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View Full Version : Let us now praise DCA.



jcruise86
11-11-2012, 11:41 AM
DCA is now wonderful!
Why?
Soarin',
the whole Animation complex,
Aladdin (fix the flying carpet, but still very good, but, yeah, replace it with the Lion King),
the view of Paradise Pier--one of the most beautiful man-made views in America,
Mickey's Fun Wheel,
California Screamin',
Toy Story Mania,
The World of Color,
free chocolate samples,
Grizzly River Rapids,
the whole Redwood Creek area,
the proximity to the best hotel lobby in S. California (fireside storytelling, excellent piano players, really nice bathrooms, arguably the best restaurant in Orange County),
beer,
the Golden Zephyr, the swings, and Triton's merry-go-round--especially after dark,
in fact, all of DCA at night,
Flo's V8 cafe, especially the views from the south side, outdoor patio,
the two not-off-the-shelf rides in Cars land (Mater's & Luigi's),
the neon lights of Carsland,
It's Tough to Be a Bug,
The Muppets 3D,
the new Walt Statue,
it's close, convenient proximity to an even better theme park, Downtown Disney, and restaurants on Harbor we will walk to if DCA's food declines or costs too much,
the quality of Buena Vista Street,
the lost and found system (I left my sweatshirt there last Saturday and they mailed back to me so that it arrived less than a week later, for FREE.)
the attractive gardeny pasta restaurant area to the west of the swings,
the get-away-from-the-crowds pathway (Howdy smokers!) through the GR Rapids,
the free Disney Visa photos with characters area,
the 1-5pm dance party for kids,
fresh bread bowls,
the Mariachi Divas,
and Radiator Springs Racers.

danyoung
11-11-2012, 01:54 PM
I think you said it all. I used to enjoy DCA for Soarin' and the Animation building mostly, but now with Carsland and the new Buena Vista Street there's a whole new feel to the park - loving it!

Rapunzelthorn
11-11-2012, 03:47 PM
After being over in California Adventure for six hours on Tuesday waiting for Tom Hanks to leave so that they could reopen Fantasy Land (and so that we could use our RSR fastpass that was for 3:40 in the afternoon), I can't say that I agree:eyeroll:. I enjoy spending about four hours over there tops. Anything more than that and I feel that it's eating into my Disneyland experience! Granted, we only can afford to go for two days once a year (and sometimes not even that), so my time there is pretty precious to me. It definitely has more to offer than it did before Cars Land and the new Buena Vista street, but still doesn't hold the same charm and nostalgia for me that Disneyland does. I'm sure that part of it is that I didn't grow up going to California Adventure, I grew up going to Disneyland. I have been visiting since infancy (1969 :eek:) actually, my dad tells me that my mom was pregnant with me the first time that they ate at the Blue Bayou so, actually, I've been visiting since before I was born! :p There is so much nostalgia and positive emotion tied up in Disneyland for me that just isn't there for California Adventure. My children, however,have grown up going to both; so they may feel differently.

I think that Cars Land will be fun to explore when the crowds die down a little. I know that I am the exception, but I was actually underwhelmed by Cars Land. Everything looked smaller than it does in the pictures and videos that I have seen and Radiator Springs Racers, while being very neat, was so short, that I can't imagine how I would have felt if I hadn't used a fastpass and had to stand in the two hour line!

As for the positives, we love Soarin, GRR (that whole wooded area is so pleasant and well-themed), Monsters Inc., Midway Mania, Neptune's Carousel, and the bread bowls in the wharf area. (I'm sure there's more). My husband and son love TOT and Screamin'. The Grand Californian looks awesome and I love the theming.

letshavefun
11-11-2012, 06:53 PM
I really enjoy DCA. I like that there are plenty of places to get wet when it's hot. GRR the ride and the soak zone area while watching the rafts come down, the water play area in Bugsland, the squirting water jets down from the Little mermaid ride. Oh yeah and the giant mister by Soarin.

ScottC4746
11-12-2012, 07:21 AM
I think you said it all. I used to enjoy DCA for Soarin' and the Animation building mostly, but now with Carsland and the new Buena Vista Street there's a whole new feel to the park - loving it!

I agree. One of the buildings in Cars Land had great big metal illuminated stars (on the right heading towards Radiator Springs, forget which building) and remember seeing those as advertising on buildings. They reminded me of the old Holiday Inn signs. Also the Cone Motel I loved the front yard and the lobby. Brought back so many fond memories of my travels as a kid. Buena Vista street I took the Red Car from the Tower to Carthay Circle late afternoon with 40's love music out in the street. Made me think that 1940's LA was so much fun...even though that was about 20 years before my time and I grew up in Houston.

carolinakid
11-12-2012, 10:17 AM
This may be an unpopular opinion but while I love DCA and enjoy my visits there, it will never be a "top" park, because there's too little space. Even though one could argue that DHS and DAK are still half day parks too, at least they have the ROOM to expand and grow should Disney ever choose to make them full day parks like DL, MK & Epcot. I think their hands are tied with DCA solely due to lack of space and still somewhat the limitations of the park's theme.

Cory Gross
11-12-2012, 10:39 PM
The biggest problem that DCA has is that it is right next door to Disneyland. No matter how good the park gets, it will always have that problem, and the lingering feeling that I'm wasting time there that I could be spending in Disneyland.

That said, the next time we go will be our first time since the opening of Cars Land and Buena Vista Street. I'm going to try and deliberately spend a day just in DCA alone, no parkhopping. Instead, just take our time, check everything out, ride as much as possible, see the shows, and all of that... Try to give it a fighting chance. I already do love the Tower of Terror and the Animation Building, and my girlfriend is a fan of coasters, so the seeds are there. The themeing is quite good, I'll hand it that, and fills me with an urge to visit Hollywood (which I have) and Yosemite (which I haven't yet)...