What IS a California Adventure?

[techskip]

I thought about this. Disney California Adventure... pretty ambitious to try to contain a very diverse state into one small parking lot. Our state has everything from the low deserts of Death Valley to the high Sierra's and Mammoth Mountain, and everything in between. How much of that is actually reflected in DCA? I'll name a few things that come to mind.

Railroad- California is deeply rooted in the Railroad industry. Indeed one of our "great" universities is named for the son of the Stanford Family. Stanford was also one of the ones who drove one of the Golden Spikes to unite the railroads. He later became Governor of California, and his mansion has taken many roles over the years including hospital and halfway house. The DCA version- BurrrrrBank Icecream.... think that was a bit of a letdown.

Trolley- As discussed in previous threads. The Trolley MADE Southern California, without them towns couldn't grow. The same effect as when Freeways sprang up connecting to certain towns making them boom towns and passed others making ghost towns. Haven't found a Trolley Reference

California Missions- Not specifically Southern California as they stretch all the way up. These Missions are deeply rooted in our history, as deep as the Colonial roots of New England. We get a tortilla factory... feels kinda cheap.

San Simeon- Commonly called Hearst Castle it is one of the greatest collections of Artwork, Sculpture, and Architecture on the entire West Coast. Again no mention.

San Francisco Fountain- There is a fountain in San Fran that is one of the few things to survive the Great Quake. After the quake it was used as a meeting point for survivors, and every year since it was the gathering place for the living survivors. Again no mention, no replica, and it is BEAUTIFUL

Lighthouses- California is full of ports, we have many lighthouses some still around and none of them referenced.

Alcatraz- mentioned in previous threads, everyone knows what it is so I'll spare the commentary and say 'Where is it in DCA?"

Death Valley and the California Deserts- Probably some of the most beautiful and desolate parts of California, some of the few places that are still wild.

Calico- Most famous Ghost Town out here... ties in the with the Deserts

Chinatown- Biggest one in San Fran but there were cultural communities all along the coast, they made a huge contribution and we don't even have take out in the park.

Surfing Culture- not unique to California but enhanced by it. We invented the Boogie Board... and enhanced the sport in various ways (visit any of the countless surfing museums for a full explanation)

This is a list I put together in 5 minutes of quick thinking. There are MANY more places throughout California. I have seen the "I love DCA" threads as well as the "I hate DCA" threads. This thread is not meant to bash. IMO DCA completely lacks the ability, theming, or concept to correctly depict California and it's extremely rich history. I don't blame them, it was a monumental task. I believe they should either correct it, or simply change the name. For me a California Adventure isn't reflected in a visit to DCA... so... What does a California Adventure mean to you?

[patattack]

which one is the san fran fountain?

http://inlinethumb54.webshots.com/75...425x425Q85.jpg

http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarkin...5353ded705.jpg

or this thing
http://homedir-a.libsyn.com/podcasts..._fountain1.jpg

just curious

and they blew it on DCA, we do have many many things in our history and they didnt really work with it, but they had alot of budget cuts and now their getting 1 billion so who knows what will come.

[Quacky4Donald]

You forgot to mention Lake Tahoe. That area is so incredibly beautiful. During the Spring and Summer months the area is lush with greens and blues. The lake is wonderful to swim in. And during the Fall and Winter the colors start to change and eventually the snow comes in creating a whole different landscape of emotions. I really wish DCA would get a Lake Tahoe section darn it!

...Joe...

[EvilQueen]

Lake Tahoe, and the Redwood and Sequoia Forrests (the only place in the world where these trees grow naturally), Yosemite, and the other National Parks and Forrests...

Hey; they 'represented' all that natural beauty by building a HUGE rock in the shape of a bear - what else do you want?

(a mine train ride; panning for Gold / The Gold Rush; a THEMED water / log flume ride, Miner Fourty-Niners, leading to the Barbary Coast / San Francisco...)

Q: What IS California Adventure?
A: A Cheap, un-Themed, Off-the-Shelf, Generic, Miss-matched Mess

[SpokkerJones]

Originally Posted by techskip

Railroad-

Trolley-

The fact that there wasn't any kind of rail or trolley in DCA was one of the biggest letdowns for me. While California and much of the US doesn't have a practical rail system anymore (Amtrak is a joke) there were tons of opportunities to depict California's railroad history in DCA. They instead opted for a stationary California Zephyr and made it a shopping/dining facility.

Maybe it would have conflicted with Disneyland's railroad, but a real California train running around or even in a figure 8 in DCA would have been awesome.

[techskip]

This is the link to one of many articles, a simple search on Google will produce even more articles on the 100 year anniversary held last year http://www.answers.com/topic/lotta-s-fountain

Also has a picture of the Fountain.

[Zeus]

What about LOS ANGELES, and COMPTON...Why don't I see those lands in DCA?

[Quacky4Donald]

Originally Posted by Zeus

What about LOS ANGELES, and COMPTON...Why don't I see those lands in DCA?

They are there. The only problem is that the area is so filled with smog that you can't really see them. But they ARE there.

...Joe...

[techskip]

That is a great question... I always think back to LA Confidential... there is plenty of architecture to reflect that

[Coheteboy]

Originally Posted by Zeus

What about LOS ANGELES, and COMPTON...Why don't I see those lands in DCA?

I want to see an attraction called DRIVE BY SHOOTING where guests board Indy type vehicles with buzz lightyear technology lazer guns and you fire upon targets and animatronics along the way. But you have to reload by pointing your gun down or you'll just fire blanks.



And tech, you left out all the snow resorts that CA has. You could literally go snowboarding and surf and go to Disneyland all in one day.

[FinalAdventure]

What would REALLY make a California Adventure:

- Earthquakes
- Surfing
- Small Islands (like Santa Catalina)
- Disneyland (haha, duh)
- Ghost towns
- National Forests
- Coke
- Gold
- Railroads/Trolleys
- La Brea Tar Pits
- Dinosaur sites
- Chinatown
- Mount Shasta
- Sacramento
- San Francisco
- Bakersfield
- San Diego
- Route 66

Now, THAT'S a California Adventure. Very simple... yet the park was made so fake. But I still love you! (DCA rules)

[Coheteboy]

All joking aside, the reason why DCA isn't as well done is because it's lack of order. And by this I mean that Disneyland feels like a real place. It has a city hall. It has a fire station. Heck, Frontierland has a mayor! It just feels like it has history.

DCA is just a bunch of lands mashed together. They have guest relations. And that's about it.

[DisneyDarian]

The Red Car electric train system once spanned all of southern California: From Riverside and San Bernardino to LA and San Diego. It even had stops at many popular beaches.

Re-creating a Red Car system in DCA would hold true to the theme of 1920-30's California and could be used to transport guests all around the park. Since it is not a steam powered vehicle, it would pose no "competition" to the steam trains in Disneyland. The Red Car line was an important part of California history and a part of the early CA adventure.