Disney California Adventure - History

History

In 1991, as part of former Walt Disney Company CEO Michael Eisner's growth initiative for the Disneyland Resort, the company announced plans to build a second theme park at the resort. WestCOT, a west coast iteration of Epcot in the Walt Disney World Resort, was to be located on the existing Disneyland parking lot, but was ultimately canceled. This led to the idea of Disney's California Adventure Park, themed to celebrate Californian culture.

Construction began in 1998 and was completed in 2001 during the "Disney Decade", along with the addition of Downtown Disney and Disney's Grand Californian Hotel and the renovations of the Disneyland Hotel and Paradise Pier Hotel. The park occupies the site of the former parking lot, which was replaced by the multi-level "Mickey and Friends" parking structure, giving space for more than 10,000 vehicles.

The park was expected to draw large crowds when opened on February 8, 2001. On January 14, a Los Angeles Times article titled "The most Jam-Packed Theme Park on Earth?" stated, "Senior Disney officials acknowledge that there will be days when California Adventure will have to turn patrons away, particularly in the first weeks after the park opens, during spring break and again in the summer." However, the actual attendance that year was substantially less than expected. This is suggested to have happened due to poor reviews from early visitors, the lack of focus in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot, lack of attractions for children, and having a redundant theme, given the park is located in California. The park also lacks a park berm to separate it from surrounding neighborhoods. The berm in Disneyland Park uses trees and earthen mounds to build a physical barrier around the park so that structures external to the park cannot be seen, thus encompassing guests in the setting. At Disney California Adventure Park, nearby hotels, power lines, radio towers, and the Anaheim Convention Center are visible, reducing the immersion in the park.

On October 17, 2007, The Walt Disney Company announced a multi-year, $1.1 billion redesign and expansion plan for Disney's California Adventure Park (against its initial $600 million price to build) to counter initial criticisms that it lacked the immersion, character experience, and timelessness of Disneyland Park. Several poorly-received attractions were removed, while several others were redesigned or replaced with a larger focus on Disney characters and stories. Each district was reimagined to transform the park from a veritable spoof of modern California culture to a romanticized, idealized version of the state exploring specific time-periods and historic settings. The project began in December 2007 and was completed on June 14, 2012. The park received a modified name, now Disney California Adventure, and a new logo, first put into use on June 11, 2010 and promoted in a commercial promoting World of Color a few days prior.