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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2009 |
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Disneyland has a street with old-fashioned storefronts on both sides. It’s called Main Street Street, U.S.A. Yester California Adventure has a street with blue plywood constructions walls on both sides. It doesn’t have an offical name. So let’s call it Wall Street Street, U.S.A. This Wall Street has nothing to do with the Lower Manhatten street whose name is shorthand for the financial markets of the United States. The Wall Street at Yester California Adventure is just a street of wooden walls. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2009 Aerial view of Wall Street, U.S.A. |
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When politicians and news commentators talked about “Main Street versus Wall Street” during the 2008 election campaigns, it was about money. The street names were symbolic of two different aspects of America’s economy. Here at the parks, there’s the also money involved. Main Street, U.S.A. is where guests can spend their money, contributing to the $10.7 billion in revenue that the Disney Parks and Resorts business segment will report for the 2009 fiscal year. Wall Street, U.S.A. is were the company is spending money for the future enjoyment of guests—part of the $1.1 billion that will turn this park into one of the world’s best theme parks. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2009 “Coming - 2010 - Spring” |
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There’s not much behind the walls—except for vacant lots with site preparation equipment and a few remnants from the past. That will change as the terraced viewing area for a water show is built on one side and an attraction building rises on the other. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2009 Paradise Bay |
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Don’t be concerned that the construction wall is blocking out your view of a beautiful blue lagoon. There’s no water in Paradise Bay. It’s just another construction site—this time for an elaborate system of fountains and lights. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2009 “Becoming Part of YOUR World in 2011” |
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The walls here are much prettier than typical construction walls at urban building sites. Think of these walls as a monumental mural—with a cool, blue underwater motif, accented with bubbles big and small. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2009 The Duke of Soul |
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As you read phrases and admire musical sea creatures from the memorable “Under the Sea” number in The Little Mermaid (1989), it might trigger your brain to recall more of Howard Ashman’s clever lyrics:
Da newt play da flute; |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2009 Carp playing a harp |
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Under da Sea, Under da Sea; |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2010 Corn Dog Castle behind a construction wall |
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A theme park street needs a restaurant. So here at Wall Street, U.S.A., Corn Dog Castle is behind a wall. That makes it impossible to buy food, but it blends in perfectly with the construction wall theme. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2009 Souvenir 66 behind a construction wall |
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How about buying a souvenir from Wall Street, U.S.A.? Appropriately, the Souvenir 66 shop is behind a construction wall. Think of all the money you’ll save because the wall makes it impossible to shop. When it’s time to leave Wall Street, U.S.A., there’s more to see here at the park. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2009 Silly Symphony Swings construction wall |
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More construction walls! |
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It’s not unusual to find plywood walls at a Disney theme park—whether for the construction of something new, refurbishment of something old, or installation of something temporary. Most guests expect it, and it seldom detracts from their enjoyment of a day at a Disney park. No other Disney park has subjected guests to so many construction walls—and for so long—as Disney California Adventure. Some guests must have wondered if they paid to visit a theme park or a construction site. But for guests who were looking forward to a much-improved Disney’s California Adventure, any temporary inconvenience was well worth it. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, May 4, 2010 After removal of the wall on the Paradise Bay side |
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From early summer 2009 until April 2010, guests experienced the two-sided corridor of walls referred to in this article as Wall Street, U.S.A. The Paradise Bay side had already been walled to replace the uninspired waterfront (used in 2002 for Rockin’ the Bay). Then the wall went up on the other side for the July 2009 demolition of the Golden Dreams theater and nearby structures. The wall on the Paradise Bay side came down in April 2010, revealing the terraced viewing garden for World of Color. The wall on the other side lasted until the May 2011 completion of The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure. Paradise Bay was without water from November 2008 until November 2009. Although this article focuses on the two-sided corridor, Disney California Adventure guests experienced a significant presence of construction walls from September 2006 (for the demolition of Malibu-Ritos, Pacific Ocean Photos, and Strips, Dips ’n’ Chips to make way for Toy Story Midway Mania) until the June 2012 opening of Buena Vista Street and Cars Land (with a temporary respite during the latter half of 2008). |
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© 2012 Werner Weiss — Disclaimers, Copyright, and Trademarks Updated July 13, 2012. |
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