With a dazzling daylight display of fireworks, twirling umbrellas and balloons filled with make-believe gold dust, Disney opened its billion-dollar California Adventure theme park to the public on Thursday.
Thousands of visitors paid $43 to get into the new 55-acre park -- the same price as a ticket to adjacent Disneyland -- which is three times the size.
Visitors didn't seem to mind the cost or the long hours spent in line to be among the first in the picturesque park about 30 miles south of Los Angeles.
Steven W. Smith of Azusa, just 40 miles away, spent nearly 28 hours in line. "I would do it again, too. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance for me."
Smith, 43, braved temperatures that dipped into the low 40s while spending the night in line with a friend and hundreds of other Disney die-hards.
Walt Disney Co. chief executive Michael Eisner greeted guests at an opening ceremony.
"To all who believe in the power of dreams, welcome," he said.
Disney spent $1.4 billion to build California Adventure, an adjacent hotel and a retail strip filled with restaurants and shops.
The park makes use of proven Disney concepts, incorporates the company's vast television and movie-making resources, and is intended to make the flagship Disneyland park more than a one-day visit.
Its main attractions include "Soarin' Over California," where people are lifted 40 feet in the air to give the sensation of hang-gliding, and "California Screamin', a roller coaster that hits 55 mph in about 4 seconds.
The park also features a wine-tasting center and upscale restaurants, stressing fine cuisine over fast food.
Early projections estimated two-hour waits to ride the most popular attractions. But visitors had almost no wait for the "Grizzly Run" water ride and only about a 20-minute delay to board "Soarin' Over California."
Officials expected the park to reach its capacity of about 33,000 by Thursday afternoon. Ticket sales stop when the park is full and resume as people leave.
Thursday's festivities featured a dose of Disney nostalgia. Among the guests was Bobby Burgess, an original Mousketeer from the "Mickey Mouse Club" television show in the 1950s.
Burgess, now 59, was 13 when he attended the grand opening of Disneyland in 1955.
"This is another historical moment in the Disneyland timeline, and I'm glad to be a part of it," Burgess said.
Actor Buddy Ebsen, who played Davy Crockett's sidekick in another 1950s Disney television series, joined about 500 celebrities at the opening. They included "Star Wars" creator George Lucas, actor Jack Nicholson and hockey great Wayne Gretzky.
"Walt (Disney) is looking down on all this and he feels good about what he sees," said the 92-year-old Ebsen.
"This is absolutely crazy," added actor Don Cheadle, who appears in the film "Traffic." "Anytime you can get in for free, I think it's worth your while."<
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