A Closer Look At ‘Cars Land’ Attractions

Cars Land has been open for about a month now, during which time the huge new addition to Disney California Adventure has been wildly successful. The painstaking attention paid to the design of the entire area by Disney Imagineers clearly shows, as you are transported to the town of Radiator Springs as soon as you step foot into the 12-acre land. After the break, take a look at hi-res photos of the main attractions and really try to take notice of all the little details meticulously planned and designed by the Imagineers!

Walk into Radiator Springs and your eyes are met with views of Flo’s V8 Café, Cozy Cone Motel, Luigi’s vertical collection of leaning tires, and of course the massive mountain range that hovers over it all in the background. Here are some high-resolution photos that showcase it all:

Perfectly emulating the small town from Cars, the area is a beautiful and faithful addition to the park. Wait until the sun goes down and the lights get turned on, and it simply looks majestic. It transforms into the town seen at the end of Cars, lit up to adapt to the night skies and to provide a great experience to passersby.

Luigi’s Flying Tires, one of the three attractions, is inspired by the classic Flying Saucers ride at Disneyland. Since that ride has been closed for decades, only those who were lucky enough to experience Walt’s original theme park in its early years had the chance to ride it. Adjusting its design to accommodate more simultaneous riders, Flying Tires lifts its guests above the ground so that they hover while large beach balls are thrown around. It is a mix of old and new, which Disney does exceptionally well throughout its parks (see Main Street, U.S.A.):

Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree can be best described as a re-imagined Mad Tea Party, which is another classic ride at Disneyland. Instead of tea cups, though, riders are seated in tractors and are pulled around, weaving through the paths of others. It is set to music, so it is as if the tractors are engaging in a choreographed dance, a jamboree with Mater as its host:

Radiator Springs Racers, Cars Land’s main attraction, is cleverly built into the mountain range you see when you walk into the area. As riders wait in line, they pass through a queue featuring a history of the small town, which Stanley founded. To honor his memory, a statue of Stanley was made and set up in front of the town courthouse (and can also be found in Cars Land). Once on the ride, guests drive by the beautiful waterfall seen in the original film, on the way to a high-speed race with a neighboring car. By day, driving through the stunning mountains crafted by Imagineers is, no-doubt, a joy:

As hinted at in the last photo above, as the sun starts to set, the range is bathed with light, giving it a beautiful orange effect. Post-sunset riders are in for an amazing treat:

While many will likely thirst for more attractions, this looks like a great use of the 12 acres set aside for Cars Land. A combination of beauty, class, and pure fun is what the Disney parks are known for – Cars Land seems to have gone beyond even that and will surely have guests coming back for more.

There are also sure to be some cool easter eggs, hidden Mickeys, and references to Pixar found within Cars Land. I think the best one I have come across is a reference to Ed Catmull, co-founder and President of Pixar. On opening night, his daughter, Jeannie Catmull, tweeted a picture of her father standing next to a sign reading, “Catmull Oil:”

Cars Land is now open at Disney California Adventure! Visit the official Disneyland website for more details on the new land and its attractions, and stay tuned for a closer look at the Cozy Cone Motel and Flo’s V8 Café.