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Paradise Pier

After stuffing ourselves and spending a long restful visit to the farm, bugs and all, we decided it was time to hit the carnival again and headed back to Paradise Pier. Before I get back into the rides we haven’t covered, I have to say how good a job I think the Imagineers did on the themeing. Before I had the chance to go into DCA, I was of a mind that the new paint job on the Paradise Pier Hotel (formerly the Disneyland Pacific) was garish. I joked that it should have been called the Paradise Pier Hotel and Casino, as it looked rather liked it belonged in Laughlin to me (and that is not a compliment). However, both Carroll and I were struck with the fact that looking toward the hotel from inside the park where it is fully visible from Paradise Pier, it blends in, fits to perfection and makes complete sense. Instead of looking like the outside world is intruding, it just belongs. I no longer dislike the paint job. I understand the logic now.

So... thrill rides. Have I mentioned I don’t care for small enclosed spaces and heights too much? You can imagine me on Maliboomer and the Sun Wheel then, can’t you. We tried Maliboomer. A short wait. The anticipation was the worst part. In fact, it’s kind of ho hum on the thrill scale. It shoots you up and then there isn’t much of a drop. The view is terrific though and they kindly provide bins for you to stow your stuff while you ride. I think I was expecting Tower of Terror (which contrary to my height aversion, I love) without all the fabulous themeing. I was disappointed. It’s fun, it’s not fabulous.

Next we tried the Orange Stinger. It’s cute. You go round and round. The bees hum. That about sums it up. For me, it’ll be something to do once in a while, on a slow day when I don’t have to wait more than a minute or two in line. The kiddies will love it. There is a height restriction on this one though so not everyone will be able to ride.

Next up, Golden Zephyr. Carroll and I wondered, "Why is this called the golden Zephyr? It’s silver." Okay, I know California, gold, that whole thing. But, why not make the zeppelin- like vehicles gold then? Oh well. Another round and round thing. Dumbo, the Astro Orbiter without the ability to go up and down. Another slow day, once in a while, attraction. I do think they made a mistake with this attraction. The vehicles swing out over the water. You have a strap to secure you in place, what you don’t have is any kind of barrier on the door to the vehicle. There is no chain, no nothing to keep folks in. Seems like a mistake to me, especially in light of the recent accident on Disneyland’s Roger Rabbit attraction. Parents today are not always good at keeping their kids in check. These open doors are an accident waiting to happen. I hope Disney fixes it before something does happen.

The parade

By then the parade, aptly titled, Eureka! The California Adventure Parade was on its way (catchy title, no?). Carroll and I stopped to watch. It’s very much like a Walt Disney World parade. I was reminded of Tapestry of Nations. If you like that sort of thing, this parade’s for you. I was a little bored and can’t see myself clamoring to watch the parade over and over, but my mind could change later. Perhaps it also had something to do with so much to see, so much to do. The parade was very colorful and includes some large floats that I would describe as Rose Parade floats without the vegetation. I did think some of the costuming choices were very clever. Particularly smart were the Chinese takeout food with the fortune cookie running around it and the Golden Gate bridge. I also have to give points to the section that celebrates California’s Hispanic heritage. There were two huge Dia de los Muertos skeletons (a boy and a girl) that I loved.

Carroll and I decided we had just enough time to duck into Golden Dreams and then make it over to Avalon Cove for our dinner reservations. Golden Dreams is interesting. It’s housed in a large comfy theatre with two identical caryatids flanking either side of the screen. For you non-art majors, that’s a sculptured draped female figure that functions as an architectural column. These particular caryatids look a whole lot like Whoopi Goldberg. What a surprise then when they come to life and speak with Whoopi’s voice.

Whoopi

I can best describe this attraction as the film you are forced to watch in fourth grade when you are learning about California history. It’s a fine effort if that’s what you’re interested in. I can’t see myself watching it over and over and I have a hunch it will be an escape to air conditioning for me at some point in the future. I’m not saying it’s bad because it most certainly is not. You may learn a thing or two about California in an entertaining way. I just thought it was weird and disjointed to keep seeing Whoopi pop up at historical events. I might have liked it better if someone with a less strong persona had been used instead of Whoopi Goldberg.

History lectures make me hungry. We had a reservation to keep. By now, the sun had gone down. And when the sun goes to sleep over DCA, the lights come on. When the lights come on, Paradise Pier is the most dazzling view you can imagine. I would not be wrong to even go so far as to say it is mesmerizing. From the windowed wall of the dining room of Avalon Cove the view is a spectacle of twinkling lights. You know those spinning light toys that are sold from the glow carts on Main Street in Disneyland? I’m sure, Dear Readers, you have seen little children completely mesmerized by those silly things. Well, this view is the adult version of those toys. You simply cannot take you eyes away from the thousands of twinkling lights reflecting off the water to multiply into thousands more lights. Although, Dear Readers, you must tear yourself away and gaze at the beauty of the dining room.

I’m not sure who is responsible for the interior of the room, but since Wolfgang Puck’s wife, Barbara usually designs all the interiors of his restaurants, I would imagine she had a hand in this one too. I think it is quietly stunning. Not the usual Puck palette of royal blues, mauves, and burnt sienna splashed ochres plastered with the tesserae of broken pottery assemblage, this room has a quietude to it cast perfectly by the melange of seafoam greens, azure blues, and salmon pinks. It gives the suggestion of dining under the sea that is enhanced by a central column enveloped by swirling strands of seaweed.

Avalon Cove - Inside

The lighting in the room further plays up this mood with lampshades resembling small schools of tangerine colored fish, foamy bubbles being released toward the waters surface, jellyfish, and what appears to be hand blown artglass shades. Almost as if it were stage lighting, the coved ceiling sends out swirling bits of light that make the diner feel as though waves are gently washing overhead.

On the wall opposite the view is a sumptuous tiled mural of undersea activity that was artfully assembled from tiles especially designed and fabricated for Avalon Cove in Italy. You can almost hear the waves crashing and smell the scent of the sea it’s so pretty. It’s a very comfortable room and I have a feeling that I need to start saving my pennies now because I will be spending a lot of money here. Come summer when the nights are warm the outdoor seating here is going to be a most desirable spot.

What about the food you may ask? Divine, would be my answer. Also, accommodating. If you read my report on Disneyland’s Divas event, you will remember my displeasure at being served absolutely nothing I could eat with no way to prepare anything that I could eat. Well, I had a look at the menu and quickly noted that just about everything on the menu was prepared with something I am allergic to. After explaining this problem to our waitress however, she informed me that the food could be prepared without the stuff that makes me sick. I was thrilled. I was especially thrilled that I could get my favorite swordfish grilled without teriyaki sauce and served the substitution of coconut jasmine rice. I cannot even begin to describe to you, Dear Readers, how very nice it is to be able to have something prepared to my liking as for the most part, this is simply not available at Disneyland. In fact, there have been times when they have been downright nasty to me when I have asked for something as simple as getting the sauce (which is laden with onions) on the side with my pasta at Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port.

I get rather tired of chicken at the Plaza Inn (which is also a hassle as they are often snotty about giving me the piece I like rather than the piece they feel I should be glad to get).

So, you can get the food prepared to your liking, but how does it taste? In a word, scrumptious. I could have filled up on the bread alone. Slathered with the freshest, creamiest butter, this side of a farm, Carroll and I devoured it quickly and pleaded for more. My swordfish was grilled to perfection and was right up there with the best I have ever had. The coconut jasmine rice was a perfect compliment to the fish. Carroll selected the Scallops Provençale and declared it divine as well. It arrived with a mound of tomatoes topped with fresh basil surrounded by large grilled scallops dotted with capers.

What would a perfect meal be without dessert? We decided to share the Milk Chocolate Mousse Bombe. What arrived at our table was almost too pretty to eat. A small mountain of rich chocolate mousse covered in a milk chocolate shell with a lemon tuile dolphin leaping from the chocolate. The plate was dotted with fresh plump raspberries. Carroll thought the combination of flavors of the chocolate and raspberries were hard to beat. I just concentrated on the chocolate.

Avalon Cove is pricey. I can’t really quote prices for you, as a lot of the time they will be based on market price for the fish, but to this writer it’s certainly worth it to splurge. You may want to check out MousePlanet's Disneyland Restaurant Resource (which Kevin Yee puts together) for some pricing ideas.

At this point in the grand tour, I had two things left to do, conquer my fear of the Sun Wheel and go to Hollywood. Okay, three things really, add get wet on the rapids. Still not ready to have the mascara run, and wanting to savor Hollywood without the fear lingering in the background, we set out for the Sun Wheel.

Sun Wheel

The Sun Wheel is supposed to replicate the 1927 Wonder Wheel that was at Coney Island in New York. Carroll says it looks like the Ferris wheel that is still at Coney island today. It stands at a towering 150 feet high, has eight stationary gondolas and 16 gondolas that swing along a track. At night, the Sun Wheel is quite a spectacle. Plain and simple, it’s beautiful to look at. It’s also terrorizing to someone who hates Ferris wheels. As Carroll put it, "Sue, you must go on it because you have to know what you are talking about when you describe it to the readers."

Okay, I put on my brave face and joined Carroll in line. The way the queue is set up you can go to the left or right to board one of the moving gondolas or head center for the stationary gondolas. I voted to head straight even though these gondolas go higher. I wasn’t brave enough to handle the swinging thing yet. During the summer this ride is going to be nasty to board. Just by nature of the thing it’s going to be a slow load with huge wait times. There’s no Fastpass available for this one so be prepared for long waits. Fortunately for us, we didn’t have to wait long. We got in, the doors were locked, and off we went.

I was pleasantly surprised. I didn’t have a problem with the height. In fact, I kind of liked it. The view is stunning. Of course I say this, still not having been on a swinging gondola. I’m saving that for another trip to DCA. I can say I like it very much and I will go on the Sun Wheel again. It’s fun to peek into Disneyland from Paradise Pier.

With my fear conquered, we headed for Hollywood.

Hollywood Pictures Backlot

Two giant columns topped with elephants flank the entrance to this part of the park and form a sort of gateway to Hollywood Pictures Backlot. Think grandiose and you’ve got it. The design of the columns is based on the Babylon set from D. W. Griffith’s famous movie, Intolerance. The architectural style of the buildings is very old Hollywood with inspiration drawn from the Pantages Theatre and other old Hollywood landmarks like Bullocks Wilshire.

Entering this part of the park you look directly toward a towering backdrop of blue sky and clouds. It’s very Hollywood set-like. From outside the park the blue sky doesn’t relate to anything and looks a little odd. At least it does from a Disneyland vantage. On the inside though, it’s perfect. I loved wandering around looking at all the little details put into this part of DCA. The time period they are replicating here had real style and for me, this is easily my favorite part of the park (architecturally speaking). Even the outside of the bathrooms located near the Animation building have style. The design of the façade makes me think of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Hollyhock House in Barnsdall Park.

Carroll and I chose to hit the Hyperion Theater first to see the new show Steps In Time. At this point, major changes will be made before opening day. I will say that as it stood then, it wasn't like your typical theme park revue. I’m not sure I liked it but I am sure I did not hate it. It was okay. It had a couple of terrific moments, some odd dance numbers and two of the girl singers pretty much knocked your socks off with their spectacular voices. In that incarnation, the show was somewhat akin to the song and dance numbers of the Oscar presentation.

One thing was clear, Disney spent lots of money on this theatre. Since I am told they would eventually like to run Broadway style shows in here, I think it’s too bad they didn’t spend more money and really do it right. The Hyperion is a state of the art theatre that seats 2000 people. The stage proscenium is very high tech and I kind of like it, although I do think that since they made the Hollywood section look like vintage Hollywood, they should have carried it through to the inside of the theatre and made that look old Hollywood too. To the right and left of the stage, are trompe l’oeil flats that try to replicate the lavish interior decorations of the old theatres. It’s nice but kind of cheesy cartoony. The real deal would have been better. That’s a little nitpicky though. The theatre does look nice inside. The sound is great and from what I could tell all the seats have a very good view of the stage. For the performance I saw, I sat in the right side of the mezzanine level. I could see and hear perfectly and was very comfortable.

So, Dear Readers, why then do I think they didn’t do it right? Three things... the entrance and the lack of ability to get from one level to the next from inside the theatre, the lack of a lobby, and more importantly, the lack of restrooms.

Let’s talk about the entrance first.

Imagine this scenario if you will, it’s July, it’s close to 100° outside. You’re here with your entire family, the 4 year old twins, older brother, and Grandma from Kansas. Grandma’s in good shape, but she’s 70. The twins and brother want to see the show desperately. You decide to wait in line with the whole gang. What you discover is that you have to climb huge flights of stairs to get in. Hey, Granny’s knees ain’t what they used to be. And not only do you have to climb stairs because that is the only way in, you also have to wait for an hour and a half in the blazing sun because there is no cover for the queue. You withstand all that (even through Granny’s incessant complaints about climbing 3 flights of stairs) and get a seat inside only to have the twins start to complain that they have to use the bathroom. It’s back outside you go, make a mad dash to the facilities, and make it back inside just in time to discover that, whoops you took the wrong set of stairs and you are on a completely different level with no way to get back to your family unless you go back outside and back up the right set of stairs.

Stairs!

Let me state that a little plainer. Each level in the theatre has its own set of stairs. Once inside, you cannot get to any other level of the theatre without exiting and taking a different set of stairs from a completely different queue. If you have to use the restroom, forget it. You’re gonna miss the show. You’re also gonna bake waiting to get in (or freeze depending on what time of year). This is going to go over real well with the theatre types when Disney actually stages a real play here (as will the lack of a lobby for intermission). It’s such a shame they didn’t do a little better with this one because the Hyperion really is very nice inside. I’m not exactly overweight or out of shape though and I was horrified that I had to climb all those stairs to get to the mezzanine. As I have watched this building go up, I was convinced that the stairs I saw on the outside of the building were an emergency exit. How wrong I was. What they have available for disabled guests, I don’t know. When the park is finally open MousePlanet will have to get the lowdown on that one for you Dear Readers.

So much for that. Let’s talk animation. This is a real gem. I predict the Animation building will be so popular that there will be huge waits to get into the building. It was easily one of my most favorite things. It has a touch of the Animation tour at WDW, but is really its own entity and I think far superior to WDW’s Animation building.

Animation lobby

You enter into a central room off of which are three other rooms to explore. The central room is a variation on the Circlevision theme. It has huge screens all around the room that play a 22 minute loop of various animated Disney films. To say it’s stunning is an understatement. When I walked in and was surrounded by wall of Hunchback of Notre Dame (my personal favorite Disney film) my breath was quite taken away.

That’s just the waiting room. You also have other treasures to explore, not the least of which is Beast’s Library. I won’t describe it and spoil the fun, but do stay a few moments here, you wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity to watch the transformation or consult an enchanted book to see which Disney character you most resemble (apparently I am most like Lady Tremaine). You can also play with zoetropes and become a voice over artist.

After leaving the Animation building Carroll and I ventured into another WDW favorite transplanted here, MuppetVision 3D. I know it’s not new and innovative any more, but I still love it. If you’ve seen it in Florida, you seen it. It’s exactly the same here. The queue is nice, with lots of Muppet gags here and there and the preshow is entertaining. The inside of the theatre is gorgeous, that is until the Muppets get ahold of it and destroy it. It’s fun. Try it, you’ll like it.

That leaves only two other attractions in the Hollywood portion of the park, Superstar Limo and the show at the Hollywood Backlot Stage, Get A Grip. Don’t waste your time on either of them. To describe Superstar Limo as lame and stupid would be a compliment. I can’t really use the kind of language I’d like to describe it. Suffice it to say that if you wait 30 seconds to ride it, you’ve waited 20 seconds too long. It is the biggest waste of money I have ever seen and I am embarrassed for Disney that they would present such a horrid piece of... Well, you get the picture. If the lines are long, don’t waste your precious theme park time, go do something else more worthwhile... like watching bread rise.

Get A Grip

Let’s discuss Get A Grip shall we? While I would not describe it as ruthlessly as I did Superstar Limo, I do have to say it’s kind of sad. It’s an odd show. I’m not sure what the heck they were thinking when the Disney folks designed this one. I guess it’s supposed to be about a Hollywood production crew trying to get a script away from the resident Diva. It’s so muddled though that I’m not sure what the story line is or whether it even has one. It features lots of running around and climbing on ladders. Is it a stunt show? You got me. It looks dangerous for the performers and I bet they all have gotten championship bruises performing this thing. It is also hard to see. The way the stage is laid out it’s not even clear that there is a show staged here. Along with the farm, I can see this show disappearing from DCA real fast.

That’s it for Hollywood. There are several places to eat here but I didn’t hit any of them. The biggies are Soap Opera Bistro and Hollywood & Dine. Award Wieners had some fine looking brownies dipped in chocolate that I had a mind to sample, but after waiting forever in the world’s slowest moving line, Carroll and I gave up and left. We hopped over to Baker’s Field Bakery in the Entry Plaza for a little nosh instead.

Baker’s Field Bakery, sponsored by Nescafe, puts Disneyland’s Blue Ribbon bakery to shame. There’s a huge array of pastries, specialty coffees and... tea, real honest to god tea. I can’t tell you how excited I was to learn that I can get a real cup of actual loose leaf brewed tea. Not that Lipton tea bag junk that most Americans think is tea, but Sencha and Darjeeling (among other choices). At first glance I thought $2.29 was a bit high for a cup of tea, but when it was brought to me I changed my mind. The cup was twice the size of a standard coffee cup, and had a clever skewer thing that pierced a bag filled with my selected tea. The skewer sat across the lip of the cup and held the tea leaves neatly suspended in their bag in the hot water.

With the clock ticking fast on our few remaining minutes at DCA, Carroll and I made a mad dash for Grizzly River Run. We got there just as the closing announcement was made and were grateful that the Cast member let us through. We could hear people chanting, "One more time! One more time!" I wasn’t real thrilled to be on the verge of getting drenched, but I kept remembering Carroll telling me that I have to experience everything so I forged ahead. Since it was closing, there was no line and we walked right on. I prepared to get wet. Off we went.

Grizzly River Run

Now I must say, Dear Readers, that I went on this at night so I have no idea how it looks during the day. My impression was that it was beautiful. I’d heard that there was a lack of themeing as Disney cheaped out on this one. I wouldn’t change it though. It looks like you are in the wilderness. It’s a hundred times better than any other similar ride and I thank the stars that the geysers were turned off when I rode, because I hear there is no avoiding the completely drenched state when they are on. Since it was 48° out at the time, it was nice to only be moderately drenched when I exited the ride. I really enjoyed it, think it’ll be a big hit (especially in the summer) and loved the Disney spin on things (literally, there is a corkscrew effect near the end of the ride).

Now it’s time to say goodbye...

I hated to leave. Carroll and I stopped off for our last adventure of the day at Package Express to retrieve the honey I bought at the Wine Country Market. Package express is located outside the park and to the right (if you are facing Disneyland). It operates exactly the same as it does with Disneyland. You present the Cast member with your pink package slip, they fetch your purchase for you and you’re off.

Overall, I liked Disney’s California Adventure very much. There are some problems to be sure and hopefully they will be addressed. I was lucky enough to get into the park when there was hardly anyone there. Soon it will be filled to capacity and the waits will be long and arduous. In a way, we are all guinea pigs. Disney will be tweaking what works and what doesn’t work based on our reactions (and complaints if need be). And while it might seem unfair to ask the public to spend $43 to be a guinea pig, with the promise of long lines, I’m pretty sure you’ll still get your money’s worth if you visit.

It pains me that I won’t get in again until February.

I can’t wait to go back.

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