Eureka it's Disneys Newest Park (Disney's California Adventure)

Member Name: binnie

Product:	Disney's California Adventure
Date:	20/11/01 (208 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Plenty to see and do, rides for everyone, it was quiet when we were there

Disadvantages: expensive to get in, expensive to eat

After visiting Disneyland at Anaheim, California and Disneyworld Orlando a few times now, I thought I would give them a miss and visit the newest of all, California Adventure.

It's situated right next door to Disneyland in California, and seeing as we were staying right across the road from there, we thought we might as well pay a visit.
On entering under the sign for Disney, you go down a long road until you reach the ticket booths of Disneyland and California A.
There are seperate entrances to each of the parks, you probably can buy a joint ticket for both, but we didn't take any notice as we only wanted to visit the new park.

We paid our entrance fee of about £30 each, then set off under the bridge of The Golden Gateway. This was a minature version of the famous bridge in San Francisco.
In this area, you can hire strollers for the children, there were toilets,telephones,wheelchair hire, lockers etc.

After passing this area, we turned to our left and there was a building which is where you could wine taste, for some unknown reason we give that a miss, well it was only 10am.

*Hollywood Pictures Backlot*

Here was a building where you could watch Disney Animation, we gave that a miss has we had seen it as Disneyland.

Jim Henson's Muppet Theater. This we have seen loads of times before, but my mum and dads friends hadn't so we went in again.
It's a 3D show where you wear 3D glasses and allsorts of items seem to fly out into the audience, it's a great show for all ages.
It's very entertaining, even the puppets seem real.

Who Wants to be a Millionaire.
We didn't get to see this. Apparently the audience can press buttons and join in the show, you can actually compete for a big prize.

Plenty of Food Places here.

ABC Soap Opera Bistro, fairfax Market, Between Takes, Hollywood and Dine and so on.

We then went through Sunshine Plaz
a , there's only shops here and a bakery housed in an old train done up as a cafe/bakery.

Then it was onto Paradise Pier.


*Paradise Pier*
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California Screamin'

Well what can I say, this roller coaster stood in front of us and before I knew it I found myself, and all my family queuing up to go on it. very peculiar that, I normally chicken out. Because the park was very quiet and there wasn't long queues, I didn't have time to say no, and before I knew it we were being rocketed through the first bit at 0-55 mph in less than 5 seconds. I screamed and shut my eyes all the way, especially when we went through Mickey's Ears upside down!!.

* *
Games of the Boardwalk

Well this was more my thing, I had a go on the game where you roll a ball into a hole then the horses move along. My dad ended up winning.
There were quite a few stalls, you could win oversized stuffed toys, I just like to watch people winning.

*Golden Zephr*

This was a spinning spaceship, which spun round and round, there again I just stood and watched, I didn't fancy my breakfast coming back up again.

*Sun Wheel*

This was a big wheel with a difference. You got the choice of staying motionless , but still going round and round, or if you were like us, we choose the one where the carriage went up and down and swung to and fro.
Once it got going, it was great. I'm quite squeamish, but really it was fine. Quite exciting compared to the normal big wheel.
You could fit about 6 people in each carriage.
You could see for miles when you were up at the top, we could even see our hotel.

There were also plenty of stores around there.

One warning though, the food is quite pricey. We only had a Mc Flurry at the Burger Invasion stand and it cost us nearly £2.00 each compare that to the UK of £1.00.

My favourite part
of the day was the Eureka Parade which started at 4.0clock. To be honest by then we were glad of a seat.
Seeing as though the park was very very quiet, we got an excellent seat on a bench right within the parade.
Nobody sttod in front of us, and even some of the cast approached us so we could take photos.
The parade as always was excellent. It featured loud music, great dancers and beautiful floats.
It nearly brings a tear to my eye, with the atmosphere.

I would definitely recommend a visit to this park, a full day is probably enough.
Have a good breakfast before you go as eating out there is quite expensive, but the US in general was very dear this time.

There was plenty to do for adults and children, we saw quite a few Disney characters, and I even got to take some photos with them without queing up.

There was plenty more to do than I have mentioned, but I most go to work now.

Bye for now.

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