Theme Park Thursdays feature photos from one of our theme park adventures in the past.

Spin Cycle (2005)

This is the Golden Zephyr, a spinning attraction at Disney California Adventure… and a rather stupid one.

I took this photo in the rain during a January 2005 trip. At the time, I was riding the Ferris Wheel (formerly known as the Sun Wheel, now called Mickey's Fun Wheel). Unfortunately, the Zephyr didn't work in the rain. Nor does it work when the winds are higher than 10 mph. Whose bright idea was it to build an attraction like that?

In any case, the view behind the Zephyr is much different today, thanks to the big renovation at DCA. Those tacky storefronts have been replaced with something a bit more themed and period-appropriate.