For any of you who frequent other Disney sites on the web, you may have come across a declaration by some that Disney's California Adventure, the latest theme park at the Disneyland Resort in California, is "half a park." These people assert that there is not enough to keep them occupied for a full day and therefore they balk at the idea of paying the same price to attend DCA as they would to attend Disneyland Park. And with a seemingly empty park many days since its official opening on February 8, it would be easy to say that this message may be right.

The debate about Disney's California Adventure has seemingly separated Disney fans into two distinct groups - those who thoroughly like the new park and those who think it is a complete waste of time, money and resources. I consider myself to be a part of the former group. I think Disney's California Adventure is a fabulous addition to the Disneyland Resort and find the entire theming, atmosphere, attention to detail, attractions, eateries and shopping arenas to be wonderful additions to what was formerly Disneyland's parking lot. Certainly, by focusing only on one segment of the park - attractions, for example - people could potentially do everything they want in half a day. But I find the "half a day" term to be somewhat insulting to those who enjoy the overall Disney experience and I feel that it is not an accurate reflection of all that Disney's California Adventure is all about.

The debate carries with it a lot of baggage. Everything from the "purists" who don't want "Walt" Disney's Disneyland touched to those who think the $1.4 billion resort expansion didn't go as far as it should have. And there are truths in every argument. But I think that the myopic views that many of the people who have strong opinions one way or the other tend to create confusion and anxiety for many who have not yet formed their opinion of this latest experience.

I know that a lot of talk that I heard prior to the park's opening made me wary of DCA. I was nervous about how the new theme park would change the Disneyland that I had known and loved. There were times when I secretly wished that DCA would fail because I was under the impression that it was an unthemed, stripped down - dare I say, cheap - version of a Disney theme park. I believed that if this kind of park were allowed to survive, it would mean that Disney could get away with giving us mundane theme park experiences into the future, knowing that if they built it, we would come. As crowds overflowed Disneyland during the holidays and getting to the Mickey and Friends parking structure via trams became an hour-long nightmare, I actually said aloud that maybe I wouldn't renew my annual pass, which I've had since 1989, when it was time to renew this July. I thought that if it were as crazy as it was at the time, things would only get worse with the opening of a new theme park.

The first crack in this hardening opinion came in the first week of January when on a "Date Nite" with my wife at Disneyland, we were able to walk through the new Downtown Disney area shortly after its walls came down. After years of construction, we were finally able to see up close what the new resort looked like. Most of the stores and restaurants were still closed as the area's grand opening wasn't for another week, but we were able to get the feel of the new place and check out both the World of Disney and Disney's Grand Californian Hotel. I couldn't help but start to feel excited about the idea that construction was finally over and the resort would be complete. I decided that I needed to come down the following weekend and check out everything after it had officially opened. So my wife and I decided that the following Saturday we would spend the time looking around, taking pictures for this website and basically enjoy ourselves.

And enjoy ourselves we did. It was better than I expected. I couldn't help but get swept up in the new experiences - the sights, the sounds, the smells. The resort was so different than it had been the previous 45 years and it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Climbing a flight of stairs on the exterior of the Grand Californian to get some pictures of DCA, I couldn't help wishing that I was inside the berm enjoying the day as the cast members in the preview were. While at the hotel's snack bar, I could look into the new park and taste how close I was. Like Mr. Toad with his motorcar, I was hooked. My wife and I decided to upgrade our annual passes to two-park premium passes. Two weeks earlier I was considering not even renewing and here I was actually spending more on my pass to have the opportunity to visit the new park that I had privately been rooting against - even before I actually set foot in the place. What a turn of events!

I've been fortunate enough to experience Disney's California Adventure on multiple occasions now - busy and empty, day and night, rain and shine, for an entire day and for just a few hours - and I have to say that the park cannot simply be dismissed as "half a park." It is a beautiful start to what I hope will be many, many years of enjoyment for millions of visitors. That said, the park won't please everyone. Its mix of stores, eateries and attractions will leave some wanting more. These issues most likely will be addressed as the park continues to grow. And for those of you who only have one day at the Disneyland Resort, I'd still recommend visiting Disneyland Park instead of Disney's California Adventure. Disneyland can never be replaced. But if you have the chance to stay for a while and enjoy the resort as a whole, please visit DCA for yourself and decide whether it is a full-day's experience or not. If you enjoy the entire Disney experience of detailed theming, fun rides and photographic vistas, then I believe you will like Disney's California Adventure quite a bit. I know I do.

In My Humble Opinion,
Matt

Posted March 28, 2001

E-mail Matt at matt@startedbyamouse.com, discuss this article in the StartedByAMouse.com Disney Discussion Forums or use the Talkback feature below.

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