News Cars-Themed Attractions at Magic Kingdom

[October82]

There's a giant waterfall in all the concept art. That's pretty significant.

I think a lot of people are underplaying the "scenery" of this new addition. If they do it right, and I think they will, it'll look wonderful.

I could be wrong but I don't think anyone is saying it will look especially bad. Disney is pretty good at rock work and waterfalls. It just doesn't belong in Frontierland or fit in the area it's replacing. Large amounts of rock work can look impressive and still not make for a pleasant experience for guests walking around or interacting with it.

I was under the impression that the ride is basically a trackless test track with the guests doing side by side racing ( like a Mario kart type of experience).

If that’s the case, I imagine the use of animatronics might seem rather pointless if the concept is to race against the other guest.

My best guess is the animatronics will heavily be used within the que and the start/end of the ride…but I would be surprised to see it used much during the actual ride part.

The attraction seems to be the "off-roading" trackless ride, which for a whole host of reasons, will be limited to fairly low speed. That's the motivation for the 'off-road concept' where you can substitute rough terrain, near misses, and maybe a water feature or two for speed. I wouldn't assume there will be a lot of 'test track' or 'Mario kart' DNA here. It'll be more of a solid "D ticket" than an "E-ticket" RSR type experience.

 

[easyrowrdw]

It is also not a multistory building, which is a more exceptional challenge to theme. Most of this attraction is already outside. The only significant "buildings" are the Old Faithful Lodge-esque structure that forms the main queue and whatever the covering is for the junior attraction.

Yeah. I was thinking less about the buildings and more about the vehicles. That's to say nothing of the incongruity between the Pacific NW and Liberty Square and Frontierland . We'll see (hopefully not).

 

[Quietmouse]

I could be wrong but I don't think anyone is saying it will look especially bad. Disney is pretty good at rock work and waterfalls. It just doesn't belong in Frontierland or fit in the area it's replacing. Large amounts of rock work can look impressive and still not make for a pleasant experience for guests walking around or interacting with it.



The attraction seems to be the "off-roading" trackless ride, which for a whole host of reasons, will be limited to fairly low speed. That's the motivation for the 'off-road concept' where you can substitute rough terrain, near misses, and maybe a water feature or two for speed. I wouldn't assume there will be a lot of 'test track' or 'Mario kart' DNA here. It'll be more of a solid "D ticket" than an "E-ticket" RSR type experience.

The concept art makes it seem like it’s side by side racing.

In general, it would be a cool concept where you have 8 cars racing each other, and the result always different. It would genuinely make it feel like a true race happening.

 

[UNCgolf]

I could be wrong but I don't think anyone is saying it will look especially bad. Disney is pretty good at rock work and waterfalls. It just doesn't belong in Frontierland or fit in the area it's replacing. Large amounts of rock work can look impressive and still not make for a pleasant experience for guests walking around or interacting with it.



The attraction seems to be the "off-roading" trackless ride, which for a whole host of reasons, will be limited to fairly low speed. That's the motivation for the 'off-road concept' where you can substitute rough terrain, near misses, and maybe a water feature or two for speed. I wouldn't assume there will be a lot of 'test track' or 'Mario kart' DNA here. It'll be more of a solid "D ticket" than an "E-ticket" RSR type experience.

I don't know... Mario Kart is quite low speed.

 

[JD80]

I could be wrong but I don't think anyone is saying it will look especially bad. Disney is pretty good at rock work and waterfalls. It just doesn't belong in Frontierland or fit in the area it's replacing. Large amounts of rock work can look impressive and still not make for a pleasant experience for guests walking around or interacting with it.



The attraction seems to be the "off-roading" trackless ride, which for a whole host of reasons, will be limited to fairly low speed. That's the motivation for the 'off-road concept' where you can substitute rough terrain, near misses, and maybe a water feature or two for speed. I wouldn't assume there will be a lot of 'test track' or 'Mario kart' DNA here. It'll be more of a solid "D ticket" than an "E-ticket" RSR type experience.

I disagree. Just looking at fantasy springs I think it's going to look great.

 

[James Alucobond]

Yeah. I was thinking less about the buildings and more about the vehicles. That's to say nothing of the incongruity between the Pacific NW and Liberty Square and Frontierland . We'll see (hopefully not).

I think the vehicles will be hidden. That seems almost the entire reason everything is set up as it is. Also, I think the goal is to have the area look like Appalachia from the east (a more suitable backdrop for Liberty Square) and Yellowstone from the west (which is at the nexus of Cascadia, the Great Plains, and the Rockies, making it as decent a simultaneous neighbor as one can find for the Mississippi Basin and the southwest).

 

[October82]

The concept art makes it seem like it’s side by side racing.

In general, it would be a cool concept where you have 8 cars racing each other, and the result always different. It would genuinely make it feel like a true race happening.

Marketing video of the (apparent) attraction vehicles in motion from the ride system manufacturer exists. Unless the speculation is wrong - which seems very unlikely given the close match between said marketing material, the concept itself, and the art depicting it - this simply isn’t a high speed attraction.

It also doesn’t need to be in order to be fun - it’ll very likely be great for families with smaller children. Enough thrill for an 8 year old and interesting enough for adults is something Disney still knows how to do well.

 

[October82]

I disagree. Just looking at fantasy springs I think it's going to look great.

There’s zero analogy between this and Fantasy Springs. The latter is far more ambitious and, consequently, expensive.

Again, however, no one is saying Disney can’t do good rock work and water falls. It’s the concept that is intrinsically flawed.

 

[October82]

I think the vehicles will be hidden. That seems almost the entire reason everything is set up as it is. Also, I think the goal is to have the area look like Appalachia from the east (a more suitable backdrop for Liberty Square) and Yellowstone from the west (which is at the nexus of Cascadia, the Great Plains, and the Rockies, making it as decent a simultaneous neighbor as one can find for the Mississippi Basin and the southwest).

Right about “as decent a neighbor for these two extremely different things” is when this should have been nixed.

 

[James Alucobond]

Right about “as decent a neighbor for these two extremely different things” is when this should have been nixed.

The southwest and the Mississippi basin have been across the river from each other since the park opened, and the Deep South has been a neighbor to both the west and the southwest since Splash came into existence. There’s no reason the various regions of America can’t gracefully transition from one to the next.

 

[JD80]

There’s zero analogy between this and Fantasy Springs. The latter is far more ambitious and, consequently, expensive.

Again, however, no one is saying Disney can’t do good rock work and water falls. It’s the concept that is intrinsically flawed.

Ok if you feel that way, but I think your reasoning is flawed. The analogy is rock work and atmosphere. Journey of Water does a good job too for what it's designed for.

I just trust WDIs ability to create beautiful settings.

 

[CoasterCowboy67]

This Cars proposal doesn’t have a good recent expansion analogy. Unlike other park additions, guests will be able to completely walk around it 360, so they have to put extra effort into making it look good from all angles. They can’t build half a mountain like Everest nor do we need to be so pessimistic so as to expect they’d build that.

Ratatouille from inside the park isn’t visible, and Guardians / Tron though not ideal are more futuristic looking rides that can get away with it. Yes they’re ugly, but I don’t find them that problematic as I would a similar looking show building in the middle of the wilderness. There is no way they do that

 

[October82]

Ok if you feel that way, but I think your reasoning is flawed. The analogy is rock work and atmosphere. Journey of Water does a good job too for what it's designed for.

I just trust WDIs ability to create beautiful settings.

The point that is being made is that beautiful settings aren’t a substitute for theme.

No one doubts that WDI can sculpt concrete. It anything, they do too much of that. It’s often less expensive than a fully realized environment.

 

[October82]

The southwest and the Mississippi basin have been across the river from each other since the park opened, and the Deep South has been a neighbor to both the west and the southwest since Splash came into existence. There’s no reason the various regions of America can’t gracefully transition from one to the next.

Which would be great if “various regions of America” was the organizing design principle of Frontierland. Ironically, that’s more true of Disneyland - which doesn’t have a well defined and well publicized design principle.

As others have pointed out, Tiana’s already bulldozed a lot of the thematic placemaking on that side of the park. Mountains made of car parts and lip service paid to the Rockies or whatever will take a very expensive - and perhaps very pretty - sledgehammer to it.

 

[October82]

This Cars proposal doesn’t have a good recent expansion analogy. Unlike other park additions, guests will be able to completely walk around it 360, so they have to put extra effort into making it look good from all angles. They can’t build half a mountain like Everest nor do we need to be so pessimistic so as to expect they’d build that.

Ratatouille from inside the park isn’t visible, and Guardians / Tron though not ideal are more futuristic looking rides that can get away with it. Yes they’re ugly, but I don’t find them that problematic as I would a similar looking show building in the middle of the wilderness. There is no way they do that

My read of the concept art is a fairly small show building with rock work facing on-stage areas and primarily landscaping doing most of the remaining thematic work. I suspect many people are imaging a much more significant structure than will actually materialize. This is a D-ticket level investment. This is not The Cadillac Range in DCA or Mt Prometheus at TDS. The most optimistic case is something like Grizzly Peak, but that benefits from a much cheaper structure than would be required here.

In that sense, 7DMT is my best point of comparison.

 

[MickMinn22]

Well there’s a reason I used Herschend parks as an example and not Cedar Point.

I don’t know, if your example of a park building rides just as immersive and themed as Disney, I don’t see it, but never been just pictures and videos online.

 

[Beacon Joe]

Who wants to take bets that corporate will slap a couple of these bad boys around the new land, and some WDI flunky will wax poetic in a Youtube video about Walt's love of off-roading?

 

[James Alucobond]

Which would be great if “various regions of America” was the organizing design principle of Frontierland. Ironically, that’s more true of Disneyland - which doesn’t have a well defined and well publicized design principle.

It wasn’t the core principle, but the attractions always leapt from New York to Pennsylvania to Tennessee to Missouri to Utah, and later Georgia. Replacing Missouri with Wyoming and some Kentucky/Virginia buffer doesn’t necessarily make it immediately incoherent or unsolvable.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I don’t know, if your example of a park building rides just as immersive and themed as Disney, I don’t see it, but never been just pictures and videos online.

Fire Chaser express at Dollywood beats out slinky dog any day for theming, storytelling, and practical effects. They are both very fun family coasters, but one cost a lot less.

If you go to Rise, Avatar, and Harry Potter - we are talking a different level still.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

Today, on TikTok, a few Disney vloggers were interpreting a tweet/X post and sharing that WDI may be revising the Cars concept in response to unexpected negative feedback from unofficial, Disney-friendly media sites and fans. Is this wishful thinking or has the social media response been noticed and is leading to a second look?