Paradise in the City

This photo of early-morning Paradise Pier, taken from an upper corridor window at the Paradise Pier Hotel, shows how the city of Anaheim brushes right up to the borders of Disney California Adventure. Inside the park, the illusion of strolling along an early-20th century waterfront boardwalk works brilliantly; the outside world seems miles away.

Zooming in a bit. On the left, we see the green rooftops of Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta, the California Screamin' launch track along the edge of Paradise Bay, and the Pier-facing cliffside of Cars Land's Ornament Valley mountains.

In a couple of hours, this tranquil scene will come (literally) roaring to life with thousands of excited visitors.