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Episode 127

What happens when Disney builds a brand-new park… and it flops?

When Disney California Adventure opened in 2001, critics called it everything from “underwhelming” to “a state fair with better landscaping.” But two decades later, it’s one of Disney’s most beloved parks — home to Cars Land, World of Color, and Avengers Campus.

In this episode, I’m tracing the park’s incredible transformation — from a cost-cutting experiment to a storytelling triumph.

We’ll explore:

• The unbuilt dream of WestCOT, the futuristic EPCOT-style park that never was
• How Superstar Limo became Disney legend (for all the wrong reasons)
• The billion-dollar rebuild that gave us Buena Vista Street, World of Color, and Cars Land
• And what’s next for the park as DisneylandForward brings new worlds like Avatar and Coco to life

Disney California Adventure is a story of second chances — proof that sometimes, the best magic comes from a creative do-over.

You ready? Let’s roam.

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