Here is Part 2 of 3 Secret (or not so secret) things to do at the Disneyland Resort, here is part 2 about Disney’s California Adventure Park. Up until the recent addition of Carsland to Disney’s California Adventure the park used to be overlooked with visitors to Disneyland. Visitors would go to Disney’s California Adventure for a couple rides and that’s about it but the park has things to do that most people will overlook or skip because they don’t realize what you can do in them. But these are the 6 things I love to visit when I go to DCA and wanted to share.
Here are 6 (not so secrets) things to do at Disney’s California Adventures.
1. Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. I am surprised every time I go to Disney’s California Adventure how calm this play area is compared to other areas in the park. This is a great area for kids since they have many different challenges that include a rock climbing walls, a maze of rope bridges, side by side slides, zip line and a mystical cave. Plus this area is themed after Disney/Pixar’s movie UP so you have the chance of seeing Russell and Dug at the Wilderness Explorers Ceremony in which you become an official Senior Wilderness Explorer after accomplishing all your merit badges by completing the map they give you at the entrance.
The next 2 things are great shows worth a chance to see. Muppet Vision 3D in Hollywood Land and It’s Tough To Be a Bug in Bugsland. These two shows are a great way to get out of the crowds or weather to sit and relax for a little bit while you watch a show.
2. I love Muppet Vision 3D and I see it every time I go to DCA. This is actually a 4D show so you wear 3D glasses along with take time as you walk through the line que to look at all the special muppet touches and during the show the giant friendly monster muppet Sweetums walk through the front of the theater, the show is about 20 minutes in length.
3. It’s Tough to be a Bug is a great show based on the movie A Bug’s Life, I personally loved the show and the effects. But please note that this attraction may be scary for some children as the effects and sounds maybe to intense for them. I took my niece to see the show when she was 2 years old for the first time and we had to leave early as it was to scary for her. I will say the show is hilarious and scary at the same time as Hopper the main bad character from a Bug’s Life, receives assistant from other insects in the theater to taunt and torment the audience with use of different 4D effects such as being sprayed with Bug Spray which is just water, or being stung in the back by hornets as Hopper commands the bugs to do it. If you have seen the movie A Bug’s Life, you will know Hopper was an intense character in the film so use your judgement carefully be for taking your kids to see it.
4. The Animation Building in Hollywood Land offer walk through exhibits, drawing class and a show. I love the Animation Building in Hollywood Land, which houses my niece’s favorite show Turtle Talk with Crush and my favorite activity the Sorcerer’s Workshop, along with the actual Animation Academy learn to draw the characters. My niece loves Turtle Talk with Crush, she is constantly interested in whats going on in the show and she loves being able to ask her favorite sea turtle Crush from Finding Nemo a question; audience participation is a huge factor to the show so always be prepared to ask or answer a question. My personal favorite about the Animation Building is the Sorcerer’s Workshop, you get to explore 3 different areas with the first being the Magic Mirror Realm where you get to draw your own cartoon and bring it to life; then you have the Beast’s Library where you get to find out which Disney character you are most like by answering a set of personality type questions – I always manage to get Belle or Snow White and my niece is always either Alice or Tinkerbell; and finally you have Ursula’s Grotto where you lend you voice to either a sing or act out a scene from a movie and Ursula will put your voice into the scene.
5. Blue Sky Cellar next to Wine Country Trattoria as this is your sneak peek into planned changes and additions to the parks, different Disney resorts and future Movies coming out with several different displays of concept art, scale models and section for a short film looped plays detailing or movie previews of whats to come. Cast members are inside to help with any questions you might have.
6. Boudin Sourdough Bread Factory Tour. This walk thru tour of the a real working Boudin bakery where they bake loaves of the world-famous San Francisco sourdough bread. As your vide host comedians Rosie O’Donnell and Colin Mochrie from “Whose Line Is It Anyway?, talks about how the bread started and the process in making the bread. Upon entry into the factory tour, you receive a sample of the delicious sourdough bread. My niece has loved going through the tour ever since she was 2 and every time we are near the bread factory she asks if she can go through it.
Part 1 4 (Secret) Things to do at Disneyland and part 3 Secret things at the Disneyland Resort Hotels.
