The marquee entrance to Paradise Pier promises "Fun in the Sun for Everyone," combining the lure of a sunny coastal resort with the nostalgic thrills of a seaside amusement park. Designed as a tribute to the classic Pacific coast parks of the past, Paradise Pier weaves an aquatic theme throughout its boardwalk setting.
At the heart of the boardwalk is an oceanfront park staple, the carousel. Appropriate to the locale, King Triton's Carousel of the Sea puts a twist on the vintage Victorian merry-go-round by swapping the familiar herd of horses for a team of 56 hand-carved sea creatures. The intricately detailed mounts depict native California creatures such as sea lions, dolphins, sea otters, whales, sea horses and flying fish.
Along the upper rounding boards of the carousel are sixteen panels decorated with depictions of historic California amusement parks, including Venice of America and the Santa Monica Pier.
The restaurant overlooking the harbor, Ariel's Grotto (originally opened as Avalon Cove by Wolfgang Puck), is designed as a fanciful beachfront pavilion from the 1920s. Fun, aquatic details abound, from the shell-shaped peaks of the roof to the waves crashing against the breakers below.
Across Paradise Bay is another allusion to the sea, as well as Disney's 1989 animated feature, The Little Mermaid. Jumpin' Jellyfish, a parachute drop ride set in an "underwater" kelp garden, takes its name from Sebastian the crab's trademark exclamation. You may even find yourself shouting, "Jumpin' jellyfish!" as your perch flies to the top of one of the 60-foot towers before gently floating back to earth.
i found it very interesting that there is still a sign for Avalon Cove on the side of the Ariel's Grotto building... a nice little tribute.
ReplyDeleteYeah, how 'bout that. There is also still a sign advertising the Sun Wheel. It'll be interesting to see how many of those kinds of thing remain and how many get removed or converted as Paradise Pier's makeover is completed.
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