The desert scenes featured in the movie "Cars" are stunningly replicated in the news Cars Land at Disney's California Adventure. The Radiator Springs Racers stand ready for a spin.In the 1960s, folk singer Joni Mitchell rued the day when they “paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”
A few years ago, the creative minds at the Walt Disney Company went in the opposite direction: They decided to rip up the main Disneyland/California Adventure parking lot and put up a new land.
Cars Land, to be exact. It’s the crown jewel of a $1.1 billion expansion project which opens today in Anaheim, Calif.
The new “Cars”-themed land is much-hyped, much-anticipated and, in Disney’s mind, very much necessary in its effort to lift California Adventure out of its decades-long funk.
Whether this former paved parking lot turns into a financial paradise, only time will tell. But if the early buzz means anything, this new area of the park should be a winner.
“We knew that California Adventure didn’t measure up to what we knew it could be and should be,” Tom Staggs, chairman of Disney parks and resorts said during a preview tour of the new land. “So we set out to change that.”
Flo's V8 Cafe is among the many food and merchandise options located in the new Cars Land.Attendance at Disneyland’s kid brother has lagged almost from the day it opened in February of 2001. Where Disneyland regularly draws about 17 millions guests a year, California Adventure lags behind with about 6 million visitors.
Over the years, many have offered opinions for the attendance disparity. Chief among those theories was a glaring lack of just about anything Disney inside California Adventure’s walls.
Where Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and the rest of the gang hold sway across the plaza at The Happiest Place on Earth, there was very little in the way of classic Disney, or even modern-day Disney-themed attractions, for guests to latch onto.
If guests went to California Adventure at all, it was usually for a couple hours; few went to California Adventure to spend the entire day.
The massive park overhaul began in 2009 with the opening of the World of Color evening water show, which drew raves reviews for its creativity, not to mention its nod to the classic Disney television show, “The Wonderful World of Color.”
The crowning achievement of the refurbishment is Cars Land, which will offer guests three new attractions, although one might be considered a throwback to a classic Disneyland ride.
Luigi's Flying Tires may remind Disneyland guests of the The Flying Saucers from the 1960s. Luigi’s Flying Tires is very much reminiscent of The Flying Saucers, a big hit in Tomorrowland in the 1960s. The updated version allows guests to ride on giant tires as they float on a cushion of air (kind of air hockey on steroids).
Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree is a ride “where baby tractors twirl and swing around, pulling trailers behind them (that’s where we get to sit),” according to Kathy Mangum, executive producer and vice president of Walt Disney Imagineering. “The tractors will appear to be dancing to songs that Mater is singing — they just can’t help themselves!”
The marquee attraction in Cars Land is the Radiator Springs Racers, which will take guests on a scenic and thrilling road trip through the world of “Cars.” Disney’s creative team went to great lengths to replicate the stunning rocks and desert-like vistas that were so prominent in the Disney/Pixar film “Cars.”
Although the Radiator Springs Racers’ track looks a bit like the high-speed Test Track in Epcot, the ride — like the other Cars Land attractions — is decidedly family friendly.
Guests take a spin on Mater's Junkyard Jamboree.“The classic best Disney attraction is the one where the whole family enjoys going on it together,” says Tony Baxter, Senior Vice President, Creative Development, for Walt Disney Imagineering who is responsible for overall creative direction for the Disneyland Resort.
Cars Land also features a variety of food outlets, like the Route 66-inspired Flo’s V8 Cafe, and plenty of merchandise shops (there will be nearly 300 “Cars”-related items for sale).
In addition to Cars Land, the California Adventure makeover included a new entrance (gone are the giant CALIFORNIA letters), which replicates the Hollywood setting Walt Disney first saw when he stepped off the train after moving from the Midwest.
According to Disneyland Resorts spokesman Kevin Rafferty, the giant letters that spelled out the state’s name at the entrance to the park will be donated to the state fair.
The letters, always popular with picture-takers, were given to the volunteer association of the California Exposition and State Fair in Sacramento. The group will use them for a new building entrance.
Now that the new California Adventure is up and running, Disney’s higher-ups can’t wait to reap the rewards of years of planning and hard work.
According to Disney CEO Bob Iger: “I believe the completion (of Cars Land) will result in a park that will both stand on its own, but also serve as an important and worthy neighbor to Disneyland.”