Is California Adventure Worth it? | Easily Explained
We always hear feedback about Disneyland, but what about the park located right across from it?
In this page, we will breakdown what California Adventure offers, along with our personal experience to explain whether California Adventure is worth it or not.
Table of Contents
- Is California Adventure Worth it?
- What California Adventure Offers
- How Many Days Are You Spending at the Park?
Is California Adventure Worth it?
California Adventure is absolutely worth it due to their thrilling rides, and uniquely-themed arounds around the park, including Pixar Pier, Cars Land, and Hollywood Land. This underrated California park even features a street dedicated to Walt Disney, resembling the 1920's, to give visitors a glimpse of what life was like for Walt.
What California Adventure Offers
Rides
California Adventure offers some of the most thrilling rides including:
- Radiator Springs Racers
- Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout
- The Incredicoaster
- Soarin' Around the World
Radiator Springs Racers
Radiator Springs Racers is one of the must-do rides at the park, as riders will hop inside of a cars-inspired car and get a first person experience as they ride through Radiator Springs and meet the Cars characters.
What sets off the most fun part of the ride is when they begin to do some maintenance to your car to get prepared for the big race.
Then, riders will line up and get a real taste of how fast these cars can really go.
Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout
This ride actually replaced Tower of Terror several years back, but still features all of the thrilling vertical drops, along with a twist focused on the Guardians of the Galaxy.
The Incredicoaster
This is a ride that you can see from a mile away, that is genuinely one of the coolest rides at the park.
Riders will experience both an indoor and outdoor adventure as they'll navigate turns at high speeds, and find out how fast Dash really is.
This ride is a must-do at night, as you'll get a unique view of the park and skyline, with all of the night lights turned on.
Soarin' Around the World
This flight motion simulator will take riders high into the air showcasing the beauties of the world.
Guests will begin in the Swiss Alps, travel above the Pyramids of Egypt, and even see the Wall of China!
This ride is so impressive due to the fact that it actually feels as if you're traveling the different parts of the world, while seeing it with an unreal view.
Ferris Wheel
This famous ferris wheel's official name is Mickey's Fun Wheel Ride.
This 160 ft tall ferris wheel ride resembles a carnival ride from a distance away, but the closer to the ride that you get, the more you realize it's much more than that.
Guests are able to ride this ride, and make sure to buckle up! As the gondola will actually decide to start swinging back and forth.
It's one thing to walk around the theme park, but it's a completely other experience to see the park from 160 ft up, and get a big picture/aerial view.
Park Areas
Buena Vista Street
This classic street does a great job displaying to visitors what life was like back in the 1920's in Los Angeles, when Walt was just beginning his career.
Pixar Pier
Pixar Pier has a boardwalk feel to it and contains some of the most popular areas in the park including
Toy Story Boardwalk, Pixar Promenade, Inside Out Headquarters, and Incredibles Park.
Cars Land
Visitors will find themselves near the famous Route 66, and the can't-miss Radiator Springs Racer ride.
How Many Days Are You Spending at the Park?
If you're visiting a theme park, it's normally important to determine how long you plan to stay.
This is important as you will be able to determine how many rides/shows you'll be able to visit and whether or not you'll get your money's worth.
If you're planning to visit California Adventure for an entire day, you'll be able to get the full experience of the park at a normal pace.
The last time we visited the parks, we visited both Disneyland and California Adventure during the same day, and although we were able to see most of our favorite rides and attractions, we wish we had more time.
Ultimately it comes down to preference, we'd recommend spending at least a full day at the park to account for waiting in lines and not feeling rushed throughout the day.
However, if you only have a few rides in mind that you want to visit for that day, spending a few hours at DCA is very doable.
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