February 2001 – January 2002
LOCATION
Hollywood Land – Superstar Limo was tucked in the back corner of Hollywood Land, to the left of the Hyperion Theater. If guests were walking down the main street, they could veer left at the side path and find Superstar Limo straight ahead, where Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley To The Rescue! stands today.
BACKGROUND
Each of the original lands in California Adventure celebrated a different part of the state, and Hollywood Land’s theme was true to its name: Hollywood and Los Angeles. Superstar Limo was the first dark ride designed specifically for California Adventure, as a simulation of a glamorous ride through the Hollywood’s most famous hot spots.
EXPERIENCE
Superstar Limo took visitors on a tour of a caricature version of Hollywood, and the journey began at the loading bay. Guests boarded purple limos, and talent agent Swifty La Rue appeared on a video monitor, telling her clients that they are running late to a movie premiere.
The limo ride began on Rodeo Drive, and continued through Sunset Strip, a nightclub, Bel Air, a pool party, Malibu, a tattoo parlor, a sound stage, Grauman’s Chinese Theater, and Downtown LA. Along the way, riders ran into many different celebrities, from Joan Rivers to Cher. Finally, riders stopped by a billboard, which displayed a photo of the passengers taken during the ride, before finally reaching the loading bay and heading off to that elusive premiere!
CLOSURE
Superstar Limo was never a popular attraction in California Adventure, and most riders found it boring. There were no advanced animatronics, and many of the celebrities featured on the ride considered “has-beens” by the time the ride opened. So after less than a year of operation, Superstar Limo closed its doors permanently, and the track and vehicles were incorporated into its replacement: Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley To The Rescue!, which opened three years later.
TRIVIA
Superstar Limo the first ride in California Adventure to permanently close, lasting only eleven months.
In the Malibu scene, observant guests could catch a glimpse of the Haunted Mansion’s Madame Leota watching riders from inside a crystal ball.
I remember this ride it was funny.