We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there’s already an issue with the new Cars ride at Magic Kingdom.
Piston Peak ©Disney
We’re saying goodbye to the Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island, and Liberty Belle Riverboat as they permanently give way to the new Piston Peak Cars expansion in Frontierland. While we’re overcome with conflicting emotions, we can’t help but be excited about the new Cars-themed offerings, given the success of Cars Land at Disney California Adventure. Still, there’s one cause for concern regarding the new ride coming to Magic Kingdom’s Cars expansion, thanks to an unfortunate tidbit of Disney history.
So far, Piston Peak is slated to include two NEW Cars attractions! One will be a family-friendly attraction geared toward “smaller racers”. The queue for this ride will be housed in the park ranger lodge, and, as you move through the queue, you’ll be introduced to a new character: Ranger J. Autobahn Woodlore. (This is a nod to Ranger J. Audubon Woodlore, the park ranger from Disney’s Humphrey the Bear and Donald Duck cartoons.)
Ranger J. Autobahn Woodlore ©Disney
The main attraction in Piston Peak, however, will be a rally-race ride that takes passengers on wild terrain along mountain trails as they dodge geysers and splash through mud holes.
©Disney
So far, Disney Imagineers have revealed that the queue for this ride will be housed in the visitor lodge area of Piston Peak National Park, which will be constructed to look like an A-frame mountain lodge. To get the feel of the ride right, the team is using a customized production vehicle with all-over sensors to gather data on varying terrain.
©Disney
Each vehicle is supposed to have its own personality along with its own name and number.
©Disney
Per Imagineer Michael Hundgen, “Our primary goal is creating an emotional experience for our guests. For this Cars attraction, we need to invent a new type of ride vehicle. No one builds these in a factory because it has to do so much more than just carrying you from one place to another. We have to create a car that conveys a feeling when you ride in it.”
©Disney
While we’re hyped for the new additions coming to Magic Kingdom, we’re worried that Disney might not deliver in full.
We’ll cut to the chase — the Disney Parks have a history of overdelivering on concept art and turning in a final product that doesn’t match what was teased. Don’t believe us? The concept art for Piston Peak has already gone through a few very different iterations.
Cars Area Concept Art ©Disney
Disney’s concept art has been shifted and changed so much, just last year, we wrote about how you CAN’T trust Disney’s concept art. In that story, we detailed how Disney had already underdelivered on some other projects, and YOU, the fans, felt underwhelmed by some of the finished products, as well.
That leaves us wondering how expansive the new ride will actually be. Disney is promising a big adventure, but is also going to pack in “Parkitecture” (architecture inspired by national parks), water elements, and potential shops and dining spots. In short, Disney World is eying something spectacular, and (as is the case with every Disney Parks land) will likely need to make some sacrifices. Could that come at the expense of the new E-Ticket ride?
@Disney
Disney hardly sticks to the concept art, so we expect some changes moving forward. As such, we should probably temper expectations and hold Disney California Adventure’s Radiator Springs Racers as the standard, even though they’ll likely have some similarities in ride mechanics and experience. It’s also important to keep in mind that the ride ALSO has the capability to be EVEN BETTER than the concept art. We’ll just have to wait until some real construction starts before forming actual expectations.
In the meantime, stay tuned right here at DFB for all the latest Piston Peak updates!
Cars Land vs Villains Land — Which Will Be the Most Popular in Disney World?
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.
Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
How are you feeling about this new Cars ride? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
Disney is getting rid of so much that is lovely and historic in order to deliver Cars Land, they need to go all out. I agree that overpromising and underdelivering has been a pattern, but they need to figure out how to deliver here. There is already too much they’re swiiming upstream against – Universal, other destinations, their own increased prices, the lack of accomodation for physical disabilities, and their open disregard for any guest with ‘nostalgia’ in their heart for WDW’s past. We’ll still go and see what it is all about. I am still very attached to our tradition of WDW vacations. But I find myseld increasingly alone in that, and it’s the youngest people in our group who mind the changes the most. If Disney really thinks it can win them over with changes like this, then the changes need to be done right.