MK Cars-Themed Attractions at Magic Kingdom

[Centauri Space Station]

Old EPCOT is dead and gone. Test Track is and always has been a big nothing. We’re not talking about bringing back World of Motion here.

Yeah maybe for you. For me Test track has been my fav ride at Epcot since it opened and i find it better with each update. SSE, LWTL, and Test track are all still classic EPCOT esq. Seabase, Awesome planet, Space 220 and to a lesser extent Mission space all fit too.

 

[Jedi14]

So Disneys really eager to release Cars 4, right?

Cars recently had a show on Disney Plus. Cars 4 was on an exit survey for D23 Brazil leading people to believe it’s in development.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

But it can’t be based entirely on nostalgia. This board doesn’t seem to understand that.

there’s definitely a balance. If Disney isn’t selling nostalgia - they are just another Universal park at this point.

The answer to me is - focus on new expansion AND capitalize on nostalgia with classic attractions.

 

[MisterPenguin]

there’s definitely a balance. If Disney isn’t selling nostalgia - they are just another Universal park at this point.

Hey, remember ""minions""? They were hysterical. I loved them growing up. Would love to see them in a park or something!

 

[easyrowrdw]

It’s really flawed logic that got them to the Cars decision. Boys had plenty in Magic Kingdom. They had Peter Pan, the Mountains, Pirates, Mansion, Jungle Cruise, etc. There was a place for Cars and that was the Studios. That park needs more for the whole family to enjoy.

Disney thinks so little of their audience that they think they can only find enjoyment in film franchises they’re already aware of…but then they fail to recreate the worlds of those films, completely defeating the purpose of the initial reasoning that led them to decide on Cars. I wonder if it really is just about simplifying the merchandise distribution for themselves.

Tom Sawyer is a boy. And boys loved his island (so did girls).

 

[Charlie The Chatbox Ghost]

Iger's legacy was never going to be as a creative. He is not a creative. He has never tried to present himself as one either. He has very openly preferred to present himself as the man captaining the ship that ultimately leaves a lot of those finer creative details to the folks he pays to do that. And that really has mostly been exactly what he's done.

That is not to say he doesn't say anything about what attractions get built, or what movies get made. He does. That's his job. But once he has made a decision about "okay we're going to build an attraction based on this IP" or "we're going to make this sequel", he doesn't then insert himself into Imagineering and sit there and design show scenes and all that.

He is not Walt or Michael Eisner. He does not sit there with the Imagineers and hold their hand as they move through a project. He doesn't seem to be very interested in that.

Now, that is in and of itself an issue and I think perhaps the biggest issue with Bob Iger. But it is also a very well known aspect of him as a leader. Too well known for him to ever be known as a creative. Honestly, if you called him a creative to his face I think even he would say that's not really what he does.

Oh I know he isn’t one, hence the quotations, but as the leader of a creativity-based company, he really should be. But he isn’t and that’s why we’re at where we’re at. His decisions are purely money motivated. I just don’t get why enough is never enough for people like him.

 

[ChrisFL]

Oh I know he isn’t one, hence the quotations, but as the leader of a creativity-based company, he really should be. But he isn’t and that’s why we’re at where we’re at. His decisions are purely money motivated. I just don’t get why enough is never enough for people like him.

He's also beholden to shareholders. Modern America is all about quarterly profits

 

[BuzzedPotatoHead89]

He's also beholden to shareholders. Modern America is all about quarterly profits

Truest comment on here.

RoA was simply not a positive revenue generator and I can venture to guess its existence negatively impacted multiple KPIs for the WDW resort/TDO specifically (Lightning Lane sales, merchandise sales, contemporary brand IP synergies/marketability, operations, advancing DVC/room sales, etc.).

 

[Mickey's Pal]

 

[𝐌𝖆𝖓 𝖎𝖓 𝐖𝖊𝖇]

Because I don’t want to see or hear any incarnation of Larry the Cable Guy yelling about “getter done” while I’m queuing at the Mansion.

You wouldn't. But you know that.

 

[mlayton144]

It’s notnwll

Really, then why did ROE last for 20 years while it's god-awful replacement lasted barely two? The Fountain did not need to be removed and the music from ToN still played every night for 20 years, long after the parade itself had been cancelled. If you create something truly timeless people will remember it forever. Today's EPCOT is a sad shadow of what it used to be and even the things about it that are impressive don't work right.

it’s not all or nothing , I personally believe losing illuminations was the biggest loss of any replacement at Disney World including GMR , etc. When it comes to future world though , WOM, living Seas, and WOL I don’t think would fly today.

Original Epcot when all is said and done was a basically a permanent worlds fair, which I LOVED. But all you need to do is see how less relevant worlds fairs are today vs decades ago - there is your answer.

 

[donaldtoo]

Oh Disney was dead to me after what they did to Splash Mountain and how they handled it.

I’m just here to yell into the void because even though they went so far as to ban a wonderful song like ‘Zip A Dee Doo Dah’ from the parks, I still never thought they would look at a view like the one below and say “yeah, this no good, this need vroom-vroom.”

“…this need vroom-vroom.”…!!!!!
Yea, destroying Splash Mountain for no good reason brought me about a coupla’ feet from the edge. I decided to cut them some “Well, let’s wait and see the finished product before judging.” slack.
My bad.
It’s a maintenance joke, and the attraction is “meh” at best.
Destroying ROA and TSI sent me over the edge.
And for what…?!?!?!
They could just fill the “villains” thing with likenesses of Disney execs., suits, bean-counters and pseudo-Imagineers and call it a day.
As far as the Cars National Park off-road racing in Frontierland thing goes, I’m cutting Disney no slack… they lost me.
There’s not a SINGLE U.S. National Park that allows ANY kind of sanctioned off-road racing within its boundaries. Why, I have no clue, because, you know, tearing up and polluting a National Park is so “green” and all…
The only kinda’ “green” Disney is interested in these days is…


We’ll probably reevaluate at some point (5-8 years), but, for now, we have other adventures planned.
We just got back from yet another fabulous, family week-long cruise (non-Disney) on Saturday, and have plans for Europe and another cruise soon, so far…!!!

 

[phillip9698]

So Disneys really eager to release Cars 4, right?

So the only Disney franchises that warrant new attractions are ones with active sequels in the works? Not the ones that have remained popular for the last 20 years and continue to be popular with new generations.

Is that really the point you are trying to make here? When the only Pixar properties to have more than 2 movies are Toy Story and Cars.

Good grief, to dismiss the popularity of Cars, of all franchises, one would have to completely avoid kids in every aspect of life. That stuff is EVERYWHERE. Behind Marvel and Star Wars, Cars has the largest merchandising footprint of any Disney IP in just about any store you set foot in. If it doesn’t it’s not far behind Frozen.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

You wouldn't. But you know that.

Well…. We hope not. We don’t know.

But Disney themselves have said they are trying to keep the noise away from the mansion…. The noise of the riverboat added to the atmosphere of the mansion, Frontierland, and Tiana.

That’s a good example of why this is not the best fit.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I’m not. If there’s no inherent PR value (“Tony Baxter is going to consult on Tiana!”), TBIC doesn’t want any of the old guard around at all.

They both regularly visit DL - naturally it’s a bit closer to them but I thought for the riverboat and RoA maybe that’s all

 

[Charlie The Chatbox Ghost]

Well…. We hope not. We don’t know.

But Disney themselves have said they are trying to keep the noise away from the mansion…. The noise of the riverboat added to the atmosphere of the mansion, Frontierland, and Tiana.

That’s a good example of why this is not the best fit.

Maybe the engine noises from the cars will be on-ride speakers in the headrests, so when you're riding the ride you hear all the car noises but outside of it, it's practically silent?

 

[DisneyHead123]

Good grief, to dismiss the popularity of Cars, of all franchises, one would have to completely avoid kids in every aspect of life. That stuff is EVERYWHERE. Behind Marvel and Star Wars, Cars easily has the largest merchandising footprint of any Disney IP in just about any store you set foot in.

I’m around kids all the time and, while this is completely anecdotal, I think franchises like Cars are fading. It does have a small section near the Hotwheels in our Target but it’s tiny. Also, kids seem to cycle through their Disney (and Paw Patrol, Thomas, etc.) phase much faster these days so the market gets shrunk by shortening age spans. Ages 1 to about 5, anything goes. 5 to maybe 7, it’s all about super heroes (and a burgeoning interest in electronics) for boys and the other stuff might be seen as “babyish”. After 7 it’s mostly apps and video games, YouTubers, anime and such (Also, interestingly, with the internet kids can more easily go down rabbit holes with niche interests in much the same way adults can.) Maybe a bit of Star Wars as that’s seen as something for older kids, teens and adults. Again, anecdotal and just speaking to kids I’ve observed, of course.

I contrast that to growing up in the 80s, where I remember 5th grade boys being very into Hotwheels and Matchbox cars, and it wasn’t unheard of for girls to have Barbies at that age.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

Truest comment on here.

RoA was simply not a positive revenue generator and I can venture to guess its existence negatively impacted multiple KPIs for the WDW resort/TDO specifically (Lightning Lane sales, merchandise sales, contemporary brand IP synergies/marketability, operations, advancing DVC/room sales, etc.).

Unfortunately, you’re right. Take 7/6 for example. It had its best day in years, maybe ever. It took about 16~ trips down the river. None of them, except maybe the last one, came close to reaching the capacity of 450 guests. I would be shocked if more than 5,000 people rode it on 7/6. This in a park with an average daily attendance of over 40,000-50,000. Unfortunately, for the amount of space it used, Disney just didn’t see the value in keeping it. It’s sad for me because it was my favorite attraction, tied with the railroad. But the reality is, on paper at least, it made less money each day then a different attraction using the same space. So each day it ran it carried a massive opportunity cost. The four new rides they’re building will print money for Disney, even if they’re only mediocre. I’m very sad it closed but unfortunately I understand why they’re doing it.

ETA: TSI had a very low capacity too. RoA made business sense only when multiple attractions could “stack” and simultaneously take advantage of the same space.

 

[Purduevian]

So Disneys really eager to release Cars 4, right?

https://movieweb.com/pixar-cars-4-new-projects/

"There are more Cars things brewing, I can't say much more yet. Cars has got a life that will keep going. I am working on some real fun projects right now that you will see in a couple of years. It takes us a while to make them."

"It became so much bigger than we expected. It likes on and everyday a new child sees It for the first time, which we did not expect. The interesting thing was that Cars came out in 2006 and this is when DVDs were quite popular. It was popular theatrically when it came out, but it grew more popular. Throughout the end of the year and into the next year, more and more people saw it."

They are developing more Cars stuff... I think it's one of the bigest non-tentpole franchises Disney has right now.

IMHO (im sure I'm missing some):

Tentpoles: Star Wars, Avengers, Spiderman, Frozen, Princess, Lion King, Toy Story, Mickey and Friends,

Tier 2: Aladdin, BatB, Cars, Nemo, GotG, Pirates, pooh bear, Indy, Avatar, Moana

Tier 3: Encanto, Coco, Incredibles, Monsters, Inside out, Zootopia, Dr. Strange

 

[FettFan]

So Disneys really eager to release Cars 4, right?

“Well the -ish is, I think Lightning McQueen is the bad guy in this. It just feels like there’s a lot of him creeping on girl cars and then arguing with their dads and husbands and stuff, and it’s a real departure for the character.”