Imagineers Reveal New Details and Possible Track Layout for Disney World's Cars-Themed Attraction

Mar 10, 2025 in "Cars Land Magic Kingdom"

Gallery / 2 Photos
Cars-themed attraction track layout and ride model

Posted: Monday March 10, 2025 11:54am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

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."

Cars Concept Art

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.

Cars-themed attraction track layout and ride model

Cars Concept Art

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."

Cars-themed attraction track layout and ride model

Construction begins on the new Cars-themed area of Frontierland in 2025.

Wide view of the new Frontierland, with two Cars-themed attractions replacing Tom Sawyer Island

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TrainsOfDisney14 days ago

That’s an exaggeration- there were lots of theming elements cut from the original released art. Wasn’t there going to be an indoor meet and greet too? I agree. I don’t think the fun map is 2.0 - I think the original released art is still the basics of what we are getting.

GordoInTheParks14 days ago

I'm on neither side of this, but the Epcot redo failure may have been an example of not living up to expectations set by concept art, but it was certainly not any example of standard operating procedure, since it was both hamstrung by the CEO that only lasted 2.5 years, and also happened to be during a global pandemic. I honestly see no reason to believe that this area won't be similar to the concept art, as even the updated park map they released was extremely similar in layout,. Not that concept art is ever intended to be 1:1 with the finished product, hence the use of the word "concept".

AidenRodriguez73114 days ago

Okay yep Epcot redo is another good example. Toy Story Land is not because its fairly spot on from most of its concept art other than the loss of some stores. All the other stuff you're mentioning is completely irrelevant to the point

GordoInTheParks14 days ago

All of those things were canceled or scaled back by Bob Chapeck, as was the cutback on the fountains that you mentioned earlier, which were actually planned to be on barges that floated out every night. As I've said before, some people are considering him a "scapegoat" for his 2.5 year tenure. I've got other words that I'd rather use, instead. I consider his cutbacks a destruction of progress that has set the FL Disney parks WAY behind! The Epcot overhaul missed its window, and will now have to be re-budgeted, and delayed until after other planned expansions and renovations. That's just the way it is, unfortunately.

GordoInTheParks14 days ago

I was just reading about the Henry Ford Greenfield Museum. The more I step back, the more that I'm impressed that so much of DL is still intact. Yes, they killed the People Mover, and yes, the sky buckets are gone, and I would love to see both restored some day, if at all possible, but the fact that so much still exists is what really blew me away upon my first visit, and I've never really looked at MK the same, afterwards. Especially after I'd already seen so many changes over there. Even the way that they were able to expand DL, it somehow doesn't undermine what's there, since the layout was very carefully thought out from the very beginning, and expansion was probably more considered in the design than it was when they built MK. On that note, I honestly believe that this discussion that we've already had about Villains Land, and keeping RoA in any form other than an ugly doughnut, or having an awkward walk around Big Thunder should have never had to happen, as I really do think that expansion should have been more considered in the planning of MK, the way that it seems to have been for DL, where shortening the river was not an issue, nor was it too tight for people to walk between the river and the attractions, to get people north of the river.

FettFan14 days ago

okay then…how about the Epcot redo that never happened? The new fancy double-decker festival pavilion/floating garden that was planned but cancelled, where the Southwest annex of Communicore was demolished…then quietly rebuilt? Or how about the blazing solar hellscape that is Toy Story Land where the conceit is you’ve been shrunken down to the size of toys in a backyard, yet the concept was done so much better 30 years prior where giant blades of grass provided shade and a massive garden hose with a misting “leak” gave relief from the central Florida climate? I would say removing the Tomorrrowland speedboats removed in favor of Submarine Voyage.

GordoInTheParks14 days ago

Those previous comments on living museums, and some restorations or enhancements being detrimental to the artifact, really got me thinking about Disneyland's People Mover, and the Rocket Rods that killed it... I also sometimes wonder if Carousel of Progress would be better served being back at Disneyland, with MK really leaning into attraction removals and replacement over progressive upgrades and preservation.

TrainsOfDisney14 days ago

The park was heavily inspired by the Henry Ford Greenfield museum - and they still have quite a few similarities. (For one, Walt actually walked and visited the park multiple times!) I could see another version of history where the Walt Disney family owned and operated Disneyland or ran it as a non profit like the Disney family museum. So far there has been a decent balance in California. In the words or Mary Poppins “practically perfect… and I hope it remains so”

GordoInTheParks14 days ago

Noted. Well, that depends on the type of museum. Also, the museum can change how they present their subjects, but historical artifacts are usually best left either restored or preserved in their found state. Even some restorations are actually detrimental to the original appearance and/or longevity... I'd rather not repeat that "are attractions art?" discussion, as I have no interest in getting involved in that. Some might say that Disneyland is actually similar to a living museum, and maybe they're not wrong. Where this leaves MK and other parks, I don't know.

GordoInTheParks14 days ago

I agree, and I think that most people would, as well. That ride is universally beloved. However, Haunted Mansion was a very different ride than something like the original Snow White or Alice in Wonderland rides at Disneyland. I'm personally glad that those have gotten "plussed" and are still around, but I know that some other people would rather see them replaced. Like I said before, many MK rides from my childhood are now long gone, and much if that happened during the Eisner era. I guess it's not a "one size fits all" kind of issue, as Magic Kingdom is not Disneyland, but some opening MK rides are just as beloved as their DL counterparts.

TrainsOfDisney14 days ago

I have no issue with attractions getting plussed and evolving. Haunted Mansion is way different then when I rode it as a kid. But it’s still the haunted mansion.

GordoInTheParks14 days ago

Your insistence that things that didn't last 11 years were "temporary" is duly noted!

lazyboy97o14 days ago

Good museums don’t actually remain static and unchanging.

Brer Oswald14 days ago

Stagecoach was removed because the horses would get spooked by the trains. Flying saucers were removed because they just didn’t work reliably. Viewliner was replaced with the same thing but better. Mickey Mouse Club Circus was low quality. Walt wasn’t happy with it. 20K Leagues exhibit was a temporary attraction that installed to give Tomorrowland something other than Autopia. Monsanto Hall of Chemistry was a temporary filler exhibit meant to serve the same purpose.