Walt Disney World Announces New Cars-Themed Expansion at Magic Kingdom

Aug 11, 2024 in "Cars Land Magic Kingdom"

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Cars Concept Art

Posted: Sunday August 11, 2024 12:01am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater are coming to Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort with work on a new area of Frontierland starting in 2025.

Cars Concept Art

At Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D'Amaro, with the help of Tow Mater via video call, 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," Josh told the crowd.

The new Cars area will be built behind Big Thunder Mountain, which you can see in the concept art background below.

Cars Concept Art

The yellow area indicates the approximate area of the land use for Beyond Big Thunder Mountain project which is expected to include Cars and the new Villains Land

In this Cars adventure, guests will be able to experience two new "Cars"-themed attractions. One attraction will invite you on a thrilling rally race through the mountains. Take on wild terrain as you race across the landscape climbing mountain trails, dodging geysers and — Mater's favorite — splashing through mudholes.

Cars Concept Art

The second attraction will be geared towards smaller guests and will be fun for the whole family. Work on this new space in Frontierland will begin in early 2025.

"As we develop the next generation of Disney Experiences, we're always looking for new ways to tell the stories people love," D'Amaro said. "We're thrilling Cars fans by building on this incredibly successful franchise and creating the next chapter in this story."

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Chef idea Mickey`=8 days ago

Bingo!"Now that would been a beautiful park!"

IanDLBZF9 days ago

TheRealSkull9 days ago

Should've been a full-fledged Cars Land where Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is now, Star Wars taking over the entirety of Echo Lake/Indiana Jones/Backlot area, Monsters Inc. in Animation Courtyard. Just imagine that. And they could have had it all completed by now. Hollywood Studios had the potential to be one of the greatest theme parks in the world.

Chef idea Mickey`=9 days ago

Could we say maybe it's trying to show a new ride mechanism when it really isn't. Taking the Door Coaster files from years ago for a Monster's Inc Land in 2027, Guardians being the last thing new Disney has come up with unless that wasn't either. The Car attraction being different with that theming is a reason to occupy it's location otherwise getting rid of the Rivers for just a Spanish Village is so unnecessary.

JoeCamel9 days ago

Nope, princess can't ride if you do that

Jrb19799 days ago

Adorable shouldn't be in the same sentence as an off road rally car ride. Intense and fast should be what describes it. What bugs me more than anything that Disney does is how much they want simulate speed and thrills but won't actually do it. If you're making an off road rally race, make it have speed and drifts like an actual race. Make it feel like the real thing instead of dumbing it down.

DisneyHead12310 days ago

From what people have been saying here it sounds like Disney wanted it gone either way. I think a Coco Village (or my dream, French Quarter) would have been a much better replacement though. Maybe I’ll be surprised by the Cars ride though. At least it has something of a nature theme.

TrainsOfDisney10 days ago

I wonder what the plans for the River were with the coco village / beyond big thunder plan.

DisneyHead12310 days ago

Found the post I was thinking of, it was by @PREMiERdrum! (Takes a moment to reflect on the fact that my phone is perpetually lost and if you ask me the name of a person I met last week, there is no chance I will remember it. But give me a Disney rumor, and suddenly I'm recalling message board posts from three months ago! 😂)

DisneyHead12310 days ago

That was the ride, the rumor on here was that it was a Coco themed village as a themed outdoor area. One poster (can't remember who,) said that blending the sight lines with the Villains area was pushing the cost up too high which is why they went with Cars. (No idea if that's true or not.)

Bocabear11 days ago

I think the Carsland at DCA was massively expensive...that is why they will not repeat it. It blows SWGE out of the water with it's attention to detail, whimsy and style... SWGE in comparison feels dead and colorless.

Chef idea Mickey`=11 days ago

I don't get it when to me Cars Land in DCA is more popular and iconic than Galaxy's Edge. Galaxy's Edge got two same lands in the domestic parks but they don't want to do the same with Cars. I get that they want to keep something unique especially to DCA but doing that with an IP franchise shouldn't be. Galaxy's Edge didn't need two lands, should of kept it WDW exclusive. It's not stopping Frozen so why with Cars. I'm actually surprised a Cars Land isn't proposed for DLP and that's in another part of the world.

JD8011 days ago

Sir this is a Wendys.

Bocabear11 days ago

I am waiting for the first-ever Cinderella ride and Mini-land...set a few years after the movie, and Cinderella and the prince are living in a rockwork canyon in Egypt. Join the fun with the mice and birds as they create another fancy gown for Cinderella to wear to the Souk! Coming to EPCOT 2036...lol