Big changes coming to Paradise Pier at Disney California Adventure® Park

Artist rendering of the new Pixar Pier area

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By David Platt, your Mouse Master specialist

Disney California Adventure® Park is at it again, with massive changes in the air! I almost don’t know where to begin with this one:
 

What’s changing
 
Paradise Pier: it’s becoming Pixar Pier—but only part of it. The area between Goofy’s Sky School and The Little Mermaid—Ariel’s Undersea Adventure will be rebranded as ‘Paradise Park.’ Pixar Pier will include four Pixar neighborhoods: an Incredibles neighborhood, a Toy Story neighborhood, an Inside Out neighborhood, and a fourth neighborhood devoted to other Pixar characters.
 
California Screamin’: the legendary coaster will be re-themed as the Incredicoaster, the linchpin of the Incredibles neighborhood. The new coaster will feature "a mid-century-modern-style loading area, new character moments and a new look for the ride vehicles," according to the Disney Parks Blog.
 
Ariel’s Grotto and the Cove Bar: these two popular eateries will briefly be shut down before re-opening as a yet-to-be-named lounge and grill.  What does this mean for the future of princess dining at California Adventure? Only time will tell. I’m wondering if maybe we’ll get a brand new Pixar-themed character dining experience.

Mickey’s Fun Wheel: while the name will apparently stay the same, the Fun Wheel will now have gondolas themed after Pixar characters. Not to worry—the giant Mickey face will remain!
 
California theming: this is purely my own opinion here, but yet ANOTHER piece of the park’s California theming is disappearing. First Soarin’ Over California is rebranded to Soarin’ Around the World, then the Hollywood Hotel at the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ is rebranded to Guardian’s of the Galaxy- Mission: BREAKOUT!, and now California Screamin’ will be rebranded to the Incredicoaster. I feel a renaming of the park coming down the pike, eliminating the ‘California’ in the park name.
 


What’s staying the same
 
The Little Mermaid—Ariel’s Undersea Adventure: there are no plans to make any changes to this popular ride, although the name of the land it’s in will change from Paradise Pier to Paradise Park.
 
Toy Story Midway Mania!®: while the land it’s in will be renamed from Paradise Pier to Pixar Pier, nothing has been announced to indicate any changes to this linchpin of the Toy Story neighborhood.
 
Most of the ‘lesser’ Paradise Pier rides: Goofy’s Sky School, Silly Symphony Swings, Jumpin’ Jellyfish, and Golden Zephyr will remain unchanged, as far as we know.
 


What’s being added
 
An Inside Out attraction: the Inside Out neighborhood will be home to an as-yet-unnamed ‘family friendly attraction.
 
New meet & greets: while the official announcement doesn’t explicitly say anything about new character meet & greets, the description of the Incredibles neighborhood promises a ‘new character moment.’ I’d also be incredibly (see what I did there?) surprised to not see other Pixar meet & greets incorporated into the Inside Out and Toy Story neighborhoods.
 


For the full story, see the original Disney Parks Blog article.