California Screamin's Single Rider Shortcut

DCA's California Screamin' is one of the park's most efficient crowd-movers. With the ability to run five trains on the track at once, the massive coaster's wait times remain reasonable even on the busiest days. If you're touring the park solo, however (or don't mind temporarily splitting your group), the Single Rider Entry can cut your wait to just a few minutes!

The Single Rider Entrance is to the left of the Standby Line. A cast member will direct you through to this area, which is actually the ride's unloading side. A moment later, you'll be directed to the right, where you'll take an elevator up to the queue's over-the-tracks bridge.

The Bridge to Paradise Pier

Of the two entry paths to Paradise Pier, the main bridge delivers the most dramatic and fun sense of traveling back in time to an old-fashioned boardwalk. As you pass under the welcome sign, the atmosphere invites you to slow down, enjoy the moment, and pause to watch the coaster launch a few screaming trainloads up its first peak.

Disneyland Resort, due to its compact size, doesn't get a lot of opportunities to play with wide open spaces. Paradise Pier is an exception: it's one of the few spots on property where guests get a good look at an attraction (in this case, California Screamin') from a distance as they approach.

Once considered by many to be the worst idea ever shoehorned into a Disney park, Paradise Pier has blossomed into a charming, relaxing and beautiful corner of the resort. With room still available for another big attraction or two, the Pier's future looks brighter than ever.

Top Five Favorite Safety Spiels

Who says safety can't be fun? In addition to informational signage, most Disney attractions feature audio warnings to discourage riders from doing incredibly stupid things such as standing up and/or sticking their legs out of a moving vehicle.

Fortunately, Disney injects a lot of character and humor into their audio safety spiels. Some, such as "Hang on to them hats and glasses" and "The spirits will materialize only if you remain quietly seated" have become classics. I'm not including those most famous lines on this list; Consider them forever enshrined in the Great Ride Warnings Hall of Fame.

Although four of these five come from my "home" parks (Disneyland & DCA), the top prize goes to a Walt Disney World ride I haven't even experienced yet! I have Internet Radio and YouTube to thank for my exposure to the joys of WDW attraction audio!

Here we go! Oh--and be sure to remain seated and...well, you know the drill...

TOP FIVE FAVORITE SAFETY SPIELS!

5) Snow White's Scary Adventures as spoken by the Wicked Witch:

"Looking for Snow White, Deary? Then SIT STILL!"

4) Mr. Toad's Wild Ride as spoken by Ratty:

"Welcome to Toad Hall! To be sure of a safe and glorious drive in your motorcar, remain firmly seated with your hands, arms, feet and legs inside. Watch your children--and do try to drive more carefully than Toad."

3) Radiator Springs Racers as spoken by Sheriff over the car radio:

"All right. You be sure to remain seated with your seat belt buckled! Don't make me come after you. Sheriff out."

2) California Screamin' as spoken by The Barker

"Second thoughts? TOO LATE! Head back! Face forward! And hold on like ya mean it! And away you go in five, four, three, two, ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

And, here we are: My current favorite ride safety audio:

Video by wdwfacts1

1) TriceraTop Spin as spoken by Chester:

"Hey, spinners! It's Chester here, reminding you for your safety ta stay seated with that seatbelt fastened good n' tight as you spin. Whilst yer spinning, keep your hands, arms, feet and legs inside--and be sure to watch your children."

It's the "whilst yer spinning" part that busts me up and crowns this as number one. I haven't been to Dino-Rama in person yet, and I had mixed feelings about the area's concept--until I heard this awesome performance that tells me all I need to know about the land's backstory in one simple, great delivery of a safety warning. Suddenly, I really, really like Chester and Hester. Dino-Rama has become a must-see for me.

What are your current favorites? Do you find the ever-present safety spiels annoying, or is Disney doing a good job of working the warnings into the story?

Screamin' Over Toy Story

Today we have a quick look at California Screamin' looping gracefully over Toy Story Midway Mania. Both rides are technological marvels presented as old-time seashore boardwalk fun.

The combination of old and new, plus the blending of classic amusement park showmanship and Disney's attention to detail makes today's Paradise Pier one of the company's most unusual and thrilling themed lands.

Two DCA Soundtracks Surf onto iTunes

Another blast of Disney park music recently hit iTunes and Amazon MP3 -- this time in the form of a DCA time capsule duo! First up: Music From (the original) Disney's California Adventure!

 

Wanna relive the early days when DCA kind of sucked eggs -- yet still had some genuine gems to offer? This long out-of-print park CD has been digitally resurrected! Here, preserved for the ages, you'll find the fun score to the infamously awful Superstar Limo ride (the music deserved better), and a pair of DCA "welcome" songs that -- in a nutshell -- sum up everything icky about the park's original attempts at being "edgy." As if in penance, this album's priced to move at $7.99!

Despite the few flops, there are several fantastic tracks here, many of which made the jump to later park albums, such as the scores for Soarin', California Screamin' and Seasons of the Vine. Great extinct show pieces include the finales from Steps In Time and Lights, Camera, Chaos plus nine minutes of music from the unusual Eureka! parade.

Screamin' Around Paradise Bay

California Screamin' barrels around a turn above the waters of Paradise Bay. This end of the massive coaster gets up close and personal with passerby, roaring over the main walkway several times and zipping past the lower observation deck of the Silly Symphony Swings -- which is where we got this view.

Screamin' doesn't tell a story or dazzle with special effects, but it's still an amazing experience -- and nearly as much fun to watch as it is to ride. If I could change one thing about the ride (besides theming the brake run at the end), I'd love to see the shoulder harnesses replaced with simple lap bars someday; I really want to be able to raise my arms all the way up on this thing!

Lovin' California Screamin'

Eleven years after Disney California Adventure opened, California Screamin' remains one of the most popular attractions at Disneyland Resort. People tend to fall in love with this ride, for it accomplishes its goal so well, transplanting classic big coaster thrills into the friendly, beautiful, well-run environment of a Disney theme park.

Paradise Pier Needs a Clear Backstory

Paradise Pier has come a long way since its dodging-rotten-tomatoes opening. It's actually become a lovely place, especially at night. Image problems, however, continue to dog the land.

It cries out for an easy-to-grasp backstory to lock down its identity. To this day, reporters and well-meaning writers occasionally refer to Paradise Pier as a "carnival." It's not. It's an Amusement Park. There's a big difference in theme, there.

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.

Paradise Pier at Night

I love standing under a summer night sky, watching the spectacular lights of Paradise Pier while waiting for World of Color to begin. In those moments, I realize how well this section of Disney California Adventure works. Paradise Pier had some theming problems back when it first opened, but now it's a triumph; it's everybody's dream of the perfect old-fashioned waterfront amusement park brought to spectacular life.

There's just one change I'd love to see: as great as World of Color is, I think it's a shame they need to halt the operation of the roller coaster while the show's in progress. Imagine the thrill of rocketing around California Screamin's track while huge columns of water and fire erupt on the nearby lagoon!

My solution: I'd love to see the next World of Color show designed to incorporate  the ride's roaring trains -- and the screams of its riders -- into a bold, upbeat music-scape celebrating the never-ending-summer theme of Paradise Pier. Coaster fans would get an incredible new experience and World of Color fans would get an energetic new show. Everyone wins!

DCA's Makeover is Working. It's Really Working.

 

Those record-breaking crowds flocking to Cars Land this summer are discovering something extra as a bonus: Disney California Adventure -- as a whole -- is becoming an incredibly beautiful theme park. The potential's always been there; Grizzly Peak is stunning and California Screamin's classic coaster profile looks great against the Southern California sky. The rest of the park is finally catching up to the promise.

Disney's spent the money to truly turn DCA into a magical, full-day park and rework original 2001 elements that never quite met guests' expectations. We've seen the removal of bland, cheap shopfronts and jarring, out-of-place structures like the Maliboomer tower and the giant peeling orange. We've witnessed the arrival of classic architecture, shade trees, a healthy dose of great Disney-quality rides and detailed, story-driven theming. After exploring the amazing Cars Land in the morning, guests are wandering out to discover a renewed DCA that's blossoming like a butterfly spreading its wings. Corny, but true.

Some areas still have minor problems; the Wharfside end of Paradise Pier needs more shade. Goofy's Sky School isn't fooling anyone, but a lot of folks enjoy it (including me -- I love Wild Mouse coasters). When you take all the improvements, however, then add in the comforting joys of Buena Vista Street and the mind-blowing wonders of Cars Land, you've suddenly got an outstanding park that's unlike anything else in the Disney lineup.

Disney California Adventure finally has an identity to be proud of. Across the way, Disneyland finally has a worthy companion to share the crowds with.