A Decade of Fun at Disney California Adventure Park: Top Attractions, 552,000 Points, 236 Doors and More

Michele Himmelberg

by , Public Relations Director, Disneyland Resort

At the Disneyland Resort, there is one anniversary date we set aside as unique: July 17. On that day in 1955, Walt Disney’s big dream became reality with a theme park that was clean, safe and a magical playground for families.

While July 17 launched it all with Disneyland park, there are special milestones that deserve recognition – like today! February 8, 2011, is the 10th birthday for Disney California Adventure park in Anaheim, Calif.

To thank all the guests who have enjoyed visiting Disney California Adventure park, we collected some fun bits of trivia that capture the excitement of the past 10 years. I hope you enjoy!

    California Screamin' at Disney California Adventure Park

  1. Six of the most popular attractions at the Disneyland Resort are at Disney California Adventure park: The Twilight Zone™ Tower of Terror*, California Screamin’, Soarin’ Over California, “World of Color,” Toy Story Mania! and “Disney’s Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular.”

  2. The interactive attraction Toy Story Midway Mania! invites guests to take aim at moving targets. The highest recorded score by a guest is 552,000. (For perspective, beginners are happy to score 25,000.) ©Disney/Pixar

  3. In Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!, you’ll see 236 doors in the door vault scene. This attraction is the first at a Disney park that takes guests through the middle of a restroom (the Monsters, Inc. employee restroom). ©Disney/Pixar

  4. Mickey’s Fun Wheel takes riders for an exhilarating spin that rises up nearly 150 feet above Paradise Bay. It’s a full-size replica of the original “Wonder Wheel” Ferris wheel, which was built in 1920 and still operates in Coney Island, New York.

  5. At Flik’s Fun Fair, in A Bug’s Land, there are 75 clovers – one of which is a four-leaf clover. ©Disney/Pixar

  6. Which attraction is known for this phrase: “Launch in five, four, three, two, ONE!” You probably guessed it – California Screamin’. The fastest and longest roller coaster at the Disneyland Resort, it takes guests on an adventure that’s nearly 1 ⅛-miles long.

  7. You might know that Twilight Zone™ Tower of Terror* is the tallest attraction in the Disneyland Resort, at 183 feet. Did you know that it also extends 40 feet underground?

    8. Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney California Adventure Park

  8. Phew! At “It’s Tough to Be a Bug!,” it takes 70,000 “perfume” pellets to create the “stink bug” effect. This show won the 1999 Themed Entertainment Association’s “THEA Award” in the category of “Outstanding Achievement, Attraction.” ©Disney/Pixar

  9. Since opening in 2001, the Food and Beverage team has served guests plenty of delicious things to eat. Here’s the total for a few favorites: 10.9 million bowls of chowder and 9.6 million rolls (at Pacific Wharf Café), and 2.3 million tacos (at Cocina Cucamonga Grill).

  10. “World of Color” celebrated its 500th performance on January 25, 2011. More than 2 million guests have enjoyed this nighttime water spectacular since it premiered on June 11, 2010.

And there’s more. The expansion of Disney California Adventure park continues this summer with the opening of The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure.

So much to celebrate already, and so much to anticipate. What are your favorite things to see or do at DIsney California Adventure park?

*The Twilight Zone® is a registered trademark of CBS, Inc., and is used with permission pursuant to a license from CBS, Inc. ©Disney/CBS, Inc.

Destinations: A Decade of Fun at Disney California Adventure Park: Top Attractions, 552,000 Points, 236 Doors and More

Comments

  • First of all, happy birthday to DCA! Love the park! A correction to fact number 2, The highest score on Toy Story Midway mania is 612,500, not 552,600.

    • Wow, that’s a big score! According to our research, the highest recorded score by a guest is 552,000. Those are official guest scores.

  • We were there on February 9th and got engaged as well – special memories.

  • Happy Ten-tennial, DCA! Looking forward to seeing all of the new enhancements this August when I’m in town for the D23 Expo.

  • Congratulations DCA!! 10 Years and getting better!

  • Happy Birthday DCA!! I was there on February 7, 2001, thanks to a media pass, as well as February 8. I love California Adventure!! But I do think that the changes currently underway are MUCH needed, and can’t wait to see the final product.

  • Happy Birthday DCA!
    The park has really improved over the years. I am really looking forward to the rest of the expansion, especially the new entrance, the Little Mermaid ride, and Cars Land!

  • Happy Birthday DCA! I love the changes that have been made over the past couple of years. Glad to see all the “dead space” in the park being removed. World of Color is wonderful! Looking forward to Cars, Little Mermaid & Goofy’s Flight School

    • Nancy, I’m glad you like all that’s coming with the park expansion. If you’re curious, the official names of the new attractions will be: The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure and Goofy’s Sky School.

  • HAPPY BIRTHDAY DCA! We were just there last week and enjoyed every minute we were there! Tower of Terror is my FAVORITE! World of Color was AWESOME! Disney out did themselves with that production!I look forward to seeing what the next 10 years brings! Keep it comin’!

  • How they grow up so quickly. As I read about the Monster’s Inc rides claim to fame, I thought the restroom bit humorous. However, then i thought – isn’t there a restroom scene in the dark ride at the Imagination pavilion in Epcot. In fact “Journey into your Imagination” opening in 1999 even had an upside down flushing toilet. The toilet is still there in the current version in Figments house, but I haven’t seen in flush in years. You do travel through the restroom, it is just upside down. Not one to nitpick, but who knew there were so many bathrooms featured in attractions. Uncle Orville in “Carousel of Progress” anyone?

  • Happy Birthday DCA! Toy Story Midway Mania is my favorite attraction in the park. When I get there at the 10 AM opening, it’s like the running of the bulls in Pamploma.

  • What do the next 10 hold?

  • Highest score on Toy Story is definitely 600K+ and before then it was at least 584K not 552K.

  • #10 – Just as we were there Opening Day, 2-8-2001, and several anniversary days since, we were there on 2-8-11! I think I must’ve been the only guest in the park wearing the “Grand Opening” commemorative t-shirt I have from that first day, since I didn’t see any others.

    It was disappointing that although there were the 10 years pin-back buttons the CMs were wearing, and we passed some CMs with their 10 years cupcakes, there was nothing to celebrate the birthday for guests. We both would’ve liked to have had a button to remember the 10 year anniversary.

    Oh well. We did have another great dinner at Napa Rose tonite, at the Chef’s Counter, tho we weren’t able to get our favorite seats. Due to some sort of convention, they were swamped with guests and it looked more like a Saturday night service, instead of a Tuesday night. But even tho they were swamped, we had the same great service from Chef Andy and his crew and were able to celebrate my hubby’s birthday, as well as NR’s 10th Anniversary!

    A lot has changed over the years and we still miss some of the things that are gone now (Robert Mondavi’s Vineyard Room and Wolfgang Puck’s Avalon Cove restaurants, as well as Superstar Limo (tho we love Monsters Inc.) and some other things, we’re really looking forward to Ariel’s Undersea Adventure and Carsland when they come about!

  • My oldest daughter was not yet tall enough to ride Mulhulland Madness, and was given a future rider pass. I wonder… will be honored when Goofy’s Sky School opens?

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