Opening Day of Cars Land and Buena vista Street 6/15/2012

Opening Day of Cars Land and Buena Vista Street 6/15/2012

I’m sorry I did not get a blog post up yesterday. I just could not stay awake to do it. This post will tell you why.

Friday, June 15, 2012 was the opening day of Cars Land and the big reveal of the new entrance area to Disney California Adventure, Buena Vista Street. This is the end of five years of change and construction at DCA. 12 Acers was added to the park to build Cars Land. The big question for any Disney Fan is “Is it worth it to be there Opening Day?” The answer for this fan this opening, YES!!!

My husband and I had planned from the announcement of the date to go. My husband requested the day off months ago. As the date came closer we worked on finalizing the plans. What would we need. What time would we get to the park. How long were we willing to wait in line.

Knowing the interest in Cars Land and all the new fun we knew it would not be easy to get in. We decided it did not matter what time we felt was reasonable to get there we would be there. After hearing some fan sites asking their members when people would be gathering we decided we would have to camp out the night before opening. The more we heard the earlier we thought of going.

Finally several days before opening Disneyland announced people could start lining up at 11pm Thursday night for the opening of the park Friday at 9am. Hubby worked Thursday so we figured he could come home and rest an hour or so then we could go to the park getting there at 11.

Thursday came and we heard rumors that people were lining up late Thursday evening. We decided to pack up as soon as hubby came home at 7 pm. By the time we packed up the car and drove to the park we got to the park around 9-9:30pm. When we got to the parking gate the Cast Member told us that several hundred people were already camped out. We grabbed our stuff and got over to the park and ran over to find the line. Once in line we found out the line had around several thousand people in it!

From Harbor Blvd, where the line was staged were moved into the Esplanade. Once inside the security checkpoint of the Esplanade we were broken into two groups. One group was made of people that wanted to purchase merchandise then go to see Cars Land. There was a lot of limited edition items that collectors will go crazy for. The second and much larger group was made up of people that wanted to go to Cars Land first then see what was left to purchase. We chose group one and it turned out to be the wise choice. We were given color coded wrist bands to indicate our choice. They were also color coded to show where you were in line as well.

Thank goodness the weather is mild in So Calif! The night was not warm but we did not get too cold. The night was loud and bright with all the lights on in the Esplanade. It was grad night so we could hear the dance music playing at the rav going on in front of the castle. We got around one hour of sleep before we were told our line was moving. We were escorted into the park around 6am. Those wanting to see Cars Land were kept outside until 9 am. We went into the park and were again in a line, this time we were moved into the line for the Hyperion Theater. This area is right across the street from where the merchandise was sold.

Around 8am they started taking us into the Animation Building a few at a time. The system was wonderfully well planned and the process went smoothly. We were finished getting the few items we wanted before 9am, park opening. We were then set free to go where we wished in the park so off to Cars Land!

The street was packed with people but nobody was stressed. Many just stopped and stared at various buildings, backdrops and little details such as signage. Others just quickly sidestepped them and moved onto the lines for the rides.

Let me tell you it was amazing to step into Cars Land and Radiator Springs. You really do feel like you are walking right into a move. This is so well themed it takes your breath away. It is totally intense.

There are three rides in Cars Land, Radiator Springs Racers, Luigi’s Flying Tires and Mader’s Junkyard Jamboree. These rides offer something for everybody in the family.

RSR is for all the adventures in your group. It is sure to please any Cars fan. As fast as it gets there is nothing in it to keep anybody that reaches the height requirement from riding. It is not jurky or bouncy. There is one place you get some air time but nothing that will cause injury.

LFT is a fun blast from the past for those of us old enough to remember Disneyland’s Flying Saucers. It is a slow loading ride so the line is longish. The ride vehicles are of difficult to get moving at a good speed. They do give you instructions on how to control your vehicle but still getting it to move in the right direction is not easy.

MJJ is a total hoot-n-anny! You get to join Mater in a junkyard hoedown. Mater calls out the moves as baby tractors pull you around. When the baby tractor turns your cart, attached to the tractor whips around all over the place.

During the day Cars Land is playfully inviting and warm feeling. When day turns to night the area lights up with neon and just takes your breath away. Cadillac Hills glows as the sun sets! Hidden lighting makes sure you get to see the sunset, even if there are clouds. Nighttime crowds were heavier than the day and people just seemed to be happy to stop and stare at the lights.

The lines were long but very well worth it! I was like a kid in a candy shop looking from display to display. I can hardly wait to go back and play in Radiator Springs again. I feel with the addition of Cars Land and Buena Vista Street DCA has come of age and into its own. It is no longer the “other” park to go to if you have time. It is now a place you will want to put high on your list of must does.

We did not leave the Disneyland Resort until around 11pm. We spent about 26 hours at the Disneyland Resort either waiting for DCA to open or enjoying Cars Land and Buena Vista Street. Saturday had to be somewhat a day of rest and recovery. LOL