Your first time in DCA

[yoyoflamingo]

After reading so much about DCA on here, the first time I went there was July of this year.

Even after all the stuff I have read, I still went in with an open mind. "It can't be THAT bad..." So I went and experienced it.

And I liked it.

Sure, it has many glaring flaws, which I'm not going to repeat here, like theming, lack of attractions, etc, but there are a lot of cool things about it. It is fun. And I had a good time. Screamin' is my favorite Disney coaster in the US. Monsters Inc is ADORABLE, though doesn't fit the California theme at all, and some areas of theming, especially, the GRR/Redwood Creek area, are absolutely gorgeous. Do I think the billion dollars will help? Of course. Will the retheming make it a more "Disney" experience? I sure hope so. But, there are good points to DCA, and I am glad I got to experience the park in it current form, just to realize that everyone can form their own opinions. It's not a stellar park, but it's a great diversion, especially when Disneyland is way too crowded.

So, if you haven't been, and only read about it. Don't knock it till you've tried it. It's not so bad.

[juliebutterfly]

I went for the first time in 2003. I was 7 months pregnant and couldn't ride on much! I love the theming of Bug's Land, the Animation building is just jaw-dropping and the Aladdin show knocked my socks off! And it has the Electrical Parade, love that!

Yeah, it's no DL and the themes are all over the place, but it still feels "Disney" to me. There are those magical touches that you don't get anywhere else, like that open expanse of water in the Paradise Pier area. If it had been Knott's that water would have been paved over and a huge, ugly, tubular coaster would be there! When the lights shine on that water at night from the Sunwheel, it's just magic

[PragmaticIdealist]

I toured the construction site a few times before the park opened, and I saw several of the pieces in Glendale before they were installed. I visited the completed park during a preview, and I stayed at the Grand Californian for the occasion.

Expecting the worst, I was actually surprised that the park looked as good as it did. Several parts of D.C.A. worked for me. However, its problems were glaringly, embarrassingly bad. And, I can fully understand the dissatisfaction that the paying customers reported.

On that first visit, I was reminded of MGM Grand Adventures, the now defunct amusement park in Las Vegas. So much of the effort seemed superficial and halfhearted in much the same way that the Nevada park impressed me.

[Diznyfan]

This is something I have heard from others and it always strikes me as odd. Disneyland has been around for 50 years and for MANY adults it holds a lot of childhood memories as well as that magic "Walt worked here" feeling and history.

To expect any other gate to open in Anaheim to be just like Disneyland and to be on the same level as its older and original neigbor is an unrealistic expectation in my opinion. Yes it is across the esplande, but I judge it on its own merits, the good and the bad of it, not by how the original resort gate is/does things.

I dont expect it to be a carbon copy of Disneyland, I just wanted a little more of that Disney Magic and IMO DCA didnt have it (although it is a little better now). I love Animal Kingdom the themeing at that park is amazing and beautiful, there are not a lot of rides but I still love it (except for the Dino Carnival thing). Also Epcot World Showcase is another example of great Disney themeing. The only area of DCA that has this level of themeing is maybe the GRR area and that was probably just done for the GCH. The Paradise Pier area is a disgrace when compared to other Disney projects. Now that being said I really do have fun at DCA, and I am not joking when I say "county fair type fun" because I really have a ball at the county fair too. I would never discourage anyone from going to DCA its a fun place but seriously lacks Disney quality themeing and attractions. Obviously the park has problems or the company would not be investing over 1 billion dollars for enhancements, the company understands that they are not realizing DCA's full potential. A park right across the esplande from Disneyland should pull in more paying customers and I think it will be a huge success when these problems are addressed.

[brad chowen]

Right after it opened --when they had stopped annual passports briefly -(They thought it was going to be too crowded--i guess). Did the whole park from stem to stern---including the goofy underwhelming SuperStar Limo ---(Hey look it's Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas). We ate at the then Wolfgang Puck Restaurant for lunch and had a fantastic dinner at the Golden Vine Winery (went all out since i didn't know when I'd be back the whole --No AP's at the time thing) i loved it because it was brand new --and i realized it would take the park sometime to grow. You don't match Disneyland overnight espcecially with all the cut backs from the original plan (animatronics instead of Politically correct Whoppi Goldberg film anyone?) Plus the Cast of Drew Carey was there that day filming for something and we sat one table away from Drew at Dinner. Pretty cool. ----Now I don't really look at the parks as separate (Why) i can go on the Haunted Mansion and then California Screaming 20 minutes later ---So Its all good.

[Barbaraann]

My first visit to Disney's California Adventure was in the wee hours on the morning of 17 July 2005. I was there waiting to go inside Disneyland with many other crazed fans. I wandered around the closed park while my father waited in line outside Areil's Grotto.

That was also my first time in DCA. On July 18, 2005 we went back to DCA. I rode the SunWheel, and I loved it. I also enjoyed the Aladdin Show, Block Party Bash, and we ate at Ariel's Grotto during our vacation that year. There is much that I enjoy at the park. I must admit that there are parts of DCA that remind me of the carnivals I went to as a kid. I love watching other people yell on rollercoasters, since I don't ride them, too often, myself.

[sneakerspray]

I went on opening day after work. We got there around 7pm and most of the rides were walk ons. I think it had rained too if I'm not mistaken.

I remember being very excited and enjoying myself. Most of the rides were new to me, and I remember the cast members seemed so excited and happy too. My biggest memory though was going on Soarin and loving it.

I didn't really have anything negative to say since I was just happy to have some new rides across from good ole Disneyland. The place isn't perfect, but I still feel the same.

[Shoppingbear]

Our first time in DCA was the first time for both Tool and myself, so it was unique in that we both had the same new experience together (different from Disneyland, where we'd been a couple of times, but he'd been a lot more with his family growing up than I had).

I really liked it. I didn't know it was considered "less than" by Disney afficianados, and because every ride was new, I had no expectations. It was exciting to go on a river-rafting ride, go on a real rollercoaster, and go on TofT without knowing what to expect. I still love those three rides as a result.

[KISSman]

My first time in DCA was last summer. My initial reaction was that I liked it OK, but we were done it much sooner than expected. I thought it would take a full day and we were repeating rides after a few hours.

I also felt like I was pretty familiar with too many of the attractions since I was a WDW regular. It lacked the 'surprise' I had hoped for when visiting a Disney park for the first time.

After getting over initial mixed feelings about DCA, it has continued to grow on me becoming a park that I am pretty fond of. Of the 6 Disney parks I have been in, only 4 of them I am a real fan of and DCA is one of those four.

[merlinjones]

It was one of the pre-opening preview nights. I saw Michael Eisner, Art Linkletter, Superstar Limo, Steps in Time, Golden Dreams, Tortilla Factory... (one of these things is not like the others). Everything was free and there were no waits.

Other than Soarin' and the Animation Lobby, I....

...Hat-ed it! Worst Disney theme park, ever! (...at the time, anyway).

[Captain Starbuck]

My first time in DCA was for the re-lauch of the Electrical Parade (I was a parade lead at Disneyland in a past life and was actually there to close the MSEP). I was only in for the parade, and spent maybe an hour there. I was surprised at how open and uncrowded it was, and at how the parade route didn't use ropes and poles.

The next time I was back in there was in 2003 when I started working in that park. I didn't even know where most of the restrooms were my first week back...

[wbarley]

Our first snack meal were the corn dogs. $20 bucks for corn dogs, chips and soda's for two people! I think that we had an "appetizer" with them too. A zuchinni or something??? Anyway $20 bucks!

Who says it's not just like Disneyland??

[MegaDisney]

I went for AP preview and fell in love with the park.

Disney/Soarin'/Cocktails, who could ask for more?

[painted windows]

I loved it maybe the first two years, but then I started to notice all of its flaws and I lost a lot of interest in it.

[Armadillo4]

My first time in DCA was during one of the previews for corporate partners. And our very first ride was Superstar Limo.

Needless to say, the bar was set so low, it could only get better from there. The 60 minute wait for Soarin' was totally worth it and redeemed the park at least a little bit.

Now, I enjoy DCA very much. And I'm looking forward to continued improvements in the future.