Cars Land turns 10
Category: Activities, Performances, & Events
It’s hard to believe that Cars Land at Disney California Adventure is now ten years old. To be honest, I remember the night before it opened when the media was treated to a spectacular preview of all the activities and the immersive architecture. It was just like stepping into the film. And it still is. Although there have been some changes over the past decade, Cars Land still holds a special attraction for guests.
Radiator Springs is a fun place to visit, even if you don’t go on any of the three attractions. There are many places to eat as well as a great store. I still use my Lightning McQueen sunshade for my car. It’s easy to spot in any parking lot. All I do is look for my little car sporting Lightning McQueen eyes.
The Radiator Springs Racers seem to be the most popular attraction in the land. Personally I enjoy Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree (just don’t ride this if you have a sore back). Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters is the newest attraction replacing Luigi’s Flying Tires. Having ridden both of them, I am happy they replaced the tire ride with the dancing cars. It’s a fun experience where guests end up laughing in their cars while the cars do their dance to the music. How many times have you laughed when your car dances? With the price of gas these days, this might be the only time guests can really enjoy riding in vehicles.
Between the Cozy Cone Motel, Fillmore’s Taste-In, and Flo’s V8 Café, guests can find just about anything to satisfy their food cravings.
What Cars Land did ten years ago changed the way new areas of the resorts are created. As I mentioned earlier, it is like stepping into the movie. The same thing happened in Walt Disney World when they built Pandora – The World of Avatar. If you visit that land in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, you will be transported into the Avatar movie. And in Disneyland they continued that immersive experience with Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. It’s like stepping into another world, the world of Star Wars. These lands create the feeling of jumping into the movies and enjoying the atmospheres as well as the characters. And let’s not overlook the great recipes the creative Disney chefs concoct to enhance the experiences.
The 12-acre land gets transformed for Halloween and Christmas. And periodically guests will run into (not literally) Lightning McQueen as he makes his way down Route 66.
It’s been a fun ten years with Mater, Lightning McQueen, and the others.
Pick up a limited Mater popcorn bucket when you’re there.
Click below to see a roundup of Cars Land.
About the Author
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.