It won't be your parent's Disney resort, Disney officials hope, as the big retooling of the struggling California Adventure theme park next door to Disneyland began today with the official opening of two new attractions.
Stars from current Disney Channel hits are featured in the new attractions, "Pixar Play Parade" and "Playhouse Disney Live on Stage."
Both events began with soft rollouts last week, but were officially added to the roster today, the Orange County Register reported.
The classic princesses and cartoon characters that inhabit Disneyland are not seen in the new California Adventure attractions, which emphasize tie- ins to new shows starring new characters like Nemo, the precocious clownfish from the Disney-owned Pixar movie franchise, "Finding Nemo."
The new attractions are just the first public glimpse of the $1.1 billion retooling of California Adventure, the 55-acre "second gate" that opened in what used to be Disneyland's parking lot in 2001. Within five years, Disney officials hope to revamp California Adventure into a worthy destination of its own right.
The next major step is reportedly a June opening of an $80 million new ride called "Toy Story Mania," which is designed to transport park-goers into the insides of arcade games.
It won't be your parent's Disney resort, Disney officials hope, as the big retooling of the struggling California Adventure theme park next door to Disneyland began today with the official opening of two new attractions.