It's about time! Look, California Adventure has always been a very mixed bag of themes and attractions. In 2001 at grand opening, the Golden State theme was there but poorly executed. Perhaps the most consistent theme and feel came after the 2012 mega expensive, major Re-Imagineering of the park. Buena Vista Street, Cars Land, and the refreshing of Paradise Pier, made the park very good, much closer to Disney quality than Six Flags. It was a great beginning.
The park has always evolved more than any other Disney park on the continent. Opened quickly after the Disney suits realized they'd built a flop, A Bugs Land was very well themed and charming but full of cheap carnival rides. Just a quick fix to give kids something to do and also keep parents in the park. With the copy of Animal Kingdom's film It's Tough To Be A Bug as part of it, the whole thing just felt forced. (Check out my series on Bargain Basement Imagineering to see how bad it was! (Part One, Part Two, More, finally Reimagining a New Dream, and some Rare DCA concept art.)
Now, the Avengers are coming! Just announced, it's finally time for goodbye to Bugs, and time to say hello to Marvel and the Super Hero Universe. Send those kids to Pixar Pier.
As bad as the California Adventure park was at opening in 2001, the worst themed land there (and maybe in Disney park history) has always been the Hollywood Pictures Backlot aka Hollywoodland. Currently, it's only worse now with the Guardians of the Galaxy layover attraction sitting in the middle of it all. My bet is the Hollywood themed area will eventually be incorporated into the new space.
Perhaps the new Marvel themed Super Hero Universe will tie all the elements together. Here's hoping. A great coaster with a story would be a plus, but the land needs a family friendly dark ride as well. If the Bugs theater gets reused for a film attraction, it's a missed opportunity. Will the suits allow the Imagineers to do something as focused and substantial as Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge? That is the bigger question. Whatever it is, Disney says the new land debuts in 2020. Better get going.
(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)
Now, the Avengers are coming! Just announced, it's finally time for goodbye to Bugs, and time to say hello to Marvel and the Super Hero Universe. Send those kids to Pixar Pier.
As bad as the California Adventure park was at opening in 2001, the worst themed land there (and maybe in Disney park history) has always been the Hollywood Pictures Backlot aka Hollywoodland. Currently, it's only worse now with the Guardians of the Galaxy layover attraction sitting in the middle of it all. My bet is the Hollywood themed area will eventually be incorporated into the new space.
Perhaps the new Marvel themed Super Hero Universe will tie all the elements together. Here's hoping. A great coaster with a story would be a plus, but the land needs a family friendly dark ride as well. If the Bugs theater gets reused for a film attraction, it's a missed opportunity. Will the suits allow the Imagineers to do something as focused and substantial as Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge? That is the bigger question. Whatever it is, Disney says the new land debuts in 2020. Better get going.
(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)
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