Cars Land

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.

Disneyland Resort is always growing. The newest attraction is at California Adventure where Luigi’s family has come to California from Italy to share in the fun. Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters replaces the old attraction that was, well, not very popular. You remember Luigi’s Flying Tires? It was fun but not exciting or memorable. Well, Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters promises to be more entertaining and enjoyable.

When you get to Cars Land, head to the back to the Casa della Tires. There, guests ride in miniature Italian roadsters as the singing cars dance and move across the floor. “Here at Luigi’s, the roadsters seem to have a mind of their own” said Kevin Rafferty, Executive Creative Director of Walt Disney Imagineering. He explained that each car has his – or her – own signature move so when guests ride in different cars, they will get a different experience.

Each car has his – or her – own name and personality. And they each look different. They are definitely unique, and Luigi is happy to have his cousins in Cars Land to help entertain guests in the park.

Here are some facts about Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters:

It is the first Disney attraction in the United States with a trackless ride system. That means the cars are free to dance around at their pleasure.

The cars will spin, turn, and glide across the floor and can even interact with each other.

The “dance floor” is 125 feet long and 70 feet wide, which is large enough to give these mini-roadsters enough room to strut their stuff.

Some of the cars sing. Luigi sings “Rollicking Night and Day,” cousin Rosetta sings “Mambo Italiano,” cousin Lou sings “Eh, Cumpari,” and Luigi calls out periodically with his own additions to the repertoire.

There are fun things to see while you’re in Luigi’s territory. The attraction adds some extra fun and whimsy to Cars Land. The entrance to Cars Land has Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree, where the little tractors spin and sing, and now at the end of the street Luigi’s cousins have their own fun dancing and singing. Cars Land is definitely expanding and adding more cares with personality and even musical abilities!

Get your groove thing on with Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters. The fun opens to the public March 7, 2016.

Click here to check out the fun with Luigi and his cousins!

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for 20 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, from Sourced Media Books.

Follow her on Twitter

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