HAPPY 20TH, DCA!!!

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“To all who believe in the power of dreams…Welcome! Disney’s California Adventure opens its golden gates to you. Here we pay tribute to the dreamers of the past…the native people, explorers, immigrants, aviators, entrepreneurs and entertainers who built the Golden State. And we salute a new generation of dreamers who are creating the wonders of tomorrow…from the silver screen to the computer screen…from the fertile farmlands to the far reaches of space. Disney’s California Adventure celebrates the richness and the diversity of California…its land, its people, its spirit and above all, the dreams that it continues to inspire.”

Happy 20th, DCA! You've evolved so much

Below this is a thread of its history up to now

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Here's some pics from the opening ceremony on this day in 2001

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Cant' believe it has been 20 yrs

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Before the Disneyland parking lot became what we now know as DCA, it was originally supposed to be the site of WestCOT. WestCOT would've featured a geodesic sphere much bigger than Spaceship Earth. But this one, called SpaceStation Earth instead. Unfortunately this plan was scrapped due to financial problems that happened because of Disneyland Paris. However, the idea of a hotel within a theme park was later realized when they built the Grand Californian

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Due to the financial problems caused by Disneyland Paris, the second gate plan was scaled back to a park dedicated to California...in California. Thus, DCA 1.0 was born.

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To describe DCA 1.0 in a few words...there wasn't much to do. They tried EVERYTHING to try to persuade you to purchase admission for DCA

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DCA 1.0 was also home to Disney's worst attraction...Superstar Limo. Which didn't even last a full year.

The concept went from being a paparazzi chase with Michael Eisner at the end to sign a contract...

to a slow moving celebrity sightseeing tour around Hollywood

The chase was changed due to what happened to Princess Diana. The ride was extremely unpopular. But they kept it on the map even after it closed because they didn't want to admit that there was nothing to do at DCA

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So Disney had to come up with solutions to get people to come in. Their first two solutions were the Main Street Electrical Parade (renamed the Disney's Electrical Parade for its DCA run) and A Bug's Land. This land added four new rides to the park's lineup.

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Their next solution, was Tower of Terror. With a different design compared to the one in WDW

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Years later, they added Toy Story Mania and World of Color to Paradise Pier

Disney wanted to give people a reason to be at DCA at night, World of Color was this reason. And the show is a beautiful sight to see

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And in 2012, the postcard entrance to DCA was transformed into the beautiful Buena Vista Street. Complete with its own Red Car Trolley

Another land was also added, Cars Land. With Radiator Springs Racers as its main attraction. The land really comes to life at night

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Having gone to DCA since even before grand opening (there were previews) there was a lot of really enjoyable and memorable things for me. BurrrBank ice cream I still miss, and Sam Andreas Shakes for food. Soarin was an instant hit, and I enjoyed the early area around it. Mali boomer is something I still miss, and I know it’s an off the shelf ride but I loved how Disney themed it to a boardwalk game.

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In 2017, Tower of Terror became Guardians of the Galaxy Mission: Breakout! The coolest makeover of an attraction. A year later, Paradise Pier became Pixar Pier. Now you can ride attractions themed to your favorite Pixar characters and sample lemon flavored cones. A Bug's Land also closed this same year to make way for the exciting Avengers Campus...which is where we leave off today.

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DCA is a park that has constantly evolved over the years. While it had a rocky start, it has turned into a beautiful park once it was given the chance to grow and thrive into the park that it is today

HAPPY 20TH, DCA! WE LOVE YOU