Disney California Adventure | Off to Neverland Travel - Disney Vacations

A Walk Down Buena Vista Street

When guests walk into any Disney theme park, they find themselves in a place apart from the everyday world they leave behind at the turnstiles. At the newly expanded Disney California Adventure® Park, guests begin their journey on Buena Vista Street, a nostalgic look at Los Angeles as it may have appeared to Walt Disney in the 1920s and ’30s when he first arrived in California – a wonderful and inspirational period of his life.

Once on Buena Vista Street, guests may board the Red Car Trolley to take a tour and be transported into Hollywood Land. The tour includes Carthay Circle Theatre, the new and striking Disney California Adventure® Park landmark that stands 89 feet 6 inches tall at the hub of the park. Guests may stroll around the downtown Buena Vista Street area featuring vintage architecture and a dozen shops and restaurants.

Some of Buena Vista Street’s landmarks include:

The new entry turnstiles of Disney California Adventure® Park which were inspired by the Pan-Pacific Auditorium
Inside Buena Vista Plaza, guests walk under Hyperion Bridge (the Disneyland Resort Monorail track), modeled on the concrete Glendale-Hyperion Avenue bridge near Walt Disney’s early Hyperion Animation Studios
Carthay Circle Theatre, inspired by the motion picture palace where Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered in 1937 and is the home of the Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge
“Storytellers,” a statue of Walt Disney with Mickey Mouse, found in the central plaza. The statue, which is placed at street level and less monumental than the “Partners” statue in Disneyland® Park, depicts Walt Disney as a humble, optimistic young man, dreaming of achievements to come, standing alongside Mickey Mouse.

Buena Vista Street plays home to various shopping and dining opportunities. Upstairs at Carthay Circle Theatre is the Carthay Circle Restaurant, one of the premiere dining locations at the Disneyland® Resort, with a menu of hors d’oeuvres, salads, soups, California specialty entrees and desserts. Downstairs is the Carthay Circle Lounge, which serves appetizers, wine, craft beer and specialty drinks. Guests can also choose from various quick-service locations like Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Café , Clarabelle’s Hand-Scooped Ice Cream, and Mortimer’s Market.

On your next visit, be sure to explore Buena Vista Street and take part in the adventure of a young Walt Disney and walk along this boulevard of dreams.

By Off to Neverland Travel|2017-06-27T10:22:44-05:00June 16th, 2012|Categories: Disney News, Disneyland News|Tags: Buena Vista Street, Disney California Adventure, Disney California Adventure Buena Vista Street, Disney California Adventure Dining, Disney California Adventure Expansion|0 Comments

Celebrities Starstruck by Cars Land

The Opening of Cars Land at Disney California Adventure® Park in Anaheim, CA was a star-studded affair to say the least. This VIP event brought many celebrities to the park to experience the new areas and walk the red carpet. As one would expect, no celebrity was bright enough to outshine the real star of the night, Cars Land!

Many of the celebrities took time to share their thoughts on this new immersive area of Disney California Adventure® Park. Here are some of our favorites:

Radiator Springs Racers is unbelievable. Cars Land is everything you want it to be. – Country music artist Brad Paisley

The expansion makes Disneyland even better, if that’s possible. – Actress Ariel Winter, star of ABC’s “Modern Family”

Luigi’s Flying Tires is the most original ride I’ve ever ridden. Cars Land is just amazing. – Actor Nolan Gould, star of ABC’s “Modern Family”

Mater’s awesome – I loved him when I first saw the cartoon and read the script. – Comedian Larry the Cable Guy

Cars Land is the place to be this summer. – Actor Rico Rodriguez, from ABC’s “Modern Family”

Cars Land is fantastic – the setting is quite unique. – Actor Andy Garcia

I can’t wait to share this with my family. – Tom Staggs, Chairman of Disney Parks & Resorts

This is unbelievably exciting. Walt Disney was right – there’s always more we can do. – Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Co.

To have a whole land based on the characters we created at Pixar is a dream come true. – John Lasseter, Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studio, and Principal Creative Advisor for Walt Disney Imagineering

By Off to Neverland Travel|2017-06-27T10:22:44-05:00June 15th, 2012|Categories: Disney News, Disneyland News|Tags: California Adventure, Cars Land, Disney California Adventure, Disney California Adventure Cars Land, Disney California Adventure Expansion, Disney's California Adventure, Disneyland Cars|0 Comments

Get Your Kicks in Radiator Springs

Today, the “car-acters” of Disney●Pixar’s animated film Cars will welcome guests to Cars Land and its three new attractions: Radiator Springs Racers, Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree and Luigi’s Flying Tires.

Radiator Springs Racers

What you thought was a leisurely, scenic tour of Ornament Valley turns into an all-out race for the Piston Cup as guests race side-by-side through the mountain range, around Willy’s Butte and past the plunging waterfall, Radiator Falls – all familiar sights to fans of the movie.

Guests entering the six-passenger convertible will notice their car features a male or female face. The gender of the car is determined by the color of the car – eight in all. The scenic road trip begins through the countryside and town of Radiator Springs. After a stop at Luigi’s Casa Della Tires or Ramone’s House of Body Art, final racing tips will be given by Doc Hudson.

The race begins as the cars are separated onto parallel tracks. Racing nose-to-nose to the finish, the cars will encounter 45 degree turns as they zoom through the desert landscape.

Radiator Springs Racers is a FASTPASS® attraction. Guests must be 40″ high to ride. It is estimated that each vehicle of the attraction will travel approximately 36,000 miles per year – equivalent to more than 14 trips down the original Route 66!

Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree

It’s an old-fashioned “tow-si-do!” Everyone’s favorite tow truck, Mater, has corralled a herd of runaway baby tractors in his junkyard. Step into Mater’s salvage yard and ride trailers hitched to the baby tractors.

As you load into your tractor, you’ll notice that no two tractors are the same. All 22 have different markings, mouths, and eye colors. They also have license plates with letters that represent initials and birthdays of key contributors to the Cars Land project. However they do have one thing in common: They all LOVE to dance!

The minimum height requirement for Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree is 32 inches.

Luigi’s Flying Tires

“Uno for the money, due for the show, tre to get ready and quattro to go!” Cars characters Luigi and Guido play host to a “Festival of the Flying Tires” at Luigi’s Casa Della Tires. When the music starts, tires float and dance in the grand tradition of a celebration that first started in Luigi’s hometown of Carsoli, Italy.

Guests board oversized Fettuccini-brand tires, accommodating up to two adults and one child, or one adult and two children. Guests steer by shifting their body weight , bumping into other tires as they float across Luigi’s 8,000-square-foot Italian garden and tire storage yard. For extra fun, try to catch one of the inflatable balls scattered throughout the attraction.
Nostalgic Disneyland® Park fans will recognize the attraction as a descendant of the Flying Saucers attraction, which operated in Tomorrowland from 1961 to 1966. 6,714 air vents keep the tires floating approximately two inches above the ground! The minimum height requirement for Luigi’s Flying Tires is 32 inches.

By Off to Neverland Travel|2017-06-27T10:22:44-05:00June 15th, 2012|Categories: Disney News, Disneyland News|Tags: Cars Land, Disney California Adventure, Disney California Adventure Cars Land, Disney California Adventure Expansion, DLR Expansion|0 Comments

Red Car Trolleys of Buena Vista Street

Guests will now enter the newly expanded Disney California Adventure® Park through a completely redesigned entrance. Like never before, the spirit of Walt Disney is present on Buena Vista Street. Immersed in a locale reminiscent of Los Angeles in the 1920s, when Disney first arrived in California, guests encounter the Red Car Trolley, one of four new attractions at Disney California Adventure® Park.

Inspired by Los Angeles’ historic Pacific Electric Red Cars from the 1920s and ’30s, two Red Car Trolley cars operate daily, traveling from Buena Vista Street to the Twilight Zone™ Tower of Terror through Hollywood Land. The trolleys make several stops along the way.

Inside the interiors showcase the soft green and cream colors of the time period. Vintage-looking ads hanging inside highlighting food locations and shops inside the park. The Red Car Trolleys are 26 feet long and seat 20 passengers with an additional space for a wheelchair.

Each of the Red Car Trolleys have a number. The 623 car, with “23″ as a nod to the year 1923 when Walt Disney arrived in California, is based on the 600 series of trolleys built by the St. Louis Car Company in 1922. The 717 car is inspired by the 700-750 series manufactured by the J.G. Brill Company in 1925. 7-17 also refers to the birthday of Disneyland® Park, July 17, 1955.

The trolleys are powered by onboard 12-volt batteries that fully recharge at night. The catenary lines running above the cars are just for authenticity – they provide no actual power. If necessary, the trolleys are able to recharge at one of the stops using inductive power transfer, the same technology used to charge your cell phone!

The Red Car Trolleys are rockin’ when the Red Car News Boys roll into town. Inspired by the spirit and style of Disney’s movie and stage musical Newsies, the group performs tunes authentic for the time period like “California, Here I come” and delivers the news from the Buena Vista Daily Bugle. Of course the show wouldn’t be complete without an appearance from Mickey Mouse, the cartoon star who got his start in that period!

More than just “another attraction” in “another land,” the Red Car Trolleys and Buena Vista Street pay tribute to the optimism and opportunity Walt felt when he first arrived to Los Angeles.

: Red Car Trolley

Red Car Trolley: Red Car Trolley

: Red Car News Boys

Red Car News Boys: Red Car News Boys

: Read all about it in the Buena Vista Daily Bugle

Read all about it in the Buena Vista Daily Bugle: Read all about it in the Buena Vista Daily Bugle

: Mickey joins the Red Car News Boys

Mickey joins the Red Car News Boys: Mickey joins the Red Car News Boys

: Oswald’s

Oswald's: Oswald’s

: Mortimer’s Fresh Fruit Market

Mortimer's Fresh Fruit Market: Mortimer’s Fresh Fruit Market

: Elias & Company Store

Elias & Company Store: Elias & Company Store

By Off to Neverland Travel|2017-06-27T10:22:44-05:00June 14th, 2012|Categories: Disney News, Disneyland News|Tags: Buena Vista Street, California Adventure, Disney California Adventure, Disney California Adventure Buena Vista Street, Disney California Adventure Expansion, Disney's California Adventure, Red Car Trolley|0 Comments

“Fine Tuning” the Elements on Radiator Springs Racers

Even though Cars Land has not opened to the public at Disney California Adventure® Park, the anticipation of the Radiator Springs Racers attraction seems to be creating the most buzz.

In order to give the best guest experience, each ride vehicle has its own on board audio system. Joe Herrington, Principal Media Designer for Walt Disney Imagineering has been riding the attraction since March fine tuning the audio.

Watch this video for a behind the scenes look at the work Joe has been doing on the audio track for Radiator Springs Racers.

By Off to Neverland Travel|2017-06-27T10:22:45-05:00June 13th, 2012|Categories: Disney News, Disneyland News|Tags: Cars Land, Disney California Adventure, Disney California Adventure Cars Land, Disney California Adventure Expansion, DLR Expansion, Radiator Springs Racers|0 Comments

Five Years of Expansion at the Disneyland® Resort

A wise man once said:

“Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.” – Walt Disney

This five-year expansion at Disneyland® Resort has shown that Walt’s vision is still alive in the Resort that started the Disney magic our families love. This timeline shows the additions that Disneyland® Resort guests currently enjoy and a few more additions for the future.

2007
On Oct. 17, Disneyland® Resort announces expansion plans for this five-year project.

2008
Toy Story Mania! opened on Paradise Pier at Disney California Adventure® Park.

Also debuting in 2008:

Pixar Play Parade (Disney California Adventure® Park)
New shows at Playhouse Disney - Live on Stage! (Disney California Adventure® Park)
Innoventions Dream Home (Disneyland® Park)
Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough (Disneyland® Park)
Mark VII Monorail

2009
The first Disney Vacation Club property opens on the West Coast when Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa completes an expansion with 203 new guest rooms, a new pool and 50 two-bedroom equivalent villas.

Also debuting in 2009:

Magical fireworks spectacular (Disneyland® Park)
Mickey’s Fun Wheel (Disney California Adventure® Park)
Blue Sky Cellar (Disney California Adventure® Park)
Pixie Hollow (Disneyland® Park)
Splash Mountain® Ghost Galaxy transformation during Halloween Time (Disneyland® Park)
RIDEMAKERZ® and D Street open (Downtown Disney® District)

2010
World of Color opens at Disney California Adventure® Park to rave reviews and enthusiastic crowds. The breathtaking, nighttime spectacular weaves water, color, fire and light into a kaleidoscope of fantasy and imagination.

Also Debuting in 2010:

Silly Symphony Swings (Disney California Adventure® Park)
Glow Fest / ElecTRONica (nighttime party for guests of all ages) (Disney California Adventure® Park)

2011
The Little Mermaid ~Ariel’s Undersea Adventure opens giving Disney California Adventure® Park a classic dark-ride attraction. At Disneyland® Park, guests now enjoy more than 50 different adventures at Star Tours – The Adventures Continue.

Also Debuting in 2011:

Goofy’s Sky School (Disney California Adventure® Park)
Phineas and Ferb Rockin’ Rollin’ Dance Party (Disney California Adventure® Park)
Paradise Garden Grill and Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta (Disney California Adventure® Park)
New character shows at Disney Junior – Live on Stage! (Disney California Adventure® Park)
Mickey’s Soundsational Parade brings the beats to the streets (Disneyland® Park)
Disneyland Hotel Renovation brings themed suites and new pool and water play areas to the Resort.
Innovative Footwear store Sanuk opens (Downtown Disney® District)

2012
Disney California Adventure® Park will hold a grand reopening on June 15th with the addition of two new lands, Cars Land and Buena Vista Street and Carthay Circle Theatre. The town of Radiator Springs from Disney●Pixar’s Cars comes to life in Cars Land while Buena Vista Street offers a nostalgic step back in time to 1920s Los Angeles, with the Red Car Trolley, Carthay Circle Theatre and a tribute to Walt Disney.

Disneyland guests enjoy changes and enhancements along Main Street, U.S.A., including the opening of Jolly Holiday Bakery Café, filled with carefree scenes from the beloved movie, “Mary Poppins.” Other shops along Main Street, U.S.A. are also refreshed and the classic Matterhorn mountain glistens with new paint as riders enjoy new bobsleds. Also in 2012, Downtown Disney adds the WonderGround Gallery and Earl of Sandwich (late summer 2012) to its array of shops and restaurants.

Also Debuting this year

3 attractions in Cars Land – Radiator Springs Racers, Luigi’s Flying Tires, and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree (Disney California Adventure® Park)
Red Car Trolley transporting guests down Buena Vista Street
Mad T Party replaces elecTRONica (Disney California Adventure® Park)
Ghirardelli® Ice Cream & Chocolate Shop (Disney California Adventure® Park)
Meet and Greet with Merida from Disney●Pixar film Brave (Disneyland® Park)
WonderGround Gallery (Downtown Disney® District)
Opening of Earl of Sandwich later this summer (Downtown Disney® District)
La Brea Bakery® and LEGO Store remodel (Downtown Disney)
New segment in World of Color from Disney●Pixar film Brave and daytime fountain show (Disney California Adventure® Park)

With all these new additions to the Disneyland® Resort, now is the perfect time to visit!

By Off to Neverland Travel|2017-06-27T10:22:45-05:00June 12th, 2012|Categories: Disney News, Disneyland News|Tags: Disney California Adventure, Disney California Adventure Cars Land, Disney California Adventure Expansion, Disneyland Refurbs, Disneyland Resort Expansion|0 Comments

Disneyland® Resort: The Happiest Place on Earth Just Got Happier

On Oct. 17, 2007, Disneyland® Resort announced expansion plans for Disney California Adventure® Park that would bring more Disney magic and storytelling into the park. But, the plans didn’t exclude the rest of the Disneyland® Resort. This five-year journey has added magical innovation, new attractions, shows, parades and firework spectaculars at both theme parks. It also included stunning renovations at the three Disneyland® Resort Hotels and exciting experiences and locations in the Downtown Disney® District.

This week is a very special time for the Disneyland® Resort as it marks the completion of the majority of this five-year expansion with the opening of Cars Land and Buena Vista Street. To help celebrate this milestone, we will have agents at the Disneyland® Resort covering many of the additions as well as focusing most of our website updates to the California parks. Please be sure to follow along as we uncover how “The Happiest Place on Earth Just Got Happier.”

Our coverage will include:

Blog posts right here on our website, offtoneverland.com
Posts on our Facebook page – http://www.facebook.com/offtoneverlandtravel
Tweets from our Twitter account – @neverlandtravel http://twitter.com/#!/neverlandtravel
Photos on Pinterest – http://pinterest.com/neverlandtravel/

By Off to Neverland Travel|2017-06-27T10:22:45-05:00June 11th, 2012|Categories: Disney News, Disneyland News|Tags: California Adventure, Disney California Adventure, Disney California Adventure Buena Vista Street, Disney California Adventure Cars Land, Disney California Adventure Expansion, Disney's California Adventure, DLR Expansion|3 Comments

Carthay Circle Restaurant Details and Menu Highlights

The Carthay Circle Restaurant at Disney California Adventure® Park will serve its first guest on Friday, June 15th, when the new Buena Vista Street area opens in the park. The restaurant, under direction of Executive Chef Andrew Sutton, will showcase the tastes of contemporary Southern California cuisine.

The interior of the Carthay Circle Restaurant recalls the grandeur of its namesake – the Carthay Circle Theater in Los Angeles – the location where Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered in 1937. The menu will feature a wide selection of local craft beer, wine, meat, and seafood.

Just a few of the selections you will find on the menu:

Grilled Jamaican Jerked Kingfish with a Tropical Salsa of Pineapple, Mango, Black Beans and Lime

Crispy Firecracker Duck Wings Finished with Soy, Lime and Sriracha Chili Sauce

Angus Flank Steak Cobb salad with Mine Shaft Blue Cheese, Bacon, Avocado and Arugula with Cabernet Essence

Fried Banana Split Monte Cristo Sundae

Carthay Circle Restaurant will be open for both lunch and dinner and will provide guests with reserved center stage viewing of World of Color*. Advance Reservations may be made by your Magic Maker® 60-days in advance.

*For guests dining between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., each guest purchasing and appetizer and an entrée or an entrée and dessert receives a ticket to center stage viewing area for the FIRST show. Guests dining between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. will receive access to the SECOND show (with same purchase).

By Off to Neverland Travel|2017-06-27T10:22:48-05:00May 22nd, 2012|Categories: Disney News, Disneyland News|Tags: Carthay Circle Restaurant, Disney California Adventure, Disney California Adventure Dining, Disney California Adventure Expansion|0 Comments

Disney California Adventure® Park’s Expansion Soon to be Complete

Disneyland® Resort has announced that both Cars Land and Buena Vista Street will open to the public on June 15th, bringing the five-year expansion of Disney California Adventure® Park to an end. This expansion brings a whole new look to Disney California Adventure® Park and gives its guests an opportunity to explore 8 different lands: “a bug’s land,” Buena Vista Street, Condor Flats, Grizzly Peak, Hollywood Land, Pacific Wharf, Paradise Pier, and the much anticipated Cars Land.

Buena Vista Street resembles what Walt would have seen when he first moved to Hollywood in 1923. Buena Vista Street will be the home of the new Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge as well as various shops and will feature red car trolleys traveling the length of it.

Cars Land will bring the town of Radiator Springs from the Disney·Pixar movie Cars to life. Cars Land will feature 3 new attractions – Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree, Luigi’s Flying Tires, and Radiator Springs Racers. Guests will be able to ‘fill up’ their empty stomachs at Flo’s V8 Café, Fillmore’s Taste-In, and the Cozy Cone Motel.

Disney California Adventure® Park will be closed to guests on June 14th so that final preparations can be made to the park. Disneyland® Park and the Downtown Disney® District will operate normally on that day.

Check out this video preview of Buena Vista Street and Cars Land:

By Off to Neverland Travel|2017-06-27T10:23:11-05:00March 9th, 2012|Categories: Disney News, Disneyland News|Tags: California Adventure, Cars Land, Disney California Adventure, Disney California Adventure Cars Land, Disney California Adventure Expansion, Disney's California Adventure|0 Comments

Mad T Party Brings an Unique Event to Disney California Adventure Park

A fun new show will be taking over the stage at the Hollywood Pictures Backlot in the Disney California Adventure® Park. ElecTRONica will have its last show this spring to make room for the Mad T Party.

The Mad T Party, based on Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” will feature many familiar characters with a few surprises! The new nighttime family celebration will have a live band, games, dancing, and some very unique entertainment.

The psychedelic event will start Summer 2012. We will bring you more details as they become available.

*Images are Walt Disney Imagineering Concept Art, actual construction and show design may vary

By Off to Neverland Travel|2017-06-27T10:23:33-05:00January 27th, 2012|Categories: Disney News, Disneyland News|Tags: Disney California Adventure, elecTRONica replacement, Mad T Party, Tim Burton, Tim Burton Mad T Party|0 Comments