MK Cars-Themed Attractions at Magic Kingdom

[britain]

It likely was never a serious thing. They routinely put out "Walt stuff" in an effort to placate the die-hard fans. This is Bob's Disney, not Walt's.

Plus it also could simply be a puff piece written to just have something to post that day. The people that write a post today about how fun … I don’t know… the Tea Cups are, may have no idea that in a year they’ll be targeted for demolition.

 

[Purduevian]

The last really relaxing time I had at WDW was in 2019 while I was in town for a teachers convention.

After our seminars each day, I’d hit the parks totally unleashed: I left both my phone and my watch in the rental car’s glove box.

Just six years ago, how glorious it was.

Really curious... 2019 still had FP+ and mobile order. What do people use their phones for now that wasn't available in 2019?

 

[Smoky]

RSR the ride looks to be larger than the entire area for Piston Peak.

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Just another reason why I think this ride will be a colossal failure. The footprint isn't big enough to be "grand". I bet you a million Disney Dollars Piston Peak will be more similar in scope to 7DMT than to the rockwork of RSR or Splash or EE. Perhaps I'm wrong, but I think that's why the stylized concept art is so misleading and dumb. The "river" they kept will be basically the size of a ditch if the ride has any real size at all. I just don't see how this doesn't feel cramped and out of place. Again, maybe I'm wrong, and Disney pulls off a complete masterpiece of design and art. But ask yourself, do you really think this company in its current state is remotely capable of that? If they were this would never have been proposed to begin with.

 

[Captain Barbossa]

I’m not sure who usually does this for reverse moves back to the roundhouse.

The conductor rides the shove back to the roundhouse.

 

[Dreamer19]

Nearly every themed attraction can be torn apart if you try hard enough. Why does Mickey have a rail road? Why is there a circus train for going through all these miniatures? Why is there a carnival game in the middle of a movie studio? Why is there a mountain known for its challeging climbing with bobsleds on it? etc etc etc

Disney doesn't build attractions like the Rainbow Cavern Minetrain anymore. Disney today is different than the Disney of the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Known characters are going to be part of nearly attraction concept - it's time to stop acting like you're gonna fend off this push.

I remember learning that the Tower of Terror (visible from Epcot when looking at Morocco) was colored and designed by Imagineers to blend in as a part of Morocco so that guests wouldn’t be taken out of the Epcot theming.

There is no comparison to the Imagineers who implemented that and the lazy and careless individuals putting a cars attraction in between the “Bayou” and a Haunted Mansion.

I’ve read some posts saying “bUt WuT aBoUt Da CaStLe aT dE eNd uV mAnE sTrEeT?!” Completely missing the point.

Thematically, Disney Parks have become a mess.

 

[FettFan]

Really curious... 2019 still had FP+ and mobile order. What do people use their phones for now that wasn't available in 2019?

 

[truecoat]

Longer ≠ Larger

RSR is about 3200 feet. A rough estimate on Piston Peak is about 2500 feet but elevation changes will add to it. It'll be closer than I thought but I still think RSR will be a longer track.

 

[Purduevian]

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I really dont... I feel like you could have the same experience today leaving your phone in your car as you could in 2019... Pre 2012 would be a different story.

 

[danlb_2000]

I think its just to avoid the problems with having the train go 1 way then back up and then back up all the way to the other point and then go forward etc etc. Would be confusing for the average guest to wait in line for the train to go to Fantasyland but oop this round is only going to Frontierland so hop on and wait for it do its cycles.

Just more trouble than its worth really.

This is a good point.

 

[Castle Cake Apologist]

This is unfair. I never expected the project to be cancelled or significantly altered in response to fan complaints, yet I cannot deny the differences between the two pieces of concept art. One of these differences, as I noted in my earlier reply to you, includes the joining of the waterfall to the riverfront, which is not what the earlier concept art showed or even suggested. Again, how much faith should be put into the new design is another question, but I can’t understand why you keep denying that it is, in certain respects, different from what they previously publicised.

I think part of the problem is that people are treating this as "concept art," when it’s not. It’s a Disneyland-style Fun Map. Everything is meant to be cartoonishly exaggerated.

 

[DrStarlander]

Sounds like Disney is taking sightlines seriously with this project. It would be great if they did a little work to fix some "original sin" sightlines issues in this area. This would include raising some of the facade heights in Frontierland to block the Adventureland buildings behind them (or add Frontierland theming to the backsides of those Adventureland elements), and putting a "bear cave" tunnel transition between Frontierland and Adventureland with rockwork/waterfall to block the tiki skyline, like this:

 

[FettFan]

I really dont... I feel like you could have the same experience today leaving your phone in your car as you could in 2019... Pre 2012 would be a different story.

You don’t remember 2021’s launch of Genie/Genie+ and Disney wanting more of a push for smartphone necessity in the parks?

 

[Starship824]

I'm shocked by the amount of positive from the most recent announcement. I for one am more optimistic about the project but I'm still upset we're losing the River. I really hope they save Liberty belle.

 

[Cliff]

The Magic Kingdom is THE most visited theme park in the world. It's time-tested and well-proven for generations. From a revenue point of view it is THE absolute strongest park on planet Earth. It's NOT broken and only needs excellent daily maintenance to stay #1. It is the Disney park that will be LEAST affected by Epic Universe. It's the OTHER three parks that need serious financial lifting. Epic Universe is going to hurt the other three the most. Magic Kingdom will stay #1 as long as you properly maintain it. It's iconic in American pop-culture!

Yet,...Burbank want's to rip out a giant, historic portion of Magic Kingdom and leave a crater there for 5+ years. Burbank is acting like "Disney's Rivers of America" was somehow a useless thing that didn't help the park's incredible success over the generations??? ?

Burbank,...you are taking your most successful park, your crown jewel and dropping a bomb blast inside there,....for,....no,....damn,...reason. You are taking a 100% PROVEN success formula and shredding it. You are saying something is socially "problematic" when literally NOBODY is complaining about it being that way. You are taking Burbank's BEST "cash register" and smashing it with a hammer. Your customers are NOT complaining about RoA, it's only "you" that complain about it.

This reminds me of "New Coke". Some brilliant Coca Cola execs said: "We don't like the taste of Coke anymore,...so let's change this monstrously successful product into something new". Nobody asked for "New Coke"!!! It was pushed on their customers by stupid Coke execs and the consumer outrage was enormous. Eventually, somebody at Coca Cola decided to reverse this insane idea and get back to reality.

Sadly,...this decision Burbank is making can't be reversed.

Having a gigantic bomb-crater in the HEART of your most prized park WILL hurt attendance for 5+ years. Building Cars on the unused SIDE of the park would not have disturbed anything and would have made EVERYbody happy.

 

[JohnD]

Only took six years for them to forget this….

How ironic.

In 2019, Disney is proudly stating this on social media.

In 2025, that sentiment has been suddenly forgotten.

Makes you wonder….what changed that mentality.


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I saw that in 2017 they were offering "Everything is Satisfactual" wallpaper. Same changed mentality.

 

[Tha Realest]

RSR is about 3200 feet. A rough estimate on Piston Peak is about 2500 feet but elevation changes will add to it. It'll be closer than I thought but I still think RSR will be a longer track.

But I don’t know that PP goes as fast as the RSR course? So while the track length may be shorter, the ride experience can last as long (or longer?) if the ride vehicles travel slower

 

[JohnD]

The Magic Kingdom is THE most visited theme park in the world. It's time-tested and well-proven for generations. From a revenue point of view it is THE absolute strongest park on planet Earth. It's NOT broken and only needs excellent daily maintenance to stay #1. It is the Disney park that will be LEAST affected by Epic Universe. It's the OTHER three parks that need serious financial lifting. Epic Universe is going to hurt the other three the most. Magic Kingdom will stay #1 as long as you properly maintain it. It's iconic in American pop-culture!

Yet,...Burbank want's to rip out a giant, historic portion of Magic Kingdom and leave a crater there for 5+ years. Burbank is acting like "Disney's Rivers of America" was somehow a useless thing that didn't help the park's incredible success over the generations??? ?

Burbank,...you are taking your most successful park, your crown jewel and dropping a bomb blast inside there,....for,....no,....damn,...reason. You are taking a 100% PROVEN success formula and shredding it. You are saying something is socially "problematic" when literally NOBODY is complaining about it being that way. You are taking Burbank's BEST "cash register" and smashing it with a hammer. Your customers are NOT complaining about RoA, it's only "you" that complain about it.

This reminds me of "New Coke". Some brilliant Coca Cola execs said: "We don't like the taste of Coke anymore,...so let's change this monstrously successful product into something new". Nobody asked for "New Coke"!!! It was pushed on their customers by stupid Coke execs and the consumer outrage was enormous. Eventually, somebody at Coca Cola decided to reverse this insane idea and get back to reality.

Sadly,...this decision Burbank is making can't be reversed.

Having a gigantic bomb-crater in the HEART of your most prized park WILL hurt attendance for 5+ years. Building Cars on the unused SIDE of the park would not have disturbed anything and would have made EVERYbody happy.

MK may generete the most revenue but it seems they want to generete more. You can't monetize Liberty Belle and TSI. You can with Cars and LLMP/LLSP.

 

[bmr1591]

The Magic Kingdom is THE most visited theme park in the world. It's time-tested and well-proven for generations. From a revenue point of view it is THE absolute strongest park on planet Earth. It's NOT broken and only needs excellent daily maintenance to stay #1. It is the Disney park that will be LEAST affected by Epic Universe. It's the OTHER three parks that need serious financial lifting. Epic Universe is going to hurt the other three the most. Magic Kingdom will stay #1 as long as you properly maintain it. It's iconic in American pop-culture!

Yet,...Burbank want's to rip out a giant, historic portion of Magic Kingdom and leave a crater there for 5+ years. Burbank is acting like "Disney's Rivers of America" was somehow a useless thing that didn't help the park's incredible success over the generations??? ?

Burbank,...you are taking your most successful park, your crown jewel and dropping a bomb blast inside there,....for,....no,....damn,...reason. You are taking a 100% PROVEN success formula and shredding it. You are saying something is socially "problematic" when literally NOBODY is complaining about it being that way. You are taking Burbank's BEST "cash register" and smashing it with a hammer. Your customers are NOT complaining about RoA, it's only "you" that complain about it.

This reminds me of "New Coke". Some brilliant Coca Cola execs said: "We don't like the taste of Coke anymore,...so let's change this monstrously successful product into something new". Nobody asked for "New Coke"!!! It was pushed on their customers by stupid Coke execs and the consumer outrage was enormous. Eventually, somebody at Coca Cola decided to reverse this insane idea and get back to reality.

Sadly,...this decision Burbank is making can't be reversed.

Having a gigantic bomb-crater in the HEART of your most prized park WILL hurt attendance for 5+ years. Building Cars on the unused SIDE of the park would not have disturbed anything and would have made EVERYbody happy.

How did the ROA help make the park a success? Genuinely curious. It's aesthetically great, but that feels like a stretch.

I don't think Disney has ever once said that the ROA are problematic. It's just a large chunk of real estate in a park with capacity issues.

I also don't see how New Frontierland is smashing anything with a hammer. In fact, the average guest will be happy for a Cars attraction because it's incredibly popular.

Finally, let's take this for what it is. Nostalgia. Many on here have been going to MK since the 70s and can't stomach the ROA not being there because of the memories they have with family/friends. If it comes out like they've now shown, it'll be a positive for the park.

 

[CJR]

This will probably will never happen, but I'd love for them to move the Frontierland Station to the Villains land, with a larger station and flat entry with no steps. I've always found the Frontierland station to be a pain (cramped space).

I'm originally from the west coast though, which has four stations, all rather easily accessible. Maybe they could splurge and do four in Florida? It'd be a great way to add a letter to the map without spending a whole lot more, since they're probably doing work there anyway. One can dream, I guess.

 

[LittleBuford]

I think part of the problem is that people are treating this as "concept art," when it’s not. It’s a Disneyland-style Fun Map. Everything is meant to be cartoonishly exaggerated.

I realise that. But even allowing for cartoonish exaggeration, it shows a rather different setup from the first design, and multiple posters with at least some claim to insider knowledge have stated that changes were made.

It’s not like anyone here is suggesting terribly farfetched. Is it really that outlandish to suppose that Disney might have upped the amount of water in response to the reaction their initial announcement had received?