Emma

Going to LA for a few days in early March and was thinking of a side trip to Calf. Adventure. Any experiences, good or bad, to share? I have been to Southern CA a few times, so I have been to most of the big touristy sites...but still, there may be more worthwhile side trips.

Also - how long a drive is it from Torrance to Anaheim? I'd appreciate any feedback, thank you.

Emma

One more thing - I've never been to Universal Studios in CA, but Fodor's seems to highly recommend it. Might that be a better choice? Thanks again.

Topper

Anyone ...

Gary

It's the same admission price as Disneyland. My fourteen-year-old son was unimpressed. He and his friends were "done" after a few hours. "Three good rides," he reported. The twelve-year-old said, "Disneyland's better." The "Downtown Disney" area is really nice. It's a lot like City Walk at Universal--restaurants, clubs, shops, high prices, etc.

I think Universal is big time BORING, but City Walk is okay for one visit or two.

Torrance-to-Anaheim: thirty-to-forty-five minutes in midday traffic.

jhm

I'm going this weekend -- will report when I get back!

jhm

Just got back from LA -- went to California Adventure last Thursday.

I'd agree with the "three good rides" assessment, so I'll start with those. Soarin' Over California is a beautiful ride that you wish would last longer. After being hooked up into seats on a kind of glorified porch-swing apparatus, an IMAX-like film starts and you are lifted into the air to soar over different parts of CA -- Napa Valley, San Fran, etc.. It is gorgeous, accompanied only by music, and really worthwhile, although I wish it had been longer. My brother and his girlfriend went on some huge roller coaster (forget the name of it) which they said was a lot of fun, although basically your conventional roller coaster. There's an animation pavilion which we enjoyed, since my brother is an animator -- you can make your own animation, go into the Beauty & the Beast library and take a quiz to find out what character you're most like (my sister, to her chagrin, was Mrs. Potts from Beauty and the Beast. I was Cinderella. What can you do, it's tough being beautiful.). A big favorite was the chance to go into Ursula's Grotto (little mermaid) and do what we called "karaoke disney" -- you were given a choice of 4 scenes to either act or sing, and then you got to put your voice into the movie and see it played back. We took liberties with this activity which the "cast member"/Disney staffer found amusing.

Another fun ride was a water rapids ride, which was really another standard theme park fare. Fun for kids: A Bug's Life, a 3-D presentation which was a little scary for some kids, but fun for families generally.

I thought it was worth the trip. There are terrific places to eat there -- Wolfgang Puck has a restaurant, which was quite good, and the more food-courty places are better than usual (one place with sourdough bread bowls, in which you get soup or salad). There is also a Robert Mondavi pavilion with wine tasting, which is pretty nice and where we spent our time whiile my brother was getting nauseous on the rollercoaster.

The Fast Pass system is a good one -- you go to Soarin' Over California, and then you put your park admissions ticket in a machine. It spits back a ticket for you, giving you an hour time window in which you can come back and jump the line of people who are waiting. It was very efficient and helpful, and I don't really understand why anyone would waste the time waiting in line when you have this option for no extra cost.

If you have any more questions, please let me know. Overall, I thought it was worth going to.

Cindy

Gary and JHM,

A few questions. How were the crowds? Would little kids (age 4) enjoy it? Which attractions had fast pass? Did you show up really early?

Thanks.

Tim

I live in a suburb around 10 miles from this new park and haven't bothered to go over to the new Downtown Disney yet. I have a number of friends and co-workers who have given it a try and they've complained about facing 2 to 3 hour waits for a table at the restaurants. And that's after hassling with the traffic to just get there.

As for Universal Studios, you might want to consider taking the metro line to get there, since there's now a station right there at the park. Definitely beats dealing with traffic and high parking costs there at Universal.

jhm

We were there last Friday, which was what cast members told us was the busiest day they'd had since the park opened. Even then, the only real lines were for the big attractions, and we walked into a few without any line at all. The rides you would wait for all have Fast Pass. Off the top of my head, rides w/Fast Pass included Soarin'Over California, the Grizzly water ride, the two big roller coasters -- i.e. the most popular attractions.

I think a four year old might like the Disney stuff in the "Hollywood" section (a muppet movie, Superstar Limo, the Animation pavilion), the Grizzly water ride (if they were tall enough to get on -- there were height restrictions at both that one and Soarin' Over California), the Bug's Life 3-d presentation (although I think it could be a little scary -- you know your kid best) and the kids' rides in the Paradise Pier section (a carousel, a kiddie ride or two). They definitely anticipate large amounts of kids -- characters (Mickey, Pluto, Flik, etc.) are wandering around the park, and the parade seemed to be a big hit with kids.

We went at around 10:30 a.m. and waited around 10 minutes to get our passes to get into the park. There are discounted rates for kids under either 11 or 12, but no student rates. There's also a ticket that can get you into both Disneyland and California Adventure and a monorail connecting both of them.

So all that being said, I think it's worthwhile, bearing in mind that it is not AS kid-focused as the Magic Kingdom, for example.

Thyra

RE: The Metro Redline to Universal Studios/Citywalk. It's only $2.70 RT which beats the heck out of parking. The cars are clean and it's just great. Take it to downtown for a museum visit.

Gary

Cindy: Sorry I can't help you much. We went on a "Preview Day" provided for area businesses a couple of weeks before the main park was open to the public; thus, crowds were not an issue and Fast Pass not needed. What bugs me about it is the cost--the same as Magic Kingdom, though I've heard they have a package deal for visiting both. As for younger kids--in my opinion, they won't get nearly as much out of it as they would the Magic Kingdom. The new park is definitely geared to an older crowd; they even have wine inside the park--something I never thought I'd see.

Audrey

I am confused about the admission costs. Does the ticket admit you to Disneyland and California Adventure? Can you go into both on the same day? We have been to Disneyland dozens of times, so skipping it is not that big a deal - But if the kids will be "done" in a few hours they would probably want to go to Disneyland, too.

jhm

http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disn...dventure/index

This should give you the up to date ticket info.

texasgirl

audrey, no, each park charges separate admission. think it is $43 for each.

a

i went & thought it was ok, there were only maybe 3 rides that were fun (i agree w/ the prior people. i don't thing that kids under 10 would really enjoy it. i went w/ a friend who works for disney & got in free, i wouldn't pay the $43, cause the park is fairly small & there aren't that many rides. i think that if u have time & really want to see it, then do, but if u don't u won't miss out much!

ddd

i live in socal and went there during a preview day, and have to say that its really really good, even better than disneyland. if you appreciate animation and creativity and innovation you'd truly enjoy it. i agree that for kids maybe its not that enjoyable, as it does cater to an older crowd, with nice restaurants, etc. there's also the californian hotel (can't remember exact name) that just opened, and its lobby leads straight into calif adventure. if you're looking for a typical amusement park type thing, its not what you're getting. there attractions are more interactive type things, shows, and the whole atmosphere that's created there. also, if your kids are athletic there are a few areas that allow kids to climb and run about a "redwood forest" replica, and also a hike through a mountain. one of the lands (paradise pier) is a replica of a 1920s beach carnival, and has the typical amusement rides. the rest of the park really pays tribute to california's crops, hollywood scene, and nature through other types of attractions. for the college and older crowd, its much more fun than disneyland. but for younger kids, there's a little of both.
i thought this park was a little more of an educational type park, than a strictly rollercoaster/ride type park. If you haven't been to disneyland before, go there first, if you like it, u may want to try calif adventure. if you're in your twenties or older i think you'll have more fun at calif adventure.
all in all, its a billion times better than i expected it to be - keep in mind i'm 27, and i've lived in calif all my life, so it was real fun recognizing a lot of the landmarks, and replicas of cities/areas in cali.
hope this helps!

Gail

Emma hope you don't mind if I as a question that might even be helpful for you or others. We are going to the Calif Adventure over spring break and wanted to know which day would be best, Sunday, Monday, or Wednesday? We have plans the other days. Thanks!

just

I don't get it: Isn't the Calif. Adventure in California? While in California, why not explore California itself? Yeah, I understand that there are some rides and such, but from what we are hearing they are not that much of a draw. The Disney theory is probably still a profitable one. Maybe I am just not clear on the theme/concept of this particular park.

Tom

Just got back. We had a great time and enjoyed the new park. Last december we upgraded our annual passes to a two park annual pass (supposedly they no longer sell them) so I didn't have to think about the entrance costs ($43 per day per park). They sell 3 and 4 day passes which include both parks ($111 - 3 days, $139 - 4 days). The passes only allow 1 park per day, so basically it costs $37 or $35 per day instead of $43. The ferris wheel, roller coaster and maliboomer are fun as well as the water ride if you like getting wet. Soaring over california was cool. I thought it had more of a worlds fair feel than an amusement park.
The last two days of our trip we decided to splurge and spent two nights at the grand californian. It was fantastic along with the price. I don't regret it, but $380 a night is pretty crazy. 800 rooms and it's booked full every night! My advice is to just walk through the lobby and have a drink at the bar.
The new park has a nice feel to it and it isn't crowded. You don't have to worry about getting plowed into by a stroller because it draws mainly older folks (over 15).
It was pleasant to just share a sandwich and a glass of wine at the mondavi tasting pavilion or stroll around the lake in the evening.
I didn't feel any wows or anything (except for the hotel), but plan to return.

xxx

We have a 3 1/2 year old and CA Adventure was definitely not as much fun for her as Disneyland. Most rides have a height minimum, check the website that lists them. It was good to visit the park once, but I don't think we will be going back anytime soon. We went on Friday, March 9th and there weren't any crowds at all. You will have to buy a ticket for each park if you go to both, no combination ticket that allows you to visit both for a cut rate. The new park is not as big and won't take as long to see everything. If you are taking the kids and think you will get away with just visiting the new park, think again, they'll probably bug you to go to Disneyland too after visiting CA Adventure. Have fun!