Welcome To Screamscape!

----    THE LATEST BUZZ    ----
    (5/16/12) Disney Parks Blog has confirmed that the World of Color show will add another new segment this summer inspired by the new Disney/Pixar film, Brave.
    (5/15/12) The Disney Parks Blog shows off some of the crazy costumes they’ve come up with for the new Mad T Party (MORE...)
    (5/15/12) WestCoaster has posted a new update from the Disneyland Resort this week, mostly focusing on the work being finished up at California Adventure.
    (5/14/12) The official Disney Parks Blog gives us our first peek at the food to be offered at the Cozy Cone in Cars Land, as well as a look at the food (MORE...)

Ride Rehabs - The following information is not guaranteed to be
100% accurate.
The Entire Park Will be Closed on June 14th, 2012
Main Entrance & Shops – UNDER REHAB through June 2012
Ghirardelli – NOW CLOSED through 6/1/12
Goofy’s Sky School – NOW CLOSED through 6/1/12

General Park News - (5/16/12) Disney Parks Blog has confirmed that the World of Color show will add another new segment this summer inspired by the new Disney/Pixar film, Brave.
    (5/9/12) The Disney Park Blog has a few pictures and details to share about the new private club opening up inside California Adventure, now named “1901”. The 1901 lounge will be accessible exclusively to Club 33 members, and because of the new expansion, Disney is opening up new Club 33 membership slots. See the pictures and find out how to get on the waiting list for membership here.
    (5/7/12) An odd tale about Soarin’ is going around this week, which involves the rides on both coasts. It is said that Soarin’ rides were apparently closed fairly early in the day on May 3rd and remained closed for the rest of the day. The inside word is that on one of the rides (not sure which just yet) a man and his daughter got on board, had their belts checked, and somehow just before take-off changed their minds about riding and both freed themselves from the ride. They at least had the good sense to get clear of the ride as it went into motion, and a CM spotted them immediately and E-Stopped the ride.
    All the loading and safety systems and procedures were put under the microscope to determine not only what happened, but also how to prevent it from happening again. While the rides did reopen the following day, word is there are new belt checking procedures, security camera angles have been changed, more cameras are on the way, and unfortunately, the belt straps are going to be changed in the near future. From what is being said, the new version of the belts will feature a redesigned center strap (the one normally only used for small children) in which every single rider will now be required to use it. Look for the new straps to arrive in about a month or so on both coasts.
    (4/24/12) An interesting post came from the Disney Parks Blog earlier today, as they officially announced a deal with Starbucks that would soon bring all your favorite Starbucks drinks and food items to all six Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort theme parks. Each of the six locations will be custom designed to fit into the theme of its surroundings inside the parks. The first one will open in June at California Adventure, placed inside the Fiddler, Fifer and Practical Café building on the new Buena Vista Street.
    Anyone like to make guests where in each park we will find the other five locations? Lord knows that most guests have been begging for an on-site Starbucks location for years.
    (4/18/12) According to the Disney Parks Blog a new “Royal Dinner” character dining experience will be added to Ariel’s Grotto starting June 15th. However, this will also put an end to the World of Color dining package option for the Ariel’s Grotto location. Also coming back starting June 15th will be the return of the Pixar Play Parade.
    (4/11/12) Westcoaster has posted a new construction update for California Adventure this week. Check it out.
    (3/14/12) While Grizzly River Run was to have reopened, I’ve heard the attraction has been suffering from some start-up problems and may not be working just yet. So take it on a day to day basis for now.
    (3/6/12) Time to check in on California Adventure’s latest construction progress over at Westcoaster. Looking like things are progressing well and should be finished in time for the June opening.
    (2/24/12) An extensive rehab photo report from California Adventure has been posted over at Behind the Thrills this week.
    (2/21/12) In a new viral video hitting YouTube this week, a belligerent man (let’s just call him Grumpy) standing in front of the Tower of Terror at Disney’s California Adventure was restrained by Bellhops, other park guests and ended up getting pepper sprayed by Disney security. From the sounds of the comments from nearby guests, it sounds like the man has been acting as a public nuisance for some time and had irritated everyone.
    Just a warning, there are a couple of not safe for work comments uttered by Grumpy, but this video has to be seen to be believed. Good work by all for controlling the situation until more security could arrive on the scene.

    (2/20/12) We’ve seen videos of the famous talking Mickey Mouse character, and now Disney will premier a new talking Minnie Mouse character in California as part of the new Minnie’s Fly Girls show at California Adventure.
    (2/17/12) Comments from Tom Staggs the other day seem to indicate that a new scene, themed around the upcoming Pixar animated film “Brave”, will be likely added to World of Color in the near future.
    (1/24/12) The latest construction update from California Adventure has been posted to Westcoaster this week.
    (1/19/12) I’ve heard from a few local sources that KTLA News has been reporting that World of Color at California Adventure will be closed through Jan 19th and again Jan. 23-26 for maintenance.
    (1/13/12) The Disney Blog tells us to look for a new performance show at California Adventure starting on February 17th. Appearing in Condor Flats, under the Control Tower, will be Minnie’s Fly Girls, which will feature Minnie and her four crew members who will perform songs from the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s.
    (12/30/11) Check out the latest changes at California Adventure with the new update at Westcoaster.
    (12/19/11) The DisneyGeek crew is at it again, and has posted a ton of nice construction photos from California Adventure this week, including the black top now in place on Route 66, new signage that has been installed in Cars Land, and new details forming on Buena Vista Street.
    (11/29/11) Westcoaster has posted a nice construction update from DCA this week.
    (11/15/11) The latest construction report from California Adventure has been posted to Westcoaster.
    (10/31/11) According to a post over at Blue Sky Disney, in addition to the new Christmas Holiday World of Color show, the park was also planning a Halloween version as well, which was delayed until 2012. Now there is some debate as to if what we will see this year is just a special Holiday ‘ending’ to be shown at the end like the TronCORE, or something more substantial. According to some, this is most likely just an addition to the existing show, but we could see an entirely new holiday special show added next year as well.
    (10/28/11) California Adventure is apparently preparing a special Holiday version or Holiday Segment addition to the World of Color show. A captured webcam picture shows off a giant holiday Gingerbread man being projected onto one of the water screens late one night.
    (10/25/11) Take a look at the progress for the various projects ongoing at California Adventure over at Westcoaster this week.
    (9/30/11) A new photo update from the Blue Sky Cellar and much more has been posted to OriginalD this week.
    (9/28/11) The Aladdin show at California Adventue suffered a major technical malfunction when the flying carpet used in the show went amuck. From the sound of things, the carpet flipped over and left the two actors who were onboard, suspended in midair by their own safety harnesses. No one was hurt of course, as the safety systems all performed exactly as intended. Click here for more details.
    (9/26/11) The Blue Sky Cellar has been revamped again, this time with a new display of attraction posters for the Buena Vista Street and Carthay Theater projects as well as the new Red Car Trolley, Soarin’ and Twilight Zone attractions. More detailed pictures from the Blue Sky Cellar, Cars Land and others shot around both parks can also be seen over at DisneyGeek this week as well.
    (9/20/11) The latest update on Westcoaster this week takes a look around California Adventure. In addition to the regular construction, I’ve heard several reports, confirmed here as well, that the new loop was put up on California Screamin’ for about a day and then removed once again. I’m not sure if there was a problem with it, or if something else needed to be done before they can put it back, but hopefully it will be back in place very soon.
    (9/13/11) A new construction update posted to WestCoaster this week showing off California Screamin’ which is closed for rehab… and they have removed the loop from the ride as well. From what I’m told, the loop will be replaced entirely with a new piece of track fabricated for it. I’m really curious to know if the new track was fabricated through Intamin, or if they went with AMEC, who rebuilt Space Mountain and is apparently part of the Matterhorn rebuild project. Be sure to look through the rest of the pictures to see the amazing Cars Land as all the various buildings within are starting to shape up and look awesome.
    (7/26/11) One of the wildest POV videos I’ve seen has made it’s way to YouTube this week, as someone was actually recording their ride on the California Screamin’ when it came to a halt the other day. A quick warning… there is offensive language in the video as the riders were understandably confused and a bit scared about what was going on at first when the train rolled back. Check it out below. (Link To New Video Updated)

    (7/25/11) Trouble on the California Screamin’ coaster this past weekend as a rider’s backpack came lose during a ride, and fell out of the train (during the loop I think) only to become wedged in the wheels under the train, bringing it all to a grinding halt. Fortunately the train came to a stop fairly close to the ground, making it easier to remove the stranded riders from the train with a ladder.
    (6/24/10) The official Screamscape review and photos from the premier of World of Color can now be found at in our FEATURES section.

2012 - Ghirardelli - Confirmed - (12/2/11) What may have been Disney California Adventure’s worst kept secret has now been confirmed at last as the Disney Parks Blog has confirmed the rumors that Ghirardelli is coming to the Pacific Wharf area, taking over the former Mission Tortilla Factory tour site building in 2012. It will feature a large soda fountain and chocolate shop, similar to the one set up at Downtown Disney in Walt Disney World, as well as give out free samples of Ghirardelli Squares chocolates. Awesome stuff… it fits the theme of the area so well, and damn, they do make great hot fudge Sundays at the one in Disney World.  So glad this news has been confirmed at last… but look for it to be crowded I think, as it will sit right on top of the main entrance to Cars Land.
    (6/1/11) According to the latest posting at MiceAge, the old Mission Tortilla Factory Tour attraction at California Adventure has suddenly closed for good to make way for a new sponsored attraction from Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory Tour and and Soda Fountain that will open in 2012. Sweet news indeed!

2012 - Cars Land - (5/15/12) WestCoaster has posted a new update from the Disneyland Resort this week, mostly focusing on the work being finished up at California Adventure.
    (5/14/12) The official Disney Parks Blog gives us our first peek at the food to be offered at the Cozy Cone in Cars Land, as well as a look at the food offerings inside Flo’s V-8 Café. I’ve got to admit, the Chili Cone Carne looks quite tasty! We will also see Flavored popcorn come to Cars Land along with some special custom beverages. Got to love the traffic cone themed drink bottles too!
    You can also catch a preview-review of Flo’s V-8 Café posted to the Disney Food Blog as well.
    (5/1/12) A new Cars Land construction update has been posted to Westcoaster this week.
    (4/18/12) Disney Imagineers have the coolest tools. The Disney Park Blog has posted an awesome video showing off Imagineers making use of “The Dish” to take a virtual tour of Cars Land. The Dish, also known as Digital Immersive Showroom is Disney Imagineering’s take on the virtual CAVE concept of being able to stand in the middle of a virtual reality projection theater. This allows for them to take a virtual walk down Route 66 into Radiator Springs and see what it will look like from a guests point of view in all directions. Man… what I wouldn’t give for a visit to The Dish myself someday. A very powerful and incredible looking tool.

    (4/2/12) SasakiTime is back with a couple of new pictures of Cars Land from the air. You can see them here and here.
    (3/28/12) Disney has posted a new time-lapse video showing off the construction of the custom built neon sign for Flo’s V8 café.
    (3/23/12) Just when you think you’ve seen Disneyland, California Adventure and the Cars Land construction site from about every angle possible… I’ve been sent a link to a brand new aerial photos showing off Cars Land from a whole new angle over at SasakiTime. You can clearly see the layout of the Radiator Springs Racers, the size of the show building hidden behind the rocks, the Flying Tires, Cozy Cones, Junkyard Jamboree and much more.
    (3/22/12) Disney has posted a new Radiator Springs Racers sneak peek video this week that shows off a bunch of POV footage from one of the cars testing on the track. Check it out below! In other news, insiders report that CM testing of Luigi’s Flying Tires has begun and so far everyone seems to love it. The one down side however… is that it will have a very low capacity for a Disney ride. The estimated capacity right now is only 440 PPH (people per hour), so if you want to ride this, get in line early.

    (3/13/12) Disney has posted another great Cars Land preview video… this time showing off a massive warehouse full of giant neon signs they’ve had created for Cars Land. It’s going to look spectacular when it opens, for sure! Check it out below!

    (3/9/12) A fantastic peek behind the scenes are Cars Land the rest of the transformation at California Adventure has been posted by Disney, giving us the best look yet at the new Red trolly cars and up close and personal with the Radiator Springs Racers track segments. It does not disappoint. Oh… and Disney has confirmed that it will all be ready to open on June 15th.

    (3/5/12) A new exhibit has opened inside the Blue Sky Cellar called Road to Cars Land, showcasing the evolution and construction of the park’s newest land and mega-attraction. Check out the coverage posted in the latest update to DisneyGeek this week.
    (2/29/12) Westcoaster has posted a new update from California Adventure this week, with a heavy focus on Cars Land. Be sure to check out Page 9 if nothing else, as we get the first peek at the Radiator Springs Racers actually testing both tracks at once.
    (2/27/12) The official Disney Blog takes us on a written tour through some of the major shops in Cars Land, telling us what we can expect to find inside Radiator Springs Curious, Ramone’s House of Body Art and Sarge’s Surplus Hut.
    (2/3/12) According to MiceAge, the date for the Grand-Reopening of California Adventure have been chosen. June 14th will be the Media Day and VIP Party, and June 15th will be the official first day for the public.
    Speaking of Cars Land, the Disney Parks Blog has posted a new video all about the recordings done for Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree.
    (1/31/12) Westcoaster takes a look at Cars Land this week as things are really starting to look nearly finished, and even some of the neon lighting is being tested.
    (1/13/12) Disney launched a new Cars Land preview site the other day, showcasing a ton of artwork and details about the new land opening this Summer. You won’t find anything too shocking that you didn’t already know from reading Screamscape, but it’s nice to see that the end of the long road traveled thus far is coming to an end soon. About the only new detail I’ve seen so far is a confirmed top speed for the Radiator Springs Racers which will fly around at “up to 40” MPH.
    (1/10/12) The latest word from Screamscape spies claims that the testing of the Radiator Springs Racers ride system has gotten to the point where they are doing full speed testing during the overnight hours when the park is closed. A new shipment of cars is expected to arrive in the near future, which will lead into testing both of the side-by-side exterior racing track sections at the same time.
    (1/4/12) A huge Cars Land construction update has been posted to Westcoaster this week that recaps all the construction and changes we’ve seen take place over there over the past 12 months.
    (12/27/11) Disney has posted a video of John Lasseter taking a test run on Luigi’s Flying Tires and loving every minute of it. Check it out below! After that, be sure to check out the latest update over at DisneyGeek, which which shows off a ton of new themeing going into Cars Land as they start to put the finishing touches all around.
    Disney has also posted a grew view of the new Mater’s Junkyard Lamboree ride also making test runs which I’ve added below the Flying Tires video.


    (12/22/11) A new video clip showing off a glimpse of Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree testing has been posted to YouTube.
    (12/21/11) You can catch a brief peek at one of Luigi’s Flying Tires in action in a YouTube video posted here.
    (12/13/11) A new construction update from Cars Land (and a peek at the new Carthay Circle Theater starting to poke out) has been posted to Westcoaster this week.
    (12/8/11) A great new construction update from Cars Land can be found at Westcoaster this week as fine details start to appear on the various buildings and rock work. Meanwhile you can catch one of the new cars making a test run around the track in photos posted to MiceChat this week.
    (11/8/11) Screamscape sources tell us that the “cars” in Cars Land are running the track late at night at full speed, and have been performing very well. Meanwhile the crews have been hard at work finishing up the sets, installing the last of the figures and will be ready to begin final programming soon.
    (9/15/11) While Disney has yet to post an official opening date for Cars Land beyond “Summer 2012” a new preview poster at the bottom of this Disney Blog page with a car odometer display where the last numbers are 06-2012. While this is not a solid lock, it does seem to indicate that everything is moving right along as scheduled and that everything should be open by June 2012… if not a month or two sooner.
    (8/15/11) A new massive construction update from all around the Disneyland Resort, with a ton of pictures of Cars Land, has been posted to DisneyGeek this week.
    (7/19/11) Westcoaster takes a look at the latest California Adventure construction progress over at Cars Land and more.
    (7/1/11) Disney has posted an animated walk-through video showing off what the town of Radiator Springs will look like when it opens next year. Take a look.

    (6/13/11) I’m posting two videos today… one showing off a 2 minute long time-lapse video showing off the construction so far on Cars Land, and the second is the near entire presentation all about Cars Land made to the media on June 3rd at the park. All new details about Cars Land were unveiled here that you’ll want to know about.
    They take us on a building by building tour of the land, aided by short videos, graphics and a live camera shooting into the massive 12 acre construction site from the top of the Tower of Terror.
    We see artwork of not only Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree and Luigi’s Flying Tires, but also find out what the other Radiator Springs characters will have to offer. Filmore’s Taste-In will be a “natural” snack food stand, next to Sarge’s Surplus Hut. Sally’s Cozy Zone will have 5 ‘cones’, each one will offer a different cone themed snack food, like Pop Cone, Chili-Cone-Carni and other Frozen Cone-coctions. Across the way is the Radiator Spring Curio Shoppe. Flo’s V-8 Café will be a great comfort food restaurant… lots of pie, mac & cheese, sandwiches, etc. Doc Hudson’s museum is also near by, along with Ramone’s House of Body Art next door which will be a Cars Land gift shop.
    They also drop a few hints about just what you’ll see inside the Radiator Springs Racers thrill ride. One scene will feature an encounter with Mater (driving backwards) who takes you Tractor Tipping until you run into Frank and have to run back into town. From there they appear to show off the point where the single track experience will split into one of two paths to prepare you for the big race finale. You’ll encounter Lightning McQueen who will give you some racing tips and direct you to go into either Luigi’s for a tire change or into Ramone’s for a touch-up. From there each track will meet up with Doc Hudson (your crew chief) before your led to the starting line run by Luigi and Guido who will drop the green flag and send you off on a race against another car for the big finale. The race itself will run one of a few different custom programs, so that you’ll never know exactly whom the winner will be.

    (5/24/11) Westcoaster takes a nice long look at Cars Land this week, and I’m amazed every time I see just how huge and detailed all the rockwork going into this land really is. It’s just HUGE. Keep on going through the pages if you also want a peek at the outside of The Little Mermaid building, now with the construction walls down so we can see all the details on the exterior of the building itself, both in the day and at night when they have turned on the exterior lighting.
    (4/1/11) Screamscape sources tell us Sarge’s Surplus gift shop in Cars Land will actually be a special Ridemakerz outlet that will only feature RC cars based on the characters from the Cars film.
    This is not the first Ridemakerz tie to Disney and the Cars brand as they were involved with the first Disney Store makeover launch last summer in Montebello, CA which also featured a special Cars branded Ridemakerz experience area where you could build models of Lightning McQueen, Mater and Sally. You can see many of these plus new character bodies on their website as well (select Disney-Pixar in the drop-down box).
    (3/29/11) A great aerial shot of Cars Land has been posted to MouseInfo this week which shows off the layout of Radiator Springs Racers quiet clearly.
    (1/14/10) Want to see the blueprints for the Cars themed Radiator Springs Racers ride?  Sure you do… and it seems that Disney themselves published these as a background graphic for video they put on line. Check out the screen captures posted to Park Thoughts.
    (11/2/07) If you’ve been wondering about how Cars Land will fit into the park, we can tell you that the current plan is that pathway in front of Tower of Terror will continue on into Cars Land on that side, filling up most of the parking lot in that area and eventually lead you back into the existing section of the park though a gate next to the Mission Tortilla Factory building. Sources are not sure if there will be a way to access Cars Land from A Bug’s Land or not.
    (10/17/07) Cars Land is now official and will be realized in the form of a huge 12 acre expansion of the park as they bring Radiator Springs to life, complete with three new Cars themed attractions. This will include a major E-Ticket attraction (Radiator Springs Racers) where guests will receive a quick briefing from Doc and Lightning before heading off into their own race around hairpin turns and steep banks. The ride experience will feature a race finale between two cars where the riders wont know until the very end which car will win. The other two rides were described as family rides, one themed to Mater and the other to Luigi: Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree and Luigi’s Roamin’ Tires.

Summer 2012 - Mad T Party - (5/15/12) The Disney Parks Blog shows off some of the crazy costumes they’ve come up with for the new Mad T Party, as well as some talk about the music we’re going to hear.
    (5/2/12) The Disney Parks Blog has confirmed a new item for the upcoming Mad T Party… the Mad Arcade. They describe the Mad Arcade as a collection of “arcade-style games” with a “Mad” twist. Games of skill… games to test your reflexes, “expand your mind’ and “discover your inner Hatter”.
    I’m not sure if Arcade is the proper term here, as this sounds more like a Mad Hatter inspired Midway Games area, but we’ll find out more when the rabbit hole opens for everyone to join the Mad T Party on June 15th.
    (4/24/12) With ElecTRONica having reached the end of li ne… work has begun in DCA to set up for the next big thing… the Mad T Party.
    (1/13/12) The popular evening party event known as ElecTRONica will come to an end in Spring 2012, after being extended for well over a year. Disney has announce that Something new and different is on the way to replace it however… the Mad T Party.
    Starting this Summer, the Mad T Party will combine live music, dancing, lights, crazy sights and sounds and, of course, cocktails, into DCA’s next big “rave” style event on the Hollywood Pictures Backlot. The entertainment lineup will feature a live band performance and the House of Cards Lounge (replacing the End Of Line Club) which promises to have a great house of cards themed atmosphere.

Summer 2012 - Walt Disney Plaza / Carthay Theater / Red Car Trolleys - (4/4/12) Westcoaster takes a look at Hollywood Land this week, as we take a peek down the Red Car Trolley tracks. And look overhead… wires… everywhere. These are just for show of course, to make it look like the Trolley will be powered by overhead power lines. But I can’t help but feel that this may be an unnecessary extra touch… as in the end, I’ve got a feeling that the wires are going to look a bit on the ulgy side when seen in the background of so many family photos. Maybe it’s just me… but I likes the look of the trains without.
    (3/30/12) The latest Disney Parks Blog shows off one of the brand new Red Car Trolley cars taking a test run down the tracks through what will soon be rebranded as Hollywood Land. Looks like a fantastic new addition to the park… and isn’t it funny how they finally got a Hollywood Land built at the Disneyland Resort at long last?
   Years ago there was once a proposal to build a Hollywood Land in Disneyland, stuffing it into the backstage area to the right of Main Street USA where it would bump into the back of Space Mountain.
    I don’t think I mentioned it before, but California Adventure will feature a few renamed “lands” when everything is done this Summer. The park will have 8 lands total by then: Buena Vista Street, Hollywood Land, A Bug’s Land, Cars Land, Pacific Wharf, Paradise Pier, Condor Flats and Grizzly Peak.
    (1/3/12) Westcoaster takes a look at this week’s progress over at Buena Vista Street, as well as a look back at the entire project from the past year.
    (9/20/11) Disney has posted a new time-lapse video showing off the construction of the new Carthay Circle Theater building, from start up through to last week.

    (6/16/11) I’ve got one last Disney California Adventure video to share with everyone today… this one shows off some artwork and even a flow through animation of how the new park entrance and central hub themeing will look when complete. They also confirmed that the Carthay Circle Theater will indeed have a table service restaurant and lounge inside. You’ll also see just what the new ‘bridge’ for the Monorail will look like, passing over the park, that will soon replace the Golden Gate Bridge façade.

    (4/25/11) One of our readers, who is quite the artist, sent in a nice painting for us to see which shows off Mickey and Oswald sitting together on the bench in front of the Carthay theater building under construction at California Adventure, which gives you a great idea as to how the building will look when finished. Also, please do check out their private art site to see even more examples of their work which includes a great number of other theme park and pop culture related icons. (Caddyshack, Bettlejuice, Bill & Ted, Back To the Future, Ghostbusters, Country Bears and many more….)
    (4/12/11) A new construction update from California Adventure has been posted to Westcoaster. I’m told that very soon the new Carthay Circle Theater structure going up will stand taller than Sleeping Beauty’s Castle.
    (3/3/11) According to Disney, the Carthay Circle Theater building that will take up the spot of the former Sunshine Plaza will house a new restaurant and lounge. While the concept or menu have not been settled, they do mention that the restaurant site may be destined to become another exclusive private eatery like Club 33 over at Disneyland due to the rumored decade long waiting list just to join Club 33. Of course we posted this rumor ourselves way back on July 8th, 2008, along with the idea rumor of it possibly having an exclusive special balcony.
    (1/8/10) The OC Register reports that construction work has begun in California Adventure to install the new Red Trolley Cars that will run around the entrance and Hollywood area of the park.
    (1/27/09) This week Jim Hill Media takes a look at the changes we can expect to see unfold at the entrance area to California Adventure over the next few years. This includes a few interesting items about how the pencil pushes are really hoping that the changes will drive up business at the gift shops. For example… there is a good reason for those bright red new trolley cars that will run up and down the street, and it’s not just because they are nostalgic. Much like on Main Street at Disneyland, the concept is that the ever present trolleys running down the middle of the street will force guests up onto the sidewalks and the into the shops.
    (7/8/08) We’ve heard a bit more about the Walt Disney Plaza area, confirming that the Carthay Theater building will simply be an empty shell for the time being. However we have heard that the upstairs section may be used as another exclusive Club 33 style VIP Room. It was also mentioned that there may be some kind of Disneyland fireworks viewing area from here as well. We’ve also got a little more information about Hollywood Land, the new name likely to be used for the Hollywood Pictures Backlot. When the renovations are complete this area of the park is supposed to hold the majority of the track for the new Red Car Line trolley system, running guests from here to the new main gate area. The cars are said to hold only about 20 people each.
    (6/22/08) I haven’t heard too much about this yet, but according to an email sent my way, Disney may have canned The Walt Disney Story attraction planned for the Carthay Theater building. The building is still going in as part of the remodeling of the main entrance pathways, but it will instead be used for something else. In other redevelopment news, our same source claims that they may eventually rename the Hollywood Pictures Backlot into something more simple… like Hollywoodland.
    (10/17/07) Earlier this morning Disneyland made a huge announcement about the future of the Disneyland Resort, with a heavy focus on how they will improve California Adventure. For starters guests will enter Walt Disney Plaza,  a new gateway experience that will introduce them to a world of historic California streets just as Walt experienced as a young artist. This area will include a new visual icon in the form of a traditional LA style theater inspired by the design of the Carthay Circle Theater building where Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs premiered back in 1937. Inside the theater will be a n all new version of the Walt Disney Story attraction. Outside in the streets, Red Car trolleys looking much like the old Pacific Electric Railway, will travel up and down the main street. A bevy of new restaurants and shopping opportunities will also be added to Walt Disney Plaza.

2013-2014 - Cars Land Phase 2 - (5/3/10) I missed this at the time, but according to an article posted on Jim Hill Media back in February, a Phase 2 expansion of Cars Land would see a very cool restaurant concept dropped into the park from Walt Disney World. Lifted right from Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater concept would be retooled as the Radiator Springs Drive-In Theater. Just like the Florida counterpart, guests will sit down inside convertible cars, feast on an assortment of 50’s era drive-in dining options (burgers, fries, milkshakes, etc). Your on screen entertainment however will be a little different. While it will still be an assortment of funny Sci-Fi and Horror Film clips and trailers, this batch will have been given the Pixar / Cars world treatment, much like the funny drive-in trailers seen during the credits of the movie, as seen here.

2013/2014 - Soarin’ over the World - Rumor - (10/22/10) Disney and More has an interesting article about the long rumored, Soarin’ over the World attraction, a follow up to Soarin’ that would feature international locations and expand the ride’s use beyond the American parks and into Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disney and possibly beyond.

2013/2014/2015 - MuppetVision 2 - Rumor - (1/24/11) Keep in mind that this concept is only just an idea within the Mouse’s house of ideas with no set timeline. I’m hearing that give the popularity the Muppets are starting to recieve once again, WDI is starting to come up with ideas that could be used to make an all new MuppetVision 4D film to replace the old current film which is now 20 years old and revitalize the Muppets attraction once again in California and Florida for the next two decades. I’m told that this idea is one being pitched as part of the second wave of improvements WDI wants to make to California Adventure once they finish the current crop with the opening of Cars Land in 2012. Stay tuned!

2013-2017 - Future Attraction Concepts - Rumor - (4/2/12) While we haven’t even seen Disney complete the huge $1.2 billion makeover of California Adventure just yet, a new rumor has floated my way about a proposed new attraction that could open in the next five years. According to the message, Disney may be looking at adding a new mine train coaster, inspired by the design of the Big Grizzly Mountain coaster opening this year at Hong Kong Disneyland. 
    If so, they would have to place it near the Grizzly rapids ride area, but I’ve heard previously that they can’t install it onto that ride’s mountain structure, so they would have to come up with a new site for it, replacing the adventure play area behind Little Mermaid, but I’m not sure there is enough room back there anymore since the expanded Grand Californian hotel wing kind of blocked them in.
    That said… I’d really be surprised if they go through with this, as I just don’t see them having enough room here for a ride of that scale in this area, unless they were to decide to simply replace the rapids ride with the new coaster project instead.
    (2/12/08) Blue Sky Disney talks quite a bit about many future attractions that have been talked about for the next round of changes and improvements for DCA. In addition to a possible San Francisco theme being added to the Wharf area, they mention the Golden State will be modified to replace the current “Extreme Sports” concept near the Grizzly River Rapids into a more classic Yosemite national park look. The concept would also include a new E-Ticket attraction to replace the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. No one proposal has been locked into place yet, but ideas range from a “natural adventure” style attraction to a locomotive ride concept. The later of which sounds familiar to the idea we had previously heard about adding a train ride to Grizzly Mountain along with an assortment of animatronic animal figures that would be interwoven with the rapids ride. They also mention some possible reworking of the Hollywood area of the park that may focus more on the 1930’s era of Hollywood and at least one unknown new E-Ticket attraction for the area. From there they mention that even Carsland, which will open with three attractions, is being designed to accommodate two additional attractions (a D and C-Ticket) to be added in a future expansion. As for the pier… more new attractions are being talked about as well. One ride may go near the entrance of California Screamin, inside the final helix while room will be made for another at the other end of the ride sometime after the Maliboomer has been removed. Apparently there is also talk of an eventual replacement for Goofy’s Sky School, the new theme in the works for Mulholland Madness. Of course all of this is long term planning and approval will be based on how well received the current set of changes are over the next five years. By then there may be all new ideas for all new project concepts competing for approval, but it’s nice to know the general direction that Disney is thinking about for the future.