Perhaps no Disney theme park has received more negative press than Disney California Adventure (DCA) …well, not one in the United States anyway. Since the arrival of DCA in 2001, the park has absorbed near-constant attacks about its questionable theming and lackluster rides. Some of them failed almost immediately. Others have been modified or replaced.
The DCA of today is comically different from the one from the turn of the century. First, Disney introduced the best themed land at the park, Cars Land. Then, they threw out the old and purposeless theme of California in favorable of more popular premises. The DCA of 2025 will primarily consist of attractions based on Marvel and Pixar characters. While the park is in flux, however, it’s a good time to evaluate what’s already there. Here are the best seven rides at Disney California Adventure.
8. Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
Image: DisneySuperstar Limo is the ultimate failed Disney ride. It wasn’t even open for a year before park planners acknowledged that it was a failed premise. They shuttered it in January of 2002, and the space went unused for almost four years.
While the situation doesn’t come up often, Imagineers are extremely good at repurposing rides. In the case of Monsters, Inc., Disney didn’t even own the property when they started working on this ride. Mike & Sulley came to the rescue for the first time in December of 2005 before officially opening on January 23rd. Disney bought Pixar two days later, partially because they saw the park value of the various properties while constructing this ride.
Mike & Sulley to the Rescue is an amiable dark ride that re-tells the movie’s basic storyline. Along the way, it offers some impressive effects, particularly ones involving Randall, the camouflaged bad guy. I can’t say with honesty that this version of Monsters, Inc. is anywhere near as good as the one at Tokyo Disneyland, but it’s still a lot of fun.
7. Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters
Image: DisneyOkay, you’re likely sensing a theme at DCA. Yes, four of the attractions on this list (and arguably a fifth) are replacements for prior rides. This is already the second instance of a failed ride getting changed into a better one. In the case of Luigi’s Flying Tires, Imagineers took another shot at a failed concept from the 1960s, and it…failed again.
Left with no better options, they improvised with Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters. While it’s nothing special by Disney standards, this car ride has a strange power over children. They delight in its comfortable silliness, feeling like grown-ups as they “drive” their vehicles. The charm is in the theming, like the best Disney rides. Kids have grown up with the Cars film franchise, and this attraction gives them a chance to take a spin in a car with eyes. It sounds creepy, but it’s truly adorable.
6. Pixar Pal-A-Round
Image: DisneyOkay, this selection is cheesy, but let’s be honest. We’re all tourists at heart. And what’s better for a tourist than a spin on a Ferris wheel? Heck, I spent $50 riding one in Pigeon Forge the other day, and it didn’t have Pixar characters on it! It also lacked the gorgeous backdrop of the Happiest Place on Earth. The ride formerly known as Mickey’s Fun Wheel has more style as the wienie at Pixar Pier, and it has more charm, too.
5. Grizzly River Run
DCA doesn’t have a lot in the way of bragging rights over Walt Disney World attractions. To my mind, they have exactly four rides that approach or match similar ones in Orlando. Out of those attractions, only one is undeniably superior in the eyes of most people.
At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, an inferior raft ride called Kali River Rapids is a disappointment. At DCA, Grizzly River Run is an energetic aquatic adventure that will soak your clothes and leave you hanging on for dear life. It’s not the best Disney raft ride in the world, but it IS the best one in North America.
4. Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout!
Image: DisneyHere is where the conversation grows divisive. To some diehards, the mere mention of Mission: Breakout! induces rage. They see the replacement of Twilight Zone Tower of Terror as an unforgivable transgression. I respect that opinion, but I’ve grown to appreciate Disney’s perspective on the subject.
Tower of Terror didn’t originate at DCA, and it never matched the park theme. This gate is evolving into a hub for all things Marvel and Pixar. The presence of a Guardians of the Galaxy ride works better with this change. Also, the new iteration of the drop tower concept turns the premise on its head.
On Guardians of the Galaxy, a story drives the action, which is true of Tower of Terror, too. The difference is that Guardians has a story that continues throughout the bounces, one that complements the action projected in front of you. It’s a stylish update that improves the ride experience. As I’ve said before, I still favor the classic, Tower of Terror, but I love dancing to Hit Me with Your Best Shot during Guardians, also. The rides have their own distinct personalities at this point, and each one is fantastic.
3. Soarin’ Around the World
Come at me, haters. Yes, I’ve seen the criticisms that the 3-D effects in the second version of Soarin’ are lacking. To these people, I say that Disney has spoiled you. All the rides are so good that you’re trying to find blemishes on something that’s nearly perfect.
Soarin’ Around the World lifts you up and thrusts you into the air. While you’re relishing in the sensation of wingless flight, the IMAX display dazzles you with dizzying landmarks from across the globe. You’ll see the Eiffel Tower, the Great Wall of China, and a mischievous whale. It’s as immersive a ride as there is in the world, and I love everything about it. The Soarin’ franchise embodies Disney Imagineering at its finest.
2. The Incredicoaster
Image: DisneyThe news that Disney would close its signature DCA roller coaster sent shockwaves across the theme park industry. For all the struggles of DCA in its early days, California Screamin’ joined Soarin’ as the only things that Disney unquestionably did right. The change made sense, though.
On June 23, 2018, Pixar Pier opened to the public. Its debut signified the end of the original version of DCA and the start of the Marvel/Pixar era. A key part of that change was the re-skinning of the signature coaster to Pixar-ify it. While many were skeptical about the shamelessly commercial nature of the choice, the ride that Disney delivered is tremendous.
The Incredicoaster embraces the story concepts from The Incredibles 2. The biggest opening weekend blockbuster in Pixar history, the film picks up one idea from The Incredibles and runs with it. Helen and Bob Parr both have superpowers. What happens when they have a baby? Well, it has superpowers, too. And I mean a LOT of them. The joke in the movie is that Jack-Jack has 17 powers and counting thus far. Imagine what that number will be like when he hits puberty!
As a super baby, Jack-Jack isn’t easy to babysit. The premise of The Incredicoaster is that the rest of the Parr family must try to catch Jack-Jack after his escape. To tell this story, Imagineers left much of California Screamin’ intact. They chose to augment it in a subtle, clever way.
The plot of the Incredicoaster plays out as you go through the tunnels. Here, you’ll see all the super-powered attempts to grab the baby, along with Jack-Jack’s means of avoiding capture. California Screamin’ was already great. Now, Disney’s made it funny, too. As far as escapism goes, the Incredicoaster is tough to beat. But something does.
1. Radiator Springs Racers
I’m a sucker for theming. It’s my favorite aspect of a Disney theme park visit. Whenever I wander through an attraction, I’m lost in admiration at the level of detail that Imagineers put into every element. And I’m a firm believer that the ultimate example of this theming is at Cars Land at DCA.
Radiator Springs Racers is the signature ride at Cars Land, the E Ticket attraction that sells the entire premise. At its core, it’s a systemic sibling to Test Track at Epcot. A hot rod vehicle speeds through several sets, ultimately exiting a uniquely lit interior and bursting into daylight for a few moments of top-down cruising at high velocity.
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What differentiates Radiator Springs Racers is that it recreates the wonderful town of Radiator Springs. Whereas Test Track is somewhat clinical, the Cars ride shows plenty of heart. You’ll see many of your favorite characters from the movie, and you’ll drive through several town landmarks such as Doc Hudson, Mater, Sally, and Luigi. The dutiful recreations of the CGI characters are perhaps Disney’s greatest work ever in turning fiction into reality.
A ride on Radiator Springs Racers provides the ultimate in escapism. You will truly believe that you’re a guest in this small town. While DCA has plenty of great rides and is only getting better, Radiator Springs Racers is still the pinnacle of its current attractions.
