MK Cars-Themed Attractions at Magic Kingdom

[truecoat]

The problem with this they may find themselves in the “generation IP” spiral that Universal found itself in during the late aughts / early teens. With each new generation, different IPs may cross the gap, and others may just be yesterday’s fad. Is Disney willing to refurb, reskin and replace every 15 years? Or even less in some instances? That’s what made MK and DL and other Disney castle parks to an extent so unique; they contain timeless concepts, touchstones, original theme park creations, and yes some IPs that transcend the generations and remain with us. To me, Cars is a big risk in MK as who knows if in fifteen years it will be timeless and a touchstone like say Snow White or Peter Pan, or will be “mom and dads lame movie they liked as kids”.

Reminds me of Planet Hollywood. I went to one when it first opened and it was interesting to see all these props and costumes from the movies. A few years later, I go back and I'm sitting under Stallone's lame- costume from Demolition Man. Some of these will not age well.

One day you might have a big, exciting E-ticket with a star-studded pre-show and one of the actors becomes today's OJ Simpson. Now you have to shut it down and either find a new theme or refilm all the scenes with some of the actors for the preshow and ride. Big Thunder, Space Mountain, and many others will never have that problem.

 

[Fox&Hound]

I know we have veered a bit, but I am hopeful that this new cars addition will result in the speedway going away. I like the idea of ride building that houses one tomorrowland ride on that side and one FL on the other. Like Wall-E on TL's side and Alice and Wonderland facing the teacups.

If Elio hits I would say we could get something from that, but I do not have high hopes. I am hoping Stitch finally gets a new ride after the new film hits a billion, but I don't think he necessarily fits in TL. I know, I know, he is an alien, but so much of his movie takes place on Earth and deals with human problems. It would depend on its execution.

I also agree that a few smaller rides would be really cool. How is the Alice and Wonderland hedge maze from Shanghai? Would that fit here? Just thinking since it right next to the teacups....

 

[Disney Analyst]

A better driving attraction, I think. TS is beloved and boring. Kids like driving cars, but they can't handle accelerating effectively on hills, but self-driving technology would now allow some "assistance" so the terrain could be more interesting (the car -- which would now be electric -- would handle the accelerating/braking for hills). This would be more visually interesting, both for riders and spectators. Disney spends $300 million on new attractions, yet they can buy 150 off-the-lot self-driving cars for under $10 M (supposedly TS has 146 cars). So they could partner with any of the companies on this ride tech.

The theme? A fantastical alien planet, and the vehicles would be planetary rovers. Race cars look not-cool chugging around slowly, but planetary rovers, going up and down over cool terrain, would look great. Plus it allows a cool rockwork landscape and spectacular scenic lighting framing TRON and Space Mountain buildings.

Here's the "recipe" I can see:
View attachment 862457

Great reminder of how boring and generic the current MK version is. So much could be done to improve it.

Disneyland’s is waaay better.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Great reminder of how boring and generic the current MK version is. So much could be done to improve it.

Disneyland’s is waaay better.

My favorite one I rode was the one they had in Hong Kong which was electric and felt very futuristic (the cars made fun like Jetson car noises when you accelerated) and there were fun things to see along the course. Plus didn't smell bad

 

[JohnD]

I know we have veered a bit, but I am hopeful that this new cars addition will result in the speedway going away. I like the idea of ride building that houses one tomorrowland ride on that side and one FL on the other. Like Wall-E on TL's side and Alice and Wonderland facing the teacups.

If Elio hits I would say we could get something from that, but I do not have high hopes. I am hoping Stitch finally gets a new ride after the new film hits a billion, but I don't think he necessarily fits in TL. I know, I know, he is an alien, but so much of his movie takes place on Earth and deals with human problems. It would depend on its execution.

I also agree that a few smaller rides would be really cool. How is the Alice and Wonderland hedge maze from Shanghai? Would that fit here? Just thinking since it right next to the teacups....

Stitch already has a dedicated space which is still closed. They could re-open it with a revamped Stitch attraction. A Tomorrowland/Fantasyland combo building sounds like a pretty good idea. Or Star Tours could be moved into Tomorrowland just as it is in Tomorrowland in multiple Disney parks. That enables Star Tours to be rethemed to Marvel in HS and Star Wars is not outside Galaxy's Edge in that park. Here's a mockup taking the DL version and putting it in that space.

 

[WondersOfLife]

Wow people are really looking for scapegoats.

How is that a scapegoat?

 

[truecoat]

Nope which is why the Speedway is looking to be redeveloped in the not too distant future.

Interesting that the Speedway area is slightly bigger than the area being used for Piston Peak. It probably would have looked out of place though.

 

[thomas998]

I really have to question the long-term viability of a segment of the park dedicated to a particular movie franchise. When you have Tomorrow Land you can move in and out rides that have nothing to do with each other because they still represent the future... can make changes in the other lands as well without being handcuffed to a particular franchise... but what is going to happen with car's land when people get tired of the Cars movies? They aren't going to remain popular forever, every franchise eventually declines. This just seems like a short-term project without any long-term considerations

 

[danlb_2000]

I really have to question the long-term viability of a segment of the park dedicated to a particular movie franchise. When you have Tomorrow Land you can move in and out rides that have nothing to do with each other because they still represent the future... can make changes in the other lands as well without being handcuffed to a particular franchise... but what is going to happen with car's land when people get tired of the Cars movies? They aren't going to remain popular forever, every franchise eventually declines. This just seems like a short-term project without any long-term considerations

Good rides will continue to attract people even if they don't care about the movie it is themed do. Before if got re-themed how many people ridding Splash had ever seen the movie, or even knew it was based on a movie?

 

[𝐌𝖆𝖓 𝖎𝖓 𝐖𝖊𝖇]

Interesting that the Speedway area is slightly bigger than the area being used for Piston Peak. It probably would have looked out of place though.

Definitely. But then, the theme could have been different. Or not Cars at all. Though, I don't think it would have served the area well. The Speedway plot doesn't need to be another E-ticket.

For what it's worth, I think Imagineering IS doing the best the can here in making lemonade out of some lemons. It's not ideal but it's not terrible. I just wish it wasn't a single IP deal. Seems reasonable enough to expand that theme to support multiple IPs or non IPs. Crazy notion, I know.

 

[truecoat]

Definitely. But then, the theme could have been different. Or not Cars at all. Though, I don't think it would have served the area well. The Speedway plot doesn't need to be another E-ticket.

For what it's worth, I think Imagineering IS doing the best the can here in making lemonade out of some lemons. It's not ideal but it's not terrible. I just wish it wasn't a single IP deal. Seems reasonable enough to expand that theme to support multiple IPs or non IPs. Crazy notion, I know.

Cars is DHS type of property to me but the design they have come up with for the TSI area looks like it might work.

 

[flynnibus]

I like how we compare Disney's least teen-centric/most family-focused park to Universals most teen/thrill ride centric park. That's definitely a comparison that is equal.

Last I checked.. UNI doesn't have a MK.. so what would you prefer the comparison in a MK thread to be?

Is USF that much different? Or Epic?

What's your point caller?

 

[britain]

I really have to question the long-term viability of a segment of the park dedicated to a particular movie franchise. When you have Tomorrow Land you can move in and out rides that have nothing to do with each other because they still represent the future... can make changes in the other lands as well without being handcuffed to a particular franchise... but what is going to happen with car's land when people get tired of the Cars movies? They aren't going to remain popular forever, every franchise eventually declines. This just seems like a short-term project without any long-term considerations

I think they have concluded (and I think I agree with them) that the whole conceit behind Cars is amazingly flexible and timeless. Even if kids no longer know who Lightning McQueen is, the concept of anthropomorphic cars can remain inherently entertaining. Add to that the hope that this attraction also has inherently appealing natural features (rockwork, waterfalls, forests) plus whatever mild thrill the ride vehicles themselves provide, you can make the argument that this will be a fun attraction with a very long shelf life regardless of the IP.

It reminds me a little of how inherently entertaining Splash Mountain was - and nobody had to be a die-hard Song of the South fan to enjoy it.

 

[flynnibus]

I really have to question the long-term viability of a segment of the park dedicated to a particular movie franchise. When you have Tomorrow Land you can move in and out rides that have nothing to do with each other because they still represent the future... can make changes in the other lands as well without being handcuffed to a particular franchise... but what is going to happen with car's land when people get tired of the Cars movies?

The answer is right there... they can force the over reaching theme into the property. Cars wasn't about the National Parks until this attraction. So when the playful woods wasn't relevant to them anymore, they figured out a way to merge the woods and a disassociated property.. cars.

When cars is no longer a thing, they will repeat the same...

 

[Andrew C]

I really wish Universal would wake up. I think they are starting to, as EU is better, but not great yet.

They aren't trying to be WDW. They want to continue to differentiate themselves.

 

[Professortango1]

A better driving attraction, I think. TS is beloved and boring. Kids like driving cars, but they can't handle accelerating effectively on hills, but self-driving technology would now allow some "assistance" so the terrain could be more interesting (the car -- which would now be electric -- would handle the accelerating/braking for hills). This would be more visually interesting, both for riders and spectators. Disney spends $300 million on new attractions, yet they can buy 150 off-the-lot self-driving cars for under $10 M (supposedly TS has 146 cars). So they could partner with any of the companies on this ride tech.

The theme? A fantastical alien planet, and the vehicles would be planetary rovers. Race cars look not-cool chugging around slowly, but planetary rovers, going up and down over cool terrain, would look great. Plus it allows a cool rockwork landscape and spectacular scenic lighting framing TRON and Space Mountain buildings.

Here's the "recipe" I can see:
View attachment 862457

This was a kicked around concept for TL 98 in California. Instead they got an incredibly brief portion of off-road track and some ASIMO figures planted about.

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

Last I checked.. UNI doesn't have a MK.. so what would you prefer the comparison in a MK thread to be?

Is USF that much different? Or Epic?

What's your point caller?

I would atleast use their main park as a comparison point? Not their side park opened like 20 years ago.

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

Stitch already has a dedicated space which is still closed. They could re-open it with a revamped Stitch attraction. A Tomorrowland/Fantasyland combo building sounds like a pretty good idea. Or Star Tours could be moved into Tomorrowland just as it is in Tomorrowland in multiple Disney parks. That enables Star Tours to be rethemed to Marvel in HS and Star Wars is not outside Galaxy's Edge in that park. Here's a mockup taking the DL version and putting it in that space.

View attachment 862464

I always thought if they toned it down they could make Stitch's Great Escape work and replace the chilli dogs with like bubblegum that he pops in your face as a little nod to how Disney World doesn't sell gum.

That or replace it with an Incredibles attraction where Edna is testing out a suit. Heck, half the characters have valid reasons to be invisible even with the lights on.

 

[flynnibus]

I would atleast use their main park as a comparison point? Not their side park opened like 20 years ago.

So the park with horror themes... scary mummy roller coasters.. a F&F ride based on action films.. and a major land based on a major generational franchise in their lifetime. Better? And then they run over to IOA and hit some of the best roller coasters in Florida.

 

[MisterPenguin]

As far as Speedway being another or a defunct ride due to the Cars' rides, consider:

1. We're still waiting to see how DL's conversion of their Speedway to EVs goes.

2. There was almost announced a refurb of Speedway to...