On the other hand (or coast), Disneyland is, well, land-locked. It does not have the neighboring swampland to drain and build on. From the monorail you can see the busy streets that border the park. But they did manage to make "Disney's California Adventure" which is not Walt Disney's wild rise to fame and power from his drawing table, but rather an attempted celebration of the state that gave him the opportunity to make a mouse larger than life.
Leave it to the minds that thought a car riding through dark rooms with pop-ups of the evil witch from Snow White would make a great kids ride to come up with a park where the process for making tortillas is an attraction. Yes, Mission Tortilla has a 'factory' in the park where you can watch how tortillas are made. It's right next to the building where you can watch sour dough bread bowls made. That, at least, is lent the humor of commedians Rosie O'Donnell and Colin Mocherie. But still, it's the history of sour dough bread. Does this justify your $70?
The concept behind the park is to highlight great things that shape and illustrate California. There is a mini Golden Gate Bridge, a pier with rides, a winery, a wild water ride through a mountain forest setting, rides through a backlot, a mini Hollywood sign, and a fake street that is ALMOST perfect. If it's supposed to be a street in L.A., they painted the sky entirely too blue. But in acknowledgment to the industries that helped build CA, there is a backlot, a hanger and an amazing simulated flight over California in a nod to the aviation industry, the two food factories, a winery (because who doesn't want a lovely cabernet before riding a roller coaster with "Screamin'" in the title?), and a simulated state park.
To be fair, the factory tours were short and mildly interesting and you did get a sample of each item. Probably the first thing Disney has ever given away for free. And they did make for a good place for us to go inbetween rides and let my occasionally-motion-sick stomach settle before the next ride.
There was part of the adventure I could have done without. The sourdough bread company has its roots in California's gold rush more than 150 years ago. A man who baked bread for miners started a bakery that become the company. For the non-bakers among us....sourdough bread has no yeast; its "rising" is enabled by a bacterial mixture in the dough. So when miners would make a batch, they would retain a small bit from each batch to 'start' the next days batch. That process of saving a bacteria-laden piece of dough daily is still done today, from the same starter dough that started the business 150 years ago. I realize it's highly unlikely, but yet technically possible that the bacteria rising bread today is a 150-year-old original. I try not to think about it.
In walking the clean, simulated streets of California, one might be intrigued by the industries they chose NOT to include in the park. While there is plenty of automation in the park, there is no outward acknowledgement of Silicon Valley. No surfing in a wave pool. No papprazzi roaming the park for tabloid smut.
No displays for Larry Flynt or Hugh Heffner and their version of smut, no acknowledgement of the porn industry. California cannot survive without these things! Just imagine THAT theme park....
Well, okay, we want to accentuate the positive, I get that. And it all makes for a rather enjoyable park, despite the presence of giant spiders in the A Bug's Life-inspired show, which is completely unnecessary.
If the park is a little taste...highlight reel, if you will....of California as a whole, Richard and I have a lot of places to go do. The park attempts to carry the variety of this big state from the lush northern forests, to the prosperous farm lands to the arid desert vistas, to exciting cities, we have a lot to explore.
In 2009, Disney parks are free for you on your birthday....we'll go with you! Because now that we know about the Adventure that is California, it's a little easier to survive L.A.
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