Disney California Adventure celebrates its 20th anniversary today and we’re celebrating with a look at our favorite experiences from the park’s first two decades. These were voted on by a cabal of ten Laughing Place contributors out of over seventy options. Did your favorite make our top 20?
20. Superstar Limo
Known as one of the worst Disney attractions of all time, we’re just as surprised as you are that this attraction even made it into our top 20 list (You guys, how did this happen?). You just “Hopped of the plane at LAX” and your agent expects you across town to land a starring role, sending you through Beverly Hills, Malibu, Bel Air and other trendy Hollywood neighborhoods. Along the way, you encountered celebrities like Whoopi Goldberg, Tim Allen, Drew Carrey, Jackie Chan and Cher. The attraction opened with the park on February 8th, 2001 and didn’t last a full year, closing on January 11th, 2002. (Seriously, guys, how did this get into the top 20???)
19. Golden Dreams
Didn’t get enough Whoopi Goldberg in Superstar Limo? In this film experience, Guests would enter a miniature version of The Palace of Fine Arts from San Francisco into a theater where Califia (Goldberg) took viewers through the history of the state of California. Diving into our archives, below you can watch a 20-years younger Bob Iger dedicate the attraction with the help of Whoopi Goldberg herself and a live performance of the attraction’s theme song, “Just One Dream.”
18. Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters
Replacing Luigi’s Flying Tires, the first trackless ride at the Disneyland Resort is not just fun to ride, it’s fun to watch. Guests experience one of five songs chosen at random and it also has seasonal overlays for Halloween and Christmas. Bongiorno!
17. Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
Opening in 2006, this family-friendly attraction replaced Superstar Limo and transformed Hollywood into Monstropolis. How it fits in with the theme of Hollywood Land is anybody’s guess, but it continues to be a welcome addition to the park. Following the story of Pixar’s Monsters, Inc., guests get to experience many locations from the film, including the exciting corridor of doors.
16. Muppet*Vision 3D
Muppet Labs opened up their West Coast testing facility when Disney California Adventure opened. Largely a clone of the experience from Walt Disney World, the attraction had some themed queue elements and photo ops that were unique to the DCA version. The attraction closed in 2014 and became a movie preview theater, a Frozen sing-along and is now home to Mickey’s PhilharMagic.
15. Pixar Play Parade
Disney California Adventure’s second Pixar-specific parade, the Pixar Play Parade debuted in 2008 and went through a lot of changes over it’s ten-year run. As new Pixar films would debut, new floats would replace old ones or pre-parades would be added. It officially left the park in 2018, moving over to Disneyland for the summer Pixar Fest event where it seemingly took its final bow.
14. Heimlich's Chew Chew Train
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a bug’s land was the first land to be added to Disney California Adventure in 2002 and among the kid-friendly attractions was a short train ride that became a fan-favorite. Narrated by the loveable caterpillar from Pixar’s a bug’s life, voiced by the late Joe Ranft, Guests would travel through a bug-sized track with foods the hungry caterpillar had chewed his way through or around. It closed with the land in 2018 to make room for Avengers Campus.
13. The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel's Undersea Adventure
Debuting in 2011, the 1989 animated classic received the dark ride treatment, going into the former home of Golden Dreams. The attraction has undergone several changes over the years, including replacing rubber hair for real strands, but it’s still largely the same experience. Here’s a fun treat, the opening day ceremony with Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel, and Sherie Rene Scott, who originated the role of Ursula in the Broadway production. Enjoy!
12. Disney's Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular
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Opening in 2003, Disney Parks produced a 45-minute Broadway-style stage musical adaptation of Aladdin complete with a new song by Alan Menken called “To Be Free.” The show was a popular draw and successfully ran until 2016 when it was replaced by Frozen – Live at the Hyperion. An updated version of the show is still on the schedule aboard the Disney Fantasy, one of the Disney Cruise Line ships.
11. Incredicoaster
As part of the Pixar Pier retheming of Paradise Pier in 2018, California Screamin’ (see number 5) was rethemed with characters and story elements from Pixar’s Incredibles 2, which premiered that same summer. Don’t forget to stop by the cart for a Cookie Num Num after your adventure!
10. Grizzly River Run
Warning: You may get soaked! Surrounding the park’s original icon, this water rapids experience is a great way to cool off on a hot day in the “Warm California sun.” Taking a wet ride around the flume offers some stunning views of Grizzly Peak, as well.
9. Toy Story Midway Mania!
“It’s Insania!” Now part of Pixar Pier, Toy Story Midway Mania! was originally designed to fit the theme of Paradise Pier and has been duplicated at other Disney Parks around the world. Opening in 2008, the attraction was updated in 2010 to include characters from Toy Story 3.
8. Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!
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Tarans were welcomed into the Collector’s Tivan Collection in 2017 when Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! replaced The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (see number 6). Inside, Rocket Racoon recruits you and your travel party to help him set free his friends, the Guardians of the Galaxy. There are six songs chosen at random, plus the Halloween “Monsters After Dark” overlay. The queue is a fun experience all by itself, featuring animatronic figures and Easter Eggs from Disney and Marvel history. In advance of the opening of the attraction, we were given a tour of the experience with legendary Imagineer Joe Rhode, who worked on the experience.
7. Mater's Junkyard Jamboree
Making a kinetic entrance into Cars Land, Mater's Junkyard Jamboree is fun for all ages and fun to watch as the baby tractors go free-wheeling through their figure eight track. The fun of this experience has been duplicated with different themes at Walt Disney World (Alien Swirling Saucers) and Tokyo Disneyland (The Happy Ride with Baymax).
6. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
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This, as you may recognize, was The Hollywood Tower Hotel, a looming fixture at the far side of Hollywood Land. In 2004, Disney California Adventure opened their version of the attraction from Walt Disney World, this one omitting the impressive elevator shaft change. The theme of the attraction was a better fit for the park’s California esthetic and while Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! uses the same space, the new version creates a different sensation by polarizing the direction of the force, pushing you up faster than Tower of Terror did, which focused more on the free-fall sensation. We leave you with this footage of the attraction’s swanky grand opening.
5. California Screamin'
Reminiscent of coastal wooden roller coasters from the turn-of-the-century, California Screamin’ brought Disneyland it's only upside-down loop with style, adding Mickey ears around it. It was revolutionary at the time for its use of onboard audio, something that is now fairly common on roller coasters. During the park’s redesign, the mouse ears were swapped out with the sun on Mickey’s Fun Wheel (now Pixar Pal-A-Round, still starring Mickey). While the Incredicoaster is essentially the same coaster with new theming, the original had a charm of its own that’s hard to top.
4. World of Color
When the Sherman Brothers wrote the theme song for Walt Disney’s The Wonderful World of Color television series, they probably never imagined that it would be used as the theming device for a nighttime entertainment spectacle. Premiering in 2010, the show has delighted Guests at the park for decades, save for a lengthy hiatus. From the start, the show has included seasonal and promotional additions that keep Guests coming back again and again.
3. Paint the Night
Originally premiering at Disneyland Park in 2015 (and Hong Kong Disneyland a year before that), Paint the Night became a fan favorite and park goers were saddened when it ended its run in 2016 at the end of the Diamond Celebration. We all rejoiced when it returned in 2018, this time at Disney California Adventure as part of Pixar Fest with a new Incredibles float. The run was so popular that it was extended into the early fall based on Guest demand. Hey Disneyland, when can we see this again?
2. Soarin' Over California
In many ways, Soarin’ Over California has never really left. Disney may have updated the experience in 2016 as Soarin’ Around the World, but fans never stopped asking for the original to come back. It returned in summer 2019 and again in early 2020. In fact, the last time Disney California Adventure was open, the experience was Soarin' Over California again and the park had announced a new Annual Passholder (R.I.P.) perk, granting extra ride time for AP’s on select nights. On behalf of Chief Flight Attendant Patrick, nice work pals! Enjoy the original attraction’s dedication speech.
1. Radiator Springs Racers
The star attraction from Cars Land, Radiator Springs Racers is worth the wait in the queue. Using the Test Track ride system, the Imagineers created an experience that takes Guests into the heart of Radiator Springs and all the grandeur of Cadillac Range. Fun for the whole family and with a randomized race to the finish, you always want to experience it again on your next visit. As a special nostalgic treat, here’s the grand opening ceremony from Cars Land from 2012.