Disney Imagineers are sharing new insights into the development of the upcoming Cars-themed attraction coming to Magic Kingdom as part of the Frontierland expansion.
In the latest episode of We Call It Imagineering titled "Let's Ride," Imagineers Mark White and Michael Hundgen offered a behind-the-scenes look at how the ride's innovative design is taking shape — and it's clear this new experience will be very different from other Cars-themed attractions.
A Different Kind of Cars Experience
Unlike Radiator Springs Racers at Disneyland or Test Track at EPCOT, which focus on high-speed, on-road racing, this new attraction is shaping up to be an off-road rally experience. Imagineers are designing the ride to capture the excitement of racing across rugged terrain — with rocky paths, hills, and uneven surfaces playing a key role in the experience.
"Speed is always something that we love to do," said Imagineer Michael Hundgen. "It's fun to go fast, but it's also really fun to go over terrain, over hills, bumps, and rocky parts of the path."
Testing the Terrain
To develop this off-road experience, Imagineers conducted hands-on testing to understand how vehicles respond to various terrains.
"We've been doing a lot of different experiential mock-ups that our creative partners in both engineering and creative can experience," explained Imagineer Mark White. "We went out, rented some ATVs. We tried different terrain. From that trip, we developed certain features, and then we came back here and found a right partner who specializes in building motocross tracks around the world, and he helped us develop this entire track."
This real-world testing allowed Imagineers to identify key elements that would make the off-road rally experience feel authentic, from navigating bumpy trails to climbing over rocky hills.
Early Track Layout Revealed?
The video also appears to reveal a very early mockup of the track layout. While details remain limited, the footage shows a layout featuring winding paths, and elevation changes - which approximately matches the early concept art of the ride.
Next Steps in Development
The Imagineering team is now working on refining the ride vehicle's movement system.
"In the dirt mock-up, I'm steering right now," White shared. "The vehicle is going to steer itself through a track system. Do the two match, or does it feel totally different? So that's the next big milestone for us."
Construction begins on the new Cars-themed area of Frontierland in 2025.
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