If it’s your first trip to Disney California Adventure or you have one day at the park to do it all, you probably want to know the must-see and must-do rides, entertainment and experiences. This park has a few attractions and highly themed lands you cannot find at Disney World, such as Cars Land, Avengers Campus, San Fransokyo Square, Hollywood Land, Grizzly Peak and Pixar Pier. You can certainly dig into must-try foods that are unique to this park, as well. Here’s our not-to-miss Disney California Adventure Park information! This park also has many new rides and lands on the horizon!
FAQs
- How can I save on Disney California Adventure tickets? You can save on discount multi-day Disneyland tickets through Undercover Tourist. There are usually California Resident tickets in the winter and spring, as well as summer ticket deals, both with additional savings through Undercover Tourist. Plus, each Undercover Tourist Disneyland ticket comes with FREE Dining Dollars promo codes, which you can use to save 15% on Disney gift cards to save on food and merchandise at the park.
- Should I park hop? The Disney California Adventure entrance is right across from the Disneyland Park entrance, so park hopping is easy and convenient. However, if you have limited time or are looking to save money, 1-Park tickets are the way to go. Certain promo tickets include park hopping, so definitely go for those when they are available!
- What's coming to Disney California Adventure? Exciting changes are coming with a new Soarin' Across America, an expanded Avengers Campus, a new Coco ride and an Avatar land and ride.
- When is the best time to Visit Disney California Adventure? This park has many seasonal festivals and celebrations that make anytime a great time to visit. Lunar New Year, Food and Wine Festival, Halloween Time/Plaza de la Familia and The Festival of Holidays are the major celebrations in this park that bring special entertainment, food and character interactions to the park.
- Which hotel has an entrance right into the theme park? Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa has a dedicated theme park entrance. All Disneyland Hotel guests (with room key) can use it. Save on your Disneyland hotel stay when you book through Undercover Tourist, now with a refundable $200 deposit.
What Not-to-Miss at Disney California Adventure
Although Disney California Adventure (DCA to locals) is just across from Disneyland, this park has a toadally different vibe. You get a taste of Hollywood, a beachside boardwalk, wine country, the desert and the California forests. Plus you can celebrate different cultures during certain times of the year and enjoy adult drinks throughout the park. This is the only Disneyland theme park that has its own hotel entrance — Disney's Grand Californian Hotel has a side entrance that opens right into the park! Pixar Place Hotel and Disneyland Hotel guests can use it as well. Whether you have toddlers or teens, or you're making an adult-only trip, let's hop to it and explore the top Disney California Adventure rides, food and entertainment.
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What's Coming to Disney California Adventure
This park has changed a lot since it opened in 2021, and we have a lot to look forward to. Before we jump into our favorite parts of DCA, let's go over what's coming in the next few years:
- Soarin' Across America lifts off July 2, 2026.
- Avengers Campus doubles in size and gets two new rides in 2027.
- A new Coco boat ride is under construction between Pixar Pier and Paradise Gardens Park.
- A new Avatar land and ride will replace Monsters Inc.
Not-to-Miss Small Thrills at Disney California Adventure Park
We're breaking up our top rides and attractions by those smaller thrills without a height requirement and those bigger thrills just for bigger frogs because we know that Tad’s and my top rides may differ from Mommy Frog’s preferences and what our toddler Lily can access. If you have a small fry, our guide to Disneyland height requirements and Rider Switch is most hopful for planning purposes. Of course, there is so much more to do than we can mention here, but we're sharing the major highlights. And if you'd like our froggy opinion on which rides are the best of the best, check out our list of top 10 not-to-miss Disney California Adventure rides! Keep in mind that Monster Inc. closes in 2027 to make way for a new Avatar land and attraction.
Toy Story Midway Mania!
It's a 3D video game and a ride, all in one! Put on your 3D glasses, your vehicle will take you to play classic carnival games with a modern twist. Your "Toy Story" friends will guide you. Score points for some family-friendly competition. During the Disneyland 70th Anniversary Celebration (which ends on Aug. 9, 2026), you can score extra points by hitting targets with 70th stickers!
The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
This slow, dark ride will have the whole family singing along to classic songs such as "Under the Sea" and "Part of Your World." Step into your clamshell seat and take a journey under the sea, but watch out for Ursula. This is one of our favorite rides on hot days when you need a little relaxing break in the AC.
Pixar Pal-A-Round
Don't let its beloved nickname, Mickey's Wheel of Death, or the fact that there are barf bags in the gondola scare you off. Even Lily loved this rocking ride as an infant! And can it really be that scary if it doesn't even require seatbelts? You can choose the tamer non-swinging gondola or the swinging one that glides on rails and swings along tracks on this giant Ferris-wheel-like ride with added thrills. The views from up top are worth the trip. We like to ride this one just after park opening for the shortest wait.
WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure
This 3D ride is the newest one in the park and the newest land, Avengers Campus. You'll attend a WEB open house hosted by Peter Parker, but the demonstration goes horribly wrong when the Spider-Bots get stuck in replication mode. Can you help Spider-Man sling webs to catch the Spider Bots and save Avengers Campus? Much like Midway Mania! This ride is a 3D game. However, with new technology in place, there are no physical game tools to use. You simply point and shoot your own arms to start slinging some webs. It might be a workout, but boy is it fun!
Animation Building
It’s easy to walk right past this Hollywood Land building, but there is Disney magic inside this Disney California Adventure hidden gem. You can learn to draw a Disney character, chat with Crush during Turtle Talk and even meet Anna and Elsa. This is another great spot to cool off, relax and reset during your day.
Honorable Mention: Redwood Creek Challenge Trail
While we might not call it a must-do item, if you're not on a time crunch, the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail will thrill your tadpoles. They can enjoy some unstructured, shady playtime. Our tadpoles love running along the course, climbing rocks or gliding on tire zip lines. (However, note that some parts of the experience may technically have a height requirement.) Hop over to our happiest places to play at Disneyland post to learn more. During the holidays, this is the place to find Santa and do additional seasonal activities. This is also a great spot to catch Chip 'n' Dale.
Not-to-Miss Big Thrills at Disney California Adventure Park
This park has two of our favorite thrill rides at Disneyland Resort. The thrills make Disney California Adventure especially popular with tweens, teens and adults.
Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: Breakout!
Unique to this park, the ride was originally Tower of Terror but was re-themed. And we Tower of Terror fans hate to say that we absolutely love this fun thrill ride. Ride it more than once if you can because you can get up to six different songs and video/drop sequences! During Halloween Time, you get the daytime version until 2 p.m. and a Monsters After Dark heavy metal version after 3 p.m.! And yes, you can book a Lightning Lane for each of them!
Radiator Springs Racers
Cars Land is an immersive must-see land. At the end of Route 66, make a right and pull into Radiator Springs Racers for a dark ride meets thrilling race through the desert. Meet your favorite "Cars" friends along the way as they prepare you for the big race. Do you need tires or a new paint job? The cars are here to help you with speed and style. If your party can split up, the single rider line is significantly shorter than the standby line.
Incredicoaster
Join the Incredibles on Disneyland's only upside-down wooden roller coaster. Edna is perhaps not the best choice for a babysitter. She's lost Jack-Jack, and all members of the Parr family have to use their skills to get him back. Oh, and you're along for the thrilling ride! Dash will count you down for the 0 to 55 mph launch. Travel through three tunnels and down three large drops in your quest to catch Jack-Jack. Can you smell the cookie num nums in the second tunnel?
Soarin’
The riders generally break out into a round of applause at the end of this visually stunning trip over beautiful sights around the world. You'll soar over the real Matterhorn, Great Wall of China, pyramids in Egypt, Fiji, The Eiffel Tower and more distinct locations around the world. Take a big whiff as you can smell the aromas of places you visit and feel the breeze on your face. If you visit in the spring during the Food and Wine Festival (and through July 1, 2026), you'll get treated to Soarin' Over California.
As of July 2, 2026, we get a new version: Soarin' Across America! It will be here for a limited time.
Grizzly River Run
Chances are you will get wet — even soaked — on this wild raft trip. You'll encounter waterfalls, rapids and geysers as you float and spin your way through the river of Grizzly Peak.
Not-to-Miss Disney California Adventure Entertainment
You'll always want to check the entertainment calendar to see what shows are available on the day you visit.
Shows in Avengers Campus
There are several show moments when heroes spring to action in Avengers Campus. One of our favorites is The Amazing Spider-Man! It hoppens about every 30 minutes from about 10 a.m until 4 p.m., Spider-Man swings above the rooftops of the WEB building. You can usually see people waiting near the main Avengers Campus entrance to catch it. Our Avengers Campus characters post lists all of the show options.
World of Color
The world is a carousel of color. This breathtaking nighttime spectacular with fountains, colorful lights, projections and music is the perfect ending to a day at Disney California Adventure! This is the only Disney park with this amazing show and the perfect addition to this unique park. Through Aug. 9, 2026, you can catch World of Color Happiness! for the Disneyland 70th Anniversary Celebration.
Festivals and Seasonal Entertainment
This park has many festivals throughout the year that don't take place at Disneyland Park. If you hoppen to visit during one of them, you’ll be treated to special entertainment, character interactions, decor, food and beverage. Festival food booths line the paths to bring in special tastes of the season. The year kicks off with Lunar New Year, followed by Food & Wine Festival in the spring. In the fall, Halloween Time takes over Paradise Gardens with the Plaza de la Familia (plus Cars Land and Carthay Circle are highly decorated, especially when lit up at night). The Oogie Boogie Bash, a separately ticketed Halloween party, takes place on select nights during September and October. The year ends with the most entertainment-filled festival of them all — the Festival of Holidays!
You can now meet Rex from "Toy Story!" Red Panda comes out during Lunar New Year.
Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live!
This new show is perfect for the tadpoles. Bubbles, music, dancing and Disney pals? It's a winner! You can find it in Hollywood Land. There is a Halloween version during Halloween Time.
Not-to-Miss Disney California Adventure Food & Beverage
This is a tough category to pin down. Disney California Adventure has the best food and beverage, in our opinion, and we have so many favorites, including seasonal flavors that are only around at certain times of the year. This park has adult drinks and lounges that make it popular with the parents while still offering kid-friendly bites. The whole family can enjoy themed eats and delicious frozen treats. You cannot try them all in one visit, but if you share, you can do some serious damage. Here’s a look at our favorite dining locations or tasty items!
Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge
These are two different high-end dining experiences with different menus. You cannot go wrong either way. Try to get a reservation or join the walk-up lists through the Disneyland app once you are in the park and near the restaurant. When you dine indoors, you definitely can froget you are in a theme park! The lounge (both indoor and outdoor seating) has small bites (we love to hop in for a hearty snack), but the main dining room has a full seasonal menu.
Lamplight Lounge
Lamplight Lounge also has two eating options, the downstairs restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating or the upstairs Boardwalk dining. They each take reservations and may have walk-up availability. The menus vary between the two. We love the barbacoa nachos at Boardwalk dining. There are many themed drinks and even a secret menu (you bet we have a post for that!), but the one Mommy Frog goes back for time and again is the Sequel, aptly named for this bubbling beverage.
Various Frozen Treats
On Pixar Pier, Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats has non-dairy DOLE Whip treats and beverages, including some boozy options! The beautiful Pixar Pier Parfait will satisfy your Instagram and taste buds. Smokejumpers Grill and Schmoozies! each have seasonal shakes that are always so fun and delicious. For sundaes, waffle cones of hand-scooped ice cream, chocolate-dipped bananas and hand-dipped ice cream bars, it is Clarabelle’s all the way. You can even get a hard float with ice cream.
Asian-Mexican-American Fusion Foods at San Fransokyo Square
San Fransokyo Square is like visiting San Francisco with hints of Latin America and Tokyo without leaving the park. You can get clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl or fresh themed sourdough bread and the new Dutch crunch bread. Slurp birria ramen, bite into San Fransokyo-style street corn or enjoy noodle dishes, salads or mac and cheese! The birria tacos are so popular that guests are limited to ordering no more than two at a time!
There are a number of tasty plant-based items as well here. Be sure to stop and give Baymax a hug and a fist bump fist bumps (ba-la-la-la-la). Read more in our San Fransokyo Square post.
While in the square, make sure to stop by the Port of San Fransokyo Cervecería if you have a craft brews lover in your party. Adults can easily grab a cold Karl Strauss brew while passing through and a seasonal snack.
Pym Test Kitchen
Whether you're looking for a full breakfast, lunch or dinner, you can enjoy heroic meals at this lab test kitchen, which uses Pym particles to grow and shrink food. We've tried everything on the menu — the not-so-little chicken sandwich and giant pretzel are our favorites, but we like it all, including the green Pingo Doce soda, which isn't sold anywhere else. The tots are pretty good too! Our post on Avengers Campus food can help you pin down your best food choices in this new land. New or seasonal items pop up all the time!
Cozy Cones
Over in Cars Land you'll find a few different cones at the Cozy Cone Motel offering different kinds of treats. Above and beyond the most popular is Cozy Cone 3, where you can find the Chili Cone Queso and the Bacon Mac 'n' Cheese cone. Both of these conecoctions are served in a Bread Cone. Next door at Cozy Cone 4, adult frogs can grab a adult drinks (so good!). We suggest taking advantage of mobile order, especially during lunch and dinner times.
Honorable Mention: Churro Toffee
I cannot mention food in this park without pointing you to the churro toffee in the two candy shops: Trolley Treats or BongBong's Sweet Stuff. It's our latest addiction, and luckily, you can find it year-round. Yum! Of course, Mommy Frog cannot turn down a themed caramel apple. Hop into the candy shops for some take-home treats to make the magic last after you leave the park.
As you can see, there is a lot to cover. If you want to hit most of the not-to-miss Disney California Adventure attractions, you'll need a solid plan. Hop over to our posts on tips to maximize time at Disneyland and Lightning Lanes to find out how to save time on your visit.
Do you have any not-to-miss Disneyland fun we didn't mention? Let us know in the comments section below. Ideally, you would take a couple of days to explore Disneyland Resort. If you need Disneyland Resort theme park tickets or hotels, you can save some green through your favorite froggy friends. We even sell tickets pre-loaded with Lightning Lane Multi Pass so you can skip the lines for key attractions. Ribbit!
Related: All of the Not-to-Miss Rides, Experiences and Food at Disneyland Park
Related: The Best Quick-Service Restaurants at Disney California Adventure Park
Keep hopping!
