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Credit: DisneyDisney California Adventure — an addition to the Disneyland Resort that got quite a rough start and later became a fan favorite theme park for Disney fans beyond just California locals.
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At this point, it’s hard for many to imagine Disneyland Resort without DCA, as the park now has so much to offer fans of all ages and interests. And, moving forward, it seems DCA will just keep getting better.
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In a recent interview with local Southern California news source The Orange County Register, Disney California Adventure Vice President Patrick Finnegan asserted his confidence in the theme park’s projected success. He shared that he expects the park to become wildly popular and a priority destination in the next two decades.
“Walt said Disneyland will never be finished. That’s the case for any theme park,” Finnegan said. “I like to think that 20 years from now, this is a place that’s going to be as high on a person’s list to visit as any other theme park in the world.”
After two decades, DCA is nearly at the point where a generation of visitors will never know the park as the former Disneyland parking lot.
“Very soon we will have guests taking their small child on Soarin’ and saying, ‘I can’t wait to take you on this because my mom, dad or sister took me on this when I was young.’” Finnegan said. “It takes time. You cannot build that. That just takes 20 years to get there.”
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Finnegan also shared hope for the future of Disney California Adventure Park. Avengers Campus is expected to open sometime in 2021 when the California Disney Parks reopen (Disneyland and DCA have continued their temporary closure due to restrictions in place during the pandemic). And with the opening of Avengers Campus will come dedicated fans completely invested in learning everything there is to know about the new theme park land.
The level of detail in Avengers Campus is “mind numbing,” Finnegan said.
“The Marvel Cinematic Universe easter eggs are plentiful,” Finnegan said. “The stories can take you as deep as you want to go or not. It’s a delightful land even without going the 10 layers deep.”
Avengers Campus — the new Marvel-themed land at Disneyland Resort — is said to be one of the most immersive theme park experiences Disney will offer and will surely be a welcome addition to Disney California Adventure Park. The Marvel area is taking over what was previously a bug’s land, which closed in 2018. Following the addition of Cars Land and the transformation of Paradise Pier to Pixar Pier, Avengers Campus further signals the company’s desire to propel Disney California Adventure into the next era of Disneyland Resort.
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And, of course, there is still plenty of room for DCA to change and grow. Finnegan acknowledged this in the interview, as well, sharing the following with the OC Register:
“There’s definitely room to grow. We’ve got spaces that we can expand on and we’re always talking about that,”
“Over time you’re going to see that we address some big things and some little things along the way that maybe you notice and maybe you don’t.”
Specifically, the Disney California Adventure Vice President said that he hopes to expand in two areas within the theme park: hosting more festivals and telling more stories through World of Color.
Finnegan said there are opportunities to do more festivals at Disney California Adventure.
“In the last five years or so, we really invested heavily in our festival business,” Finnegan said. “That’s really helped to establish more of a brand name for this park. It’s got all the great attractions, shows, characters and cast, but having the festival business has been something very unique to us.”
Finnegan wants to tell more stories with the World of Color nighttime spectacular show.
“It’s such a great platform — literally and figuratively — for telling our stories” Finnegan said.
It’s no surprise that the Disneyland Resort team wants to bring more festivals to the California theme park destination. In a typical year, DCA hosts the Lunar New Year celebration, Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival, a Dia de los Muertos event, and the Festival of Holidays. So, perhaps, the company will decide to add another festival to summer months in the future.
Disney has continued to experiment with seasonal editions of the World of Color nighttime spectacular, as well. Throughout the year, Guests can catch the regular version of World of Color, though recently the theme park has added water shows for the Lunar New Year event, Oogie Boogie Bash, and the holiday season. We wouldn’t be surprised if even more versions of World of Color come to the theme park, though the original tends to be a Guest favorite.
Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro and Disneyland Resort President Ken Potrock have also shared hope for the Disney Parks in 2021 and beyond.
Although the Disney Parks in California — Disneyland and Disney California Adventure — are still temporarily closed amid the ongoing pandemic, Guests who are looking for a taste of Disney magic can explore the streets of DCA, as Buena Vista Street is currently operating as an extension of the Downtown Disney District for shopping and dining only. View the latest operational information here.
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Are you a fan of Disney California Adventure at Disneyland Resort? Which Disney Park is your all-time favorite? Let us know in the comments!