Pixar Pier brings new roller coaster, food to Disneyland — PHOTOS
Adventure is out there!
The credo made famous by the Pixar film, “Up,” greets visitors as they pass beneath the arch to Disneyland Resort’s newest land.
Pixar Pier at Disney California Adventure is the home of Disney’s newest ride, shops and eateries. Previously Paradise Pier, the land had been renovated to better reflect Disney stories and characters.
Paired with the opening of “Incredibles 2,” Pixar Pier opened June 23 with four smaller neighborhoods: The Incredibles Park, Toy Story Boardwalk, Pixar Promenade and what will become Inside Out Headquarters in 2019.
Eager fans who shelled out for a steep $299 ticket got early entry to the VIP preview on June 22 and were among the first to experience the highly anticipated Incredicoaster.
The Incredicoaster
Formerly the California Screamin’ roller coaster, the new Incredicoaster merges thrill and story. “Trying to tell a story on a high-speed coaster can be difficult, says Tracey Noce, Creative Director for the Incredicoaster, Walt Disney Imagineering.”So we had to get creative with storytelling that can be read really quickly.”
Rather than introducing a villain, the thrill ride follows the Parr family as they try to catch Jack-Jack, the youngest Incredible. The ride opens with a scene of Jack-Jack escaping from his “Auntie Edna.” As the roller coaster glides beneath red tunnels, Jack-Jack uses his numerous powers to evade capture by his family. The effect creates a roller coaster imbued with light, color and story.
By the end of the ride, over a dozen “multiplied” Jack-Jack’s are strewn over and around the ride’s tracks.
Toy Story Boardwalk
The newest change to the boardwalk is an updated carnival games area. Four new games include La Luna Star Catcher, Heimlich’s Candy Corn Toss, WALL-E Space Race and Bullseye Stallion Stampede.
Mickey’s Fun Wheel has undergone a Pixar-inspired facelift and become the Pixar Pal-A-Round. The 24 gondolas each feature a Pixar character.
Adorable Treats and more
Four new food spots around the pier also take inspiration from Pixar films. Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats serves soft-serve inspired by the not-so-abominable snowman in “Monsters Inc.”
Jack-Jack Cookie Num Nums offers soft, warm chocolate chip cookies as well as a gluten-free option.
“Toy Story”-inspired Poultry Palace and Señor Buzz Churros which offer fried chicken and churros, respectively.
And Anger from “Inside Out” anchors the spicy fare offered at Angry Dogs.
Lamplight Lounge
Taking over the space previously shared by Cove Bar and Ariel’s Grotto, Lamplight Lounge brings what John State, Culinary Director of California Adventure and Downtown Disney, calls “California casual gastro-pub cuisine” to California Adventure. “The story behind the restaurant is that it started as an abandoned warehouse,” says State. “Then these animators brought it to life as a place to hang out and eat and drink.”
Menu items reference Pixar movies and animation jargon. Cocktails include the 2319 — a code from “Monster’s Inc.” and the Plot Twist and Sizzle Reel.
The only menu item of Cove Bar to survive the redesign was the cult-favorite lobster nachos. “People were coming up and begging me to keep the lobster nachos,” says State. “We played with the idea of making it a secret menu item but, at the end, give the people what they want.”
Lamplight Lounge’s decor includes memorabilia and early art from Pixar movies set against a brick and leather-detailed interior.
The opening of Pixar Pier falls in the middle of Pixar Fest, the celebration of all things Pixar spanning Disneyland and California Adventure. Pixar Fest runs through September 3.
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Contact Janna Karel at jkarel@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jannainprogress on Twitter.
