Strolling Through the (Theme) Park One Day: Bye Bugs Land!

Bugs Land sign, photo by the author.

The Bugs Land opened in 2002 based on the A Bug’s Life (1998) Pixar film.  It is set to close in the summer to make way for the Marvel expansion in 2020.  I wasn’t impressed by the movie, the characters didn’t interest me, and I didn’t learn anything about insect behaviors like I did with Dreamworks rival film, Antz (1998).  The feature attraction was the It’s Tough to Be a Bug ride which opened with DCA before the rest of the land is now closed.  I actually rode the attraction possibly a year before the movie opened and also before Disney’s California Adventure opened at Animal Kingdom. It was under the Tree of Life and featured characters that I thought it was strange to see something that wasn’t in a film, but seemed like they were from an animated movie.  This is the same feeling I had from Countdown to Extinction which had Alodar in the Disney animated film, Dinosaur (2000), I love that movie.  The 3D glass are called Bug Eyes.  The nice part is the animatronics including Flik peeking from the roof, the giant spiders descending on webs, and the villainous Hopper.  

Still, I lost interest going to it from not the stink bug cloud, water spraying, or air bursts, but the sting that pummels you in the back!  I wore my backpack to block it the last time.  I last went into the pre-show area to see the Coco displays.  It was used as to preview upcoming movies.  I actually don’t know what kid watches A Bug’s Life and knows the characters.  It doesn’t run on a loop on the Disney Channel and I don’t remember it playing on broadcast tv.  The queue itself is very relaxing, water streams, and you walk into a rocky cavern.  Still, the design of this part of the park is brilliant, it really does make you feel that you are bug size.  The entrance across from Grizzly Peak and next to It’s Tough to be a Bug an arch invites guests to Flik’s Fun Fair.  Flik is the main bug in the film voiced by Dave Foley.  There were figures of Flik and Hopper at the exit.  I hope they and the other figures show up in Pixar Pier or somewhere to remind us of the land.  What is impressive about the theming is the beautiful garden of flowers outside of It’s Tough to be a Bug.  There are always bees humming and I saw a little robin taking refuge under leaves. I hope that there is the same beauty kept in the new Marvel land. 

Heimlich's chew chew Train, photo by the author.

Continuing through the Flik’s Fun Fair entrance there is large boxes of what looks like cereal with the cutout parts showing Bugs Life characters as prizes.  There are clever lamps on the roof that look like insect cocoons.  To the left is a restroom that looks like a giant tissue box, Country Fresh Facial Tissues.  All around the Fun Fair are giant clovers with fire flies with a lamp as part of their behinds!  For the most part, these are carnival rides geared to young riders.  To the right is Heimlich’s chew chew Train which has a cupcake on a giant fork as a sign.  The lead train has Hemlich the caterpillar’s pudgy face holding a candy corn and the rest of the train has his long body with two seats for riders per segment.  He is  voiced by Joe Ranft and the short ride is charming.  He goes along a giant rind of watermelon, a box of Animal Crackers, and of course past Candy Corn!  In the center is Princess Dot’s Puddle Park, in the movie she was voiced by Hayden Panettiere, here it is giant garden hose that sprays people underneath in a circular area.  There is a churro stand next to it, but not too many food offerings.    

Figure of Rosie from A Bug's Life, photo by the author.

To the right is an umbrella covering Tuck and Roll’s Drive `Em Buggies, I like the clever name, it is basically bumper cars in the shape of the grinning and smiling pillbugs.  Tuck and Roll are both voiced by Michael McShane in the movie.  Next to it is Francis’ Ladybug Boogie which has a giant record single as a sign.  Riders get into the smug ladybug named Francis and spin around.  The last ride is Flik’s Flyers which has a paper airplane sign.  It flies around boxes of raisins, Casey Jr. cookies, and Chinese food.  The contraption has a pole with a Whip-O-Whirl box, clever, and a pie tin with twigs to carry the boxes.  This is where you can enter from Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout!  Past the churro stand are Bug’s Life figures of Rosie the spider and Heimlich behind her.  In the back is Francis the lady bug.  Plus, there were other bugs from the movie.  The strange part of the land is that I hardly ever saw the Flik characters walking around Bug’s Land maybe he will be there the day it closes.  These rides are low key, but there are four of them and Marvel Land will have two, probably marquee rides with long lines.  Also, the Marvel Land will get kids excited, but it is not exclusive to them.  Here is the one thing I noticed about Bug’s Land that I will miss - it is the only place in all of DCA that has shade!  The sun is brutal in Cars Land.  The new Toy Story Land in Hollywood Studios has a few umbrellas, but the theming does not include shade.  Kids areas without shade are just punishing for kids.  I hope Marvel Land will have good shade.   

#BugsLand, #DisneysCaliforniaAdventure, #ABugsLife, #HeimlichschewchewTrain