Reimagineering Disney's California Adventure: Blue Sky Cellar

As most anybody that would read this already knows, a preview center has opened up in Disney's California Adventure highlighting some of the coming changes to the park. I happened to be at Disneyland this past weekend during the Annual Passholder preview of the preview center. For the first time since these changes were announced over a year ago we have something to look forward to other than wild web rumors.

As the name may imply the Blue Sky Cellar is located in the Golden Vine Winery area at California Adventure. The Seasons of the Vine movie had been playing sporadically at best for quite some time so I don't think it will be missed.

Approaching the Cellar there are three billboards on the side of the building giving you a sneak peak at Buena Vista Street, Carsland, and Paradise Pier. Buena Vista Street is what they will be naming the entrance to California Adventure. The turnstiles will be housed under gates that look to be clones of the entrance to Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World. Other than the unimpressive cloned gates the rest of the street is a substantial upgrade over the existing park entrance. If the concepts become reality there will be a Red Car Trolley that transports you to the Hollywood Pictures Backlot, Curbs and Sidewalks, and the Carthay Circle Theatre instead of a giant golden sun. The concept art of Carsland was impressive in scope and detail. Many of the residents of Radiator Springs will be represented in the park and the Radiator Springs Racers is looking more and more impressive with every glimpse.


The entrance to the Cellar is right across the patio from the Wine Country Trattoria. Walking in I was excited just by the sign over the door. You enter and turn to your right and there is a picture of the man that started it all. After walking past Walt you pass what look like cork boards with notes and pictures tacked all over them. These boards highlight the Silly Symphony Swings, The Little Mermaid attraction, Disney's World of Color, and Toy Story Midway Mania. It is more concept art and small bits of information on the coming attractions.


The center of the rooms contains the models of Paradise Pier and the new Midway Games. There were also two drafting tables that had an overhead view of Paradise Pier and art from Midway Mania. There were interactive trivia games built into wine barrels on the wall in this section too.
Down two stairs was a small theater that played a short movie giving a brief, but insightful view of changes that are coming. The short clips from Disney's World of Color have me very excited to see more. They gave you more information on every attraction that has been announced for the park. They obviously do not go into great detail but they do manage to whet your appetite for more. Next to the theater is an enlarged copy of the concept map. You could potentially stare at this one item for hours trying to find small details. Right before you exit there is a small model and some concept art of the Red Car Trolley. Just adding the trolley will be a nice addition to the park and give it some of the kinetic energy that it is missing.

After a year of rumors and speculation there is finally something you can see. Construction has yet to start but just seeing the concepts is very exciting to a geek like me. They will be changing the exhibits from time to time so we should have something new to gawk at sometime next year. With expansion plans coming to a halt around the Disney Universe it is great that the DCA makeover is still moving forward. I for one will be waiting with anticipation for the walls that signal progress.