Special California Screamin' hours at DCA

[tinkwest]

California Screamin' is scheduled to open at 1:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday from April 30 until fall 2007 due to construction for Toy Story Mania! — a brand new attraction scheduled to open in 2008.

[Carol]

Thanks, Linda.

[Melanie]

We'll definitely have to plan around this. Thanks Linda!

[BrerGnat]

I was totally wondering when they would find the time to do the construction on that thing, considering it is directly beneath the tracks of CA Screamin.

That shouldn't impact the ride much. DCA never opens until 10am anyway, and no one really ventures over to Paradise Pier until around 1pm. Sounds like a smart way to get the construction done.

[WDWizard]

I'm kind of disappointed..missing Midway Mania isn’t a big deal- we're going to have the same thing here in Florida but we will be visiting DLR for the first time ever this summer and I'm thinking that California Screamin' is going to have longer lines in the afternoon and that possibly construction might ruin the view of Paradise Pier

[Chescat]

Hey Wizard. The down time isn't actually as bad as you think. DCA normally doesn't open until 10:00am most mornings anyway. What you could do is check maybe at 12:30 and see when they start letting people line up. I should have more info for you before you go, since I have friends coming end of June.

My opinion on the view is, I was never a great fan of that side show stuff before. Just a lot of wasted space. Normally the pictures I take are usually just above it since most of the Screamin' track is above the Midway. I think Screamin' still has single rider also. That makes things faster if you don't mind breaking the group up.

You will get to see Pirate Island and Finding Nemo though.

[BrerGnat]

WDWizard, don't worry.

Even in the summer, the lines for CA Screamin are not bad at ALL (on the weekdays). The longest I have seen it is 30 minutes. FP is always an option, and they rarely run out. If there is a standby line longer than 30 minutes, come back later. More often than not, the standby line is under 10 minutes.

DCA normally doesn't open until 10am (even in the summer). If you make your way to DCA around 12:30 and head over towards PP, you will get there right around 1, and you can probably walk right on a few times. The Paradise Pier area hits maximum congestion around 2-4pm daily. The High School Musical pep rally mid afternoon helps funnel crowds back towards the entrance plaza, so Paradise Pier stays relatively empty in the late afternoon.

As for the "view", you are not going to be disappointed. The construction wall they have erected blends very nicely with PP. The "construction" area used to be occupied by two CS restaurants, one of which, Maliburritos, was NEVER open. It was a borded up CS location...not that nice to look at. The other place was also forgettable. In addition, there was a midway game that is gone now. All of this was located UNDER the tracks of the roller coaster, and you couldn't even see it from across the lake, since there is a carousel and other structures between that location and the water. Once you are over there, you won't miss what used to be there.

Try to keep a positive outlook. Your trip is going to be great!

[WDWizard]

I saw some pictures of the construction and..well it does not look too bad. Wasn't there a "Paradise Pier" sign under the giant mickey loop though?

[BrerGnat]

Yes, there used to be a sign. That sign has been gone for a LONG time, though.

I found a picture on my computer from January 13 of this year. The sign was not there and the construction walls were already up.

In fact, the last picture I have with the sign is from back in 2005, so I honestly don't remember when it was removed.

I have a very good picture of the area from across the water, in the Golden State Amphitheatre area. If you want to see how it looks from afar (you can hardly notice the walls), send me a PM and I'll email the picture to you.