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Yesterday we took a look at Cars Land after dark, bathed in vibrant neon colors that highlight its impressive mountain range. But that view was from in front of the walls that have surrounded the Disney California Adventure expansion throughout its years of construction. Today we take a peek behind those walls.
When Cars Land opens in just over two weeks, guests will have a chance to wander the town of Radiator Springs, invented for and made famous by Pixar’s “Cars” films. Radiator Springs no longer exists solely in the movies, created in real life by Imagineers for the Disneyland Resort. Though theme park guests will be walking through the town, it’s appropriate that our first look behind those construction walls comes in the form of a drive down the middle of Radiator Springs’ main road, with glimpses of Fillmore’s Taste-In, Sarge’s Surplus Hut, Flo’s V8 Cafe, City Hall, Luigi’s Flying Tires, Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree, and the E-ticket ride Radiator Springs Racers.
Video: Drive through Radiator Springs in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure
Jumping back more than two years, it’s interesting to compare the very real drive through Cars Land in the video above with the closely matching computer-generated, pre-vis version shown off by Imagineer Kathy Mangum during Disneyland’s “What’s Next” presentation below, in January 2010:
Video: Cars Land fly-through preview
It’s clear Radiator Springs in Cars Land is designed not only to match what’s seen in the films, but also to evoke the feeling of a real Route 66-style tiny town, but with plenty of “Cars” twists. An map offers a look at how all of the various elements of Cars Land fit together:
The stills below show off some of the details that Imagineers have included throughout Cars Land:
Cars Land and all of its attractions, shops, and restaurants make their grand debut on June 15, 2012 at the Disney California Adventure theme park.
