THEME PARK
Spirit of California Entertainment Park's Phase One of development will be the Theme Park and Hotel & Convention Center. These key environment and theme setting feature venues are establishing the design criteria for the entire master planned entertainment park. The massive complex will offer the world's first theme resort reflecting all the diverse cultural influences and recreational opportunities of California, and the first major "Disney" style theme park in Northern California.
SPIRIT of CALIFORNIA’S THEME PARK will provide an adventurous journey through the history of California’s diverse culture and development since the discovery of the San Francisco bay in 1769.
This journey began in 1522 just thirty years after Columbus' discovery of the New World when the great conquistador Cortez began plans for the exploration of the west coast of North America.
The adventure will continue through the history of California from the early settler’s gold rush
along the American River to the building of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the
movie industry of Southern California, the development of aerospace industry and Silicon
Valley’s high tech worldwide leadership.
• The THEME PARK will include “lands” that reflect California history, culture, industry and adventure. Each area is designed to evoke a theme or period and there are no visual distractions to break the illusion that one has stepped into the future of Silicon Valley or the California Redwoods. In our family Theme Park visitors are treated to theme music which the enforces the story told by the architecture and strolling characters.
The journey will bring you alongside and into the many cultures that have provided the unique individuals who led the history making development of California. The Theme Park will include state of the art Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality rides and film simulators, shopping and dining experiences reflecting all the diverse cultures of California
The park, with elegantly landscaped settings, will have wide meandering walkways to accommodate bi-directional pedestrian American Disabilities Act (ADA) traffic. The park is being designed for the enjoyment of all ages from 2 to 92.
• Design -The worlds' most renowned designers and engineers are working together on design concepts for the multiple venues within the Entertainment Park. Each venue’s expert architect and designer directed by our Project Director is striving for unique, individual project design within the themed parameters to create synergy and cohesive partnerships.
A visit to The Spirit of California and overnight stay in our hotel will become a family destination
for generations to come, Forever Redefining your Cultural Entertainment Experience.
• 175 acre Historical and Cultural Theme Park - An exciting and adventurous journey through
the history of California beginning with the discovery of the San Francisco Bay in 1769 and
proceeding up to the current day aerospace, movie and high tech industries. Featured
historical events and the state’s development into the world’s sixth (2015) largest economy are
enjoyed through the unique and thrilling experiences of themed rides and exhibitions. While
visiting the cultural communities inhabiting the state of California, you will enjoying the multi
national cuisine and shopping experience offered by each cultural community.
• HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS - A walk and a ride through the discovery of California in 1769 and some of the historical highlights since then:
• Discovery of the San Francisco Bay in 1769 following exploration beginning in 1522 just thirty years after Columbus' discovery of the New World, the great conquistador Cortez began plans for the exploration of the western coast of North America.
• Spanish Settlement of Missions - was established between 1769 and 1833 by Historic Settlement of Spanish influenced Missions in what is now California.
• San Francisco grew from a small settlement of about 200 residents in 1846 to a boomtown of about 36,000 by 1852.
• The California Gold Rush (1848 -1855) actually began on January 24, 1848, when gold was discovered and the news brought some 300,000 people to California from the rest of the United States and abroad.
• San Francisco Chinatown originating circa 1848 it is the largest Chinese community on the West Coast, and the second largest in the United States.
• California became a state in 1850, after the state constitution was drafted and a governor and legislature chosen in 1849.
• San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge now San Francisco's most famous landmark opened in 1937 after a four-year struggle against relentless winds, fog, rock and treacherous tides.
• Alcatraz had work began in 1853 and continued until 1858, eventuating in Fortress Alcatraz.
• California Vineyards first commercial vineyard was established in Napa Valley in 1854, and with the first winery starting production there in 1858. From quiet beginnings to international influence, up to 90% (by some estimates) of American wine is produced in the state.
• California Coast’s Oldest Seaside Beach Resort was established in 1869 in Capitola and is regarded as the oldest seaside resort along the Pacific coast.
• Aerospace Industry established California’s place in history from early 1900’s airplanes to spacecraft! Southern California as we know it would not exist without aerospace.
• Movie and Television Industry began with “In Old California” a film by DW Griffith was filmed entirely in the village of Hollywood in 1910.
• Silicon Valley High Tech Industry was led by forward thinking international leaders which have changed the way we live our lives. In1939 William Hewlett and David Packard started a company to produce their audio-oscillator. Walt Disney became the first customer of Hewlett-Packard, purchasing their oscillator for the animation film "Fantasia".
• CALIFORNIA’S GOAL SETTING WORLD LEADERSHIP - Ride along with us as we enjoy the beauty and leadership of the state through the experience presented within The Spirit of California Entertainment Park.
California’s multi-culture population and settlement - The state has the most diverse cross section of resident nationalities of anywhere in North America.
• California’s Surf Culture - In July 1885, three teenage Hawaiian princes took a break from their boarding school, St. Mathew’s Hall in San Mateo, and came to cool off in Santa Cruz, California. There, David Kawananakoa, Edward Keliʻiahonui and Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana'ole surfed the mouth of the San Lorenzo River in Santa Cruz on custom-shaped redwood boards.
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• Movie and Television Industry - In Old California, a film was made in the village of Hollywood in 1910. Others report that the first movie made in Hollywood was Cecil B. DeMille’s The Squaw Man in 1914. By 1919, “Hollywood” had transformed into the face of American cinema and all the glamour it would come to embody.
• Automotive Design & Technology - From a 1950’s innovative group of hot rod enthusiasts to leading edge technology formulating today’s leading automobile designs & technology.
• Major Sports Teams - It began with the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants moving west to California in 1958, we now offer World Champion teams in all major sports.
• Adventurous Outdoor Sports - Snow & water skiing, snowboarding, white water rafting, surfing, sailing, hang gliding, hot air balloons, mountain climbing, cycling, and skate boarding.
• Olympics - California has hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley at Lake Tahoe and the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympics at the historic Los Angeles Coliseum as well as other venues in Southern California.
• Internationally Recognized Fine Dining Experiences - California has created its own style of the finest cuisines in the world but offers the ultimate experience from every conceivable cultural background, representing all nationalities which complement the states residences.
• Political Leaders - California has had numerous U.S. Presidents visit and vacation here, and three have established residency in the state.
• High Tech Industry - Since 1939 the Silicon Valley established itself as the undisputed world leader in all forms of computer technology and communications.
• THEMED EXPERIENCES FOR FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT- These magical venues will enroll you in an unexpectedly thrilling ride through the state of California’s most iconic settings.
“Native Americans & California Redwoods” - Only in California do these great trees have the environment to thrive. Encounter Native Americans & settlers from the era. Guests will approach through a California Redwood forest, cross wooden bridges over trout streams flowing into Sacramento Delta sloughs and experience life in a Redwood Bark Hut in a California Native American Village.
They will pass through a replica of a giant Sequoia Tree flanked by granite boulders and walk into:
“Old California” - This is a re-creation of California before it became a part of the USA in1848. Guests will enter the Presidio (Fort), enjoy a Mexican meal at the Mission Ranchero, shop at El Mercado and see the Zorro Stunt Show at the Ranchero Arena, which will also be the home of many Latin American cultural events.
Guests enter a re-creation of the Monterey Presisio (Fort)...
In Old California they can dine at authentic restaurants.
Shop at El Mercado...
Or enjoy the "Zorro Stunt Show"and many Latin Cultural events.
“Gold Rush & Old San Francisco Barbary Coast” - 49ner’s Gold Rush on the American
River & early settlement of San Francisco. As guests leave the Presidio, they will enter the next phase in California’s history, the Gold Rush. First, they will come to HangTown (currently Placerville, CA) a lawless miner’s camp. Here they can board the park’s first big ride:
Wagon Train, in this “4-D” ride adventure; guests will cross the plains and the Sierra Nevada Mountains, just like the original 49ers. This journey will take place on a giant, wrap around 3-D screen, whose images will be enhanced by special effects, and motion from the covered wagons, which are simulator bases.
When the wagons cross the Sierra Nevada in winter, guests will feel the cold wind blow and be touched by simulated snowflakes. When encountering a prairie fire, they’ll be immersed in clouds of real (non-toxic) smoke. And as they cross the rapids of California’s American River, they’ll be sprayed with real water. Mountain lions will leap off the screen in 3-D; Indians will shoot flaming arrows lodging in the sides of the wagon, bursting into REAL flames.
The guests will then turn a corner into San Francisco’s 1850 Barbary Coast—not the tame Fisherman’s Wharf of today, but a collection of saloons, bars, perhaps even a satellite version of the main casino. Here some of the buildings, including the jail, are made from parts of ships abandoned by their crews who gave up sea-faring for prospecting.
As guests walk up Pacific Avenue we trace the history of San Francisco as it matured from a gold rush seaport into the sophisticated city…all the way to the corner of Haight and Ashbury during 1967’s Summer of Love. At the end of the street guests see the iconic structures of Coit Tower and the famous, zigzag Lombard Street. They also see our next big ride, the Runaway Cable Car Thrill Ride, as a cable car climbs the steep grade, then, experiences a San Francisco Earthquake at the top of the hill, breaks off its tracks and runs crazily down Lombard Street at roller coaster speeds. Buildings collapse, cars crash and flip, houses burst into flame—it’s a special effects experience as well as a ride.
San Francisco Cable Car Ride ©
TFC for Spirit of California 2017
“San Francisco Cable Car” - Experience the joy, thrill and the views of today’s San Francisco.
There will also be shopping and dining opportunities in this, as well as all “lands of the park, including some of the best festival retail stores and famous restaurants from San Francisco.
After we enjoy Old San Francisco, cross into:
Asian Pavilion: “Old Chinatown” - Enjoy the history. The area will be home to daily street parades and look like Chinatown did back in the 1950’s.
We walk down Grant Avenue, the main street of Chinatown. But, this is the Grant Avenue of a different era. One that does not exist anymore, and may exist only in the guest’s mind when he thinks of Old Chinatown. Here, we will find a branch of the best Chinese restaurants in the city as well as colorful shops. Our Old Chinatown will be home to daily street parades and perhaps might look like Chinatown did back in the 1950’s as seen in the rendering below:
The big difference between 1950 and our 21st Century theme park attraction is that our Chinatown will be climate controlled with a glass canopy above the street to keep guests warm in winter and cool in summer.
The star attraction of Asia Land will be the Chinese Dragon Coaster. The queue line for this, and the other big rides, will be indoors to ensure for year round guest comfort. The ride track will snake through sections of our “indoor” Chinese street, and then extend outdoors for the bulk of the ride. The Chinese Dragon Coaster will be what is called a “Water Coaster” in that sections of the track will skim the water, in honor of China’s dragon mythology, which holds that dragons control the water, lakes, rivers and waterfalls of earth.
Chinese Dragon Coaster Concept ©
TFC for Spirit of California 2017
“Little Italy & The Wharf”- If we turn left from Old San Francisco’s Pacific Avenue, we head into the first of our European lands, Little Italy. This area is home to fine Italian restaurants and Fisherman’s Wharf eateries such as the famous Scoma’s. The thrill & challenge of the local catch and a dining experience that it provides.
Fisherman's Wharf
Fisherman's Wharf Harbor
Fisherman's Wharf at Night
Little Italy is also home to one of our big state of the art rides, the Farallon Islands Great White Shark Dive Experience. Guests will board a San Francisco Wharf dive boat and head out to “sea.” During the outbound voyage, guests will enter a “shark cage”, put on “haptic” (sensor) gloves and Virtual Reality Headsets. Due to the movement of the simulator, they will feel like they are being lifted into the air by a crane. During the experience, they will “see” basking Sea Lions and giant whales in virtual reality. They will feel their shark cage being dropped into the water (simulator motion + mist spray). They will descend to the ocean floor where they will encounter a Great White Shark attack.
Will their cage hold in the face of the shark attack? Will some problem with the crane prevent their returning to the surface? These and many more adventures lie ahead during the three-minute Virtual Reality experience.
Farallon Islands Shark Dive © 2017
TFC for Spirit of California
At the end, of course, they will (we believe) safely return to the dock!
“San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge”- Recognized worldwide and identifying the
crossing of the San Francisco Bay into San Francisco. San Francisco's most famous landmark opened in 1937 after a four-year struggle against relentless winds, fog, rock and treacherous tides. Enjoy a ride under the bridge and by Alcatraz & Fisherman’s Wharf as you approach Pier 39 in the San Francisco harbor.
“California Coastal Beaches” - Experience time at the beach, big wave riding and picnics
along the California coast's most famous beaches.
“Big Sur” - Only on the central coast of California do the mountains and streams reach the ocean in such a dramatic setting.
“Yosemite National Park” - is best known for its waterfalls, but within its nearly 1,200 square miles, you can find deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness area, and much more on your “Zip Line” experience.
“Wine Country Russian River and Hang Glider Thrills” - Guests will be offered the opportunity to view the wine country and the river, or enjoy a glass of wine relaxing alongside the banks experiencing the serenity of the Napa Valley.
“American River Rapids” - Ride the river enjoying the amazing splendor of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and thrills of the rapids.
“Silicon Valley”- This land pays tribute to the technological heart of California; Silicon
Valley - the land of innovation with the “SOC Reality Ride and Adventure”. The ride will be an “Augmented Reality (AR)” first person adventure with break through reality settings and continuous interactive action. The world becomes your screen. The guest's physical environment is enhanced to deliver contextually relevant digital content in real-time to the user.
In the High-Tech café, the serving staff will appear on screen as interactive CGI characters, so you might be waited on by a talking dinosaur or maybe a zombie, and the food appears magically at your table via a hidden series of conveyor belts.
“Hollywood” - This land is a working movie studio and studio tour. Here you can dine at famous Hollywood hotspots, shop on Rodeo Drive and Ride The Movies, as well as see a live television production. There will be a nightclub that also serves guests outside the theme park gate. If the studio is “branded” the rides might be “Journey to the Planet of the Apes” or “Another Night at the Museum” 3-D film simulator rides, both involving guest interactive scoring systems.
“Aerospace” - From the Spirit of St. Louis developed in San Diego, to Howard Hughes Culver City facilities to modern day Lockheed Martin and Northrup Grumman, California has been at the forefront of aviation and space technology. This area will be highlighted by an attraction detailing the history of flight, with a “VR Roller Coaster” providing guests VR glasses to feel the thrill of barrel rolls and combat manuevers in an F35 Lighting “Stealth”Fighter.
“Tour of California” - From the air visit the beaches of the west coast, Hollywood, the Sierra Mountains, Napa Valley Vineyards, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Redwoods. Ride along in a sports car race, ride a Mavericks 70 ft. wave and visit Big Sur in a thrilling adventure of the senses, which includes a co-pilot seat on a test flight out of Edwards Air Force Base.
"Fine Dining Experiences" - All the cultural ethnicity of California's diverse population will provide an environment reminiscent of its background. Food feeds the soul to the extent that we all need food, and we all have souls. Food is the single great unifier across cultures, but what feeds your soul? Our comfort foods map who we are...where we come from. and what happened to us along the way. "Most cultures don't think about their cuisine in such monolithic terms": French, Mexican, Chinese and Italian cuisines each comprise dozens of distinct regional foods.
Parking - Patron Parking: The 175 acre theme Park will provide 45 acres of parking for over 5,500 vehicles
Transportation "To & Within" the Spirit of California Entertainment Park
Airports, Accommodations, Extended Parking and Transportation