Located immediately next to Disneyland, Disney’s second Anaheim theme park has come a long way since its 2001 opening, thanks to reimagined California themes and the infusion of Pixar and Marvel properties. The park’s early emphasis on old school Hollywood glamour and Wolfgang Puck-class dining has evolved dramatically to embrace the more modern fun and excitement of Avengers, Spider-Man, and Guardians of the Galaxy characters, who now wander an Avengers Campus area with rides, shops, and a big-and-small-themed Pym Test Kitchen restaurant, as well as a small town worth of Cars attractions, rollercoasters for The Incredibles and Inside Out, and a Toy Story-branded midway of classic theme park rides.
Based on Big Hero 6 from Disney Animation Studios, one of the park’s best areas is San Fransokyo Square, marrying classic California businesses with Japanese-inspired branding. San Francisco’s Ghirardelli operates an ice cream shop next to Boudin bakery, which offers a breadmaking tour, while San Diego’s Karl Strauss Brewing serves beers nearby. The park also hosts legitimately good upscale restaurants, notably including the pan-Asian/EMEA Carthay Circle, and Italian-American Wine Country Trattoria. Year over year, these improvements have collectively made DCA worth visiting – particularly for adults and kids aged 10 and up – though some marquee attractions (such as Spider-Man’s WEB Slingers) tend to be very short and unpredictably reliable.
