Any tips for california adventure?

[SammyStamper]

So in cars land you just drive the cars around On a track?

You don’t drive them. It is like a mini roll coaster. They go fast at the end when you “race” the other car. One of our favorites.

 

[Kit Jackson]

Cars land at night. Period.

Yes. You are correct. I should have been more specific. CarsLand at night is neon wonderland of pure retro magic.

So in cars land you just drive the cars around On a track?

You do not control anything, that's all preprogramed into the ride. The premise (for lack of a better word) is that the car you are in and the car next to you are driving around Radiator Springs. The ride starts out slow, and then gets faster when you are racing around Radiator Springs. It's one of my favorite rides. You get some amazing views of the rock work at CarsLand. It's especially gorgeous at night. Whoever figured out where to place the lights totally earned their paycheck.

Everyone's ride tolerance is different. I am a total ride coward and this ride is about my limit.

 

[wideeyedwonder]

So in cars land you just drive the cars around On a track?

So the main attraction of “Cars Land” (the Cars-themed area of CA) is “Radiator Springs Racers” (RSR). RSR is the “cars on a track” ride. There are one or two other rides in Cars Land (I forget, lol), as well as places to get food, shop, etc., all themed beautifully as “Radiator Springs” from the movie “Cars”.

I don’t want to oversell it, but I think it looks wonderful at night, as Kit Kackson said, with all of the neon signs, etc.

As far as the ride, RSR, If you have ever been to WDW, think “Test Track”, but with much better theming and story elements (in my opinion).

The first half is the slower, “story”part of the ride, and it’s really well done and immersive.

the second half is the high speed run part, similar to test track, but with all of the “Cars” theming.

if you haven’t been to WDW, the second half is like the old-fashioned slot-car racers some of us older people played with as a kid, except scaled up so that 4 people (?) can ride in the slot cars. Very satisfying.

lastly, I know that I said that I like Cars Land best at night…however…if you can ride RSR at SUNSET, that is just icing on the cake; sunset goes with the ride theming, the desert southwest, that just screams for sunset.

However, again, we are talking icing on the cake here. The main thing is to be a kid again and have fun.

 

[FLCA026]

So the main attraction of “Cars Land” (the Cars-themed area of CA) is “Radiator Springs Racers” (RSR). RSR is the “cars on a track” ride. There are one or two other rides in Cars Land (I forget, lol), as well as places to get food, shop, etc., all themed beautifully as “Radiator Springs” from the movie “Cars”.

I don’t want to oversell it, but I think it looks wonderful at night, as Kit Kackson said, with all of the neon signs, etc.

As far as the ride, RSR, If you have ever been to WDW, think “Test Track”, but with much better theming and story elements (in my opinion).

The first half is the slower, “story”part of the ride, and it’s really well done and immersive.

the second half is the high speed run part, similar to test track, but with all of the “Cars” theming.

if you haven’t been to WDW, the second half is like the old-fashioned slot-car racers some of us older people played with as a kid, except scaled up so that 4 people (?) can ride in the slot cars. Very satisfying.

lastly, I know that I said that I like Cars Land best at night…however…if you can ride RSR at SUNSET, that is just icing on the cake; sunset goes with the ride theming, the desert southwest, that just screams for sunset.

However, again, we are talking icing on the cake here. The main thing is to be a kid again and have fun.

I have been to Disneyworld on the test track. This is great info! Thanks!

 

[FLCA026]

Yes. You are correct. I should have been more specific. CarsLand at night is neon wonderland of pure retro magic.



You do not control anything, that's all preprogramed into the ride. The premise (for lack of a better word) is that the car you are in and the car next to you are driving around Radiator Springs. The ride starts out slow, and then gets faster when you are racing around Radiator Springs. It's one of my favorite rides. You get some amazing views of the rock work at CarsLand. It's especially gorgeous at night. Whoever figured out where to place the lights totally earned their paycheck.

Everyone's ride tolerance is different. I am a total ride coward and this ride is about my limit.

thanks. This helps a lot.

 

[Tracieee]

So in cars land you just drive the cars around On a track?

If you've been to WDW, the Radiator Springs Racers ride in Cars Land is the same ride system and vehicles as Test Track at EPCOT. There are two other rides in Cars Land, one that is Mater themed and is the same ride system as Alien Swirling Saucers in Toy Story Land at Hollywood Studios, and the other is Luigi's Rollickin Roadsters, and its sort-of hard to describe, but it involves sitting in a trackless mini-car while it moves around in a little coordinated dance with all the other mini-cars. I recommend watching a video on Youtube to get a sense of it!

 

[Steven G]

If you've been on Mickey's Runaway Railway, the part where Daisy has your vehicles dance is very similar in concept to Luigi's Rollickin Roadsters. In the California version, it's just that part, in very cute "Cars" vehicles, and there are about 5 or 6 different songs, with different patterns for each song.

the other thing to note is that in Radiator Springs Racers, you actually race against one other "car", unlike Test Track, and it is sort of randomized which car will win. Note that you have no control over which car wins.

 

[pharmama]

When are you going? Unfortunately several of the places suggested for food haven't reopened yet including Pacific Wharf and Clarabelle's. Hopefully both will reopen soon along with some others that are closed or have limited menus.

 

[FLCA026]

When are you going? Unfortunately several of the places suggested for food haven't reopened yet including Pacific Wharf and Clarabelle's. Hopefully both will reopen soon along with some others that are closed or have limited menus.

We changed our reservations to Fall. Originally had July.

 

[pharmama]

We changed our reservations to Fall. Originally had July.

Hopefully everything will be open and back to their previous menus by then!

 

[Piglet99645]

Restroom question for DCA. Is there no restroom for lamplighter patrons? The closest ones that show on the app are behind/under Incredicoaster and down past Little Mermaid toward Grizzly River run.

 

[pharmama]

Restroom question for DCA. Is there no restroom for lamplighter patrons? The closest ones that show on the app are behind/under Incredicoaster and down past Little Mermaid toward Grizzly River run.

I haven't been to LLL since it was Ariel's Grotto but there was a restroom inside the building before (to the left at the bottom of the stairs) so I assume it's still there. I don't think restrooms inside restaurants show on the app (though there also aren't a lot of restrooms inside restaurants).

ETA: Just watched a walk through on YouTube and yes, the restrooms are still there on the lower level to the left as you reach the bottom of the spiral stairs.

 

[Piglet99645]

ETA: Just watched a walk through on YouTube and yes, the restrooms are still there on the lower level to the left as you reach the bottom of the spiral stairs.

thanks so much. Dinner there in an hour.

 

[katmigordon]

Does Touringplans cover Disneyland? I've always relied on them for WDW, but this is my first trip to Disneyland - and I didn't know if they covered it or not. Thanks for the heads up.

I’ll take any recommendations. I am doing some reading about the rides etc.
This is all new to me. I have touring plans and I thought maybe I would use that for help to get around.

Thank you for this. I didn’t know about the animation building.

 

[Piglet99645]

Does Touringplans cover Disneyland? I've always relied on them for WDW, but this is my first trip to Disneyland - and I didn't know if they covered it or not. Thanks for the heads up.

Ive used them for DL.

BUT I can’t imagine their data will be very accurate now ,as they base their advice on historical data. Nothing is normal now.

 

[katmigordon]

But maybe by March?

Ive used them for DL.

BUT I can’t imagine their data will be very accurate now ,as they base their advice on historical data. Nothing is normal now.

 

[MikeRx]

So in cars land you just drive the cars around On a track?

It’s a vastly (and this can not be emphasized enough) better themed and to us more enjoyable Test Track….Same ride vehicle/system. Once you ride RSR you will never look at TT the same way again.

 

[Piglet99645]

But maybe by March?

I think it’s a useful tool to plan with, but once you are there you really need to just watch the wait times on the Disney app and make the most of fastpasses/single rider lines/riding during parades/getting there early with your first few rides planned out/staying late. (We always do a break midday).

Also, Disneyland itself is more manageable than Magic Kingdom because things are closer together. So there’s usually something close to do if your chosen ride goes down or has a long wait.

 

[Wesley815]

I like the little path behind Grizzly River Run (between Fast Pass machines and lockers), you can walk near the final drop and relax/people watch on ride. The path wraps around behind queue waterfall photo op there too.

 

[the donut]

So in cars land you just drive the cars around On a track?

No, you're thinking of Autopia in Disneyland. The Radiator Springs racer ride is more like a combo dark ride and fast ride - sort of like a dry Splash Mountain? Hard to describe, and if you like the movies, a must do.