4 days ago
Disney Creating New 'National Park' Based on ‘Cars'
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Disney's Magic Kingdom in Florida is getting a new Cars -themed park section with a great-outdoors aesthetic. 'Piston Peak National Park' will let people play around in a land full of talking vehicles and do some Disney'ifed off-roading in the Cars universe.
As pitched in the Disney Parks Blog : 'Imagine an awe-inspiring wilderness filled with towering trees, snowcapped mountains, breathtaking waterfalls, roaring rivers and impressive geysers. While fictional, Piston Peak is inspired by the Rocky Mountain area and the history and iconic sights of the American Frontier and its national parks.'
Piston Peak NP is actually the setting of the Cars spinoff movie Planes: Fire & Rescue . So this trailer should give you a sense of what the set design will probably look like (though I'm sure the Magic Kingdom version will not feature a consuming wildfire).
There's no official open date yet, but Disney's reportedly planning to start construction on Piston Peak on July 7, at which point Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America will close. The fan blog Pixar Post guestimates a 2027 opening. Disney
Once it's done, Disney's promising that people will be able to explore a visitor lodge, Ranger HQ, 'majestic landscapes,' and an off-road ride. 'Rugged mountains with dramatic peaks will be nestled along a calming waterway across from Grizzly Hall and soaring geysers from the famed Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will stretch into the trails of our off-road rally,' writes Disney.
What the rally ride will actually be like remains TBA, but in March, Disney's official Instagram accounts shared the clip below showcasing some of the R&D being done to make it fun. Looks like park planners went for some UTV rides to get context on what kind of pace and level of jostling would be fun for park-goers. The amusement park company is reportedly going to have a gentler attraction for younger kids, too.
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Concept vehicle art for the project is very cute. Maybe these rally cars will get their own show or movie at some point, too. Disney
I'm not a big amusement park guy, but I did spend a weekend at Magic Kingdom last year, and I had a good time despite making myself barf. (Not from motion rides; I ate way too much junk.) There's an existing Cars experience, which is pretty tame but fun—you get to meet an enormous animatronic Lightning McQueen and watch an animated race on a wrap-around screen. Ka-chow!
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