MK Cars-Themed Attractions at Magic Kingdom

[Disstevefan1]

We have all seen what they did with the EPCOT renovation. This "expansion" of MK is gonna be a trainwreck in my opinion.

 

[Gusey]

It was presented as a land unto itself because there were concerns that it would not fit into the aesthetic of Frontierland... so the views of the area would be blocked by mammoth rockwork mountains and a plethora of amazing waterfalls and water features...and there would be two attractions plus shops and food... I think any area that has more than one attraction and is visually completely separated from the rest of the surrounding area is pretty safely a "land"...especially when the attraction theme and style are COMPLETELY at odds with the surrounding area theme... So giving up the central core of the park for a scaled back due to change of scope will always look like a failure. I am starting to feel the Villainsland will also be the same... a one ride and meet and greet land with QS and gift shop... At least Villains would feel right for this park....

But it's not been presented as a land because it has theming. That's like saying the Little Mermaid area of Fantasyland is its own land because it has a shop, water features and a snack stand. Isn't the biggest gripe people had about the Cars attractions when they were first announced that they did not fit into Frontierland?
From the Parks Blog in August 2024:
"At Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro, with the help of Tow Mater via video call, announced that a new area inspired by the Pixar Animation Studios film “Cars” will be coming to a reimagined section of Frontierland at Magic Kingdom. “The American West has always been about keeping your eyes on the horizon … believing in yourself, carving your own path, and striving toward success. That goes for miners in the mountains, bears from the country, a princess from the bayou … or a racecar from the big city,” Josh told the crowd.
Don’t get too comfortable in Radiator Springs because it’s time to leave the pit stop and head west into exciting new frontiers. On this adventure, guests will be able to experience not one but two exciting new “Cars”-themed attractions."

 

[Bocabear]

It still seems like it's own land populated by humanoid automobiles in a setting that is not the southwest, but a cartoon inspired world no one has ever seen before connected to this IP... We have gone from a human populated world with a basis in American history to a cartoon character populated world with landscapes shaped like parts of Automobiles....THis is clearly not a part of the Frontier... It will be the Baatu of the Magic Kingdom...

 

[James Alucobond]

It still seems like it's own land populated by humanoid automobiles in a setting that is not the southwest ...

Obviously, the time period is now blown apart more than it was, but the southwest was never the exclusive setting of Frontierland anyway. Pecos Bill and Big Thunder Mountain are, but Country Bears is Tennessee, Splash was Georgia, Tiana is Louisiana, and Tom Sawyer is Missouri.

 

[Gusey]

It still seems like it's own land populated by humanoid automobiles in a setting that is not the southwest, but a cartoon inspired world no one has ever seen before connected to this IP... We have gone from a human populated world with a basis in American history to a cartoon character populated world with landscapes shaped like parts of Automobiles....THis is clearly not a part of the Frontier... It will be the Baatu of the Magic Kingdom...

But the point is that Disney have said from the start that it is part of Frontierland. Just because you don't think it fits doesn't mean it is a Cars Land. Until Disney says they're building Cars Land St Magic Kingdom, we need to STOP calling this Cars Land

 

[Bocabear]

ummm ok.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Disney just wants to put in something they can sell lighting lane for and that is IP based. They don’t care about theme or sight lines anymore.

You want good theming and sight lines go to EPIC Universe….

 

[MisterPenguin]

Straw men, straw men...

It was presented as a land unto itself because there were concerns that it would not fit into the aesthetic of Frontierland...

Source that Disney presented the Cars attraction as a land unto itself?

Are we still supposed to pretend they're going to build a mini-national park with so many waterfalls that we won't even notice the river is gone?

Or is the extremely poor likelihood of that more clear now?

Who said we had to pretend that? Disney made it clear that RoA was going.

They never said "and we'll do it in a way such that you won't even notice the river is gone!!"

 

[Ayla]

But it's not been presented as a land because it has theming. That's like saying the Little Mermaid area of Fantasyland is its own land because it has a shop, water features and a snack stand. Isn't the biggest gripe people had about the Cars attractions when they were first announced that they did not fit into Frontierland?
From the Parks Blog in August 2024:
"At Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro, with the help of Tow Mater via video call, announced that a new area inspired by the Pixar Animation Studios film “Cars” will be coming to a reimagined section of Frontierland at Magic Kingdom. “The American West has always been about keeping your eyes on the horizon … believing in yourself, carving your own path, and striving toward success. That goes for miners in the mountains, bears from the country, a princess from the bayou … or a racecar from the big city,” Josh told the crowd.
Don’t get too comfortable in Radiator Springs because it’s time to leave the pit stop and head west into exciting new frontiers. On this adventure, guests will be able to experience not one but two exciting new “Cars”-themed attractions."

Little Mermaid doesn't have a shop in FantasyLand.

 

[Charlie The Chatbox Ghost]

Sure if losing the entire ROA for a gigantic Cars ride in Frontierland is “unscathed.” If that’s unscathed I’ll take my chances with scathed.

By “unscathed” I meant more “still only comprised of genre lands and nothing specific to one IP (with the exception of Mickey, he gets a pass)”

I’m not a fan of losing the ROA, but I also realize there’s nothing short of an economic collapse that could save it at this point, and even then, they might just wait it out.

 

[Disstevefan1]

But the point is that Disney have said from the start that it is part of Frontierland. Just because you don't think it fits doesn't mean it is a Cars Land. Until Disney says they're building Cars Land St Magic Kingdom, we need to STOP calling this Cars Land

It doesn't fit Frontierland but its part of it. Take it or leave it Disney says.

 

[easyrowrdw]

But it's not been presented as a land because it has theming. That's like saying the Little Mermaid area of Fantasyland is its own land because it has a shop, water features and a snack stand. Isn't the biggest gripe people had about the Cars attractions when they were first announced that they did not fit into Frontierland?
From the Parks Blog in August 2024:
"At Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro, with the help of Tow Mater via video call, announced that a new area inspired by the Pixar Animation Studios film “Cars” will be coming to a reimagined section of Frontierland at Magic Kingdom. “The American West has always been about keeping your eyes on the horizon … believing in yourself, carving your own path, and striving toward success. That goes for miners in the mountains, bears from the country, a princess from the bayou … or a racecar from the big city,” Josh told the crowd.
Don’t get too comfortable in Radiator Springs because it’s time to leave the pit stop and head west into exciting new frontiers. On this adventure, guests will be able to experience not one but two exciting new “Cars”-themed attractions."

But the point is that Disney have said from the start that it is part of Frontierland. Just because you don't think it fits doesn't mean it is a Cars Land. Until Disney says they're building Cars Land St Magic Kingdom, we need to STOP calling this Cars Land

They can say it’s just part of Frontierland. What they showed in the designs is a whole other thing. Disney says, “Who you gonna believe, me or your lying eyes?“

 

[KDM31091]

We have all seen what they did with the EPCOT renovation. This "expansion" of MK is gonna be a trainwreck in my opinion.

5 years of walls for an outdoor hospital seating area. So obviously I am not optimistic about losing a huge chunk of the heart of MK for Cars. I’d love to be wrong. But, I don’t have much hope

 

[MisterPenguin]

If the Frontierland re-imagining is anything like the EPCOT Future World re-imagining, I can't wait for the new Frontierland version of Cosmic Rewind!!

 

[Gusey]

Little Mermaid doesn't have a shop in FantasyLand.

DVC store. Besides, do we actually know there will be a Cars themed restaurant in this area? There will likely be a shop at the end of the attraction but that won't make it a separate land.

They can say it’s just part of Frontierland. What they showed in the designs is a whole other thing. Disney says, “Who you gonna believe, me or your lying eyes?“

But it is clearly part of Frontierland. It's like saying Tom Sawyer Island and RoA is it's own land because it's a whole other thing. Or Serka Zong is not actually part if Asia because it has its own attraction, shops and dining. A land can have its own subsections but the Cars attractions are part of Frontierland

 

[Incomudro]

You're following PC Dev? He just makes it seem like he tells it like it is and he's just being honest but he wasn't like that years ago, like night and day difference. He will show you what you want to see and hear and not really he's own perception.

I watched him (and a lot of other Disney content) regularly a couple of years ago.
I mostly dropped out of doing that, and Dev if I remember correctly took a break from recording.
A couple of his Epic Universe videos popped up on my feed the other day, so I watched them.
I do like his personality though, and will be watching him a bit more.

 

[Incomudro]

It still seems like it's own land populated by humanoid automobiles in a setting that is not the southwest, but a cartoon inspired world no one has ever seen before connected to this IP... We have gone from a human populated world with a basis in American history to a cartoon character populated world with landscapes shaped like parts of Automobiles....THis is clearly not a part of the Frontier... It will be the Baatu of the Magic Kingdom...

100%.

 

[Incomudro]

DVC store. Besides, do we actually know there will be a Cars themed restaurant in this area? There will likely be a shop at the end of the attraction but that won't make it a separate land.

But it is clearly part of Frontierland. It's like saying Tom Sawyer Island and RoA is it's own land because it's a whole other thing. Or Serka Zong is not actually part if Asia because it has its own attraction, shops and dining. A land can have its own subsections but the Cars attractions are part of Frontierland

I think the Cars attraction will be essentially a land, because viewed from Frontierland it's going to be a berm, rockwork, and (hopefully) water feature who's main purpose is to visually obscure the ride area.
Once inside the ride are, you are not really going to see into Froniterland.
There may be areas where we can see the cars - perhaps they will emerge or enter tunnels on some elevated portions?
But, that's be odd because in Frontierland, we are not supposed to be in the present day.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I think the Cars attraction will be essentially a land, because viewed from Frontierland it's going to be a berm, rockwork, and (hopefully) water feature who's main purpose is to visually obscure the ride area.
Once inside the ride are, you are not really going to see into Froniterland.
There may be areas where we can see the cars - perhaps they will emerge or enter tunnels on some elevated portions?
But, that's be odd because in Frontierland, we are not supposed to be in the present day.

Agreed. Lands aren’t just arbitrary lines drawn on a map. They align to the storytelling and spatial experience of the park. It’s why the neighborhoods in Epcot don’t make sense, because they just drew lines on paper but didn’t change enough of the spatial experience.

 

[easyrowrdw]

But it is clearly part of Frontierland. It's like saying Tom Sawyer Island and RoA is it's own land because it's a whole other thing. Or Serka Zong is not actually part if Asia because it has its own attraction, shops and dining. A land can have its own subsections but the Cars attractions are part of Frontierland

But it is clearly not part of Frontierland. What I meant by whole other thing is that their description doesn’t fit what they presented. Sorry I wasn’t clear. Otherwise, I agree with the comments @Bocabear made.