Disney California Adventure

Summary
Disney's California Adventure theme park is located directly across the plaza from Disneyland in Anaheim, California. The park contains 7 different themed lands that include: Cars Land, Grizzly Peak, Hollywood Land, Pixar Pier, Pacific Warf, Buena Vista Street, and Paradise Gardens Park. In recent years, the park has begun to feature the movies from Disney Pixar, such as, Cars, Toy Story, the Incredibles, and Monsters Inc. Although the park is smaller than Disneyland, there are still plenty of rides and attractions to fill an entire day.

Model Itinerary

Getting Started:
Plan to arrive at the park gates at least 30 minutes before the park opens. During our visit, the gates were opened 15 minutes before the official park opening and we were allowed to go get in line for Soarin' Around the World. Soarin will have long lines later in the day so head there first and ask a cast member for the front row for the best view during the ride.

Fastpass:
Disney has a Fastpass system available that allows you to save your spot in line and return later to ride at a specified time. After riding Soarin', get your Fastpass for Gaurdians of the Galaxy. While you are waiting for your return time to ride, check out nearby Monsters Inc. Once you have used your Fastpass ticket, get a Fastpass for Toy Story Mania. There are plenty of rides to enjoy nearby while you are waiting for your return time. Make sure you visit Pixar Pier in the afternoon because this section of the park closes early to prepare for the nighttime World of Color Show.

Tips:
After several trips to Disney theme parks, we have found that it is a nice break in the day to make a 2:00 reservation for lunch. Counter service restaurants can often take longer than table service restaurants, and sitting down for a relaxing meal is the perfect way to rest and plan the rest of your day.

Park Hopper Ticket:
If you only have one day and you would like to visit both theme parks you need to purchase a Park Hopper Ticket. This will give you admission into both theme parks for one day. To plan your itinerary for the day, start by deciding which nighttime show you would most like to see. For example, if you want to see Fantasmic at Disneyland then start your morning at California Adventure. If you can stay in the area for 2 days then I recommend getting the 1-park per day ticket.

Nighttime Shows:
There are two popular evening shows at DCA, the Paint the Night Parade and World of Color. Check the daily park schedule for show times and parade route. The World of Color show takes place on Paradise Bay. This unique experience includes fireworks, lasers, an illuminated water show, fire, and a water mist screen that projects scenes from Disney movies all set to music. You can book a dinner package that includes lunch or dinner and preferred seating for the show.

Hotel:
The one question people always have is whether they should stay at a Disney Resort or at a hotel nearby. Guests that stay at a Disney Resort are offered some perks like getting into a park early or staying late, but for the price difference we have found that it is usually a better value to stay at a property near the resort. There are multiple hotels in Anaheim that are within walking distance of the park entrance. We booked 3 nights at the Fairfield Inn Anaheim Resort.

Extend your trip:
A trip to Disneyland can easily be combined with a trip to Los Angeles or San Diego. If you decide not to extend your trip then return home and start planning your next family adventure!