Paradise Pier

**Paradise Pier** or **Paradise Gardens Park** is a fictional location and defunct eponymous themed, "Land" from *Disney California Adventure*. The location is loosely connected to the story of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

## Description

Paradise Pier is a victorian boardwalk park, built along, "Paradise Bay" on the the coast of California. The park featured several attractions and was connected to Los Angeles via the Red Car Trolley of the *Pacific Electric Railway*.

### Features

* **Aquarium**: This is an aquarium with artwork of mermaids, namely Princess Ariel.
* **California Screamin'**: This was a rollercoaster along the sea.
* **Golden Zephyr**: This was one of the park's attractions.
* **Goofy's Sky School**: This was an unlicensed flight-school run by the Toon, "Goofy". This building was also used to make egg cargo deliveries for the company S.H.E.L.L..
* **Jumpin' Jellyfish**: A jellyfish-themed parachute jump style ride.
* **King Triton's Carousel of the Sea**: A carousel attraction, themed to mythical king of the sea King Triton.
* **Maliboomer**: A, "Space Shot" attraction.
* **Midway Mania**:
* **Paradise Garden Grill**: This was a restaurant owned by an Italian immigrant family who moved to California from Lucca, Italy via Ellis Island.
* **Paradise Gardens Ballroom**:
* **Seaside Souvenirs**:
* **Silly Symphony Swings**: This was a swing attraction adorned with artwork of Mickey Mouse as a conductor.
* **Sun Wheel**: This was a large ferris-wheel with a California sun design.

## History

### Background

This boardwalk had its origins in the victorian era. By around the early half of the 20th century, the park went under the ownership of one Gustav Tinkershmidt. At some point, a fireboat for the pier known as the *S.S. Trustworthy* crashed into the pier and had its, "T" fall off, resulting in it being renamed to the *S.S. Rustworthy*. On a Friday night around the 1920s, the Paradise Gardens Ballroom held a, "Dance Marathon" with a 25$ prize for first-place where the master-of-ceremonies and head-judge was one Teddy Morton of, "The Teddy Morton Show".

### Development history

Paradise Pier was one of Disney California Adventure's original lands, made to emulate a California boardwalk park. The park was later severely reduced to make way for Pixar Pier while remaining parts of Paradise Pier were renamed to *Paradise Gardens Park*.

## Tower of Terror appearances

### Buena Vista Street

#### The Buena Vista Bugle

This paper frequently had stories on the pier, sometimes in same issues as stories on the Hollywood Tower Hotel. The paper was also generally filled with advertisements for the pier. References of less clear continuity were stories on and ads for Goofy's Sky School and stories on characters from the Little Mermaid (1989) as denizens of the pier from the sea.

#### Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Cafe

Multiple flyers within the Silver Lake Sisters' cafe allude to the boardwalk. A flyer on the board mentions a *William Tell* overture band performance at Paradise Gardens park as a tribute to the attraction *Silly Symphony Swings* in the *Paradise Gardens* area of Disney California Adventure which is based on the Mickey Mouse cartoon *The Band Concert* (1935). Another flyer mentions a Friday night dance marathon at the, "Paradise Gardens Ballroom".

### Sunset Boulevard

A billboard advertising the Red Cars connecting to the park are visible on Sunset Boulevard in Disney's Hollywood Studios.

### Other connections

#### Prep & Landing

The Buena Vista Bugle story "Elves Spotted on Paradise Bay!" mentioned the elves Prep & Landing being seen on the bay, with said characters also being prominently featured in *Sunset Seasons Greetings*.

## Other appearances

### Paradise Gardens Park

Paradise Pier is setting of this themed land.

### Pixar Pier

#### Lamplight Lounge

There are old black and white photographs of the pier and its workers with inked on captions, framed in this restaurant. There is also a sign from the old Golden Zephyr attraction hanging on the wall.

## Trivia

* A flyer at Atwater School of Paint might imply the Silver Lake Sisters to have performed at the carnival at, "Fiesta Buena Vista". Said festival also included performances from historic hispanic singers Aurora Miranda, Carmen Molina and Dora Luz, Walt Disney Company animator band the *Firehouse Five Plus Two* (as the, "Firehouse Four") and the Three Caballeros.
* The park contains significant amounts of theming to *The Little Mermaid* (1989), a film connected to *Tower of Terror* affiliated character Captain Mary Oceaneer along with *Fantasmic!*. King Triton is shown throughout the park, and is also the son of Poseidon who is depicted in Tower of Terror.
* The mural in *Seaside Souvenirs* depicts the Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. This is a fictional vehicle connected to the Skipper Canteen, Captain Mary Oceaneer, and the Hydrophone.
* A letter in Goofy's Sky School is from Big Al from the *Country Bear Jamboree*, supplying Goofy with moonshine from their business, "Bear Brothers Backwood Brewery" to use as fuel.
	+ Incidentally, the Country Bear Jamboree character *Dolores the Octopus* appears in the Collector's fortress in *Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: BREAKOUT!*. Big Al was also a member of the Disneyland Casting Agency which included Trader Sam, José, Tom Morrow, the Ghost Relations Department and Walt Disney.

## References

1. ↑ https://duchessofdisneyland.com/california-adventure/sky-school-bulletin-board/
2. ↑ https://disneylandmaps.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/vol-1-iss-2.pdf
3. ↑ http://www.blueskydisney.com/2009/04/blue-sky-buzz-under-new-management.html
4. ↑ https://www.disneytouristblog.com/buena-vista-street-photos/
5. ↑ https://disneylandmaps.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/vol-1-iss-5.pdf
6. ↑ https://duchessofdisneyland.com/california-adventure/atwater-ink-and-paint-art-supply-bulletin-board/
7. ↑ https://duchessofdisneyland.com/california-adventure/seaside-souvenirs/
8. ↑ https://saturdaymorningmedia.com/2020/06/ac-97/