California Adventure: A Bug's Land

 

While there are some elements of both studios in both parks, California Adventure is somewhat more Pixar, with the Magic Kingdom being somewhat more Disney non-Pixar films. One thing that California has done amazingly well is take you into two different films, with A Bug's Land and Cars Land. They are right next to each other, and we will cover Cars Land next week.

As you enter the land, plants and flowers tower above you, and light is provided by fireflies. You are now a bug.

The ingenuity of this is best reflected with our favorite ride, Flik’s Flyers, built like a ride for ants. So, it is made out of a whipped topping tub, a pie plate, some sticks and walnuts, and the cars that you ride in are Chinese takeout cartons, raisin boxes, and circus cookie boxes. They lift up and you fly around in a circle. 

Francis’ Ladybug Boogie has a big 45 record for its sign, and you ride in ladybug heads. It is a spinning ride, like the teacups. There are two disks with four ladybugs each, and you the heads spin while the disks circle, so you have motion going in two directions, but it is not bad in terms of motion sickness.

Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train: You ride the caterpillar as he narrates the food he is finding and eating. There are some vegetables and a giant watermelon, but you also go through a box of animal crackers and a cupcake and candy corn. All of the food has bite marks, and you do get some scent of the different foods as well. It’s just cute.

Tuck and Roll’s Drive ‘em Buggies: We have tried them, but I always feel stupid in bumper cars. They aren't particularly violent, or hard to operate, and small children seem to do well in them, but it's just not for me.

Princess Dot Puddle Park: This has little fountain jets for kids to play and cool off. While on one level it would seem that the entire place is for children, sometimes kids don't want to go on rides, or they are not expending enough energy on the rides, and California Adventure especially has a lot of opportunities for kids to do something to get the energy out, or cool down, or whatever helps them handle the stimulus of an amusement park better.

It’s Tough to be a Bug: This is a 3-D film, which starts off with Flik narrating about how it’s tough to be a bug, and trying to be educational, but little things keep going wrong with the show until the grasshopper takes over and tries to attack the audience. They have sensors in the seats so they can make you feel things, so when there is a buzzing sound and a puff of air like a sting, it represents wasps, and then you look up and there are black widow spiders descending towards you, well, Julie and Maria don’t like this one very much. Actually, there is some scent here too, with the stinkbug.It's pretty cute if you don't have any creepy crawly phobias. If you do, you may not appreciate when there are maggots and grubs wriggling under your seat.