Mr. Selfish and I were excited for the last of the Disney parks around the world. We both had never been to Disney’s California Adventure before and were not too sure what to expect. California Adventure opened in 2001 to negative reviews and has never hit targeted attendance levels. However, we had heard great things about Cars Land, which opened in June 2012. In 2012, the park had 7.78 million guests making it the 11th most visited park in the world.

Cars Land: Running for Radiator Springs Racers

We arrived at the park fairly early and headed straight for Cars Land. Mr. Selfish and I were quite impressed with the theming of Cars Land. It was straight out of the Cars movie.

The main ride in Cars Land is Radiator Springs Racers, which is notorious for its long lines and running out of Fast Passes. Luckily, Radiator Springs Racers has a single rider line, so we only waited for about 5 minutes prior to riding. It is a fun ride and perfect for Cars fans.

Paradise Pier: Two New Rides and An Oldie but Goodie

Next, Mr. Selfish and I visited Paradise Pier, which is modeled after coastal boardwalks such as Santa Monica Pier and Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

We rode two rides that we haven’t ridden before – California Screamin’ and the Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure. California Screamin’ was a fun coaster although a bit short.

The Little Mermaid ride was cute and reminded me of the Finding Nemo ride at Epcot.

We also rode Toy Story’s Midway Mania, which we always ride and which is consistently fun.

Hollywood Land: Tower of Terror

We then visited Hollywood Land to ride the Tower of Terror. Muppet Vision 3D is also in Hollywood Land but we decided to pass.

Tower of Terror is quite similar to its counterpart in Hollywood Studios in Orlando. We therefore enjoyed it tremendously.

Condor Flats: An Airfield Tribute

Condor Flats is an area in tribute to California pilots and engineers from the 1940’s to mid-1960’s. It is original to California Adventure. It was well-themed and contains Soarin’, which also exists in Epcot in Orlando.

Mr. Selfish and I were just glad to see Puddy again.

Grizzly Peak: Fun but Wet

Grizzly Peak is themed after California’s national parks, such as Yosemite and Muirs Woods. It contains Grizzly River Run, which is a Gold Rush era river rapids ride. It looked fun but that you could get pretty wet, so we passed.

A Bug’s Land: Fun for the Kiddies

We also stopped by A Bug’s Land, which is obviously themed after the film A Bug’s Life.

We didn’t ride anything but it was really cute and well-done.

Finally, one of the best things about California Adventure is its proximity to Disneyland. It is literally a five minute walk away – no monorail, no shuttle, nothing but your two feet will get you there.

Tomorrow, we’ll go over our experience at Disneyland, the last of the Disney parks.