I know that the whole “California Adventure makeover” thing is a bit of old news, but most of the finalizing on the attractions there is done, and I really want to put this out there.

For those of you who haven’t visited California Adventure, you should know these facts first: the park is bittersweet. The buildings look cheap, there’s a lack of rides, and a lack of, well, Disney. There are some good rides, such as Soarin’(one of my favorites at Disneyland resort), Tower of Terror, Grizzly River Run, and California Screamin’(for Screamin’, it’s mainly the coaster thrills), but the park still lacks theming and life. Soon, however, that will all change. 

Starting this summer, DCA is going through a major facelift; one twice the budget that the park was originally built for. The imagineering geniuses are taking a billion dollars, and making DCA something totally new. 

Let’s start with the entrance: Currently, you walk past abstract murals under a tacky mini golden gate bridge, then into a plaza with a cheap looking sun fountain at the head. Soon, you’ll see a second main street, one that is a representation of Walt’s Los Angeles of the 1920’s. Shops, restaurants, and a recreation of the Carthay Circle Theater showing and interacive “Walt Disney Story” are all parts of this area. Walt Disney Plaza will be the new hub, complete with a brand new “partners” statue. 

Then, Condor Flats (or Soarin’ land as I know it) will be more forest-themed to fit in with Grizzly River Run right next door.

After that, Paradise Pier, currently a cheap imitation of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, but cheaper, will become a victorian boardwalk similar to the one of Walt’s time. Attractions will include the interactive shoot-em up 3D dark ride “Toy Story Midway Mania,” themed to carnival games with a Toy Story addition. Also, A Little Mermaid omnimover dark ride will replace “Golden Dreams.” The two crappy restaurants will become a scenic beer garden, and then “Mulholland Madness” will become “Goofy’s Sky Skool.” 

But the grandest addition of them all will be an entire land themed to the Pixar hit Cars, called Cars Land. This will house a Test Track-style attraction with animatronic versions of the characters cheering you on as your car and another car race side by side. It will have flat rides too, including “Luigi’s Tires,” a reincarnation of the flying saucers bumper cars at Tomorrowland. 

Some more placemaking will come in addition to all the new rides and attractions, and a preview center will soon open to show all the coming attractions that will truly make the new DCA. 

Here’s a video report summing it up. It wasn’t made by this blog, but it gives a pretty good idea of what these additions will add up to be.