Disney California Adventure Trip

If I'm being honest with my (small) audience, these posts about my vacations are more for me, because I know I will lose some of the details in the long run. Goober is now four years old and he was able to experience a whole lot more in the parks, so we went on a lot more rides than in 2018. Goober is luckily tall for his age and hit the 42" mark that lets him ride almost all the rides in each park. We went out to visit family in California during the Thanksgiving season and had only planned on visiting Disneyland. It wasn't decided until late in the night of our arrival day that I would go with Goober to California Adventure. Arriving early for the park was not an issue, as our bodies were still stuck in the Eastern Time Zone, so we woke up around 3AM. Not the best start to a long day at a theme park. Since the last time we had gone to California Adventure (or DCA as I'll refer to it from now on), it had changed quite a bit. In nearly two years the park saw the closure of Bug's Land, set to be replaced by a Marvel themed area in Summer 2020, and the opening of Pixar Pier. My general opinion on the park is much better than my last visit. Though all of Pixar Pier is re-skins of existing rides, the overall feel of the land adds to the park. Actually being able to ride most of the rides at the park also helped me to see that I was a bit hard on this park, though it is still miles behind Disneyland. Since we went to the park on the week of Thanksgiving, it was very busy. That being said, since we got there before rope drop, we got most of the rides done early enough to where we didn't have to wait that long for any ride.


Pixar Pier

Toy Story Midway Mania

Midway Mania was our first stop and one that I knew would get busy fast. I also didn't want to use a FastPass if I didn't have to, so we just booked it to Pixar Pier. This was a returning ride so Goober did better this time with the shooting, but I would still say that this ride is ideal for kids six and up, depending on their size. Goober loved zooming around to the different screens. A solid ride, though I'm not big on shooting rides myself.

Jessie's Critter Carousel

Goober loves carousels and this, in its original form as King Triton's Carousel, was unfortunately closed during our last visit. Goober had to pick the backward skunk to ride on because he's a goof. Goober loved the ride and was singing Woody's Roundup for quite a while afterward!







Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind

A re-theme of Flik's Flyers, it was one of the tamer rides we went on and Goober wasn't as enthralled this time around. I found out pretty quickly that he likes spinning rides more than anything, so he still had a great time. I really like all the theming around this ride. Flik's Flyers was bare bones theming, but they really went all out with having the memory holders in the background.

Pixar Pal-Around

Another attraction that was closed due to Pixar Pier's construction during our last visit, this ferris wheel used to be called Mickey's Fun Wheel. What I didn't realize about this ride is that most of the gondolas are swinging, and that is a huge no-go for me. Luckily we made it onto a stationary gondola and I only had a mild panic attack due to how high up we were. Goober, who I've found out in this last year is completely fearless when it comes to heights and roller coasters, made sure to console me. Ferris wheels are very slow to load up and unload and that's most of your ride, so they are not my favorite thing to go on. The vantage point gave Goober the ability to see all of the Incredicoaster, which he really wanted to ride but was unfortunately too short.

Paradise Gardens Park

Silly Symphony Swings

This simple swing ride themed to the 1935 short, The Band Concert, would end up being one of Goober's favorite rides in either park. He loved swinging around so much that he demanded to go on it again. I hadn't been on a swing ride since Cedar Point as a kid, so I honestly had a lot of fun, too.







The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure

We hit up the rest of Paradise Gardens Park later in the day when the crowds had come in full force, so this ended up being one of our longer waits of the day at 25 mins. This is in contrast to last year when we rode three times in a row with no line. Still a fun dark ride with good animatronics, but not as good as some of its Disneyland counterparts.

Golden Zephyr

Another swinging ride, this one is themed to Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon style rocket ships. Nothing crazy on this one, though they don't let you have your kids on the left hand side since the vehicles don't have doors.

Jumpin' Jellyfish

A parachute-jump style ride for kids. Luckily it didn't go far enough in the air to make my usual fear of heights kick in. Goober got a real kick out of this one, but by the time we rode it, we were getting close to the end of the day, so he was getting a little loopy so this wasn't a two-timer.

Grizzly Peak

Redwood Creek Challenge Trail

Playground area for preschoolers and above. If Goober was smaller, he would have had trouble getting around, especially because there is a very big portion that is all rope bridges. I had to save him from twisting his foot off a few times. We ran around here for a good amount of time, but we tried not to linger because I didn't want this to tire him out too much. I'm glad we went when we did because later on they made you wait in line just to get in. This was also the area where kids could meet Santa, so I understand why they did that.

Soarin' Around the World

We did this a little later in the day because the Fastpasses were pushed out a little farther here than some of the other popular rides. Goober wasn't exactly sure what to expect, but once we went up in the hang gliders, he was all in. It ended up being one of his favorite rides of the day, so now I know that he'll be some sort of extreme sports enthusiast when he grows up. I've been so-so on Soarin' in the past. I only rode Soarin' Over California at Epcot once, and then Around the World at DCA last year, but it's one of those rides that gets better depending on who you ride with. Seeing the absolute wonder on his face made the whole day worth it.

Grizzly River Run

We did this later in the day since it's a water rapids ride. This was also in contention for Goober's favorite ride. So much so that he demanded to go again. Luckily in both cases the Fastpass was only a few minutes in the future, so it was an easy choice. Warning to anyone bringing small kids on this ride: if they are afraid of bears, they will freak out. Goober was convinced there was a real bear in one of the caves we passed through, and it had him shook for most of the ride. I had to assure him that it was just sound effects. We didn't get too soaked the first time, but we pressed our luck the second time around and got plenty wet. Goober announced loudly to the entire group that we were approaching the bear cave and to watch out!

Hollywood Land

Mickey's Philharmagic

I was actually pretty excited when I heard they were bringing Philharmagic to DCA. It's a fun 3D theater show I had seen a few times at the Magic Kingdom, and I was curious to see what Goober would think. One might think that seeing some of their favorite Disney characters in 3D would cause delight and glee, but you would be sorely mistaken. About halfway through, Goober ripped off his glasses and said he didn't like the pictures hitting his eyes. He was not happy with me after that one. So, lesson learned! Maybe wait a few years to take little ones in a 3D movies.

Monsters, Inc: Mike and Sulley to the Rescue!

Amazingly this was the longest we had to wait for a ride, and the line wasn't too bad this time around. Last year Goober had a complete meltdown, though we still pushed through and rode it. This year he was still angry about the line, but there was a family of little kids ahead of us that kept him entertained most of the time. I sincerely wish that this ride wasn't just a re-skin of Superstar Limo! and closer to Monsters, Inc Ride and Go Seek! in Japan. That being said, this ride is still entertaining, and Monsters, Inc is one of my favorite Pixar movies, so I'll gladly ride everytime I come this way.

Disney Junior Dance Party

We were on our way out of the park when I decided to quickly check and see if the show happened to be starting soon. We were in luck and Goober, for being as tired as he was, danced his little heart out! It's a cute show, with appearances from Vampirina (Goober's current favorite show), The Lion Guard, Doc McStuffins, and Mickey and the Roadster Racers. Trust me when I say it was only the kids dancing around, as every parent was thankful for the tiny respite from walking their feet off.

Cars Land

Radiator Springs Racers


I mentioned this ride last time, but this is by far my favorite ride in the park. A much better version of Test Track, and some of the best dark ride elements I've ever seen. Am I super into Cars as a franchise? Not really, but I think anyone can appreciate how great this ride is, even if they don't especially connect with the franchise. Goober had done well with roller coasters, so I didn't think this would be a big deal for him. Unfortunately he didn't like the bunny hops near the end of the ride, as it made his "tummy feel bad". He focused on the bad feeling from the last part of the ride and didn't want to talk about anything else, so it's hard to tell if he enjoyed the thrill ride too much.


We did miss a few rides in the park, mostly because it got extremely busy in the afternoon. Goofy's Sky School, Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, and Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters were missed due to long lines, while both Incredicoaster and Guardians of the Galaxy-Mission: Breakout! were not Goober appropriate. Incredicoaster was the only one that he was too short to ride, but that didn't stop him from begging to ride it every few minutes. Again, a much better experience all-around and I think a lot of that came from being with my son and seeing these rides through his eyes.

My First Disneyland Trip: Part One

As an avid Disney World fan, I had my doubts that Disneyland could compare. I finally got a chance to visit this last week with my wife and two year old son, and it was definitely a different experience. We went to the both Disney California Adventure and Disneyland, so I'll give you my thoughts on how the experience compares to Disney World.

Disney California Adventure

First off, we all enjoyed this park very much, but compared to Disneyland, or any of the parks at Disney World, it's not great. DCA doesn't have the same feeling of immersion that the other parks give you. You can actually see the outside world and it kind of breaks the Disney magic. While some of the theming in the park is really good, the overall feel of the park is a hodge-podge of ideas. Basically any ride that wouldn't make sense in Disneyland or couldn't fit, was in this park. Cars Land is probably the best area of the park in terms of immersion and theming. Other lands either were under construction (thanks Pixar Pier), or didn't utilize their theme to its full potential. About the only other area that stays cohesive is A Bug's Land, though it takes up a very small portion of the park and is directed at small children. We were lucky enough to go during the Food and Wine Festival, something we enjoyed while in Epcot in 2014. Lots of great food, but definitely not as many options as Epcot. Here area  few thoughts on some of the rides:

Guardians of the Galaxy-Mission:Breakout!

I love the Tower of Terror, so I was marginally disappointed that I wouldn't get a chance to ride it in California, but I have to admit that Guardians of the Galaxy is a great time. I've heard that it's a more intense ride than Tower of Terror, and I believe it! The overlay doesn't make much sense at all, but they took enough care with it to make it an enjoyable experience. Plus, there's always the Tower of Terror in Florida if you really want to ride that version!

A Bug's Land

I unfortunately missed this entire area, as I was in line for Guardians of the Galaxy. Goober (our affectionate nickname for our son) was thoroughly bored with Heimlich's Chew Chew Train, so my wife and him rode Flik's Flyers three times and a row. We attempted to circle back to this area later in the day but Goober ran out of steam.



Toy Story Midway Mania

Nestled in the back of the park surrounded by construction, this ride will later be part of Pixar Pier, but at the moment it looks a little out of place. The ride itself was a lot of fun, though Goober had a bit of trouble operating the controls, as you would imagine. He had a blast, though, and of course wanted to go again. The wife and I haven't been on the Hollywood Studios version, so I can't say if they are any different, but I'm sure the queue must be, as this one seemed to be uniquely themed to the surrounding Paradise Pier. This is a must ride if you have smaller children, but maybe not toddlers.

The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure

I didn't know this until recently, but this ride gets a lot of hate from the Disney elite. The main complaint is that the omni-mover ride system doesn't benefit an attraction that just does the main songs from a movie. You can look into all the arguments yourself, but I honestly didn't mind it at all. I haven't been on the Disney World version, so this was my first experience. Was it the best dark ride I've ever been on? Not by a long shot, but it's still a lot of fun and Goober loved it so much we rode it three times in a row. Thank God the ride literally had no line.

Soarin' Around the World

My wife doesn't care for Soarin' and I can definitely see why. It's a short, moving IMAX film with smell-o-vision, but I can't help but be tickled by it. We had previously rode Soarin' Over California in Epcot and it was OK. I rode this alone and had a great time! Patrick Warburton's voice is always welcome and the ride has been improved from the original version. The only thing that I would complain about, and I don't know if the Epcot version is the same, is that people's feet were dangling in my view the whole time! I'm gliding past the Sahara desert and there in my peripheral vision is a pair of stinky Reeboks.

Monsters, Inc. Mike and Sully to the Rescue!

A re-skin of the much maligned Superstar Limo, this ride was a good time, but I wish they weren't limited by the old ride system. About the only part that really made me look around in amazement was the door transport room near the end. Goober loves Monsters Inc, so this was his jam, but unfortunately by this time he was getting super grumpy, so the wait to get in was not great. He was also not pleased when we did not go back in for a second time, because there was no way I was waiting another 10-15 minutes with Grumpy Goober.

Radiator Springs Racers

While I had a good time in California Adventure, for the most part the rides had all been nothing special, or didn't have that special Disney magic that I was used to seeing. That all changed with Radiator Springs Racers. This ride is a ton of fun, and I am very disappointed that I had to go by myself. Part dark ride and part Test Track, this ride is a joy from start to finish. I'm not the biggest Cars fan, but they did such a good job with the story and execution for this ride that I can't help but love the dumb movie. The racing part was faster than I thought it would be and was a thrill, to say the least. This would have been the ride that I would have jumped back into the line again if I had the time. Just ride it for yourself and you'll understand!

We didn't get to the whole park, unfortunately, and there were some rides that we had no interest in, like Grizzly River Run, which incidentally was fun to watch, but kept breaking down. We didn't have time for the rest of Cars Land, as once we stopped for ice cream, Goober conked right out. So, can I make a complete review of Disney California? No, but I really think we hit the main spots and we had quite a full day. Definitely a lot of fun, but doesn't have the same Disney Park feel that the other ones give you.