Al Lutz Updates on Cars Land

[HydroGuy]

Al Lutz on MiceAge provided some more Cars Land info this week...

http://miceage.micechat.com/mc/mc101310a.htm

Q. I know all of the great attractions that will be in Cars Land (Radiator Spring Racers, Junkyard Jamboree, Luigi's Roamin' Tires), but I'm afraid that's all I know about it. Any talk about restaurants, eateries, shops? I know there was talk about a restaurant similar to WDW's Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater, but I seem to recall that plan was axed. So besides the rides, what else will Cars Land have? -- Hayden

A. While Cars Land may have a name that still feels temporary and clunky to many Disney fans online, the basics of this big expansion area have all been locked in for the grand opening planned for early June, 2012. As this 12 acre expansion is taking up nearly half the 1.2 Billion dollar budget for DCA's extreme makeover, there will be quite a bit more than just the big E Ticket Radiator Springs Racers and the two rather lavishly themed C Ticket spinner and flying saucer rides nearby. When Cars Land opens it will have three dining locations, two shops, and a few empty facades and expansion areas prepped for future growth.
Barring any last minute or sudden changes, the roster of Cars Land shops and restaurants in June, 2012 is currently planned to be as follows -- listed in the same order below as you would find them while walking in to Cars Land along the Radiator Springs main street;

1. Fillmore's Taste-In: A psychedelic geodesic dome structure themed perfectly to the hippy VW Minibus from the movie. This will be a basic snack bar serving up themed fruit smoothies and healthy snacks.
2. Sarge's Surplus Hut: This is planned to be a gift shop owned by Sarge and set up in an old quonset hut. While it will be fully themed and dressed up on its exterior, the interior will remain vacant on opening day, for reasons explained below. Both Fillmore's and Sarge's sit across the street from Tow Mater's Junkyard Jamboree spinner ride.
​

3. Cozy Cone Motel: Set up caddy-corner from Sarge's Surplus Hut, this will be a faithful recreation of Sally's kitschy motel from the movie. Inside each cone will be a different snack bar of sorts, setting up a food court style facility offering quick snacks, light meals, and drinks. Nearly every food item for sale will be a play on words using "cone" in the title; Chili Cone Carne, Cone On The Cob, Popcone, etc.
4. Flo's V8 Cafe: With the decision to hold off on building the drive-in movie restaurant back in '08, Flo's has moved to the forefront as the largest food facility in Cars Land for opening day. Consider this the Tomorrowland Terrace of DCA, with a sprawling outdoor dining area and a large kitchen with heavy-duty capacity to pump out thousands of hamburgers and standard fast food offerings. The menu will also offer traditional American drive-in desserts like milkshakes, root beer floats and malteds. The heavy duty use of neon on this icon restaurant taking up a prime corner in Cars Land should be quite impressive at night. A corner bandstand is on the wish list from TDA's Entertainment department, to offer a spot for bands and nightly dancing under the neon.
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5. Radiator Springs Curios: On the opposite corner from Flo's, Lizzy's store will be the main gift shop for Cars Land, and Disneyland's merchandising department has been tasked by John Lasseter to come up with some truly eclectic and funky offerings for sale in this funky roadside store. You must remember that John Lasseter, is a huge Disneyland fan and he remembers well the genteel and unique collections for sale in the old One-Of-A-Kind shop in New Orleans Square. The Curios shop should have a similar vibe, but themed to roadside Americana. The wild success of the elaborately themed and unique merchandise in the new Harry Potter area of Universal's Islands of Adventure has not been lost on the Disneyland merchandise planners, and John Lasseter wants this shop to be an attraction in itself.
6. Ramone's House of Body Art: This is the second merchandise location for Cars Land, but this one will actually act as the exit gift shop for the Radiator Springs Racers ride. You can expect generic Cars merchandise here, as well as Cars Land and Radiator Springs Racers attraction-specific souvenirs on sale here. The obligatory on-ride photo stand will take up residence here as well.
7. The Courthouse: This is the structure that sits at the very end of the street, and while it won't have a shop or restaurant inside, it will act as the marquee and entrance of sorts for Radiator Springs Racers.
​

 

[FlameGirl]

Thanks HydroGuy.

I'm excited for Cars Land! Although, I have to admit...I'm a little surprised they are dedicating an entire land to one of their less popular movies. I'm not sure if this has ever been discussed here on the DIS so I apologize if it has. Is it because the movie just naturally lends itself to theme park rides? Cars was my family's dead last favorite Pixar movie, and we are Pixar fanatics.

Anyway...it should be a great addition to DCA.

 

[DahliaRW]

Cars is insanely popular (you must not have a little boy) and the merchandising is insane! Plus the sequel comes out next year. It's actually one of my favorites and my boys LOVE it!

 

[FlameGirl]

Cars is insanely popular (you must not have a little boy) and the merchandising is insane! Plus the sequel comes out next year. It's actually one of my favorites and my boys LOVE it!

I have a daughter but if you'd met my husband, you'd probably retract that.

 

[tdashgirl]

I'm excited for Cars Land! Although, I have to admit...I'm a little surprised they are dedicating an entire land to one of their less popular movies.

I feel the same way, excited for a "real" land in DCA, but the theme-ing, not my exact cup of tea, but ...

Cars is insanely popular (you must not have a little boy) and the merchandising is insane!

...exactly! Little boys love this movie. And I wasn't excited about the e-ticket ride until I saw a recap of the ride somewhere (can't remember where). It looked SUPER cool and so much more than just cars on a racetrack. I compare it to Indy - even if you're not an Indiana Jones movie fan, I think you can enjoy Indy.

 

[Mortimer Mouse]

Hydro, thanks for posting this.....Cars land will be the signature Land of DCA and quite possibly the entire DLR.....

 

[Sherry E]

I don't have a little boy, but two of my friends who have sons have both told me that their little boys could not care less about "Cars." That shocked me because I thought that all boys would love it. One of them said her son just seemed bored by it all when the movie was on (he prefers the "Toy Story" movies and he also likes "Ratatouille") and the other friend with a son said that he likes "Monsters, Inc." better. For that matter, now that I think of it, another friend with 2 sons also told me that his kids prefer the "Toy Story" moves over anything else.

Personally, if I were designing a new land for DCA - no, it wouldn't have been "Cars Land." That is a bad name for a land - let's face it. It is, as Al Lutz described, clunky and temporary-sounding. Actually, it's just a boring name - no pep and zip to it at all. I would have gone with a Monster Land (and how fun would it be to deck out this imaginary Monster Land for Halloween Time every year?) or Toy Land or something with an underwater theme for Nemo. I think those would have been much more interesting in terms of decor and overall attractions, even though the concept of Cars Land lends itself to more to motion and rides.

But, it is what it is, and Cars Land is coming. So I'm sure it will grow on me in time. In general, I like the idea of a new land in DCA and I think it will be an interesting addition. I'm much more excited, however, for the Little Mermaid ride coming next year!! That is looooooonnnnnnnggggg overdue at DLR.

 

[21yankees]

My ds loves Cars. He knows the words to the entire movie and has way too many to count of the toys.

We are looking forward to this a great deal.

Also I don't think this was one of their less popular movies as they are releasing Cars 2 this coming year. I hope they had enough recordings from Paul Newman and George Carlin.

My family would love to see The Incredibles 2 also.

steph

 

[kkmcan]

My son went crazy when that movie came out! It was the highlight of our summer! We were in WDW when the dvd came out and he could of cared less about riding rides. All he wanted to do was return to the hotel so he could watch Cars on our portable dvd player!

He has collected most of the original cars from the movie as well. This movie also spurred his love of Nascar, which no one in our family understands since none of us are Nascar fans.

 

[FlameGirl]

Well, I'm not saying it's a bad movie...it was our least favorite...and I'm sure there are tons of people out there that adore the film.

My statement of "one of their less popular films" was based on two things:

1. The IMDB rating is quite a bit lower for Cars than most other Pixar films

2. In my former life, I was a producer for an entertainment company and my main client was Disney stores. To make a very long story short, I created the in-store DVD loop that you'll see playing on their screens. Almost everything that went into the (monthly) show was tied to in-store product in one way or another and I worked very closely with the marketing team at Disney to make sure what we put in their show matched what they were focusing on selling in their stores. When Cars came out, it was a HUGE DEAL. We worked for months for the rollout and I swear if I have to hear "Life is a Highway" one more time, I might lose it. Anyway...after the premiere and the dust settled, I was shocked how fast they wanted everything Cars related out of their show. Films like Toy Story and Finding Nemo were OK though, so it wasn't based on how long the movie had been out.

So anyway...not to totally veer off topic, but that's what I based my earlier statement on.

I will watch Cars 2 when it comes out on DVD, and if and when I hear Paul Newman's voice, I will cry.

 

[MAH4546]

Cars is the most successful franchise Disney has launched since Winnie the Pooh. It is a merchandising phenomenon and one of the most profitable toy franchise in the United States. It is easily the most successful movie-based toy line launched in the last twenty years. No surprise Disney is building a land dedicated to this franchise given its immense popularity.

 

[quantumottle]

Cars is the most successful franchise Disney has launched since Winnie the Pooh. It is a merchandising phenomenon and one of the most profitable toy franchise in the United States. It is easily the most successful movie-based toy line launched in the last twenty years. No surprise Disney is building a land dedicated to this franchise given its immense popularity.

I am certainly not doubting your post MAH4546, but I have to say that I find it incredibly surprising and difficult to understand.

Nevertheless, I am very excited about Cars Land in large part because of Radiator Springs Racers. Our favorite ride at Epcot is Test Track - and from what I've read about Radiator Springs Racers, it is going to be like Test Track on steroids. My family can't wait!!!

As for the movie, well, it was not a bad movie, let's just hope the sequel is better. Obviously Disney/Pixar is expecting it to be huge.

 

[skiingfast]

Personally, if I were designing a new land for DCA - no, it wouldn't have been "Cars Land." That is a bad name for a land - let's face it. It is, as Al Lutz described, clunky and temporary-sounding. Actually, it's just a boring name - no pep and zip to it at all.

I agree it's strange to donate a whole land to one movie. No matter how big or small a success it was. If it could cover a few movies it would be much better, all be it that is what Fantasyland is and there is already one of them.

There are Toy Story areas of course in Paris and Hong Kong.

I like how in WDW. The place in Disney Hollywood Studios that has TSMM is called Pixar place. However we don't know if it will ever feature attractions from other pixar releases. And of course TSMM doesn't itself fit in the studios park.

At least Route 66 goes through the desert of California.

 

[asudol]

IMO they should have just named it either Radiator Springs or Carberetor Canyon... Cars Land is a crappy name.

Regardless, my dd3 is in love with the movie and we watch it at least once a day... An absolute highlight of our recent WDW trip was 'meeting' McQueen and Mater...

Once this is built, we'll seriously be considering a trip to Cali to visit.

 

[PinkBudgie]

I would have gone with Radiator Springs too. I wonder if they went with "Cars" because they could technically add in other "car" things if they wanted to later even if not in the movie. Although it doesn't look like it is being planned that way now.

We love the Cars movie in our family. It is amazing on blue ray! And Mater is a memorable lovable character. I know nothing about how popular or not the movie is but many of my preschool students have Cars lunch boxes and backpacks even now.

I'm guessing they went with this land as DCA's answer to all the princesses in DL. As the mother of two boys (teens now though) it is nice to finally see something many boys would be interested in. AND, maybe they really wanted to bring over the Test Track ride from WDW and this was a good way to do it.

Monsters and Toys Story lands sound fun too but they already have rides in other areas of DCA. Cars didn't have any.

 

[HydroGuy]

Lots of interesting opinions expressed so far. Some more thoughts...

Remember that Cars Land is a key piece of the DCA re-theming. Arguably California and cars go together better than anywhere except for maybe Michigan. California has a car culture. Freeways, a spirit of independence, freedom, youth, etc.

The cars theme - apart from the movie (s) - has staying power as something that supports the California theme of DCA. Toy Story does not (as popular as that franchise may be), Monsters Inc does not. Nemo does (as it related to the ocean culture in California), and most other Pixar movies are not that successful. The Incredibles was big but not related in a very clear way to California. If we are choosing from Pixar I think Cars and Nemo are the two obvious choices. With Cars 2 coming out in 2012 it is not a bad choice.

 

[Sherry E]

Lots of interesting opinions expressed so far. Some more thoughts...

Remember that Cars Land is a key piece of the DCA re-theming. Arguably California and cars go together better than anywhere except for maybe Michigan. California has a car culture. Freeways, a spirit of independence, freedom, youth, etc.

The cars theme - apart from the movie (s) - has staying power as something that supports the California theme of DCA. Toy Story does not (as popular as that franchise may be), Monsters Inc does not. Nemo does (as it related to the ocean culture in California), and most other Pixar movies are not that successful. The Incredibles was big but not related in a very clear way to California. If we are choosing from Pixar I think Cars and Nemo are the two obvious choices. With Cars 2 coming out in 2012 it is not a bad choice.

Well, I don't think that TSMM ties in to DCA at all (in any theme they are going with, whether it be California in general or a 1920's Los Angeles theme), but I sure am glad it's there! What I'm getting at is...it's not like they haven't stuck things in that 'didn't fit a theme' before. I don't really think the Little Mermaid ride fits in DCA at all - underwater theme or not. It belongs in DL because of the whole fantasy/fairy tale/Princess aspect of it...but there is no room for it there, so it has to go where it doesn't fit!

I agree about Nemo. I've said it before here too - the ocean culture of California would have facilitated a Nemo-themed land. And I think it would be a lot more fun and aesthetically pleasing than Cars Land.

There is no point in picking apart a Monsters Land idea or a Toys Land idea because neither of those things are being built. Those are non-entities. I said if I were the one designing a new land in DCA, that's what I would do!! That would be my creation. Then again, I would have never gone with a California theme for the park in the first place, so as not to be stuck with that theme for all eternity!! I would have made DCA more of a mish-mash of concepts, like DL...but a bit different.

I don't think enough people are interested in the California car culture to need to have a whole land about cars in a Disney park. It's just not that exciting of a concept. Even the photo area where Lightning and Mater are in DCA is dull and drab. And they are not characters who can interact with guests - they just sit there and don't move.

I think people are much more interested in the sea and the beach and all that. So while I am all for a couple of Cars rides in DCA, and I'm sure the new land will grow on me in time, I don't think it was a good concept with long-term interest and longevity and I wouldn't have chosen it. But I'm sure the rides themselves will be very popular for a long time.

 

[DahliaRW]

Speaking of bad "lands" in DCA, though. What about Bug's Life. Really, the rides are terrible and that movie wasn't that huge. Though the theming in that area is spectacular, I feel like a lot of it's a collossal waste of space - maybe we can replace that with Nemo Land...

 

[skiingfast]

Speaking of bad "lands" in DCA, though. What about Bug's Life. Really, the rides are terrible and that movie wasn't that huge. Though the theming in that area is spectacular, I feel like a lot of it's a collossal waste of space - maybe we can replace that with Nemo Land...

This will be interesting, since bugs land was a part of the farm area which is a big part of California. Of course almost all of the farm is now gone and apparently what was left is now firmly called Bugs land too.

 

[Sherry E]

Speaking of bad "lands" in DCA, though. What about Bug's Life. Really, the rides are terrible and that movie wasn't that huge. Though the theming in that area is spectacular, I feel like a lot of it's a collossal waste of space - maybe we can replace that with Nemo Land...

DahliaRW - I pretty much agree with you. I actually like parts of A Bug's Land in general - for the reason you mentioned. The theme. I think the sight gags and the 'visual appeal factor' are big points in that land's favor. Love the giant popsicle stick benches and things like that. I love what they do with ABL for the holidays, with the oversized ornaments. I also like how they pipe in little bug noises or Heimlich sounds from some of the planters and foliage in that area. I don't make a point of visiting ABL every time I'm there, but every now and then I will wander through and appreciate the details.

But...that said, do I think ABL fits in DCA? Well, it's a stretch. "A Bug's Life" was not my favorite of the Pixar movies, and to have a whole land devoted to it seemed a bit odd to me. However, stepping outside of what I personally like or dislike, I have tried to, in my mind, connect it to the the farming/agricultural aspect of California (as skiingfast mentioned), and it is kind of a leap. I mean, sure, I guess you could tie in the bugs to the farming aspect of things, but it seems to be grasping.

And even if we could tie in A Bug's Land to the agricultural aspect of California in a cohesive way, I don't think that agriculture is an exciting enough concept in and of itself to integrate into a theme park as a whole land...just like I don't think cars are interesting enough to have such a large presence in a theme park.

I would have been all for having a couple of rides devoted to "A Bug's Life" and "Cars," but the idea of entire lands devoted to them is peculiar to me! I suppose I would be in favor of entire lands for ABL and Cars only IF there were also entire lands devoted to the other Pixar movies too. But as HydroGuy said, the other Pixar movies don't fit the California theme. Poor Nemo only has his one little ride in DL - and it's not that great of a ride at that!!

I think that the Disney folks boxed themselves in too much with the original California concept - and now everything they add in has to somehow tie into that concept, even if it is grasping and kind of awkward.

Still, though, I think Cars Land will be extremely popular for a long time, simply because of the novelty of it, the new dining options and new rides. Also, as Pink Budgie said earlier, this will be something that appeals to boys and gives them an alternative to all the Princess stuff. The Racers ride will keep people coming back for years to come. I think the rides themselves have staying power. And I'm looking forward to it just because it's something new in DCA. I guess I just think that the overall car idea for an entire land will lose its luster in 20-30 years.