Skip to content

pixar

Cars Themed Family Suites Open in Second Phase at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

Welcome to Radiator Springs, a Happy Place

The west coast got its Cars Land, an immersive environment that transports the guest into the world of Cars, but the east coast is getting some cars lovin’ too. The second phase of Disney’s Art of Animation just opened and guests are now able to explore the three wings and book a room in the Cars themed hotel rooms. You’ll find Lightning McQueen, Mater, Flo and other characters from the popular Pixar film “Cars” in a larger than life Radiator Springs set design.

In the new Cars wing, featuring 480 family suites, a freshly paved road leads guests on the greatest road trip ever, a cruise down memory lane to small town America — Radiator Springs. Parked at the entryway Sheriff and the infamous Doc Hudson welcome folks into town, along with other car “faces” parked along the road. There’s backdrops of Luigi’s Casa Della Tires, Tow Mater Towing and the Wheel Well Motel, creating an authentic setting lifted from the super-charged adventure.

All roads lead to the 60′s style Cozy Cone Motel where distinctive orange cone-shaped cabanas invite guests to kick back and then take a dip in the Cozy Cone Pool. High-octane theming is full-throttle inside the family suites, with orange cones imprinted in the carpeting and adorning the light fixtures plus animation-inspired artwork. Guests will feel as though they walked into a scene from the blockbuster film as a pull-out bed extends from the living room sofa (whimsically appearing as the back seat of an old hot rod), the tool chest is actually the dresser and the bathroom design is inspired by a car wash.

Below the jump is a gallery of images from the new Cars themed buildings and a teaser image from The Lion King wings that will open soon.

Read More »Cars Themed Family Suites Open in Second Phase at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

Cars Land Grand Opening Event – Video

  • by

Yes, that’s a ride. Photo credit: Paul Hiffmeyer/Disneyland Resort

I was standing right in front for the Cars Land Grand Opening event (just behind John Ratzenberger and Randy Newman, seriously), but my video isn’t nearly as good as this official release from Disney (below), so let’s use theirs! Read More »Cars Land Grand Opening Event – Video

Disney California Adventure Park’s Grand Reopening – Videos!

  • by

As readers of this blog surely know, when Disney California Adventure Park opened almost 12 years ago as a second gate to Disneyland it wasn’t the hit that Disney or its fans hoped it would be. In fact, it was written off by many as a ridiculous concept done on the cheap. For the record, I’ve always enjoyed the park, but I understand what people were saying, it needed more everything: rides, shows, food, theming, and above all else, it needed more magic. It needed more Disney.

Hello, and welcome to DCA 2.0.  Read More »Disney California Adventure Park’s Grand Reopening – Videos!

Be Brave and See It

  • by

My boys and Merida strike a pose at Disney California Adventure (she’s usually in Disneyland, but she made a special appearance for Cars Land Media Day).

Pixar took some lumps after Cars 2 was released. There were more than a few people that believed that it was not up to Pixar’s standards. I was one of them (all is forgiven thanks to Cars Land!). Don’t worry, Brave (and La Luna) has Pixar back on the pedestal where it belongs.

Brave is set in Scotland, and it follows the contention between Princess Merida and her mother, Queen Elinor, over the fate of the former — and it wasn’t something pulled from a previously existing fairy tale, but rather the real experience of story creator Brenda Chapman (except she isn’t Scottish royalty). According to Brave Director Mark Andrews (pictured below), “Brenda Chapman came up with the storyline and the characters, and it came out of her being a parent and her trials and tribulations with her daughter.”Read More »Be Brave and See It

Cute Kids Converge on Cars Land in Viral Video

Mater & Lightning McQueen photo shoot Cars Land

Marketing for Pixar’s Cars Land really is picking up. This new video attempts to go viral with a really cute idea – Dozens of kids in their Lightning McQueen Toy Cars driving through Disneyland and into Disney California Adventure with the eventual destination of Cars Land. Watch to the end for a cameo by Pixar’s John Lasseter (sporting a Cars Hawaiian shirt, of course).

To me this evokes some of Disneyland’s earliest promotions with Autopia Cars driving down Main Street USA. I mean, come on, who hasn’t wanted to do that.

Update: Disney has released an alternate “high-octane” version of the video. It’s also very cute.

Read More »Cute Kids Converge on Cars Land in Viral Video

Aligning Cars to Cars Land

(I just know that title is going to generate some weird ads)

A couple short videos today that show how much of an emphasis Imagineering placed on faithfully recreating the world of Pixar’s Cars for Disney California Audiences audiences to encounter. It looks to me like WDI did a terrific job of aligning the world of ‘Cars’ with the requirements of Cars Land.

Below the cut is one of those terrific time-lapse construction videos where you get to watch months pass by in 30 seconds.

Read More »Aligning Cars to Cars Land

Brave Trailer from Pixar – Summer Games

Pixar has released yet another parody trailer for Brave. With the Summer Olympics on the horizon, this one appears to be gently spoofing the quadrennial event. (warning, contains spoilers). Okay, not the strongest of the parody trailers, but you do get to see just a bit… Read More »Brave Trailer from Pixar – Summer Games

Imagineering the Sounds of Radiator Springs Racers

Close your eyes and picture yourself on the Pirates Of The Caribbean attraction. What do you hear? The founds of the ride are so iconic, most Disney parks fans can recreate it scene for scene in their heads. Great attractions require great sound design. Joe… Read More »Imagineering the Sounds of Radiator Springs Racers