Reinventing California

An entrance resembling a postcard of the Golden State.

A 20-foot plunge on a wildly spinning “river raft” to cap a water ride down Grizzly Peak.

A spinner thrill ride inside a huge peeled orange.

A big-screen theater where 87 people climb into “hang gliders” for a 4 1/2-minute virtual-reality tour of the Golden State.

These are among the features that Walt Disney Co. imagineers are betting on to lure tourists to Disney’s California Adventure, the theme park being built in a former Disneyland parking lot that now resembles a 55-acre sandbox.

Disney plans to show off the latest details of the new park later this month. But officials have provided sneak peeks of the likely attractions in recent briefings to employees and in conversations with other insiders.

They include:

* Old-fashioned rides for Paradise Pier, one of three main sections of the new park and Disney’s take on ocean tourist spots such as Santa Monica Pier and the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. The attractions include Jumpin’ Jellyfish, a parachute drop; a carousel with California sea animals; and a fake-wood roller coaster that will catapult riders 360 degrees around Mickey Mouse’s head.

* “Muppet Vision 3D,” a virtual-reality show that has proved popular with Disney theme park visitors in Florida. It will be updated for the new park’s Hollywood section.

* A California history show akin to the American Adventure Pavilion at Disney’s Epcot park in Florida. Located in the Golden State area of Disney’s California Adventure, it will feature moving stages, mechanical figures and multimedia exhibits.

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For now, the park site in Anaheim resembles a desert, where sewer lines and compressed-air conduits are being buried. Workers have dug out a huge “lagoon,” not yet filled with water.

A vast sand heap occupies the Grizzly Peak site. At its base, earth movers scoop trenches for the mountain’s huge foundation.

Water trucks cruise by, trying to keep dust from escaping to nearby Disneyland, the Anaheim Convention Center and hotels.

The massive project goes largely unnoticed by visitors. “With all the fencing, few people have any idea of the amount of work that is being done out here,” said Alan Rose, Disney’s construction chief for the project.

Rose, a veteran of numerous company projects in Florida--including hotels and the town of Celebration--says visitors are often startled when they see the extent of the work.

“But when they wonder about us handling a $2-billion project out here,” he says. “I tell them we did $1.8 billion in work in Florida over three years. So I’m not worried.”

Problems are numerous, of course. Anaheim city officials have been bombarded with calls from businesses disrupted by the work beside Disneyland, the Convention Center and surrounding roadways.

Some Disneyland visitors were irked that they had to take trams to get into the park. Some pedestrian access was restored in the wake of numerous complaints.

Bookings are off at the Disneyland Pacific Hotel across torn-up West Street.

And then there are just out-and-out goofs. “We dug into an electrical site over here that we didn’t think was active. And it turned out to be. And we shut down the Monorail,” Rose said.

More disruptions are expected. The Monorail will be shut down from time to time during construction of a new Disneyland Hotel station and other work.

Still, Rose said, the project is on time. Above-ground construction begins next year, with installation of attractions in 2000. The park is scheduled to open at the beginning of 2001.

The project appears to be exceeding the initially announced $1.4 billion. Rose says his reference to $2 billion is construction “bragging rights,” a rounding up since the final total will exceed $1.5 billion. Disney spokesman Ray Gomez said the project is in the $1.4-billion to $1.5-billion range.

Whatever the amount, the project is a large bet, even for a company as huge as Disney, which also is getting a 750-room hotel in the new park for its money, as well as an adjacent retail, entertainment and dining area named Disneyland Center.

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Such entertainment-oriented retail centers, including Downtown Disney in Florida, City Walk at Universal Studios Hollywood, and Irvine Spectrum Center at the El Toro Y, have proved powerful magnets for residents.

But the key bet is that the “second gate” park, itself, can attract new visitors from across the United States and the world--visitors who would stay at the Disney complex for three days, perhaps, instead of just one at Disneyland.

“The strategy is to have this become a destination resort, not just a day,” Gomez said.

The new park “may actually rekindle tourists’ interest in California,” said Disney analyst Jeffrey Logsdon at Cruttenden, Roth & Co. in Irvine.

“They’re not coming because of our football teams, that’s for sure. And there’s no Olympics in sight again any time soon.

“But this could actually provide a new reason for people to travel long distances to California.”

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A New Direction

Details of Walt Disney Co.’s new park are beginning to take shape. Disney’s California Adventure and the adjacent Disneyland Center will feature a range of activities and themes, including shopping areas for those who do not necessarily want to enter the park. The layout:

1. Retail, entertainment and dining: Mall area with 250,000-300,000 square feet of commercial space and room to expand fills the area encircled by the Monorail tracks. Will connect the huge plaza between the two parks with the Disneyland Hotel area across West Street. Mall will be built above West Street, which is being dropped 14 feet below grade to accommodate it. Possible features: 40,000-square-foot World of Disney store, a mega-store of branded merchandise; ESPNZone sports bar; 14-screen movie theater complex; DisneyQuest virtual reality amusement hall; numerous other shops, restaurants and clubs.

2. Entrance to Disney’s California Adventure: On the esplanade across from the Disneyland entrance. The California Adventure entrance will resemble a postcard, with “California” spelled out in large letters in front; an ersatz Golden Gate Bridge holding the Monorail at the entrance itself; and a large sunburst figure with palm trees around a circular pool looming beyond.

3. Hollywood: This new section features tongue-in-cheek limousine tour of back lots, Malibu and movie-star mansions; animation pavilion beneath a “Fantasia” sorcerer’s cap; “Muppet Vision 3D,” update of a virtual-reality show introduced in Florida by Disney; 2,000-seat Broadway-style theater.

4. Paradise Pier: Beside a huge “lagoon,” the area is Disney’s take on ocean-side tourist attractions such as Santa Monica Pier and the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. Dominated by a 360-degree roller coaster shaped like Mickey Mouse, its features will probably include the Orange Spinner ride inside a huge “peeled orange” and Jumpin’ Jellyfish, a parachute drop ride.

5. The Golden State: This look at the history and culture of California will feature a flume ride down bear-shaped Grizzly Peak; California history attraction; virtual-reality “hang-glide” ride over the wonders of the state; numerous exhibits of food, drink and crafts.

Sources: Disneyland, Times reports; Researched by E. SCOTT RECKARD/Los Angeles Times