The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror ride, with its plummeting “haunted” elevator and 1930s hotel theme, has been a family favorite at Florida’s Walt Disney World since my daughters’ childhood. That was why, when the identical tower at a California Disney park was turned into a Guardians of the Galaxy attraction in 2017, I was disappointed, then skeptically curious.
So when my now 30-something daughter and I plotted a quick California Disney blitz in September, that Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT overhaul was at the top of our must-do list. Nice surprise: It’s a fun, thrilling, and quirky reimagining (and a must-see for Marvel Cinematic Universe fans like us).
We think other New Englanders familiar with sprawling Orlando theme park fun should consider exploring the relatively intimate Disneyland resort alternative on the West Coast, too. The rides and experiences you can’t find in Florida, along with easier access to the parks just south of Los Angeles, more than make up for the twice-as-long flight.
There are two separate parks in Anaheim (each divided into smaller “lands”): The original Disneyland, opened in 1955 (comparable to Magic Kingdom park in Florida), and Disney’s California Adventure that opened in 2001. Rather than being spread out like parks are in Orlando, these two are literally across a courtyard from each other. Next door is Downtown Disney, with restaurants and shops, plus three Disney hotels — one with a door into California Adventure.
Multiple less-pricey chain hotels are within a 15-minutes-or-less walking distance of that complex. So with two California theme parks vs. four in Florida (plus water parks), and the Anaheim resort covering about 500 acres compared to Disney World’s 27,000-plus, West Coast Disney is more manageable for any age. You don’t necessarily need a car, and certainly not the giant bus system, boats, and Skyliner gondolas that get people around in Orlando.
The idea of immersive Disney magic was born in California, and while you can see highway traffic from hotel windows, the Anaheim parks still envelope visitors in a far-from-reality world with sights, music, and imaginative, all-encompassing, movie-related fantasy.
That includes California-only rides, starting with that 13-story Guardians tower centerpiece of Avengers Campus at California Adventure. The ride is set up as the lair of the Guardians movies’ Collector character, with Rocket the raccoon seeking help to free his caged fellow Guardians. The unpredictable lifts and freefalls of Tower of Terror are still used, but there’s new decor everywhere, videos of Guardians actors in sci-fi peril, and a rock-music soundtrack. Bonus: Drops, videos, and music rotate for repeat riders.
Topping the must-ride list across the courtyard in Disneyland is the just-refurbished Indiana Jones Adventure. On this centerpiece of Adventureland, riders weave through caverns and take a careening jeep ride in search of treasure, avoiding pitfalls, snakes, and a giant rolling boulder familiar from 1981′s “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”
The beloved ghost-filled Haunted Mansion ride exists on both coasts, but it’s only in Disneyland’s New Orleans Square that the spooky theme gets switched to “holiday” mode September-December. Using story, characters, and music from 1993′s “A Nightmare Before Christmas” led by skeleton-with-a-Santa-hat Jack Skellington and ghostly dog Zero, it’s a remarkable transformation, inside and out.
Most other California-only attractions in Disneyland are in Fantasyland. Those include 1955 originals like the fast-moving Matterhorn Bobsleds roller coaster (riders chased in the dark by a yeti!) and the serene, but less-than-impressive Storybook Land Canal Boats. There are also “dark rides” that take visitors’ vehicles through story scenes, including Alice in Wonderland and Pinocchio’s Daring Adventure. A couple that have closed in Magic Kingdom are still here, including Mister Toad’s Wild Ride.
Almost all the best Anaheim-exclusive rides, though, are in California Adventure. There, the Avengers Campus includes, as of 2021, WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure, with Tom Holland’s Peter Parker character seeking help via video to quash replicating tiny robots. Through virtual magic, swinging your arms appears to throw “webs” inside changing video screens to nab the marauders and score points, in an exciting, Marvel-style alternative to a shooting ride. The campus also features stunt shows, magic by Doctor Strange, and a restaurant/bar themed to Ant-Man and the Wasp characters.
Surprisingly realistic Cars Land is another must-see. It opened in 2012 as part of a major renovation after some original California Adventure rides and themed areas proved unpopular. This section offers authentic-looking roads (including Route 66) and buildings from 2006′s “Cars,” and vehicles from the Radiator Springs Racers ride speed through Arizona-like landscapes. Tamer rides offer tilt-a-whirl-type tractors at Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree square dance, and dancing sports cars on Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters. If you liked the movie’s traffic-cones motel, the shapes here house eateries.
Reimagined Pixar Pier area boasts the shriek-worthy Incredicoaster, an outdoor coaster (high-speed, with an upside-down loop) that was formerly California Screamin’ and now has a loose “Incredibles” story. The Pier also offers “Toy Story”-themed Jessie’s Critter Carousel; Pixar Pal-A-Round, with character-decorated gondolas sliding side to side as well as rotating on a giant Ferris wheel; and the Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind spin-in-a-balloon ride.
The bridge to the pier also veers off to the just-opened San Fransokyo Square dining area. For those interested, almost all restaurants in these parks are different than in Florida (but my family doesn’t visit Disney for the food).
A trip west, though, doesn’t mean missing favorite Orlando rides, because many are replicated in Anaheim parks. For example, all the “Star Wars” rides from Disney’s Hollywood Studios — the Star Tours 3-D flight simulator, plus the new-in-2019 Rise of the Resistance immersive chase from evil Kylo Ren, and the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run flight on Han Solo’s ship — are also in Disneyland. Toy Story Mania 4-D shooting game from Hollywood Studios is also a midway ride at Pixar Pier.
The Soarin’ flying ride, now at Epcot in Florida, originally debuted at California Adventure. It’s in the Grizzly Peak section, near the terrific Grizzly River Rapids raft ride (similar to Kali River Rapids at Florida’s Animal Kingdom, and you absolutely will get wet), and a nature trail/playground area that provides a quiet escape from crowds.
Nearby Paradise Gardens Park has the Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure ride like Florida’s Magic Kingdom, plus it features a few unique rides for younger visitors and the exhilarating Silly Symphony Swings flying ride. Other Magic Kingdom stalwarts — including Pirates of the Caribbean, It’s a Small World, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad — are different enough at Disneyland to enjoy the novelty.
Because it was the time we had available, we experienced each park in one weekday, walking 10-plus miles daily, and skipping lesser attractions (especially those with long waits), and most restaurants and shops. More time to enjoy both parks is recommended. Our marathon was possible because we stayed from opening to closing, and used order-ahead dining and Genie+ options managed via the Disneyland phone app. Genie+ passes allowed us to reserve hour-long time slots — generally one ride at a time — to skip the lines through fast Lightning Lanes.
Aggravatingly, Disney charges an extra $25 per day for Genie+ passes above admission ($104-$179 for one day/one park in November, according to a https://disneyland.disney.go.com/ calendar). There’s yet another fee above that for Lightning Lanes for uber-popular Rise of the Resistance and Radiator Springs Racers. (Tip: We found the Racers’ single-rider option to be as fast as Lightning Lanes.)
Disney World certainly offers only-there attractions and other pleasures, too. But a trip west to the Disney mothership could be worthwhile for East Coast families or adult fans who have experienced Orlando parks and want something new. If only to reduce the acreage needed to walk/drive, the humidity level, and, for the politically left-leaning, the amount of vacation dollars spent in Florida.
Meanwhile, hey Disney, just leave that Orlando version of Tower of Terror alone, OK?