Disney California Adventure is a theme park located in Anaheim, California. Owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company, the 72 acre park is themed after the culture and history of California. California Adventure is the second of two theme parks; Disneyland Park built on the Disneyland Resort complex.
The parks concept of dedicating it to the state of California came about during a Disney executives meeting in 1995, after the WestCOT project was cancelled. The park was constructed over 3 years from 1998 to 2001, when it was officially opened to the public. After the park was opened to the public, some of the early reviews were negative about the park and the company’s original projections were never met. In order to boost attendance, Disney spent several years adding new attractions, including rides and shows to help boost the number of visitors.
Disney announced in 2007, a major expansion and overhaul of much of the park. Construction was completed over a five years span, with much of the implementation completed in stages. Cars Land was one of the feature attractions that debuted in June 2012.
The park was the 11th most visited theme park in the world in 2012, with 7.75 million guests, according to the Themed Entertainment Association.
The World of Color nighttime show is fun show that features more than 1200 fountains, with lights, lasers, and fire. Designed by the Walt Disney Creative Entertainment, this show also features high-definition projections on mist screens that are similar to the ones used in Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World and in Fantasmic! at Disneyland.
The Pixar Play Parade features many of the colorful characters based upon the Disney-Pixar movies, such as: Finding Nemo, Cars, A Bug’s Life, The Incredibles, Monter’s Inc., and Toy Story. The floats in the parade feature small water jets that shoot water into the crowds. The parade music is shared with Mickey’s WaterWorks Parade at Hong Kong Disneyland.