First Look: Disney Unveils New Cars-Themed Ride Vehicle Designs for Magic Kingdom Expansion

13 days ago in "Cars Land Magic Kingdom"

Gallery / 5 Photos
Cars Concept Art

Posted: Saturday March 8, 2025 1:25pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Disney has shared new concept art for the ride vehicles set to debut in Magic Kingdom’s upcoming Cars-themed land. First announced at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, this new expansion will see Lightning McQueen and friends leave Radiator Springs behind to take on rugged frontier terrain.

Cars Concept Art

During The Future of World-Building at Disney panel at SXSW, Pixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter and Imagineer Michael Hundgen offered new details about the attraction’s innovative ride vehicles. According to Hundgen, the Imagineering team is designing a brand-new type of ride vehicle specifically for this experience.

“Our primary goal is creating an emotional experience for our guests,” Hundgen explained. “For this Cars attraction, we need to invent a new type of ride vehicle. No one builds these in a factory because it has to do so much more than just carrying you from one place to another. We have to create a car that conveys a feeling when you ride in it.”

Cars Concept Art

To bring that feeling to life, Imagineers took inspiration from real-world off-road vehicles. The team traveled to the Arizona desert to test-drive rugged vehicles over rocky terrain, simulating the conditions guests will experience on the new attraction. This hands-on research helped the team understand how a ride vehicle should handle obstacles like bumpy trails, sharp turns, and steep climbs — all while maintaining the signature Cars charm.

In their next step, Imagineers worked with a motocross company to build a dirt track and test a customized vehicle equipped with sensors to gather real-time data. The information collected will help shape how the ride vehicles move and respond to terrain.

“We’re using a customized production vehicle,” Hundgen added. “It has sensors all over it, and we’re taking it for test drives on our dirt track to gather data on how the vehicle responds to different terrain. This is where we turn that feeling we want into real-world engineering.”

Pixar’s Pete Docter revealed that the ride vehicles won’t just feel exciting — they’ll also feature their own unique personalities. Concept art shared during the panel showcased race car-inspired designs, with each vehicle having its own name and number, just like a real race car.

A proof of concept model was also shown, which seems to suggest that the ride will follow a track, and will not be trackless as originally thought.

Proof of concept model

Construction is set to begin in 2025, with more details expected to emerge in the coming months.

Closer view of the new Cars-themed attractions at Magic Kingdom

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Agent H12 minutes ago

I don’t know.

mickEblu16 minutes ago

Cheapos. Why do they need to close it so early?

Agent H18 minutes ago

We don’t really get nighttime rides on the riverboat.

Centauri Space Station24 minutes ago

It’s still nice just not what DLs version is imo. Removing the peoplemover is what i’d consider crossing the line and DL removed theirs 30 years ago

mickEblu29 minutes ago

The canoes and Columbia are icing on the cake but the cake is there at MK. And as a Magic Key I’ll trade you Fantasmic for night time rides on the Mark Twain. Especially a dragonless Fantasmic.

Bocabear44 minutes ago

But it was not always like that....you can't remove all entertainment, close all river traffic except the riverboat and then say "Look! no one is hanging out in Liberty Square, and no one is using the river so we should tear it out." They created a lot of this perceived issue themselves.

mickEblu45 minutes ago

By Jazz I was only thinking of the music coming through the speakers when I wrote that post but yes the live music is a great bonus but its usually up by POTC’s exit (bootstrappers) or at Tiana’s Palace (jazz band). I don’t really associate them with that stroll along the river on the west side of the park. Fantasmic being on the ROA didn’t even cross my mind as it personally has nothing to do with my affinity for the ROA. I was only referring to the atmosphere that the river/ island/ steamboat create. And MK has all 3. So because the MK version has one less boat and no canoes and doesn’t host a night show (that clogs up that entire side of the park at night) it’s THAT much less valuable than Disneyland?

Orange is the new Red53 minutes ago

And that’s the reality of Disney Worlds ROA.

Centauri Space Station1 hour ago

Sadly we don’t have any of that, it’s just liberty square with no live entertainment, only view of the river is when you walk by it, no great relaxing areas like Cafe Orleans or Tianas. We only have 1 boat, no canoes so very little variety and of course no night show on the river either. Removing the peoplemover for me would be my worst case at WDW myself.

lazyboy97o4 hours ago

This is a great example of the problem, not understanding the actual process. Except for the stuff they very clearly identified as Blue Sky, projects are announced when they are approved. Approval is further out than something like a year before construction. Construction sometimes even starts a year before design is finished.

Disstevefan15 hours ago

Yes, this could go down in history as the worst change in WDW history. The worst theme park change in the history of the Disney company is Rocket Rods. It not only failed, but it also destroyed Disneyland's people mover track AND, Disneyland's destroyed people mover track must remain there for all to see; to remind all of the worst mistake in the company's history. IF the Cars attraction in MK fails, it will take the crown for the company's worst mistake, as it will have destroyed a beautifully themed area with direct links to Walt Disney AND ALSO, take out the three attractions that was destroyed to build it.

mickEblu6 hours ago

This has to be the worst change in the history of Walt Disney World right? Can’t think of one thing they could do at Disneyland that would impact me more negatively than losing the ROA. That includes removing the castle, POTC and Mansion. The West side of the park is by far the best side of the park. For me that IS Disneyland. And the ROA is the centerpiece of that whole area. Even as young kid - it was the west side of the park that made me the happiest. Not Fantasyland. Walking along the ROA on a sunny day hearing the jazz music from New Orleans Square play. That was/ is the heart and soul of Disneyland to me. I suppose that is why this is upsetting so many people. What you’re really talking about is ripping the heart and soul right out of the park.