmed up. And whether they are a "must see" is really all relative. If you were confined to DCA all day long and did not have the option to go visit the spectacular park just across the way, then yes I'd probably characterize the tortillas as a "must see". With so little to see, do, or generally get excited about at DCA, then just about anything is a "must see" if you want to stretch your visit to a whole day.

But that's not the case here. The OP asked for our advice on what is worth seeing, so that she can make the most of her limited vacation. She's never been to Disneyland before at all and she's wanting honest help from us in order to determine how much time she should devote to this park. I think people are getting too hung up on trying to prove DCA isn't such a loser of a park, and they're grabbing at straws for things to recommend as "must sees". But let's face it, there just isn't that much to see there, especially for the OP who has been to WDW countless times and consequently has already done most of the attractions that are at DCA. She has limited time, and I think it's wrong to mislead her into thinking that DCA is a full-fledged park that takes all day to see.

Note to Figment's Friend (the OP): Read between the lines of these recommendations your reading. If people are recommending things like free tortilla samples, what does that tell you about how dull this park is. Devote a few hours to it at most, but spend most of your time at Disneyland, trust me. :wave:

 

[Nicole220]

On a message board, there are often several conversations going on at once. Without quoting the post to which you are responding, it can sometimes be difficult to know what a person is responding to. People are welcome to "do a transcript" as you call it, of my statements too if they would like. That's all part of having a discussion. I don't take it personally like you do.



Trust me, they're no different than store bought except that they are warmed up. And whether they are a "must see" is really all relative. If you were confined to DCA all day long and did not have the option to go visit the spectacular park just across the way, then yes I'd probably characterize the tortillas as a "must see". With so little to see, do, or generally get excited about at DCA, then just about anything is a "must see" if you want to stretch your visit to a whole day.

But that's not the case here. The OP asked for our advice on what is worth seeing, so that she can make the most of her limited vacation. She's never been to Disneyland before at all and she's wanting honest help from us in order to determine how much time she should devote to this park. I think people are getting too hung up on trying to prove DCA isn't such a loser of a park, and they're grabbing at straws for things to recommend as "must sees". But let's face it, there just isn't that much to see there, especially for the OP who has been to WDW countless times and consequently has already done most of the attractions that are at DCA. She has limited time, and I think it's wrong to mislead her into thinking that DCA is a full-fledged park that takes all day to see.

Note to Figment's Friend (the OP): Read between the lines of these recommendations your reading. If people are recommending things like free tortilla samples, what does that tell you about how dull this park is. Devote a few hours to it at most, but spend most of your time at Disneyland, trust me. :wave:

I do agree with that. You only need a few hours to fully experience it. And since you don't like thrill rides, which is what DCA has a lot of, you should be spending most of your time at DL.

Figment's Friend, when you get back from your trip, be sure to tell us your reaction. What you liked, didn't like...etc

 

[isitingood]

On a message board, there are often several conversations going on at once. Without quoting the post to which you are responding, it can sometimes be difficult to know what a person is responding to. People are welcome to "do a transcript" as you call it, of my statements too if they would like. That's all part of having a discussion. I don't take it personally like you do.

Sometimes difficult?:ROFLOL: I don't see anyone else having this problem.

Trust me, they're no different than store bought except that they are warmed up. And whether they are a "must see" is really all relative. If you were confined to DCA all day long and did not have the option to go visit the spectacular park just across the way, then yes I'd probably characterize the tortillas as a "must see". With so little to see, do, or generally get excited about at DCA, then just about anything is a "must see" if you want to stretch your visit to a whole day.

Well I have tasted warm store bought Tortilla's before and they don't taste the same as freshly made ones. My friends mother makes them from scratch so I know how much time it takes to make them and she will never buy store bought Tortilla's but that's your opinion and I have my opinion. Some people actually like to watch the production line, do I ? No, but some people do:wave:



But that's not the case here. The OP asked for our advice on what is worth seeing, so that she can make the most of her limited vacation. She's never been to Disneyland before at all and she's wanting honest help from us in order to determine how much time she should devote to this park. I think people are getting too hung up on trying to prove DCA isn't such a loser of a park, and they're grabbing at straws for things to recommend as "must sees". But let's face it, there just isn't that much to see there, especially for the OP who has been to WDW countless times and consequently has already done most of the attractions that are at DCA. She has limited time, and I think it's wrong to mislead her into thinking that DCA is a full-fledged park that takes all day to see.

Note to Figment's Friend (the OP): Read between the lines of these recommendations your reading. If people are recommending things like free tortilla samples, what does that tell you about how dull this park is. Devote a few hours to it at most, but spend most of your time at Disneyland, trust me. :wave:

I do agree at spending most of your time at DL

 

[MainSt1993]

You do realize these are the very same Mission Tortillas you can get in the grocery store, right? :animwink:

Yeah, but they're not hot off the assembly line!! Okay, okay...I'm maybe a bit easily amused. Or I have too many margaritas at the Cove Bar before I go over there. :lookaroun

 

[Figments Friend]

Figment's Friend, when you get back from your trip, be sure to tell us your reaction. What you liked, didn't like...etc

Will do!

And please keep those suggestions coming folks.....i'm exicted to be able to experience a "new" Disney Park ( well, "new" for me anyway..) and i'm looking forward to it despite all the negative press it has recieved over the years.

Like someone said earlier, it's best to go there with a open mind, expereince it, and then make up your OWN mind wether or not i like it or not.

I have a feeling there will be more there for me that i will like then i originally thought. Thank everyone for all the great ideas!

:wave:

 

[davewasbaloo]

This is not a discussion,you did a transcript on what Fried Chicken said and picked at almost all of it and you did the same with Nicole and Skip.The Tortilla's are not the same as store bought because with store bought they pack a bunch of preservatives to keep them fresh. Is Mission Tortilla a must see? Not to me but to some people the place is so who are you or I to judge what people want to see or do. I know people here in Washington that have never eaten a Tortilla so I know some people who visit from Asia or Europe haven't either. For something that seems so basic it takes a lot of work to make a Tortilla from scratch.

For my British wife, the factories and farm were a must see for her. They had things that you cannot see growing in the UK. And you cannot get sour dough bread here either. As for tortillas, you have only been able to buy them in the grocery stores here for about 15 years, so seeing them made was a real thrill for her.

Space Mountain vs the Tortilla factory - I know my wife would prioritise the factory :lol: honest!

 

[Snapper Bean]

Although it appears that anyone who dares to provide a positive review of DCA gets an uninvited third party critique, I'll stick my neck out and say that I really enjoyed DCA. I spent multiple days there back in March 2006 (my first visit). Repetitiveness really doesn't bother me. I've ridden Space Mountain at MK probably 50 times. Next time I'm at the Magic Kingdom I'm going to want to....ride Space Mountain again. Thus, the fact that Its tough to be a bug is also at Animal Kingdom or that Soarin is also now at Epcot or that Grizzly River Rapids is similar to Kali River Rapids seems all but completely irrelevant to me.

I though Soarin and Grizzly River Rapids were great. I though Aladdin was entertaining and unlike anything else I've seen at the Disney parks. I thought Monsters, Inc. was a very solid dark ride comparable to any dark ride (other than say the E-ticket dark rides like HM or POTC). If onboard audio on California Screamin' is working its a different experience than your average coaster. I though Golden Dreams was meh but didn't regret doing it. I loved Soarin and frankly, I loved the park atmosphere. Bugs Land was a cute theme on standard carnival rides and Paradise Pier didn't offend me in the least.

DCA doesn't have the attractions crammed into it that Disneyland has but DCA is only about 5 years old not 50 (Disneyland didn't have what it has now at 5). I think DCA is a better park than MGM right now.

 

[Nicole220]

Although it appears that anyone who dares to provide a positive review of DCA gets an uninvited third party critique, I'll stick my neck out and say that I really enjoyed DCA. I spent multiple days there back in March 2006 (my first visit). Repetitiveness really doesn't bother me. I've ridden Space Mountain at MK probably 50 times. Next time I'm at the Magic Kingdom I'm going to want to....ride Space Mountain again. Thus, the fact that Its tough to be a bug is also at Animal Kingdom or that Soarin is also now at Epcot or that Grizzly River Rapids is similar to Kali River Rapids seems all but completely irrelevant to me.

I though Soarin and Grizzly River Rapids were great. I though Aladdin was entertaining and unlike anything else I've seen at the Disney parks. I thought Monsters, Inc. was a very solid dark ride comparable to any dark ride (other than say the E-ticket dark rides like HM or POTC). If onboard audio on California Screamin' is working its a different experience than your average coaster. I though Golden Dreams was meh but didn't regret doing it. I loved Soarin and frankly, I loved the park atmosphere. Bugs Land was a cute theme on standard carnival rides and Paradise Pier didn't offend me in the least.

DCA doesn't have the attractions crammed into it that Disneyland has but DCA is only about 5 years old not 50 (Disneyland didn't have what it has now at 5). I think DCA is a better park than MGM right now.

Actually, DCA turned 6 yesturday.

But I completely agree about it being better than MGM. MGM seems to be filled with a lot of shows, and a few rides.

 

[mickster]

Actually, DCA turned 6 yesturday.

Wow! It's been open for six years and it's still incredibly boring. :lol: In 1995, MGM was 6 years old. Sunset Blvd and the Tower of Terror had already been open for almost a year by that point. Those additions definitely elevated (no pun intended) an already outstanding park.

But I completely agree about it being better than MGM. MGM seems to be filled with a lot of shows, and a few rides.

MGM has been slipping in recent years, no question about it. Yet it still blows DCA out of the water.

 

[mickster]

As for tortillas, you have only been able to buy them in the grocery stores here for about 15 years, so seeing them made was a real thrill for her.

Hmmm.... 15 years? So in other words, over twice as long as DCA has been in existence, even the UK has had tortillas available as an everyday item. This information makes the Mission Tortilla Factory even less special than previously thought.

 

[mickster]

Although it appears that anyone who dares to provide a positive review of DCA gets an uninvited third party critique, I'll stick my neck out and say that I really enjoyed DCA. I spent multiple days there back in March 2006 (my first visit). Repetitiveness really doesn't bother me. I've ridden Space Mountain at MK probably 50 times. Next time I'm at the Magic Kingdom I'm going to want to....ride Space Mountain again. Thus, the fact that Its tough to be a bug is also at Animal Kingdom or that Soarin is also now at Epcot or that Grizzly River Rapids is similar to Kali River Rapids seems all but completely irrelevant to me.

I though Soarin and Grizzly River Rapids were great. I though Aladdin was entertaining and unlike anything else I've seen at the Disney parks. I thought Monsters, Inc. was a very solid dark ride comparable to any dark ride (other than say the E-ticket dark rides like HM or POTC). If onboard audio on California Screamin' is working its a different experience than your average coaster. I though Golden Dreams was meh but didn't regret doing it. I loved Soarin and frankly, I loved the park atmosphere. Bugs Land was a cute theme on standard carnival rides and Paradise Pier didn't offend me in the least.

DCA doesn't have the attractions crammed into it that Disneyland has but DCA is only about 5 years old not 50 (Disneyland didn't have what it has now at 5). I think DCA is a better park than MGM right now.

Well clearly you enjoy repetition and things that are familiar. It sounds a little bit like you're not the type of individual who enjoys the thrill of trying new things. That said, it makes perfect sense that DCA would be the ideal park for you. Nearly everything that exists there is stuff you can find at other Disney parks. Additionally, it has the most non-Disney rides of any Disney park (i.e. ferris wheel, swing ride, wild mouse coaster, kiddie carnival rides, etc). It is, without question, the most unoriginal Disney park...and quite possibly the most unoriginal theme park of all (if you measure that based on unique attractions...or in this case, lack thereof).