Paradise Gardens Park

While Pixar Pier has replaced Paradise Pier, there is still Paradise Gardens Park, found on the other side of the pond. The garden part comes from a wonderful themed area that houses both Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta as well as Paradise Garden Grill. Entertainment can often be found in this shady locale, and many of the holiday traditions during the year find a home here.

Many attractions can be found here as well. Most are in the style of smaller carnival-style rides. There’s Silly Symphony Swings, 

Jumpin’ Jellyfish, 

Golden Zephyr

and Goofy’s Sky School,

The theming for some of these attractions is at times minimal. They stand out as standard carnival fare with light theming mixed in. But to your youngster, it may not matter. Especially if they’re looking for a corn dog from Corn Dog Castle.

Much better is The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventurewhich is identical to the one found in Fantasyland at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.  

What isn’t identical to anything else you will find in any other Disney park is World of Color. This fountain show makes the Bellagio sprays in Las Vegas look lame. We’re talking about 1,200 powerful and programmable fountains with a vast underwater grid with more than 18,000 points of control. With lights, pyro, music, and high-definition projections, it is mind-blowing.

Also not found in any stateside park is the Paint the Night Parade, a beautiful nighttime procession that frankly makes the old Main Street Electrical Parade seem, well, quaint. Paint the Night has been gone since 2017, but will be returning in Summer 2018 with the debut of Pixar Pier. Here’s the newest float to this parade, one that celebrates the Incredibles:

You’ll definitely want to check out the nighttime at Disney California Adventure. Day and night there is much to see and do. Paradise Gardens Park is the place to do that.