Ten years ago today, I scurried over after work to Disneyland. Wait, scratch that. It was the "Disneyland Resort" for the first time ever, and Disneyland's companion park DCA was open for its inaugural day.
By the time I made it there, it was early evening. The park was, uh, not crowded (it was a Thursday, chosen to avoid the assuredly huge crowds that would come!) The park didn't draw the crowds they expected those first few years.
A lot has changed in those ten years, and even more is in the process of changing. Like many, I felt that DCA took the cheap route in a lot of ways, and the park didn't "feel" like a Disney park. But I also sensed that the basic idea - a park celebrating California - wasn't inherently flawed. The improvements over the years have been beneficial - especially World of Color, Monsters Inc, Flik's Fun Fair, Tower of Terror, and Toy Story Mania. They pale in comparison with Carsland and Little Mermaid. So much has changed, and the park marches forward, as we all knew it would. Happy birthday, DCA.
