Mulholland Madness - a themeless off-the-shelf roller coaster that earned Disney's California Adventure its on-the-cheap reputation - will get a Goofy's Sky Skool "refreshing" as part of a $1.1-billion effort to add a heavy dose of Mickey Mouse and friends to the under-performing theme park.
Gone is the giant foldout map of Southern California that always seemed like a futile attempt to hide the fact that the coaster was nothing more than a wild-mouse ride found at any freeway entertainment center. Gone too is the Magic Mountain-esque, slapdash, Caltrans maintenance-yard theme involving little more than a plastering of roadwork signs.
The new back story follows Goofy's attempts to teach a group of novice pilots how to fly. Naturally, things go awry. The reworked ride is expected to open in 2010.
Bob Weis, California Adventure's chief imagineer, said the four-person Mulholland Madness cars will get an extensive makeover. The Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida, features a similarly themed Goofy's Barnstormer roller coaster with airplane styling and a front propeller.
Blue Sky Disney suggests the Goofy makeover is merely a placeholder for a true E-ticket-type attraction — essentially a Disney character Band-Aid meant to hide a scar until more money frees up for future expansion.
In addition to the Goofy coaster, Paradise Pier will get a complete Disney overlay in the next few years, with the Orange Stinger transforming into the Silly Symphony Swings (with a "Band Concert" Mickey Mouse makeover) and the park's iconic Sun Wheel becoming Mickey's Fun Wheel. The boardwalk games and shops, currently sporting tongue-in-cheek California references, will adopt new Disney character back stories as well.
Mulholland Madness - a themeless off-the-shelf roller coaster that earned Disney's California Adventure its on-the-cheap reputation - will get a Goofy's Sky Skool "refreshing" as part of a $1.1-billion effort to add a heavy dose of Mickey Mouse and friends to the under-performing theme park.