Travel Guide to California

2013 Travel Guide to California

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ยป CA.THEME PARKS by MATT VILLANO Magic, on Demand PARADISE PIER at Disneyland packs in tons of fun in the sun, including the roller coaster California Screamin' and the giant Ferris wheel known as Mickey's Fun Wheel, above. Diversions are as plentiful as sunshine in California. One of the most popular outlets: original theme parks. These attractions are meccas to amusement, each focusing rides and exhibits around different concepts such as fairies, film, plastic blocks, sea life and an inimitable mouse. Most of the parks are situated in the southern part of the state (where the weather is generally warmer) but the granddaddy of them all is up north. Each of the parks is worth a closer look. Fairyland Believe it or not, the first theme park in the U.S. to cater to families with young kids was Children's Fairyland, a blinkand-you'll-miss-it theme park on the shores of Lake Merritt in Oakland. The place opened in 1950 (original admission started at 9 cents), making it the first official theme park in California, as well. 5 8 2 013 travel guide to c al i fo r n ia According to some, it was one of Walt Disney's inspirations for the eponymous park he created five years later. Today, Fairyland includes small rides such as a Ferris wheel and carousels, and life-sized sets depicting scenes from timeless storybooks (Pinocchio's castle and the Humpty Dumpty wall are two favorites). The theme park also is home to the Open Storybook Puppet Theater, which opened in 1956 and is the oldest continuously operating puppet theater in the U.S. A number of the country's most famous puppeteers got their start here, including a teenager by the name of Frances Oznowicz. You likely know him as Frank Oz. Disneyland If the lovable (and life-sized) Mickey Mouse and friends don't pique your interest and attention at California's most famous theme park, surely the PAUL HIFFMEYER/DISNEYLAND; OPPOSITE TOP, GENE DUNCAN/DISNEYLAND; UNIVERSAL STUDIOS; EFFIE 3 Smiles abound for young and young-at-heart at California's theme parks

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