Paradise Pier at Disney's California Adventure

California Screamin'--I like that name. I also like this roller coaster. It's not the biggest nor the fastest coaster, and isn't really meant to be. It's a "family" coaster. Once your kids reach the upper grades of elementary school, they'll probably be able to enjoy this ride with you. Unlike most roller coasters, this one comes with a soundtrack. You listen to (loud) music as you ride. This attraction does have the fast-pass feature, although most of the year you won't need to use a fast pass here. If you've never seen any other photos of the California Adventure theme park, you've probably seen pix of this attraction. It was built to be "eye candy" as well as fun, and indeed it is.

Along with the California Screamin' roller coaster, the Sun Wheel is one of the most photographed attractions in the park. Rightly so--it's beautiful! Now, if only the ride was as exciting as its looks! The Sun Wheel isn't an ordinary Ferris wheel... and that's too bad, because an ordinary Ferris wheel is more fun than this ride is. Riders are placed in a safe, enclosed gondola car--so far, so good. You won't be scared of falling. But, the ride never DOES anything. It takes forever to load, and once loaded, it only revolves around ONE TIME. I once asked, "Why is the actual riding time so short?" The ride attendant said, "It's just the policy." This section of the park can be very light on traffic during the off-season, and even then the "once around" policy never changes. Go figure.

There are two lines from which to choose from: one line for the gondola cars, which do absolutely nothing unusual, and another for the cars, which WOULD be a lot of fun IF the ride actually revolved more than once. (These cars "slide" at times, when the big wheel spins.) Everyone wants to be in the cars that "do" something, so that line is longer. If you just want to catch the view from the top of the ride--and it's quite a nice view--by all means, choose the stationary cars--you'll get done much more quickly.

The Orange Stinger is a traditional "flying swings" ride. It's attractive. It's fun to photograph. But it's nothing special. Your kids will like it nevertheless. At least, my grandkids were just as enchanted with the Orange Stinger as if were some brand-new concept. Tip: If the adults in your party ever wanted to ride a "flying swings" ride, now is the time for them to do it. These seats are quite ample. An adult on this ride's "twin sister" at Knott's Berry Farm is likely to get wedged into the seat!

The Maliboomer--I like that name. It's a take-off on the name of the town of "Malibu," which is right near where I grew up. Along with the California Screamin' roller coaster, this is one of the best rides in the Paradise Pier section--at least for teens and adults. It's not a unique ride--you've seen it's "twin" in other parks--but it's fun, as always. The ride zooms to the top, puts your tummy into your throat, and then bounces more gently several times while you catch a good aerial view of the park.

The Mulholland Madness ride is your standard "wild mouse" carnival ride, but with better scenery. It's fun, as "wild mouse" rides are. It's just not unique enough to merit waiting 45 minutes for a ride, which can happen at times. It's named after William Mulholland, the man who spearheaded the drive to bring water into the Los Angeles basin years ago, enabling the city's growth spurt. You may already have heard of his name. Mulholland Drive in Los Angeles is one of the city's "must see" attractions. The drive sits atop a mountain ridge, from which you can see both the San Fernando Valley and the ocean sides of LA. Locals to the Mulholland Drive area drive like they were, themselves, on the Mulholland Madness ride--so be forewarned! Use one of the many scenery-viewing turnouts when you visit the real Mulholland Drive.

Just kidding--the real name for this ride is the "Golden Zephyr." But honestly, unless you're trying to entertain toddlers--or babies!--this ride is the California Adventure equivalent of Sominex. Do you really want to waste your time going around in a slow circle? This attraction is a "must-see" only for those who want to make sure that they visit EVERY ride in the park. Of course, I'm one of those people! Thankfully, I first tried out this ride on a trip when my granddaughter was with me, so I killed two birds with one stone!

The Jumpin' Jellyfish ride is a tot-pleaser that parents will find quite pleasant, as well. It's a visual riot of colors--it's hard to take a bad photo of this ride. Like the Maliboomer, you're shot into the air, and bounced several times during the course of the ride. However, the shooting and bouncing are done gently, so that toddlers can enjoy the experience.

The Rustworthy is a boat-shaped play structure for kids. Around the sides of the boat is a water-play area. There is an attendant or two here, but they don't monitor whether or not the kids share, so your kids may need to be aggressive (on a busy day) in order to get a turn with the (very few) squirt guns or the (one only) captain's steering wheel. My question: did they really have to make this ship look so darned ugly?

I have happy memories of traveling along Route 66, so I was pleased to see that California Adventure pays tribute to "The Mother Road" by naming a gift shop after it. Three of my four photos show this particular store. My fourth photo is of a series of cute gift shops across from the Sun Wheel. There's another darling gift shop in the shape of a pink dinosaur--but darn it, I forgot to take any photos of it!

King Triton's Carousel is a movie-themed attraction, the movie being "The Little Mermaid," of course. Most carousels are beautiful, and this one is certainly one of "the best of the best." The ride experience is typical of any other carousel. There is rarely much of a wait here. King Triton's Carousel's outstanding trait is its colorful loveliness.