MK Cars-Themed Attractions at Magic Kingdom

[Dreamer19]

“…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,” - Disney Parks Blog

This is word vomit.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Coaster, E-Ticket dark ride, a flat and... Something I think a lot of people are gonna like if it pans out.

I feel like it’s a 5% chance of what I want but ill take 5% odds over 0 any day!

 

[DisneyHead123]

They recently signed a licensing and/or partnership deal with NASCAR in 2024.

I know many posters here give the current iteration of this company no props whatsoever. But there is no way that they rip out what some here apparently deem the nostalgic heart of this park for a somewhat dubious IP choice if it fell off the face of the Earth in terms of popularity (ie not a revenue generator of some kind).

I think they are looking at how ridiculously popular RSR is in DCA. If it reaches that level of popularity here it is a guaranteed money maker in terms of ILL sales. Then add the merchandise sales on top of that. This would fit their later parks operating model perfectly. I mean, like it or not, this is a guiding principal for them. How much revenue do they generate from the ROA and TSI? Can they monetize either of these with an ILL? That would be No and No, respectively. Cars is an easily recognizable brand that will generate revenue. YMMV as to whether it fits or not.

Regarding the popularity of the IP - it’s an interesting topic but I don’t think it’s here nor there regarding how appropriate Cars is for MK. PJ Mask seems to be quite popular among toddlers - I totally see that but I in no way shape or form want PJ Mask land in that space.

I think the debate over Cars is because it goes in a different direction than much of what Disney is doing in other places. They typically go for a resort town feel while still including elements for children. Cars seems more like a ride that is primarily kid-centric and not designed to appeal as much to adults. This is going to sound harsh but rockwork and little waterfalls are something you can see done pretty well at a nice mini golf course. An authentic reproduction of a Mississippi riverboat with beautiful woodwork is not.

 

[phillip9698]

I’ll try to make this quick but a thought I had while watching voices of Liberty today - as they were singing the medley of Armed Forces songs and a retired member of the army stood up…. I got quite emotional. Then they ended with singing “We the People” and it was such a perfect moment.

These “nostalgic” moments, are why I have a desire to visit Disney parks. Cars are fun. I love cars land at DCA and Radiator Springs Racers is one of Disneys best of recent years.

But cartoon cars aren’t going to make me pay $1500 for an AP.

The Disney parks that many of us fell in love with had a balance for all ages - those of us craving nostalgia in steam powered vehicles, ragtime and Americana music, and even the now nostalgic vision of the future of old Epcot and Tomorrowland.

A huge part of that is gone now…. No matter what the cars attraction is, it won’t replace what the island, riverboat, and rivers provided.

It’s funny how nostalgia works, it shifts as generations go by.

My dad has great reverence for the Wild West and “cowboy pictures” as he would call them. He absolutely loves Frontierland, while I couldn’t care less.

Meanwhile I won’t stop talking about Nintendo Land at Epic Universe and I just about beg my kids to play the old Mario games with me in preparation. My dad said he didn’t even want to go see it.

As time goes on there will be far fewer people around who are nostalgic for the things you now cherish. That’s just how time works.

 

[Raineman]

Why didn’t they just go all in with a Cars Land instead of half-a*s-ing it? I have no issue with Cars. It simply doesn’t belong in Frontierland.

I’ve said repeatedly that if they want to change Frontierland into Cars Land, that would be a little weird thematically, but whatever. Instead they’re tearing out one of the most aesthetically and sensory pleasing aspects of the park to wedge in some cars with googley eyes.

The fact is that the current leadership at the Walt Disney Company have done the impossible and taken an unsinkable ship and made it sinkable. They made poor choices and now we’re seeing the result. The company is not the moneymaker it once was.

Like Epcot, this abomination has nothing to do with some Imagineering genius. They’re simply going with the cheapest option.

I’m sure this will generate profits in the short term, but only after selling more of the soul. Rivers Of America did not need to be torn out, they didn’t need to remove the riverboat.

WDW has very little soul left. Disney management loves to trade soul for bland, prepackaged, merch-ready, mediocre IP fests that they know little Johnny and Jenny and their "soooooooooo magical" pixie dust addict mother will love.

 

[JD80]

It’s funny how nostalgia works, it shifts as generations go by.

My dad has great reverence for the Wild West and “cowboy pictures” as he would call them. He absolutely loves Frontierland, while I couldn’t care less.

Meanwhile I won’t stop talking about Nintendo Land at Epic Universe and I just about beg my kids to play the old Mario games with me in preparation. My dad said he didn’t even want to go see it.

As time goes on there won’t be people around who are nostalgic for the things you now cherish.

If you (not @phillip9698 specifically) ever pay attention to the toy collectable market - the people that buy and sell toy collectables are always looking at toys made ~30 years ago because that is when the people who have the most disposable income were children. Disney does the same thing to some degree.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

As time goes on there won’t be people around who are nostalgic for the things you now cherish.

I actually disagree…. The internet has let niche interests thrive. I’m younger than you think I believe.

I had no interest in ragtime piano or acapella music before visiting Disney for example.

 

[JD80]

I actually disagree…. The internet has let niche interests thrive. I’m younger than you think I believe.

I had no interest in ragtime piano or acapella music before visiting Disney for example.

That is not the point of his post.

 

[MisterPenguin]

A 2nd Cars Ride in Piston Peak?

We don't know.

The concept art is intentionally muddy in the area a kiddie attraction would be.

And Disney's own PR waffles about this "attraction" and has not called it a "ride"... yet. It *could* be a play area.

So: We don't know what the 2nd *attraction* will be.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

That is not the point of his post.

I still disagree with the statement they made. Steam trains have been in the past for a long time and interest is high in both America and the UK.

 

[phillip9698]

I actually disagree…. The internet has let niche interests thrive. I’m younger than you think I believe.

I had no interest in ragtime piano or acapella music before visiting Disney for example.

If Disney Parks become a home to “niche interests” as you put it, then the parks will cease to exist.

 

[𝐌𝖆𝖓 𝖎𝖓 𝐖𝖊𝖇]

I actually disagree…. The internet has let niche interests thrive. I’m younger than you think I believe.

I had no interest in ragtime piano or acapella music before visiting Disney for example.

Both are true. Nostalgia is timeless. But it's perceived differently with each generation, usually with a focus on their own fondness, their own "golden age" of experiences. While the content changes, the emotional experience remains strong. One of the reasons why Disney excels at milking the teat of Nostalgia is because they allow families to share in the experience. Their fondness for "Lilo & Stitch" now shared watching together anew, on the big screen.

Over time however, older references may become less relevant to younger generations (The Old West, Gunsmoke, Playing "Cowboys and Indians" in the backyard) which can make nostalgia for those eras seem to fade. However, technology like the internet can revives interest in past times, reshaping nostalgia rather than letting it die. Nostalgia doesn’t wane across generations but it does adapt, as is the case with Frontierland.

 

[lazyboy97o]

If Disney Parks become a home to “niche interests” as you put it, then they will cease to exist.

The Disney parks only exist because of niche interests in trains and miniatures.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

If Disney Parks become a home to “niche interests” as you put it, then they will cease to exist.

They always have been. Ragtime piano, glass blowing and barbershop quartets are as niche as you can get! Haha

 

[Gusey]

A 2nd Cars Ride in Piston Peak?

We don't know.

The concept art is intentionally muddy in the area a kiddie attraction would be.

And Disney's own PR waffles about this "attraction" and has not called it a "ride"... yet. It *could* be a play area.

So: We don't know what the 2nd *attraction* will be.

We do know they told media that there will be a queue in the Rangers HQ building, but it wasn't a part of the main blog post

 

[ctrlaltdel]

I heard four rides too.

Coaster, E-Ticket dark ride, a flat and... Something I think a lot of people are gonna like if it pans out.

Is that just for Villains or the both Cars & Villains combined? I assumed Villains had a coaster and an E-ticket.

 

[phillip9698]

The Disney parks only exist because of niche interests in trains and miniatures.

That is not true.

Disney Parks exist because Walt wanted to create a park where young and old people could enjoy the attractions together instead of one watching the other.

Walt then created a park that showcased the idealized vision of America his generation was nostalgic for. Trains being one of those items.

As time goes on fewer and fewer people are going to be nostalgic for the same things someone who came of age in the early 1900s was.

Sure the internet can keep some of those ideas alive but they just won’t hit future generations the same way as something they actually lived through! A riverboat is not going to hit me in the feels the same way walking through the Mushroom Kingdom or touching a X-Wing does, it’s just not. And that’s not something anyone will need to apologize for or feel bad about.

 

[lazyboy97o]

They always have been. Ragtime piano, glass blowing and barbershop quartets are as niche as you can get! Haha

The very concept of actual “details” is based in niche interests. A detail isn’t just small or excessive ornament or an Easter egg, it’s something that helps further the story that most aren’t going to know or notice.

 

[Incomudro]

I have seen no evidence of this... Does it have a fort? A cave that is not part of a queue but merely exists as an exploration trail? There has been no mention of food options... Or a raft ride... Someone also just stated there will be no play area......So how will this new area retain all of TSI's core activities? TSI didn't have a gift shop... so shopping is out.....

Well, there is a barrel bridge visible in the newer concept art.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Disney has done the work to change the suitability of land even relatively recently. They’re driving piles right now to deal with less suitable land. More importantly those drawings are out of date because of this project.

The screenshot in question isn't from their suitability map, but from their brand new "Future Land Use" map.

The brown is "mixed used" which is their way of saying "anything we want: entertainment (i.e., parks), hotels, golf courses, etc.... "

And there is brown outside the berm. A laydown yard, I presume, would be a "mixed use" usage. But it could easily become more park outside the berm without any sort of RCID variance... which they'd most likely get anyway if the time came.

So, we got an MK-outside-the-berm-area and the area on 7 Seas between GF and MK in the brown. Another possibility for a new resort there under the current 'zoning.'

And the light green for resources/recreation? Easily varianced into whatever WDW decides they want to do.

As I've said before: Everything outside the dark green (conservation) is up for grabs at varying levels of difficulty and cost to use. And even then, there are ways to take over conservation land with offsets elsewhere in Central Florida.