August 2023 – present
BACKGROUND
Since California Adventure’s debut in 2001, the restaurant hub of the park has had many names. Paradise Pier, Pacific Wharf, and now, San Fransokyo. In the first two versions, this space resembled Monterey, specifically Cannery Row. It was the only land primarily focused on dining options vs. headliner attractions within California Adventure. But in 2023, Disney announced plans to bring Big Hero 6 into the park with San Fransokyo Square replacing Pacific Wharf. The new version of the land opened in August, with an updated look and feel but maintaining the original flow/general spirit of its Northern California-inspired predecessor.
THE EXPERIENCE
San Fransokyo Square takes visitors into the fictional city from Big Hero 6, which blends elements of San Francisco and Tokyo. Within California Adventure, this “city” is all about good food. You’ll find a variety of dining options, have the chance to tour the sourdough factory, and enjoy a classic Ghirardelli ice cream for dessert. The pace here is slower than the rest of California Adventure, so you can sit down and take a break between thrill rides and just enjoy the California sunshine.
CHARACTERS YOU MAY ENCOUNTER
- Baymax
ATTRACTIONS
DINING
- Aunt Cass Cafe
- Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill
- Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop
- Lucky Fortune Cookery
- Port of San Fransokyo Cerveceria
- Rita’s Turbine Blenders
SHOPS
TRIVIA
In the Big Hero 6 universe, Japanese immigrants helped rebuild San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake, introducing Japanese architectural techniques that would help prevent future earthquake damage. In honor of this partnership and rebuild, the city changed its name to San Franksokyo.
Boudin and Ghirardelli are both world famous San Francisco landmarks, and carried over from the Pacific Wharf version of the land.
The rear entrance to San Fransokyo Square feeds from Cars Land. This area has a tremendously underrated view of the Cars Land mountain range, and is a great place to take photos.
TOURING TIPS
San Fransokyo’s crowd levels correlate with meal times. At lunch and dinner, it is hopping, and between meal times, it’s a much quieter place. There is a ton of seating here, so you’ll usually have no problem finding a place to eat even during mealtimes. And if you can’t find somewhere to eat, I’d recommend going over to Cars Land; it’s a short walk and there are numerous seating areas to choose from.
I would NOT recommend eating here on rainy days. All of the seating is exposed, and the wood beneath your feet stays damp for quite a while, so don’t place your bags on the ground if it’s wet out.
Two things… I loved the original Cannery Row look, because I visited the real one in 1975, having fallen in love with Steinbeck’s stories about it in its heyday. When Big Hero 6 came along, I loved the imagery in that, and the San Fransokyo overlay of this area seems to work well. It looks colourful without completely despoiling the waterfront/working wharf atmosphere. In fact, it seems to add to it. Your photos of it are terrific!
I loved it too – I lived in Northern California for a long time and Monterey/Carmel was one of my favorite areas to visit (I share your love of Steinbeck!). But I think the overlay actually looks nice in the area, though I do have mixed feelings about the bridge.