Theme Parks / Disney Parks / Disneyland Resort / Disney California Adventure / Paradise Gardens Park
Updated November 8, 2026. Check the Disneyland app for hours and the day’s schedule.
Paradise Gardens Park runs along the water opposite Pixar Pier. The Little Mermaid is the big indoor ride here; outside, the attractions lean into the old seaside amusement-park theme. Goofy has his own roller coaster, and the bay turns into the stage for World of Color after dark.
Jump to: Rides · Food and shopping · World of Color · Seasonal events · History · Coco construction
Paradise Gardens Park and Pixar Pier
In 2018, Paradise Pier became two separate lands. Disney gave Paradise Gardens Park its current name on June 23, the day Pixar Pier opened next door. Older maps and photos use Paradise Pier for the larger area.
Rides and height requirements
Hover over a photo for details. Click or tap to keep it open; select it again to close.
The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
Height requirement: none.
A clamshell carries you through Ariel’s grotto, the “Under the Sea” scene and Ursula’s lair. It’s a slow dark ride, with scenery doing all the work of taking you underwater. You stay dry, though some scenes are dark and loud.
Goofy’s Sky School
Minimum height: 42 inches / 107 cm.
Goofy’s idea of flight school is a wild mouse coaster with tight turns and drops. The track climbs about three stories, and the theme borrows from his 1940 cartoon Goofy’s Glider. The small footprint packs 1,200 feet of track into this corner of the park.
Golden Zephyr
Height requirement: none.
Silver rocket-shaped gondolas circle a central tower above the waterfront. Their design borrows from early science fiction, which gives this seaside ride a bit of a retro space-travel theme.
Jumpin’ Jellyfish
Minimum height: 40 inches / 102 cm.
Seats hang beneath the jellyfish as they climb a 40-foot tower, then drop and rise again on the way back down. This little parachute ride lasts about 90 seconds, according to Disney.
Silly Symphony Swings
Minimum height: 40 inches / 102 cm. Riding solo: 48 inches / 122 cm.
The chairs swing outward as the ride spins and tilts to the William Tell Overture. Its theme comes from The Band Concert, the 1935 Mickey Mouse short. Riders under 48 inches must share a tandem swing with a responsible person.
Open the guide on each ride card for transfer options and other boarding requirements.
Lightning Lane
Lightning Lane Multi Pass includes The Little Mermaid and Goofy’s Sky School. Golden Zephyr, Jumpin’ Jellyfish and Silly Symphony Swings aren’t on Disney’s current list.
Food and shopping
Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta
This counter-service restaurant serves pizza, pasta and salads. There are patio tables and covered seating nearby.
Pizza Oom Mow Mow occupied this spot from 2001 to September 6, 2010. The shared restaurant seating also replaced Reboundo Beach, a basketball carnival game that closed in 2010.
Paradise Garden Grill
Paradise Garden Grill changes its menu with the park’s festivals and seasons. Check what’s being served if you have a particular dish in mind.
Burger Invasion was the restaurant here before Paradise Garden Grill.
Corn Dog Castle
This stand serves hand-dipped corn dogs, including a hot-link version. There’s also a cheddar stick.
Bayside Brews
Stop here for a pretzel or a drink by the bay. The menu includes beer and other alcoholic drinks, along with nonalcoholic options.
Seaside Souvenirs
This open-air stand sells Disney merchandise and specialty hats. The lighthouse tower makes it easy to spot.
This shop was called Souvenir 66 before the area’s makeover.
All four food locations list mobile ordering. The app shows the available pickup times, so you can order before walking over.
World of Color
World of Color
Fountains, lights and film projections take over Paradise Bay after dark. As of November 8, Disney lists World of Color – ONE. The 70th-anniversary version, Happiness!, has finished, and Season of Light is due back November 13.
For ONE, the virtual queue opens at noon. You must have entered California Adventure, or entered Disneyland with a Park Hopper ticket. A queue reservation or qualifying package voucher gets you into a reserved viewing area. There are also first-come viewing spots around the bay. Follow the app’s instructions for the version playing on your visit date.
Golden Zephyr, Jumpin’ Jellyfish and Silly Symphony Swings may close early for World of Color. Ride them before the evening show preparations if they’re on your list.
Seasonal events
Plaza de la Familia
2026 season: August 21–November 2. Ended.
This Coco-inspired celebration brought performances, food and Día de los Muertos traditions to Paradise Gardens.
Disney ¡Viva Navidad!
November 13, 2026–January 6, 2027.
¡Viva Navidad! returns for the holidays. Disney currently schedules the Street Party on Saturdays and Sundays; other holiday performances have their own dates.
Before Paradise Gardens Park
These former attractions occupied the ground that makes up today’s Paradise Gardens Park. Some became the rides above. Others disappeared during California Adventure’s overhaul.
Golden Dreams2001–2008
Whoopi Goldberg played Calafia in this 21-minute film about California’s history. It opened with the park on February 8, 2001, and closed on September 7, 2008. The Little Mermaid later took over the theater’s site.
Orange Stinger2001–2009
The swing ride used to sit inside a giant peeling orange. Orange Stinger opened with California Adventure in 2001 and closed on July 13, 2009. Disney removed the orange shell and turned the attraction into Silly Symphony Swings in 2010.
Mulholland Madness2001–2010
Before Goofy took over, the coaster had a road-trip theme based on Mulholland Drive. A giant folded road map stood out front, with traffic signs scattered around the track. It closed in October 2010; the coaster reopened as Goofy’s Sky School on July 1, 2011.
S.S. rustworthy2001–2010
A battered fireboat became a children’s play area beside the rides. It closed in 2010 as Disney cleared space for the dining area shared by Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta and Paradise Garden Grill.
What’s next: the Coco ride
Disney is building a Coco boat ride near Paradise Gardens Park and Pixar Pier. The announced entrance is in Pixar Pier beside Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind. Its story takes place one year after the film, and Disney says there will be no height requirement. There’s no announced opening date yet.
Construction is already affecting this part of the park. Disney’s November 2 notice says the dining locations remain open, but some seating may be affected and restrooms may close intermittently. Expect to see or hear work nearby.
Show photo creditsHide photo credits
Ariel in her grotto: Disney.
The view across Paradise Bay: Benoît Prieur / Wikimedia Commons, July 2022, CC0.
Historical photos, via Wikimedia Commons:
- Golden Dreams: Ellen Levy Finch (Elf), 2006, CC BY-SA 3.0.
- Orange Stinger: LordBleen, 2005, public domain.
- Mulholland Madness: LordBleen, 2002, public domain.
- S.S. rustworthy: LordBleen, 2001, public domain.
Other card photos: © Disney, from the official Disneyland Resort pages linked here:
Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta · Paradise Garden Grill · Corn Dog Castle · Bayside Brews · Seaside Souvenirs · Goofy’s Sky School · Golden Zephyr · Jumpin’ Jellyfish · Silly Symphony Swings · World of Color · Disney ¡Viva Navidad! · Plaza de la Familia
Photos are cropped to fit and fade to grey when a card opens. The Golden Dreams photo and its display adaptations remain under CC BY-SA 3.0. Archival dates refer to the photos; Disney’s promotional images don’t establish what’s operating today.
Paradise Gardens Park: Benoît Prieur, July 2022; CC0.
Coco attraction queue — concept art: Disney / Pixar. Concept art released August 2026; subject to change.
Section photographs are cropped to fit. Dated archive photographs illustrate the place, not its present operating status. Concept art depicts announced work and may change.