Over the hubbub of the excited crowd , I heard a concerned woman ’ s voice : “ Don ’ t get too far ahead , sweetheart !”
A man echoed her concern —“ Wait for us , buddy !”— and a set of excited footfalls on the planking reluctantly began to slow down .
It took me a moment to realize that the voices weren ’ t talking to me , as I was also excited and ready to race ahead toward the bright lights . I turned my head and saw the actual culprit , a boy of five or six with wide eyes and a wicked grin .
Ahead lay a kaleidoscope of lights , gaudy and gorgeous , some in reds and yellows , many more in warm white , defining the shapes of every structure , creating a kind of open-air tunnel , waiting to transport us all away to somewhere extraordinary .
The boy looked up at me and suddenly stomped his foot on the picture of the famous Luxo Ball on the decking , like an enormous welcome mat , and he locked eyes and grinned again . It was almost a challenge , like he knew this place belonged to kids like him . He did not wait for me to respond but charged ahead and disappeared into the glow of the lights , his parents hurrying after him .
A KID AGAIN It was my first visit to Disney California Adventure , or to any Disney Park without my family , who had always been the reason for it all . On our many trips to Walt Disney World in Florida , I had always been the planner , the one who had the maps memorized and had gamed every system to shepherd my flock to fun . Now I was the one being shown the town , traveling with friends who knew and loved the parks at Disneyland Resort as well as I knew and loved those in Orlando . It was my turn to be a kid , and this corner of Disney California Adventure felt like the perfect place to start .
The boy was right — there was clearly magic waiting here . This looked like a place where everyone could be a kid . I took a moment and stomped on the Luxo Ball myself , as if to claim my share of magic , and turned toward the glowing lights ahead . The ones that read : PIXAR PIER .
A MAGICAL HISTORY TOUR Walt Disney famously said , “ Disneyland will never be completed . It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world .” The same can be said of
ABOVE : Adorable billboards capture the magic of both the Victorian boardwalk era and beloved Pixar films . PHOTOS BY DANNY SHUSTER
every park that carries his name . Perhaps nowhere else is that more true than at Disney California Adventure , where it seems like much of its 20-year history has been spent in a continual pivot .
In February of 2001 , when the park first welcomed visitors , it was themed as a celebration of California ’ s history and culture . The area now called Pixar Pier , together with Paradise Gardens Park , was then known as Paradise Pier and themed after classic California seaside amusement parks . It didn ’ t take long before some of the world ’ s most beloved intellectual properties began to remake the park , a long process that has continued for many years , with lands transforming and attractions often retheming more than once .
In 2008 , the seeds of Pixar domination were sown with the arrival of a new attraction on the pier : Toy Story Midway Mania !, which opened in California just a few weeks after taking Hollywood Studios by storm . The excitement caused by this invasion of Pixar pals helped to fuel the changes already in motion , and by 2018 , Paradise Pier had split once and for all . Paradise Gardens Park kept the elements of a Victorian-era California amusement park , and Pixar Pier was born , celebrating some of the most beloved creations under the Disney umbrella .
PIXAR PALS UNITE ! Even before the evolution of Pixar Pier , the heroes of your favorite Pixar films were no strangers to Disney California Adventure . The dark ride Monsters , Inc . Mike & Sully to the Rescue ! has been a long-standing feature in Hollywood Land , and the always-popular Cars franchise has had an entire land to itself since 2012 . However , Pixar Pier gave
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