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
