From A Bug's Land to the Avengers Campus
With the Avengers Campus opening in Disneyland’s California Adventure, I’ve found that it’s important to note what was there before in order to preserve the memory. Before Pym’s Test Kitchen, the Avengers Headquarters, and the Ancient Sanctum, there was A Bug’s Land. And even before A Bug’s Land, there was Bountiful Valley Farm.
On February 8th, 2001, California Adventure opened to the public after almost 4 years of construction. The new park had 22 attractions, including the Bountiful Valley Demonstration Farm and It’s Tough To Be A Bug. These attractions were a part of the Golden State land, when California Adventure was more focused on bringing the true California history and experience to its guests. The goal of the farm was to have guests be immersed in the California farming lifestyle, with the orange trees, cows, and had a small farmers market. Caterpillar Inc., a construction and machinery company, was the sponsor for the attraction.
Bountiful Valley Farm. Photo by: Andy Castro. Image from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/andycastro/3937802601/in/photolist-6ZYgwi-6cTvGT
Alongside Bountiful Valley Farm was It’s Tough To Be A Bug, a 3D film experience based on Pixar’s A Bug’s Life. The film taught guests about the importance of befriending bugs rather than being afraid of them, and what they can do to help the world.
The opening of California Adventure did not do as well as Imagineers expected, as a lot of the lands and attractions weren’t cohesive. There was also not many thrill rides, so it wasn’t as appealing as Disneyland was. So, after just over a year of operations, they decided to upgrade the area and added Flik’s Fun Fair in October of 2002.
Flik in California Adventure. Photo by: Andy Castro. Image from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/andycastro
Flik’s Fun Fair included 5 new attractions, mostly targeted for younger kids. These rides included Flik’s Flyers, Francis’ Ladybug Boogie, Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train, Princess Dot Puddle Park, and Tuck ‘n’ Roll’s Drive ‘em Buggies. Flik’s Flyers were reminiscent of a carnival chair swing, the Francis ride was similar to the Mad Tea Party in Disneyland, Heimlich’s train was a slow-moving train, the Buggies were bumper cars, and Dot’s Puddle Park was a water park.
A Bug’s Land entrance. Photo by: Jeff Gritchen. Image from: https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/07/20/heres-when-a-bugs-land-at-disney-california-adventure-will-close-forever/
Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train. Photo by: Jeff Gritchen. Image from: https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/07/20/heres-when-a-bugs-land-at-disney-california-adventure-will-close-forever/
With the addition of these A Bug’s Life themed rides, Bountiful Valley Farm and It’s Tough To Be A Bug all joined together to become A Bug’s Land.
In 2007, it was announced that California Adventure would have a new expansion. In 2010, Bountiful Valley Farm officially closed to make room for the all-new Car’s Land, based on Pixar’s Cars. The building of Cars Land wasn’t a contributing factor of A Bug’s Land’s eventual closure though, as it was built over the Timon parking lot, and didn’t overlap onto Flik’s Fun Fair. However, as the park continued to grow, Imagineers had even bigger plans for what they would turn the California-themed park into.
Cars Land. Photo by: Andy Castro. Image from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/andycastro
Pixar Pier opened in June 2018, replacing Paradise Pier and turning California Adventure into an homage to Pixar films. This seems like it would’ve been good news for A Bug’s Land, even though attendance into that part of the park had lessened over the years. Bigger, more thrilling attractions were being built, and the appeal to a kid’s area was stunted. However, before Pixar Pier could open, Disney announced in March 2018 that A Bug’s Land would officially close on September 4th, 2018. Alongside this announcement of closure, they also announced they would be opening a new Marvel-themed land in its place.
Avengers Campus was scheduled to open in July 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was delayed until June 4th, 2021. The new land would feature the iconic Quinjet, a web slingers attraction for Spider-Man lovers, and an immersive experience into the MCU. Though these changes are exciting, it’s important to remember what came before it.
If you’re sad you weren’t able to meet Flik and his friends at A Bug’s Land before it closed, sign this petition to bring them to Pixar Pier to meet you! Credit for the cover photo of this post is Tracy Robben, the creator of this petition: https://www.change.org/p/the-walt-disney-company-bring-flik-and-his-friends-to-meet-at-pixar-pier
Reference list:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Bug%27s_Land
https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/A_Bug%27s_Land
https://duchessofdisneyland.com/park-history/bountiful-valley-farm/
https://www.10news.com/news/disney-to-close-a-bugs-land-to-make-way-for-super-hero-themed-land
