Anaheim, California - Happy Birthday to Disney California Adventure! In the 11 years since Disney's California Adventure opened the park has seen a multitude of changes.

Disney California Adventure opened as Disney's California Adventure in 2001. It opened with many “cookie cutter” carnival rides, and no real “Disney” attractions. Needless to say the park wasn't very well received by fans or the public. In late October 2007, Disney announced a major $1.1 Billion re-tooling plan for the park.

Just as a quick refresher here is a quick overview of the past 5 years. (Compiled from Disney Press Releases)

• October 2007- Overhaul of Disney's California Announced
• June 2008-Toy Story Midway Mania, an innovative interactive “ride game” adventure Inspired by the Disney•Pixar films “Toy Story” and “Toy Story II.
• October 2008-The parks ferris wheel is re-themed to feature a giant “sunburst Mickey” and is renamed “Mickey's Fun Wheel”
• May 2010- Disney's California Adventure is renamed Disney California Adventure. The park unveils a new logo.
  
  © Disney Parks and Resorts
  Disney California Adventure's new logo
• June 2010- “World of Color” a nighttime entertainment show that takes place on the parks lagoon premiers. The swinger ride is re-opened with new themeing and is re-named “Silly Symphony Swings”.
• June 2011-”The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure” a dark ride themed to the Disney film “The Little Mermaid” opens.
• July 2011- The Wild Mouse attraction receives new themeing and re-opens as “Goofy's Sky School”. The main entrance to the park is re-themed. The main entrance plaza is closed off to be completely rebuilt with a new theme.

When the parks is re-unveiled Disney has announced that will be renaming all of the parks “lands”. Some of the changes include the splitting of the “Golden State” area into three distinct areas which will be called “Condor Flats” and “Grizzly Peak” and “Pacific Wharf”.

“Hollywood Pictures Backlot” will be renamed “Hollywood land”. “Paradise Pier” and “it's a bug land” will keep their names.
In addition two new lands will be opening soon! There's “Carsland” a 12-acre land where guests will be immersed in the world created in Disney Pixar's Cars. Cars Land will have 3 new rides. Radiator Springs Racers a Test Track like racing adventure. Maters Junkyard Jamboree a swinging tractor adventure and Luigi's Flying Tires a bumper car type ride where you ride aboard floating tires.
The other new land will be “Buena Vista Street”. This area will serve as the entrance to the park. Disney say “Buena Vista Street” “Will immerse guests in the atmosphere Walt Disney experienced upon first arriving in Los Angeles in the 1920s.”

The park is rapidly approaching its grand re-unveiling date. Disney has not released a date quite yet, however they are aiming for a summer 2012 date. It is rumored that the park will have it's grand reopening in late June early July according to the Disney fan site Miceage.