New Ride Vehicle Concept Sketches Released for Cars Attraction Coming to Magic Kingdom
As you likely know, Disney announced a new Cars-themed area would be coming to Magic Kingdom at last year’s D23 Ultimate Fan Event. Then, today they shared more details at the SXSW panel: The Future of World-Building at Disney.
Pixar Chief Creative Officer Peter Docter and Imagineer Michael Hundgen shared that they were in the process of creating a new type of ride vehicle for one of the new attractions. This particular ride will take guests on an off-road rally race over a rocky terrain. It will also ascend to mountain peaks and dodge geysers.
“Our primary goal is creating an emotional experience for our guests,” Hundgen told the crowd. “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.”
“We’re using a customized production vehicle,” Hundgen continued. “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,” Michael explained.
SXSW Panel
Then the conversation shifted to what the cars actually looked like. About that time, Peter Docter teased the audience with a few early concept sketches. He mentioned that they were creating, “new race car personalities for this attraction. Each vehicle in the ride will have its own name and number, just like a real race.”
Here’s a look at those early sketches for this attraction.
Of course, this attraction is still in the somewhat early stages of development. If you would like to know more about the development of this and other attractions, Disney noted that guests could watch a brand-new episode this Monday (March 10th) only on the Walt Disney Imagineering YouTube.”
In case you missed it, Disney also shared that BDX droids will debut in Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios later this year. They additionally shared the date and new details for new Smugglers Run scenes featuring The Mandalorian and Grogu.
Whether you’re new to the world of Disney or are a seasoned pro in search of a new adventure, their goal is to give you an experience like you’ve never had before. Check with our travel partner, Firefly Travels, to begin planning.
