Disney California Adventure's Redwood Creek Challenge Trail ~ Changes Over the Years

Disney California Adventure’s Redwood Creek Challenge Trail

~ Changes Over the Years

Challenge Trail is one area of Disney California Adventure that has undergone some changes in theme but has always stayed the same in appearance and adventures offered. This is a fantastic area for families with active children to come and let them run free for a time. There is only one entrance/exit to this area so it is safe to let the older trustworthy kids run a bit free and you can take a break by the entrance.

The original theme was and still is the High Sierra Mountains of California. Yosemite is the main focus of the area. What has changed the most over the years is the show. Originally the show was Miwok Indian stories. An Indian would come and tell one of the legends from their history. Around the Ahwahnee Camp Circle area there are still statues that represent some of the stories they told. DeVine could also be found in and around the area. I enjoyed the Indian stories and used them as an educational tool with my daughter. I do wish I’d had a camera to record those shows because they were so wonderful.

After the movie Brother Bear came out the show was changed to a Brother Bear theme. The characters would come out and tell parts of the story from the movie then do a meet and great. While this was an enjoyable show I did not like it as much as the Indian stories. The only thing they added to the area other than the change in the show was the spirit cave. Before this they had a cave but it only had the paintings and not the place to put your hand to find out what animal spirit you are. This cave is still there.

Today the theme of the area is Wilderness Explorer from the movie UP. When you come into the area you are given a map with a list of tasks to complete. If you complete the tasks you are given a sticker to place on the back of your map. The show is now a culmination of the experience around the area. It is fun to put it at the end as a reward for completing the tasks you are assigned. The show is the Senior Wilderness Employer graduation ceremony. Russell comes out to help recite the pledge. Also Kevin shows up a couple of times.

I do like the UP theme as it encourages more interaction and gives kids more direction to the kids while they explore. This can be great if you want to add a little bit of education to your child’s time at Disneyland.

The entire area is beautiful and reminds me of time spent in Yosemite and the Eastern Side of the High Sierras. As you walk around the area look down at the ground and see what animals have been walking the trail before you. Learn about the animals and then spend time in a ranger’s fire lookout. You will see maps of the Yosemite area. Tools for fighting wildfires are hung on the wall and displays of the rocks from the area are there to look at.

This area is fantastic for spending a few moments letting your kid run wild. This is a good change from standing still in lines. There are many fun things for them to do like short and long slides, the smoke jumper’s rope swing and a rock wall to climb. It’s also a great place to do some homeschool class work. Follow the tracks and learn about the animals, this can spark a lot of talk and encourage coming home to look up more information. See a tiny bit of what a rangers life is like and what it takes to take care of our wilderness. Learn about a little bit of California. If you are not from California and are just going to the Disneyland Resort this can show you a bit of what the wilderness of the area is like. Yes it is very accurate in look and feel.