News Magic Kingdom Project 2028 (?): New Cars Attractions for Frontierland

[Zachary]

Disney officially announced tonight that two new Cars-themed attractions would begin construction in Frontierland in early 2025. The main ride appears to be a new take on a Radiator Springs Racers-like ride system and the second is an unspecified family ride.

Official announcement:

Ka-Chow! New Cars Attractions Race Into Magic Kingdom - Disney Parks Blog

One is a quicker-than-quick racecar who eats losers for breakfast, and one is a tow truck with a heart of gold. Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater are racing into Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort! At Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney...

disneyparksblog.com

Full-res concept art:

 

[netdvn]

I'm glad we're getting something unique and not an exact copy of Cars Land in California.

I'll miss the cohesive Old West theming the park had in that corner of the park, but if we get another nice anchor attraction that isn't a replacement for something else, I'll be very happy. MK desperately needs the extra capacity.

 

[GAcoaster]

I hate to be that guy, but like half of these WDW announcements this is very vague concept art and no concrete timeline offered. I’ll believe it when I see it.

 

[Mushroom]

I don’t understand the decision to not set this attraction in Radiator Springs. Frontierland’s theme was already teetering over the edge with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Setting the Cars attraction in what looks like the Rockies makes no sense.

That back portion of Frontierland is themed to the desert. Radiator Springs is in the desert. Radiator Springs Racers at DCA has a beautiful desert vista that would blend perfectly with Big Thunder Mountain. The connection was there… and instead they seem to have chosen an aesthetic more fit for DCA’s Grizzly Peak.

I’m sad to see the thematic of destruction of Frontierland that started with Tiana’s continue with Cars. While Cars obviously would never fit the old western town that Walt envisioned, the Imagineers at least had a chance to fit the “vibe” of the geographic setting, and I can’t understand why they passed on that basic opportunity.

 

[Zachary]

Yeah, the vision they have for Frontierland as described onstage last night was bonkers.

“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.

It's clear they have no idea what Frontierland is supposed to be or even feel like at this point. Honestly feel like we'd be better off if they stopped trying to make all of this Frontierland. Just pick a new theme and let Frontierland die.

 

[Mushroom]

Seems that they’re letting Frontierland go the way of Tomorrowland. Where Tomorrowland became a dumping ground for any IP that’s vaguely “futuristic” — versus being anchored in a specific place, time, or narrative — it seems that they’re using Frontierland to add anything remotely country or western themed.

 

[Turbo]

Timelines are off, for sure... But location (setting for the ride) works okay.

I mean, Haunted Mansion is in Frontierland in Paris.

 

[Thriller]

The Disney parks new attractions are basically being done in the same way that Paramount trashed the Taft parks. No consideration for the cohesive theming that is there. IP is priority.

 

[Zachary]

I mean, Haunted Mansion is in Frontierland in Paris.

Yeah, but they made that work by theming it to the old American west.

 

[b.mac]

Yeah, the vision they have for Frontierland as described onstage last night was bonkers.



It's clear they have no idea what Frontierland is supposed to be or even feel like at this point. Honestly feel like we'd be better off if they stopped trying to make all of this Frontierland. Just pick a new theme and let Frontierland die.

Should just be called "big west" or something along those lines because at least aesthetically Big Thunder Mountain would match thematically with Cars Ride.

 

[cschnizer]

Was really hoping they wouldn’t clone RSR over to Magic Kingdom (I mean, yeah the scenery would work nicely with the desert theme of that part of Frontierland) because I feel like this park deserves a standout attraction not featured at any other Disney park. Definitely glad this is a different attraction. Also felt that Cars wasn’t the best fit for MK and would’ve been better at DHS but I mean, this is Disney nowadays.

My biggest concern right now is where exactly this ride is going in Frontierland. There’s been rumors going around about Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island getting severely cut down (possibly more than what happened at DL), perhaps even filled in to make room for expansion. In the first concept image, you can see the front side of Big Thunder Mountain in the center but it’s angled as if you were looking at it from the main Frontierland street. I know full well this is just a concept image and maybe BTM was pictured in there as reference to “Beyond BTM,”but the announcement was that this would be a “reimagined section of Frontierland,” meaning something in the area is changing.

Maybe it makes sense from a logistics and operations perspective, but I really hope we don’t lose the riverboat and island. Like I can’t believe the worst case scenario of replacing them entirely seems possible now. The river adds kinetic energy and ambience to Frontierland, and they are proof that not everything at a park needs to be some over-the-top E-ticket thing. I really hoped they would do like DL and put Cars and Villains north of the river to form a back loop connecting BTM to the Haunted Mansion, and I’m still holding out for that to be the case. Side note, I never got to walk through the cave on the island, and I’ve always wanted to do that since my teens. I’ve only done the mine shaft.

 

[Mushroom]

Update: new concept art was released, and somehow it’s even WORSE.


The update revealed that the Cars attraction is taking the place of Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America.

I hate this so much. For several reasons.

First, the loss of the Rivers of America is devastating to that area of the park. I love the waterway along Frontierland and Liberty Square and the realism and tranquility it provides. Haunted Mansion will now no longer loom over a riverfront, but instead by neighbored by a bunch of zooming race cars.

Worse yet, it destroys the theme of Frontierland even more than previously thought. The “Rockies” of the attraction are smooshed right up against the current buildings in the main drag of Frontierland, which makes no sense geographically. The original idea of Frontierland was that, starting in Liberty Square and traveling back to BTM, you were traveling westward. Now you have the Rockies sandwiched against the old pioneer stockades. And to make matters worse, now the Rockies are smashed right up against a Louisiana bayou.

I can understand the decision to remove Tom Sawyer Island, as much as I love it, given its relative unpopularity. I could even understand shrinking the Rivers of America to use some of its real estate that most guests never see. But the settings like this are critical to how Walt envisioned the parks, and it’s upsetting to see the vision and care of people like Walt tossed to the wind by people with far less imagination and a desire to pump every possible cent out of the park.

People will roll their eyes and say that this is necessary as the park needs to make money. I say there’s a reason people like me have been paying top dollar to visit Disney for the past 50 years, and a huge part of that isn’t the rides — it’s the setting.

EDIT: @Python_Survivor beat me to it.

 

[Python_Survivor]

The theory I've heard going around is that this ride will be a take on Dynamic Attraction's All-Terrain Dark Ride, a trackless ride system that goes outdoors. This will be interesting to see in development.

 

[GAcoaster]

LOL:

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Direct Link to Embedded Media Source

 

[kmccarthy27]

I think the reason for this is to add more mountainous backdrop to be able to have sight lines to hide Villains Land which is going behind that area. Also am curious given the concept art for Villains Land is if they will have that river/lake/body of water in that area and just move the boat there and have some tour around that with the boat.

Dynamic Attraction's All-Terrain Dark Ride

Sure looks like it from this:

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They also mentioned the second ride will be more family orientated which adds to it being that too.


But the positive to that is that its not the Test Track ride system (like RSR kind of is, but double tracked), which they are re-theming in Epcot so its not two of the new same ride in the same area.

 

[Mattatee]

So much of this could be avoided if they added a 5th park. Sure the riverboat and Tom Sawyers Island weren't the most popular, but the ascetic and charm that they brought will surely be missed. After visiting DCA and Disneyland for the first time in 10 years back in march, I hope Villains and Cars will sorta be hidden and not an eyesore and immersion breaker. Galaxy's Edge is nicely broken up at DisneyLand (more than at DHS) and does not feel like you are in Star Wars and then the next thing Frontierland.

 

[Zachary]

I HIGHLY, HIGHLY doubt this is anything other than the Radiator Springs ride system. The last time we saw the all-terrain trackless system, judging by the videos, it was a super early, seemingly-completely-untested mock-up of what could, maybe be built. Since then, Dynamic Attractions has been in an absolute mess financially, has changed ownership, has been unable to finish multiple projects at all, and, last I knew, there was still broad uncertainty about whether or not the company still really exists in a functional state.

Even if I thought the ride system existed in a sell-able state at this point though, I still think Disney wouldn't buy it. It seems like an operational, logistical, and even safety nightmare. That would be true with any install, but that is far more true with an install at the busiest theme park in the world located largely outdoors in Florida. Putting people out on a track offroading side by side with other vehicles in what are basically autonomous ATVs with a restraint system just seems so severely ill-advised on its face that I cannot imagine it being greenlit.

 

[Tacky3663]

Update: new concept art was released, and somehow it’s even WORSE.
View attachment 33977

The update revealed that the Cars attraction is taking the place of Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America.

I hate this so much. For several reasons.

First, the loss of the Rivers of America is devastating to that area of the park. I love the waterway along Frontierland and Liberty Square and the realism and tranquility it provides. Haunted Mansion will now no longer loom over a riverfront, but instead by neighbored by a bunch of zooming race cars.

Worse yet, it destroys the theme of Frontierland even more than previously thought. The “Rockies” of the attraction are smooshed right up against the current buildings in the main drag of Frontierland, which makes no sense geographically. The original idea of Frontierland was that, starting in Liberty Square and traveling back to BTM, you were traveling westward. Now you have the Rockies sandwiched against the old pioneer stockades. And to make matters worse, now the Rockies are smashed right up against a Louisiana bayou.

I can understand the decision to remove Tom Sawyer Island, as much as I love it, given its relative unpopularity. I could even understand shrinking the Rivers of America to use some of its real estate that most guests never see. But the settings like this are critical to how Walt envisioned the parks, and it’s upsetting to see the vision and care of people like Walt tossed to the wind by people with far less imagination and a desire to pump every possible cent out of the park.

People will roll their eyes and say that this is necessary as the park needs to make money. I say there’s a reason people like me have been paying top dollar to visit Disney for the past 50 years, and a huge part of that isn’t the rides — it’s the setting.

EDIT: @Python_Survivor beat me to it.

LMFAOOOOOO. One step forward, Two steps backwards. The Disney way.

Im just gonna give my money to Universal from now on Thanks

 

[kmccarthy27]

I HIGHLY, HIGHLY doubt this is anything other than the Radiator Springs ride system. The last time we saw the all-terrain trackless system it was a super early, seemingly-completely-untested prototype. Since then, Dynamic Attractions has been in an absolute mess financially.

Even if I thought the ride system existed in a sell-able state at this point though, I still think Disney wouldn't buy it. It seems like an operational, logistical, and even safety nightmare. That would be true with any install, but that is far more true with an install at the busiest theme park in the world located largely outdoors in Florida. Putting people out on a track offroading side by side with other vehicles in what are basically autonomous ATVs with a restraint system just seems so severely ill-advised on its face that I cannot imagine it being greenlit.

But we're still a few years from them getting started on this, so I can see it being ready for Prime Time by 2027.


Isn't the new gen TT/RSR ride system Journey to the Center of the Earth at Disneysea? Does that do anything fancier than the basic Test Track?

LMFAOOOOOO. One step forward, Two steps backwards. The Disney way.

Im just gonna give my money to Universal from now on Thanks

Just dont get fat like I am because you ain't gonna be ride nuthin at Universal. My family had fun there, I got disappointed, hot, drunk and tired

 

[Python_Survivor]

I HIGHLY, HIGHLY doubt this is anything other than the Radiator Springs ride system. The last time we saw the all-terrain trackless system, judging by the videos, it was a super early, seemingly-completely-untested mock-up of what could, maybe be built. Since then, Dynamic Attractions has been in an absolute mess financially, has changed ownership, has been unable to finish multiple projects at all, and, last I knew, there was still broad uncertainty about whether or not the company still really exists in a functional state.

Even if I thought the ride system existed in a sell-able state at this point though, I still think Disney wouldn't buy it. It seems like an operational, logistical, and even safety nightmare. That would be true with any install, but that is far more true with an install at the busiest theme park in the world located largely outdoors in Florida. Putting people out on a track offroading side by side with other vehicles in what are basically autonomous ATVs with a restraint system just seems so severely ill-advised on its face that I cannot imagine it being greenlit.

My caveat is that the Test Track slot car ride system wouldn't work (as we know it to at least) with significant grades uphill and downhill- as well as on dirt and in/water. While it may not specifically be the exact Dynamic Attractions model, I don't see any chance of it being the same ride system as Test Track. WDI and Dynamic Attractions DO have a pretty active and (pardon the pun) dynamic relationship right now. At the end of the day, it's seems to be more so a trackless dark ride that can go outdoors in a controlled manner rather than the safety concerns that could be attributed to autonomous ATVs IMO...