Cars Land Celebrates Opening With Celebrities, Earthquake, Party

Just got back from the big shin-dig at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim.

The park spent the past five years undergoing a more than $1-billion renovation.  A big chunk of that renovation is the addition of the 12-acre Cars Land, based on the animated movie, “Cars.”

The new land transports you directly to Radiator Springs and it’s particularly stunning at night.

The festivities began June 14, 2012, with red carpet arrivals, which included lots of actors and actresses from Disney Channel and ABC shows, plus actors who lent their voices to the “Cars” movies.

Edie McClure was the voice of Minny in “Cars 2.”  Of course, if you’re of the generation that grew up in the 1980s (like me!), you may know her better as the secretary in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”

Country singer Brad Paisley also made his way down the red carpet.  What surprised me is that all of the people and media around me had no idea who he was.

“Who is that?” they said.

Me: “Brad Paisley.  You know, the country singer?”

Them: “Oh, you mean the one who’s married to Kimberly Williams?”

Only one of the biggest country music superstars right now.  But okay.

 

Most of the “kids” from the ABC show “Modern Family” were there, including Nolan Gould.

And another “Modern Family” cast member, Rico Rodriguez, who plays Manny on the show.

He was great with the crowd.  He ran over to the group of screaming fans and ran along, giving them all high-fives.

Ariel Winter plays the nerdy sister in “Modern Family,” but in real life, she’s quite beautiful.

(Though she was in platform heels so high that I wondered how she could walk in them without breaking her neck.  Saw several people in similar height shoes.  That’s a walking skill I do not have.

 

Also attending the red carpet arrivals, actress Ginnifer Goodwin.  More power to all the girls who can pull off the short shorts because I most certainly am not going to try it!

 

 

And what would a Disney-Pixar event be if singer-songwriter Randy Newman wasn’t there?  Okay, everyone now… “You’ve got a friend in me…”

 

 

Jenifer Lewis is the voice of Flo in “Cars.”

 

 

John Ratzenberger (voice of Mack in “Cars”) and actor Andy Garcia.

 

 

Michael Wallis doing his “no speeding!” impression of Sheriff in “Cars.”  He’s the voice of Sheriff.

 

 

Actor Brad Garrett.  He’s done voice work in a bunch of Disney animated movies over the past few years, but I know him as the brother in the TV show, “Everybody Loves Raymond.

 

 

This is Bob Iger.  He’s the president and CEO of the Walt Disney Company.

 

 

And, of course, Larry the Cable Guy, the voice of “Mater” in the “Cars” movies.

 

 

I’d like to point out that even the Disney security dog had a name tag, like every other Disney employee.

She’s Zoey.  And she’s from Auburn, Alabama.  How a dog from Alabama ends up in a Disney park in California, I have no idea.

 

So after the red carpet arrivals, I went to hang out in the media center (behind the park) for a bit, to give my feet a break.  I was sitting at a table, eating a Mickey Mouse head Rice Krispie treat when I feel my chair shake just a little.  I thought either someone was walking by or had hit my chair.  Then I realize, there was no one behind me at all.  And then I realize, “Hey, there are a few other people looking around, going ‘What’s going on?'”  It was an earthquake!

Being a native of Southern California, earthquakes are not new to me.  (I remember my first quake when I was about five or so, eating an ice cream cone in our kitchen. Scared the crap out of me.  I also was in the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, a magnitude 6.7, which was the scariest quake I’ve been in.)  Anyhow!  This one was just a little quake, but enough to add some excitement to the evening.  I mean, what are your chances of going to a theme park and feeling an earthquake?!?

After that, it was off to…

My favorite way to enter the new Cars Land in Disney California Adventure is from the side entrance.  You come around the corner and the rocky mountains of Ornament Valley come into view.

The red rocks are the largest fake rock project ever in a U.S. Disney park.

The rock work is 128 feet tall.  That means the Matterhorn in Disneyland is still taller, at 147 feet.

In Disney California Adventure, the Hollywood Tower of Terror still trumps the Cars Land rock work at 199 feet tall.

But the cool part about the Cars Land rocks is that when you’re in Cars Land, they FEEL much taller than they are.  Amazing how the Imagineers can trick you into thinking everything is bigger than it really is.

 

If you walk into Cars Land from the main entrance, you see the view that Lightning McQueen saw as he came into the town in the movie.

 

 

Fortunately for you, they don’t make you re-pave Radiator Springs, like Lightning McQueen had to do.

 

 

You pass the Cozy Cone Motel, which in the park is really a food place.

 

 

The food at the Cozy Cone is all “cone” themed, with items like Chili Cone Queso, which is a soft pretzel-like cone with chili con queso (chili with a cheesy sauce) inside.

You can see tables set up along the orange fencing.  That’s for the live media broadcasts from the park.  Those won’t stay there for good.

 

 

Across the way from the Cozy Cone is Flo’s Cafe.  It’s a take on a classic Route 66 diner.

 

 

The best ride (translation: be prepared for a long, winding line) of the three rides in Cars Land is most definitely the Radiator Springs Racers.

 

 

Notice how the signing to tell you which line to use is hidden in the tires.

 

If the Radiator Springs Racers line looks short from the outside, it’s not necessarily short on the inside.  The line is well hidden and can snake through several rooms before getting to the ride loading area.  So be prepared, especially if you go when the ride is new!  Some rooms have bottles or radiator caps on the walls.  The lights are bottles, too.  Very detailed touches.

But I’ve been told by some friends that the line can be very warm to stand in during the day.  And this is before summer and Southern California’s hot season kicks into gear.  I haven’t experienced this myself, though.

 

This is the line below.  Notice the rooms on the right side and how they can fit a lot of people in there.

 

 

There’s the car.  We’re getting near the front of the line!  When you’re near the front, be sure to check out what is says where the state usually goes on the license plates.  Each car is different.  The one in the above picture says Torqueville.

 

 

We’re in!

 

 

We’re off!  The ride has characters and they do things.  Yep, detailed description, right?  I’m not going to spoil it for you!  But for sure there are familiar faces from the “Cars” movies.

 

 

Heading back down the main street of Radiator Springs, you’ll find Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree near the entrance of Cars Land.

 

And one last parting shot of the new parts of Disney California Adventure: Carthay Circle Theater, modeled after the real one by the same name.  The original opened in 1926 and is where Walt Disney’s “Snow White” debuted.

The new theater is at the end of Buena Vista Street, which is supposed to transport you back to 1920s Hollywood, when Disney first came to California.

The interesting part with this picture is if you put it in black and white, it totally looks like a picture from back in the day.

Cars Land opens to the public June 15, 2012.  Obviously, it’s expected to be a really busy weekend at both Disney California Adventure and Disneyland.

Tags: Anaheim, andy garcia, bob iger, Brad Paisley, California Adventure, Cars, Cars Land, Carsland, cozy cone, Disney, Edie McClure, ginnifer goodwin, lightning mcqueen, mater, Modern Family, radiator springs, randy newman