Within Disneyland Resort and right beside Disneyland Park lies Disney California Adventure, also known as California Adventure. The amusement park spans an area of 55 acres and was of the newer attractions that were added to expand Disneyland to the much larger Disneyland Resort of today. The park drew in an estimated 6 million guests in 2009 which made in the 11th most frequented amusement park in the planet. According to the dedication of the park, Disney California Adventure welcomes those who believe in the power of dreams and honors to the former dreamers who created the Golden State, as well as to revel in the splendor and diversity of California.

Disney California Adventure Park is divided into five segments: Paradise Pier, A Bug?s Land, The Golden State, Hollywood Pictures Backlot and Sunshine Plaza.
Paradise Pier is modeled after California boardwalk back during the Victorian era. It showcases famous coastal walkways such as the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and the Santa Monica Pies and features all-time favorite rides seen in numerous boardwalks. One of the more notable attractions found here is the Mickey?s Fun Wheel which is a 49-meter wide Ferris wheel towering above Paradise Bay. There is also a hydrotechnic performance called the World of Color. It?s a visual spectacle which shows scenes from different Disney and Pixar movies.

Ever wondered how it is to be a bug? In Disney California Adventure, you can just by heading over to A Bug?s Land which gives visitors a chance to see the world through the eyes of a bug, more specifically, through the eyes of Flik from the hit animated film A Bug?s Life. Guests will be dwarfed by larger-than-life things and food, just like a bug. Some of the attractions found here are Dot?s Puddle Park, Heimlich Chew Chew Train, Tuck & Roll?s Drive ?em Buggies, Ladybug Boogie and Fliks Flyers.

The third area in Disney California Adventure is Golden State which enables visitors to relish in California?s natural state. This area is also segmented into five sections. Condor Flats is patterned after an airfield to pay honor to the pilots and aviation engineers during the 1940s up until the 1960s. The most popular attraction here is Soarin? Over which recreates a hang glider adventure over California. The Grizzly Peak Recreation Area is inspired by California?s fauna like the Redwood and Yosemite national parks. The Bay Area on the other hand depicts the San Francisco Bay Area and the famous masterfully crafted Victorian Houses that flourished in San Francisco. This sub-land is scheduled to be made into The Little Mermaid: Ariel?s Undersea Adventure. Gold Vine Winery meanwhile takes after Napa Valley in Northern California and gives an overview of the winemaking industry of the area. Lastly, the Pacific Wharf depicts Monterey?s Cannery Row (once the sardines? capital of California) as well as the popular tourist attraction Fisherman?s Wharf.

The fourth area of Disney California Adventure is Hollywood Pictures Backlot which was constructed to look like the boulevards found in Hollywood and to resemble movie backlots. The attractions found here are of course television and movie inspired. Some of the attractions found here are Tower of Terror, The Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sullery to the Rescue! and Hyperion Theater. The two elephant statues sitting on top of two columns pay tribute to a humongous set created for the 1916 Hollywood flick Intolerance.

Rounding up the fiver areas is Sunshine Plaza which also acts as the primary entrance to Disney California Adventure. The design of Sunshine Plaza was meant to give visitors the feeling like they are treading into a California postcard. Upon purchasing tickets, guests will have to pass under a replica of the iconic San Francisco landmark, the Golden Gate Bridge. On both ends of the bridge are murals which feature large murals of California?s different landmarks and its expansive mountain ranges. Suspended above Sunshine Plaza is a massive metal sunburst. Adding to the plaza?s ambience is a fountain. The Sunshine Plaza also holds a remake of the California Zephyr which contains two counter service eateries. Likewise, Disney California Adventure?s largest souvenir stores can be located here.

Aside from these sub-areas and the attractions they each hold, Disney California Adventure is also teeming with live entertainment. Scattered all throughout the park are Disney characters that visitors can interact with and take pictures with. There is also the Pixar Play Parade which showcases floats of Disney-Pixar hits such as The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Cars and Ratatouille. For partyphiles, they can enjoy a one-of-a-kind rave revolving around Disney?s Tron called ElecTRONica.