100 Things You Don't Want to Miss at Disney California Adventure 2016: Ultimate Unauthorized Quick Guide 2016, #2

Introduction

California Adventure did not exist when I grew up in Southern California. It is a relatively new phenomenon that I have only had the pleasure to experience as an adult. As such, I have found that I connect to the park with an adult mentality, attitude, and expectation; which is a convenient way to experience a park designed with adults in mind. There are still plenty of kid-themed activities for guests of all ages to enjoy inside California Adventure - but unlike it’s kid sister Disneyland, this adventure includes activities geared towards the likes of adults such as beer and wine tasting, fine dining, and a critical look into the arts that create the magic inside the park.

Here kids can run wild in the California Redwood forest of the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail and adults can sample fine wines or unique whiskeys surrounded by the elegance of a posh 1930’s lounge at the Carthay Circle Theater. Locally brewed specialty beers can be sipped by adults as their kids bask in the sheer joy of dining with The Little Mermaid. The history of some of California’s most valuable industries can be explored at the Boudin Bakery Tour, Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop, and Golden Vine Winery as adults and kids enjoy free freshly baked sourdough bread samples, free gourmet Chocolate samples, and delectable appetizers featuring the best ingredients California has to offer.

This park truly bridges the gap between entertainment for kids and entertainment for adults, and provides an immersive experience that guests of all ages can enjoy. So dive right in and join me in this tour of one of California’s most inclusive entertainment venues, Disney’s California Adventure.

About the Author

John Glass is a travel blogger, founder of the Southern California travel magazine SoCal Secrets, and an author on the fan site Disney Parks Club. View more travel information on his websites:

www.socalsecrets.com

www.disneyparksclub.com

About the Publisher

Alternative Travel Press strives to bring a unique perspective to your travel adventures. Look for books on a wide variety of travel topics on the publisher’s website:

www.alternativetravelpress.com

Park Maps

Use the maps below to help you find the activities discussed throughout the book. I’ve included a map of the entire park as well as maps for each individual land. Each map is labeled with numbers that correspond to the activities discussed throughout the book.

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California Adventure Checklist

Throughout the Park

01. Arrive to the Park in Style

02. Take a Tour

03. Meet Disney Characters

04. Take a Trip on the Red Car Trolly

05. Watch the Pixar Play Parade

06. Celebrate the Holidays Disney Style

07. Take Part in a Special Themed Day

08. Race Through California Adventure

09. Plan Your Own Special Event

10. Exclusive Limited Time Activities

11. Indulge in Famous Snack Foods

12. Have a Picnic

13. Use Disney’s Professional Photography Services

14. Discover Your Own Photo Opportunities

15. Get a Few Magic Shots

16. Start Collecting Autographs

17. Try Pin Trading

18. Search for Coin Press Machines

19. Start a Collection

20. Show Your Style with Personalized Mouse Ears

21. Go Disneybounding

22. Get Involved in the Yearly Promotion *

23. Join the 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration *

Buena Vista Street

24. Stop by the Chamber of Commerce

25. Meet Oswald the Lucky Rabbit

26. Pick Up the Buena Vista Bugle

27. Meet the Citizens of Buena Vista Street

28. Visit Rock Candy Mountain

29. Groove to the Tunes of Five & Dime

30. Watch the Red Car News Boys

31. Visit the Storytellers Statue

32. Have Dinner in 1937

33. Enjoy Walt’s Favorite Drink at the Carthay Circle Lounge

34. Beer & Spirits Tasting

35. Shop on Buena Vista Street After the Park Closes

Hollywood Land

36. Disney Junior Live on Stage

37. Meet Disney Characters on Hollywood Blvd

38. Commission a Hand-Drawn Illustration

39. Perfect Your Craft at Disney Animation

40. Do a Photo Shoot on Hollywood Blvd

41. Join in on the Frozen Fun

42. Discover Stage 17

43. Enjoy Local Talent at the Disney Preforming Arts Stage

44. Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!

45. Go Wild at the Mad T Party

46. Play Air Hockey at House of Cards

47. Step up to the Velvet Rope in the Theater District

48. Catch a Lavish Musical in the Hyperion Theater *

49. Scream Out Loud at the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

A Bug’s Land

50. Take in a Bug-Run Performance at It’s a Bugs Life

51. Enjoy Bug-Sized Amusement at Flicks Fun Fair

52. Cool Off at the Princess Dot Puddle Park

Cars Land

53. Take a Tour of Route 66

54. Pose for a Photo on Route 66

55. Spin Out of Control at Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree

56. Meet McQueen or Mater

57. Watch Red to the Rescue

58. Dance the Night Away at DJ’s Dance ‘n Drive

59. Design Your Own Leather Jewelry

60. Win a Race at Radiator Springs Racers

Golden Vine Winery

61. Learn About Making Wine at the Golden Vine Vineyards

62. Discover a New Vintage Through Wine Tasting

63. Explore Rare Specialty Beers at Sonoma Terrace

64. Dine Outdoors in the California Wine Country

65. Learn About Disney Imagineering at the Blue Sky Cellar

Pacific Wharf

66. Take the Boudin Bakery Tour

67. Sample Gourmet Chocolates at Ghirardelli

68. Get All Caught up in the Fishing Net

69. Listen to the Mariachi Divas

70. Have a Margarita with Rita

Paradise Pier

71. Have Breakfast with Ariel

72. Commission a Drawing

73. Unwind at Cove Bar

74. Join Operation Playtime!

75. Stroll Along the Waterfront With a Classic Boardwalk Treat

76. Listen to an Instant Concert

77. Reserve Your Spot at World of Color—Celebrate!

78. Try Mickey’s Fun Wheel Challenge

79. Hang Upside Down at California Screamin’

80. Win Big at Toy Story Midway Mania!

81. Take in the Magnificent Views from Mickey’s Fun Wheel

82. Get all Swept up in Silly Symphony Swings

83. Bring Home Prizes from Games of the Boardwalk

84. Have Your Face Painted

85. Get a Henna Tattoo

86. Strike a Pose at the Toy Story Diorama

87. Listen to Live Music at the Paradise Gardens Bandstand

88. Travel Under the Sea With the Little Mermaid

89. Rock Out with Phineas and Ferb

90. Enjoy Classic Amusement Park Rides with a Twist of Disney

Grizzly Peak

91. Get Soaked on the Grizzly River Run

92. Spy on Nature with the Route 48 Binoculars

93. Join in on the Happy Camper Sing Along

94. Run Amok in Redwood Creek

95. Earn Your Wilderness Explorer Badge

96. Escape the Dinner Crowds at White Water Snacks

Grizzly Peak Airfield

97. Take Flight Over California

98. Explore the New Smokejumpers Grill

99. Visit the New Forestry Props

100. Learn About the Proud History of Conservationists

* Notes attractions that will be opening or closing sometime during 2016.

Throughout the Park

01

Arrive to the Park in Style

Sometimes how you arrive at California Adventure can be just as much fun as what you do once you are inside the park. Start the fun before you even enter the front gates with these arrival options.

Ride the Parking Tram Before the Park Opens

The FREE parking tram picks you up from the Mickey & Friends Parking Structure and delivers you to the front gates of both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. This open air tram ride through some of the back areas of the Disneyland Resort property is as much fun to ride as it is useful. It’s like getting a bonus park ride in before the gates even open, and kids love it. But I’ll let you in on a little secret; adults love it too.

Some Guests Prefer the Toy Story Parking Lot

Many guests find the Toy Story Parking Lot to be a more convenient choice. You can avoid the end of the day traffic jams found at the Mickey & Friends Parking Structure and the areas around it. A FREE shuttle from the Toy Story lot drops you off in the Transportation Hub, which is closer to the park’s entry gate. This lot is also closer to some of the non-resort owned hotels in the area (known as Good Neighbor hotels). However, the free shuttle from this lot is not as much fun to ride as the one from the Mickey & Friends Parking Structure. It’s more like taking a public bus than getting a free ride on an early morning attraction. The bus can also get very crowded at peak hours.

All official parking lots designated for theme park guests charge the same rates. You can find the Toy Story Parking Lot on the west side of S. Harbor Blvd., just below the Katella Cast Member Parking Lot.

Buy Your Tickets Beforehand

The best way to get into the park quickly in the morning is to already have your tickets in hand when you arrive, so purchase your tickets before you plan on visiting the park. This can be done online at the Disneyland Resort website or at the park’s main ticket booths the night before. The ticket booths are located right outside the entrance to the park and they stay open late, usually an hour after the park closes. Then when you arrive in the morning you can just enter through the special Grand Californian Hotel park gate or jump in line at the regular entry gates without having to wait in the long ticket purchase lines.

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/tickets/

The Main Gates Open Early for Everyone

You can enter the park half an hour before its official opening time from the main California Adventure entry gates. You will only have access to the restaurants and shops on Buena Vista Street until the park’s official opening time, but entering early lets you get breakfast and do some shopping before the park officially opens. Entering early also gets you closer to popular Fastpass machines and attractions once the park officially opens. From Buena Vista Street you can prepare for a mad dash towards the Radiator Springs Racers or World of Color Fastpass lines as soon as the park officially opens.

Opening times change daily, see the Disneyland Resort website for current opening times:

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/calendars/

Enter the Park Through the Grand Californian Hotel

This special entry gate takes you from the Grand Californian Hotel straight into the heart of Disney California Adventure, and is available to registered guests of the Disneyland Resort Hotels anytime the park is open. It is usually also available to the general public starting one hour after the park’s official opening time and remains available until the park closes. This special gate is a great way to enter the park. It often bypasses the larger crowds at the main entry gates and it places you closer to the center of the park as you enter. It is also located very close to the World of Color Fastpass distribution center next to Grizzly River Run, allowing you to get a Fastpass quickly for the park’s most popular show.

All Resort Hotel Guests May Use the Special Entrance

You don’t need to be a guest of the Grand Californian Hotel to use it’s special entrance into California Adventure, registered guests that are staying at any of the three resort owned hotels may use the entrance. That includes the Disneyland Hotel, Paradise Pier Hotel, and Grand Californian Hotel. Be prepared to show your room key if you arrive at the special entrance within the first hour of the park’s opening.

Extra Magic Hour: A Special Early Entry Program

This promotion gives registered Disneyland Resort hotel guests early admission to either Disneyland or California Adventure one hour before the park opens to the general public on every day of their hotel stay. The Extra Magic Hour is typically held at Disneyland on Tuesdays, Thursday, and Saturdays. At California Adventure it’s held on Mondays, Wednesdays, Friday, and Sundays. Schedules and details for this program are also available at the Disneyland website or on-site ticket booths.

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/guest-services/extra-magic-hour-early-admission/

02

Take a Tour

Tours are a great way to get introduced to the park and learn more about it’s history. Guests may book a tour by calling (714) 781-TOUR (8687) up to 30 days in advance. You will be required to pay for the tour in full with a credit card to secure your reservation. If you’re already in the park, visit the Chamber of Commerce on Buena Vista Street to get tour information. Currently only one tour is available inside Disney California Adventure. More information about tours can be found on the Disneyland Resort guided tour website:

http://disneyland.disney.go.com/tours/

Disney California Story Tour

Available Every Day at 10:00am

This new tour lets you in on the stories behind the icons, attractions, buildings, characters, and landmarks inside Disney California Adventure. The tour also gives you a special experience at the Animation Academy, instant access to a few popular Disney California Adventure attractions, and a rare chance to see inside the secret exclusive 1901 lounge. You also get lunch, a personalized button to wear, and a special edition collectible Disney pin to take home.

There is a 20% discount for Disney Rewards Visa, AAA card holders, Disney Vacation Club members, and Disneyland Resort Annual Passport holders.

Tour Time: about 3 Hours. Cost: $109.00 per adult.

Other Resort Tours

If you loved your tour of Disney California Adventure, you can also find equally interesting tours inside Disneyland and some of the resort hotels. Ask about tours when you visit those locations.

VIP Tour Services

VIP tours handle all aspects of a guest’s Disneyland experience. They include a private guide throughout the park, assistance with dining reservations, VIP viewing of parades and shows, and ultimate Fastpasses access (instant access to the Fastpass lines of all attractions at any time.)

Guests may call the special VIP Tour Services line at (714) 300-7710 to book a VIP tour up to 90 days in advance. The park used to offer two different levels of VIP tours, but they have been combined into a single tour package since 2014. The price of the tour changes seasonally, costing $400 per hour on non-peak days and up to $550 per hour on peak days. This hourly tour price includes up to ten guests.

Cost: $400 to $550 PER HOUR, with a 6 HOUR MINIMUM.

disneyland.disney.go.com/events-tours/vip-tour-services/

03

Meet Disney Characters

Everyone enjoys meeting their favorite Disney character, and meeting Mickey and friends has been part of the magic since Disney’s first theme park opened in 1955. They’re found throughout the park, so you never know when you’ll run into that special character. When you do meet them they’re happy to pose for photos, sign autographs, and most importantly... give a hug. Buena Vista Street remains one of the favorite stomping grounds for costume characters, but they can also be found in other lands as well. Use the guide below to help you along your journey