Cars area coming to Magic Kingdom

[GAcoaster]

So, maybe they re-route the HM queue onto the pathway to Villains Land?

 

[UniversalRBLX]

So, maybe they re-route the HM queue onto the pathway to Villains Land?

My expectation is that you would enter Haunted Mansion the same as today (still part of Liberty Square), but they will expand the graveyard extended queue further back. Then a small berm of trees between the mansion and the future national park area.

 

[jarmor]

I dunno, Galaxy's Edge was supposed to be a new location and it kinda fell flat to the fans. Hope it doesn't happen with this project.

 

[Jake S]

I dunno, Galaxy's Edge was supposed to be a new location and it kinda fell flat to the fans. Hope it doesn't happen with this project.

the cars universe doesn’t have a tattoine, hoth or endor, though. i just don’t see that as a problem here.

 

[LPCaptainDeath]

I dunno, Galaxy's Edge was supposed to be a new location and it kinda fell flat to the fans. Hope it doesn't happen with this project.

the cars universe doesn’t have a tattoine, hoth or endor, though. i just don’t see that as a problem here.

Yeah, when we opened something new that no one could relate to, we were all left scratching our heads as to why it wasn't even an amalgamation of things we already liked and instead a result of several 'maybe' concepts scrambled together based off the parts of the franchise people didn't even really like in comparison to what made the franchise popular in the first place. The product didn't measure up to the hype because they -just like the sequel film series- largely misunderstood what people even wanted out of that universe or what its stories were capable of doing. Which is ironic because when we look at the movies we wanted something NEW and got retreads, and when we look at the park we wanted to revisit and got something NEW. In a franchise like Star Wars people wanted to go to places they've SEEN to interact with characters they KNOW; With such a rich history of things and characters to draw from, you'd think it would be a surefire success. I really think there were just expectations to be met that were moreso undelivered.

In a franchise like CARS... you're... well... you're expecting... cars...? So... Yeah...

 

[Jake S]

I really think there were just expectations to be met that were moreso undelivered.

I also think there is a far more diverse set of "wants" from Star Wars fans than from Cars fans. It would have been impossible to satisfy all Star Wars fans, and even satisfying a plurality would have been very challenging. I just don't think those problems exist with a franchise about anthropomorphic cars that, ironically, look back nostalgically on a time before today's highway system.

 

[Mad Dog]

So far Cars Land looks what most people would expect it to look like. GESWL, on the other hand, looks just like the rusting, rotted, decaying, closed steel mills that we had here in the Pittsburgh area. Disney Imagineers got the look down pat. It's very authentic. Ugly, decaying, depression invoking. But not really a site that people want to visit while on vacation. Major misstep by Disney. They had much better looks they could have used.

 

[OrlLover]

the cars universe doesn’t have a tattoine, hoth or endor, though. i just don’t see that as a problem here.

Plus Piston Peak is not a new area.

It’s technically exists in other Cars media.

 

[Tobias]

Yeah, when we opened something new that no one could relate to, we were all left scratching our heads as to why it wasn't even an amalgamation of things we already liked and instead a result of several 'maybe' concepts scrambled together based off the parts of the franchise people didn't even really like in comparison to what made the franchise popular in the first place. The product didn't measure up to the hype because they -just like the sequel film series- largely misunderstood what people even wanted out of that universe or what its stories were capable of doing. Which is ironic because when we look at the movies we wanted something NEW and got retreads, and when we look at the park we wanted to revisit and got something NEW. In a franchise like Star Wars people wanted to go to places they've SEEN to interact with characters they KNOW; With such a rich history of things and characters to draw from, you'd think it would be a surefire success. I really think there were just expectations to be met that were moreso undelivered.

In a franchise like CARS... you're... well... you're expecting... cars...? So... Yeah...

I also think there is a far more diverse set of "wants" from Star Wars fans than from Cars fans. It would have been impossible to satisfy all Star Wars fans, and even satisfying a plurality would have been very challenging. I just don't think those problems exist with a franchise about anthropomorphic cars that, ironically, look back nostalgically on a time before today's highway system.

Agreed, and speaking of expectation Cars is not a franchise where people have very high expectations for. While it's a money maker in terms of merch, the series isn't as critically acclaimed as other Pixar films. So I don't think people were expecting a whole lot out of the land when it was coming to DCA, save for Radiator Springs Racers. It probably didn't help the much-maligned Cars 2 came out a year before the land opened.

But lo and behold, Cars Land turned out to be a very pleasant surprise! I know a lot of folks who don't care for the IP, but they love the land. If that's not a fantastic testament to how well they did it, I don't know what is!

 

[DrStarlander]

I do think Cars Land at DCA works so well is because it's Radiator Springs, "the" place Cars fans want to visit (which I'm one). If it was a made up place -- say the Grizzly Peak / Airfield area but with cars sprinkled around, I'm not sure it would be one of the most successful lands Disney has ever made (which I think Cars Land is).

I agree with @Jake S that Star Wars "wants" are more diverse, but I also think had they done any well-known place (Tatooine, Hoth, Endor...) and did it with the faithfulness of their rendition of Radiator Springs, and kept it to about 50% the size of what they did with SWGE, instead of a "meh" or negative reaction, they would have gotten a "cool!" reaction from most people (even if it wasn't their #1 desired location). And there would be lots of positive hope/speculation they may expand the land to include another well-known location from the franchise.

 

[GA-MBIT]

Radiator Springs works great for the immersive single-IP kind of land that it is, but it would be a dreadful addition to WDW Magic Kingdom.

This version of Piston Peak is a bespoke area built for the needs of our specific Frontierland. This isn't Carsland in any sense of the phrase, it's a Frontierland ride with Cars. It shows off the American countryside, lots of water features and cool mountain ranges, it's all about journeying west through the wildnerness; simply told through off-roading with the Cars characters. That's the hook to get people to ride. I think it's legitimately cool to see something like this get greenlit, especially in this era where everything has to be connected to a larger IP land like Pandora, Batuu, Diagon, or Super Mario Land. This is a lot more like the New Fantasyland additions, which gives me hope that this should fit the structure of Magic Kingdom much better than just plopping down Radiator Springs in the middle of RoA.

 

[OrlLover]

Radiator Springs works great for the immersive single-IP kind of land that it is, but it would be a dreadful addition to WDW Magic Kingdom.

This version of Piston Peak is a bespoke area built for the needs of our specific Frontierland. This isn't Carsland in any sense of the phrase, it's a Frontierland ride with Cars. It shows off the American countryside, lots of water features and cool mountain ranges, it's all about journeying west through the wildnerness; simply told threw off-roading with the Cars characters. That's the hook to get people to ride. I think it's legitimately cool to see something like this get greenlit, especially in this era where everything has to be connected to a larger IP land like Pandora, Batuu, Diagon, or Super Mario Land. This is a lot more like the New Fantasyland additions, which gives me hope that this should fit the structure of Magic Kingdom much better than just plopping down Radiator Springs in the middle of RoA.

I agree.

Was never sold on RSR being plopped down at our MK. Looks like lots of care and heart is going into this project which I appreciate.

 

[Tobias]

Radiator Springs works great for the immersive single-IP kind of land that it is, but it would be a dreadful addition to WDW Magic Kingdom.

This version of Piston Peak is a bespoke area built for the needs of our specific Frontierland. This isn't Carsland in any sense of the phrase, it's a Frontierland ride with Cars. It shows off the American countryside, lots of water features and cool mountain ranges, it's all about journeying west through the wildnerness; simply told through off-roading with the Cars characters. That's the hook to get people to ride. I think it's legitimately cool to see something like this get greenlit, especially in this era where everything has to be connected to a larger IP land like Pandora, Batuu, Diagon, or Super Mario Land. This is a lot more like the New Fantasyland additions, which gives me hope that this should fit the structure of Magic Kingdom much better than just plopping down Radiator Springs in the middle of RoA.

I agree.

Was never sold on RSR being plopped down at our MK. Looks like lots of care and heart is going into this project which I appreciate.

Also agreed, as much as I love RSR, that attraction would've been better suited for Hollywood Studios. When it comes to MK the entire massive backdrop for RSR with its desert landscape might work fine if it's nearby BTM, but there's a ton of wilderness all around which would clash with such a large facade.

So for me it's a better choice with them using a location that'll fit the wilderness setting, plus it'll provide us new attractions to help it stand out even more.

 

[lowbudget]

My kids are huge cars fans and Piston Peak is something they would recognize from the Planes franchise. Also the off-road rally race set for the attraction has been seen in some of the Cars Shorts, and other text media, so while its not a 1:1 draw from cannon material, its recognizable.

The comparison from SWGE are frankly moot in my opinion. 40+ years of cannon material, 3 full generations of fans whos Star Wars experience all happened in different decades and cannon timelines, and a known toxicity of never being satisfied. VS 5-10 year old's who will go "Look its Lightning McQueen and Mater!!!!!"

If it looks like Cars, feels like Cars, and has the 4-5 key characters it will be a huge success. The only way I see this not being a hit with the GP is if they do something incredibly dumb, like leave out Lightning, Mater, or other key characters.

 

[DrStarlander]

Radiator Springs works great for the immersive single-IP kind of land that it is, but it would be a dreadful addition to WDW Magic Kingdom.

This version of Piston Peak is a bespoke area built for the needs of our specific Frontierland. This isn't Carsland in any sense of the phrase, it's a Frontierland ride with Cars. It shows off the American countryside, lots of water features and cool mountain ranges, it's all about journeying west through the wildnerness; simply told through off-roading with the Cars characters. That's the hook to get people to ride. I think it's legitimately cool to see something like this get greenlit, especially in this era where everything has to be connected to a larger IP land like Pandora, Batuu, Diagon, or Super Mario Land. This is a lot more like the New Fantasyland additions, which gives me hope that this should fit the structure of Magic Kingdom much better than just plopping down Radiator Springs in the middle of RoA.

I agree, replicating Cars Land / Radiator Springs at Magic Kingdom would have been an unfortunate choice. Glad they're not doing that. (CL/RS could have been a great fit for Hollywood Studios, not that I'm promoting clones, but hard to escape how perfect the fit could have been.)

Whether their current project in MK is good or not is all about execution/budget. Disney parks and Imagineering offer a wide range of creative and budgetary outcomes, and it's project-by-project. There is nothing close to a consistent quality standard, as one project in one park will be absolutely mind-blowing and another in another park will be super disappointing.

I was watching some Daps Magic 1-year anniversary POV of Fantasy Springs yesterday and just marveling at the scale and beauty of the landscape and rockwork. If they do that level at MK it could be amazing -- among the best areas in any Disney park -- but they could also take a budget approach like they did with the Madame Leota gift shop or Epcot. We just have to hope they feel the stakes are high and invest accordingly.

The fact they may have listened to fans and may have added more water gives me some hope.

 

[cdogsumo]

I think it’s interesting to consider why Carsland at DCA works so well and fit in to DCA 2.0. It started off as “Car Land” celebrating California car culture and then was retrofitted to include the Cars IP.

It seems like the opposite might be true of this project. They wanted to include the Cars IP in Magic Kingdom (for some reason) and came to this National Park concept after complaints about the lack of water and natural beauty.

All this to say, I actually think a National Park area of Frontierland isn’t a bad idea. It’s the Cars part that’s hard to swallow.

 

[SeventyOne]

I think it’s interesting to consider why Carsland at DCA works so well and fit in to DCA 2.0. It started off as “Car Land” celebrating California car culture and then was retrofitted to include the Cars IP.

It seems like the opposite might be true of this project. They wanted to include the Cars IP in Magic Kingdom (for some reason) and came to this National Park concept after complaints about the lack of water and natural beauty.

All this to say, I actually think a National Park area of Frontierland isn’t a bad idea. It’s the Cars part that’s hard to swallow.

Which is why Radiator Springs should go into DHS, and do anything else in MK. I'd settle for Arendelle or Wonderland or whatever.

 

[belloq87]

I guess I'm one of the crazy ones, but I think Radiator Springs Racers (but not the entire town) could have been a great fit next to/"beyond" Big Thunder. Aesthetically, the rockwork would have blended in very well, and seeing that mountain range along the Rivers of America back corner waterfront (probably altered like in Disneyland to allow a new walking path) could have been absolutely stunning.

And you could have taken the opportunity to add a path all the way around the Rivers over to Mansion (to allow for access to the eventual Villains Land, which -- in this scenario -- would be mostly beyond the train tracks).