Carsland Thread

TP2000

Well-Known Member
Oh. My. Gawd. :eek:

That is an absolutely amazing photograph! It's an angle and corner of Cars Land we haven't seen before, and if I'm not mistaken (based on the big model in the Blue Sky Cellar) that's the corner of the Cadillac Range you would see as you enter the Radiator Springs Racers queue just to the west of the Courthouse.

I just have to say this again... Oh. My. Gawd. :eek:

I haven't been this excited for a Disney theme park project since.... since... since I don't know when!
 

Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
Absolutely amazing! Really incredible detail, it's hard to believe these are all man-made structures :eek:

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This is GORGEOUS!!!!! Finally DCA is living up to the Disney name, I am so happy!
 

Mawg

Well-Known Member
I love how they gave the mountains in the background a slightly different color to make it look like they are far off in the background. Or is that just LA smog?
 

TP2000

Well-Known Member
I love how they gave the mountains in the background a slightly different color to make it look like they are far off in the background. Or is that just LA smog?

Don't worry kids, I'll take this one... :D

A minor point of correction; Disneyland Resort is not actually in "LA". It's in Orange County. It's trivial, but when Orange County can claim it's own trashy Housewives show, it's time to separate ourselves from Los Angeles County and/or the City of Los Angeles. :lol:

Los Angeles, and most of Southern California, suffered with terrific smog during the 1940's through the 1960's. Due to increased emissions controls on automobiles and industry in the mid 1960's, by the 1970's the smog problem began to improve.

But it wasn't until the 1990's that the smog as people knew it from the 1950's began to disappear completely. There has not been a smog alert day in Orange County in nearly 20 years, and even the Inland Empire counties of Riverside and San Bernardino, where smog was at its worst by being trapped by the deep inland valleys, haven't had a smog alert day in 10 years. There are still days when coastal fog or haze blanket OC, but that's a natural environmental condition unrelated to the manmade particulates that once made up smog.

Here's a chart that shows the decline that began in the 1970's and the eventual elimination by the turn of the 21st century of what were called "Stage 1 Episodes" by bureaucrats, but were more commonly called "Smog Alert Days" in Southern California pop culture and media, as measured by the Air Quality Management District. There's been no real data published in the last 10 years because the air quality has continued to improve beyond that level, and the phrase Smog Alert Day no longer means anything to an entire generation of younger Southern Californians.

stage1new.jpg


The result is air that still may have tiny amounts of manmade particulates in it, and the coastal basin of SoCal still generates natural fog or haze due to the mountains, valleys and ocean. Tourists often see a naturally hazy day in LA and mistakenly assume it's the "smog" they heard so much about in the 1960's and 70's. And air quality in SoCal is still far short of pristine and devoid of manmade additions. But actual "smog" as was known in old Johnny Carson joke punchlines from 1972 no longer exists in SoCal, and certainly not in coastal Orange County.

The pictures of the Cadillac Range show the paint techniques and sculpting that WDI used to create the stunning effect. Although it is hard for WDI to compete with Mother Nature, when you could wake up to this type of view in 2012 from your Disneyland Hotel room. This is a view that would have been impossible for most of the 20th century when smog still blanketed the Southland consistently.


Disneyland Mountain Range by WJMcIntosh(Mostly offline until 4/30), on Flickr
 

Mawg

Well-Known Member
So I guess that answers the question that they are painted with a muted look to make them appear in the distance. Good to know about the smog since I'll be visiting this summer.
 

TP2000

Well-Known Member
So I guess that answers the question that they are painted with a muted look to make them appear in the distance. Good to know about the smog since I'll be visiting this summer.

If you had visited Disneyland in 1955 or '65 or '75, even into the 80's, many summer days would have seen central OC under a "Smog Alert" and your lungs would have a dull ache, sensitive eyes might sting or water, and it would be nearly impossible to see Saddleback Mountain in eastern OC through the smudgy brown air, much less take in the San Gabriel Mountains further to the north in LA County.

Trust me, I was in SoCal in the 1960's and 70's and remember the achy lungs you'd get daily in summertime or during any Smog Alert period year-round. :(

But when you visit Disneyland this summer I can guarantee your lungs won't ache and your eyes won't water. And no news channel will speak the words "Smog Alert". Smog Alerts don't exist any more.

Jay Leno can't do smog jokes any more, it doesn't exist. And the old AQMD is just measuring.... beach fog now? :shrug:

But if you want a blast from the past and some good old-fashioned 1970's smog jokes.... Heeeeeeeeere's Johnny! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kvoh-X2hTOs&feature=related :ROFLOL:

(I don't miss the smog from the 20th century, but I sure miss Johnny Carson!)
 

Disneyfanman

Well-Known Member
If you want to see crummy air, and all the problems of LA in the 60's, then come on up to Salt Lake City. We have oil refining, copper mines with zero commitment to the environment, and a perfect bowl of mountains that can catch the garbage and hold it over the city. I live on the western "bench" and can sometimes not see the mountains or the homes in the valley. We have air quality alerts all the time and it's steadily getting worse. We have no political muscle to clean it up.

I was in LA a few weeks ago, and it felt much cleaner than here.
 

hpyhnt 1000

Well-Known Member
Okay, let me just say that, on the whole, I have never really been all that excited about this Carsland project. I thought the films were decent but as a concept for a land I thought it rather weak. I've been much more interested in Buena Vista Street and World Of Color than Carsland. All in all, its never been, and still is not, something I would want to see replicated at WDW.

But goodness gracious, that is an absolutely remarkable bit of design and construction. Had I not known that was Carsland I would have thought that was an actual rock formation in the desert southwest.

Stunning...just absolutely stunning.
 

dweezil78

Well-Known Member
It all looks amazing, no doubt -- but will the ride be any good? My problem with Carsland and even Buena Vista St. are the same problems most people had with DCA overall... you can just drive an hour in just about any direction and see the real version of everything at the park! (with some exceptions)

Here in SoCal we have incredible, stunning mountain ranges that you don't have to drive very far to see. Did Disney really need to build one? It's quite impressive how they pulled it off, but I can't help shaking the 'so what?' feeling. Buena Vista St. also is looking great, but I can get that same exact experience at The Grove or Americana at Brand complete with a trolley and even a cool fountain show for the big, expensive price of FREE.

Meanwhile, over at Universal, I was able to hit up the new Transformers ride and I just can't get that kind of experience anywhere else in SoCal. It's technologically impressive (even if it is just Spider-Man with a new show) and the attention to detail is just as good as any recent Disney ride.

I don't mean to bag on Disney, I still love it there and am glad they are pouring all this money into improving DCA -- but spending money and doing something good with it are two totally different things. Look at Little Mermaid... for all the $$$ they spent on that thing, no one seems to care.

Still hoping for the best with Cars... fingers crossed!





Okay, let me just say that, on the whole, I have never really been all that excited about this Carsland project. I thought the films were decent but as a concept for a land I thought it rather weak. I've been much more interested in Buena Vista Street and World Of Color than Carsland. All in all, its never been, and still is not, something I would want to see replicated at WDW.

But goodness gracious, that is an absolutely remarkable bit of design and construction. Had I not known that was Carsland I would have thought that was an actual rock formation in the desert southwest.

Stunning...just absolutely stunning.
 

devoy1701

Well-Known Member
All I can say is...that looks absolutely stunning! Just Beautiful! and Wow! and HUGE! and WoW!!!!

I'll be honest, I haven't been following the progress of the DCA revamp too much. We visited in Dec of 2009 and loved the park despite all of the construction walls. I can't imagine how great the park is going to be when everything is done! The Mountain Vista of Carsland just absolutely blows me away. It tells me that WDI can create do amazing work when given the budget and support to do so! I can't wait to see this in person. I think a 2013Disneyland trip has moved higher up on our list of possibilities.

Question. Is the rest of the park done? New entrance, etc?
 

sponono88

Well-Known Member
Here in SoCal we have incredible, stunning mountain ranges that you don't have to drive very far to see. Did Disney really need to build one?

Yes, they did. Believe it or not the mountain range isn't just there to look pretty, it serves the valuable purpose of blocking out the hotel, convention center, and giant power lines behind Cars Land. It serves a great backdrop to the land, but it's also a clever way of blocking out everything behind it. They could have easily cheaped out and only built 1/4 of the mountain range.. but then the discussion would be, "Why is Disney cutting corners?"

And once it's completed I think you'll come to realize that Buena Vista Street is nothing like Americana or the Grove. The attention to detail, entertainment and shows, story and tribute to Walt, and everything else combined will make for a completely unique experience.
 

nemofinder22

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Question. Is the rest of the park done? New entrance, etc?

Aside from lots of refurbishments and missing entertainment, BVS and Cars Land. Yes.


I can't believe how close we are to DCA's completion. I still remember the day it was all announced.


Disney Parks Blog is at it again this time with nighttime photos from with in Cars Land
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/04/cars-land-at-night-through-a-photographers-lens/

This photo was taken just outside Radiator Springs Racers. You can really see the shape of the front of a car come into view in the rockwork with the way it is lit at night (the grill to the left, hood ornament on top, and even a wheel well on the right). Be on the look out for more surprises in the rockwork, some things are easy to find and some are a little harder.
car338492LARGE.jpg

This video was released today, it shows a lot more from with in Cars Land during construction, and some testing of RSR, and Maters.
[youtube]q_SQlPkU9p8[/youtube]
 

sponono88

Well-Known Member
New video from the Disney Parks Blog:

Happy Earth Month!

Did you know 779 new trees have been planted in Disney California Adventure park as part of the five-year expansion? To give you a glimpse into those in Cars Land we have John Schrimsher, horticulture manager of the Disneyland Resort, in this installment of our “Did You Know” video series.

[youtube]Qy-KZw_V9N0[/youtube]
 

TP2000

Well-Known Member
^^^ Fascinating! The cactus and desert trees look amazing, and I can't think of another Disney theme park environment that uses these types of plants on such a large scale. Very impressive!

In today's Dateline Disneyland, there are some additional images from the Parks Blog release of photos last week. They speak for themselves... :eek:

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cac575354LARGE-L.jpg


car448492LARGE-L.jpg


car118492LARGE-L.jpg


http://datelinedisneyland.smugmug.c...hotos/22711584_8StDrL#!i=1820563412&k=nHXfZpd

How many more days until June 15th?!?!? Tick... tick... tick... tick... :lookaroun
 

wild01ride

Well-Known Member
Can't wait until June 14th. We won 4 tickets to the Cars Land preview party.:sohappy:

Holy crud! :sohappy:

Talk about an experience of a lifetime! I am so incredibly envious! I would give anything to be able to attend that party! (do need an extra body to round out your party of 4?!?! LOL!)
 

wild01ride

Well-Known Member
Just noticed this afternoon (and hadn't seen it mentioned previously): there's a fresh strip of black asphalt down the center of town in Radiator Springs! How appropriate!
 

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