#pixarpier

As a Mexican I loved Disney Pixar’s Coco, so as a celebration I am wishing  everyone a FELIZ DÍA DE MUERTOS

Hope you can connect with your loved ones

Has Disney ever completely changed your mind about something? I used to have some very solidly-built opinions on certain Disney topics. But thanks to Imagineering Magic, I have been converted to an avid fan of these franchises that I previously disliked simply because Disney parks built an entire “land” around them. I’m going to start with my favorite “new” land...

Cars Land, Radiator Springs

Cars was my LEAST FAVORITE of the Pixar movies at the time this land came out. I thought it was dumb concept just to have cars that could talk. So I wasn’t entirely thrilled to have an entire section of DCA dedicated to it. And when it first opened, I feel like it didn’t have much going on for it besides its major thrill ride, Radiator Springs Racers, which always had a long-ass line and a Fast Pass Distribution that not only had a long line of its own, but also ran out of Fast Passes almost immediately after rope drop. It was just one ride and a bunch of very specifically themed Cars stores. I don’t think Luigi’s Rockin’ Roadsters was open for a very long time due to the trackless technology at the time and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree was still a “kids ride” to me back then.

I don’t remember the exact moment when I fell in love with Radiator Springs. I think it happened gradually during the year I was a local Annual Passholder. I was in SoCal for 1 year to get my graduate degree and I only lived about 30-40 min from Disney, so I thought it made sense to finally get an AP again after nearly 2 decades. I ended up spending a lot of time going as a solo AP adventurer, going to Disney almost every weekend by myself just to wander and have fun. There have been several times that I have gone to Disney just to study (believe it or not) with my notes and my iPad, bumming off the new guest wifi hotspots they had just installed. One of the best wifi hotspots was at Flo’s Diner in Cars Land. I remember one day, I brought my homework out there and finished a group project on Google Slides out on the patio. They were playing my favorite vintage music from the 1950s and 1960s on a loop. There was an ice cold beer at my side and every few minutes, I would see the Radiator Springs Racers zoom by the beautiful butte next to me. I remember that’s when I realized Cars Land was one of my favorite places to be. 

Radiator Springs Racers is a fantastic ride when the wait times aren’t outrageous. But two of my favorite DCA rides are actually Luigi’s Rockin Roadsters and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree. During my year as a local, I also came with some regular friends. I don’t remember exactly which friend convinced me to try it first, but after we rode them for the first time, my friends and I always make it a point to ride them every trip. The wait times are usually 5-15 min long and they have enough spin and fun to them that it’s always entertaining. On Mater’s the momentum of the spinning is strong enough to whip you around and cause you to squish your unsuspecting friend into the side of the cab. On Luigi’s you usually get a different musical dance every time and depending on which car you choose, you could end up as the star of the show. And there’s always a spin at the end! My friends and I all know when the spin happens in each number, so we always throw our arms up just before the car twirls us around.

Cars Land also has an AMAZING Halloween overlay that started a few years ago. Before then, DCA has never dressed up for Halloween! I love all the themed decorations. There are spider gas cans and a spider car, a zombie car, a sugar skull car (who I affectionately call Dolores), Jack-O-Lantern traffic cones, and the Cars Land sign gets this “Happy Haul-O-Ween” makeover with a adorable little witch car in the front for Photopass Opportunities. The punny car movie posters across from Fillmore’s snack stand also change to holiday themed films! Something similar happens for Christmas with Cars-themed decorations, lights, and a winter makeover with a snowcar for the welcome sign. And no matter what time of year it is, Radiator Springs always has a special neon-lighting ceremony at sundown, just like in the movie. When you hear “Sh-Boom” over the loudspeakers, you’ll know. 

I went back and rewatched Cars with a newfound appreciation. Maybe I was just too young to appreciate the story before, but now I understand the nostalgia and the small town beauty that the film focuses on. I think just being on the streets of Radiator Springs and having such good, nostalgic memories of my own there have really made the Cars franchise special for me. 

I have another land that has completely changed my mind about that franchise, but I’ll save it for later! Any guesses?