Before the Disneyland parking lot was transformed into the Disneyland Resort's second gate, what to do with the land was part of a Machiavellian scheme on the part of Disney. Not only did Disney own the property in Anaheim, but it also owned beachfront area, the Queen Mary, and the hangar of the Spruce Goose in Long Beach. When Eisner decided to expand Disneyland and make it a resort, he had the choice of the two cities. Thus began the battle between Long Beach and Anaheim. Anaheim promised widened roads and improved curb appeal and tree growth along Harbour and Katella Boulevards in return for WESTCOT Center, a more lush and elegant version of Florida's EPCOT Center. Long Beach was going to improve their roads and give Disney more beachfront property for them to build DisneySea, a park devoted to sea life. The Long Beach project caused an uproar amongst Eco-friendly groups, which led to it's demise. Having settled on Anaheim, planning for WESTCOT began. The idea metamorphosed into Disney's California Adventure, designed to explore the beauty of the Golden State without having Disneyland's guests have to leave to see it. Unpopular from the start, California Adventure is currently undergoing a massive billion dollar refurbishment and overhaul, but there are only three major changes that Disney could have, should have, and would have made.
Could Have- Created a Cohesive Logo
Disney's California Adventure is lacking in that it does not have an immediately recognizable logo. Disneyland has it's calligraphy, EPCOT Center is sleek, Disney's Animal Kingdom is rustic, but California Adventure is somewhat schizophrenic. While it is often identified with the above logo, the park also has used a simple, somewhat dull font that says "Disney's California Adveture," without any other details, and the wheelchair signs use a rough font on a bear claw. Which is the proper logo? Disney should choose just one, and I personally like the above logo best. It looks nice, it is not as unexciting as one variation, and not as rustic as the other, which really only fits the Grizzly Mountain district. A new logo may come with the refurbishment, but Disney would best be advised to choose only one and use it for all publicity, so as not to cause confusion. Finally, while not a dramatic change, like with Countdown to Extinction it can greatly affect the guest's opinion of the park.
Should Have- Built a Berm
A "berm" is Disney's word for a large earthen mound built around the perimeter of their parks to block the outside world. Every Disney theme park has one, except for Disney's California Adventure. While the lack of a berm makes the park look intriguing from the outside, as almost every building can be seen, it also causes reality to sneak inside, setting the fanciful Paradise Pier against the backdrop of downtown Anaheim, rather than a seaside amusement park. The berm's nonexistence certainly saved Eisner money, but it distracts overall from the fantasy. While it is true that most guests are too busy looking at the scenery to acknowledge the outside world, it is particularly glaring in Paradise Pier. The jarring landscape of a small city outside the gates of the park certainly does fit with the theme of a sleazy amusement park on, say, Coney Island, but it is certainly not Disney. With the refurbishment changing the park's perimeter with new areas, a berm could potentially be built, although it may be too close to the sidewalks in Anaheim.
Would Have- Superstar Limo
"Wait!" you say, "They DID build Superstar Limo and it was crap!" Yes, the version of Limo that they built was odd to say the least. While I liked it, the other guests apparently did not, and Limo was closed after only one year. However, the Imagineers did not intend to build the version of Superstar Limo seen in the park, but rather a small roller coaster through scenes of Hollywood. The concept was that you were a famous star who had just landed at LAX,. To show the airport, the entrance would have been through a small version of the Theme Building, which was designed by the Imagineers. Inside would be a postage stamp sized recreation of the Encounter restaurant, visible only from the monorail. Once you boarded your limo, Eisner would tell you that you had to hurry to Grumman's Chinese Theatre to sign a contract with Disney. Your chauffeur would tell you that he knew a shortcut, and thus would begin your zany trip through Los Angeles, included sharp turns and swerves away from the adoring paparazzi. Then tragedy struck. Britain's Princess Diana was killed in a motor accident during the attraction's design phase. Suddenly, swerving away from the paparazzi was out of vogue, and Superstar Limo received the overhaul seen in the park. California Adventure's only darkride, it became a slow, cartoonish trip through Hollywood inside jokes. (Show of hands- who got the "Bauble Room" joke without it being explained?) Although Eisner himself was out of the ride, it was very much his pet project, although some of his gags, such as the "Dreamjerks" studio, were cut. The attraction opened to little fanfare became one of the first of California Adventure's attractions to close.
For more information on the history of Disney's California Adventure, Jim Hill wrote a excellent series titled, "California Misadventure" for his blog, Jim Hill Media.
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