Cars Ridge Run Rally is the official name of the racing attraction headed to Piston Peak National Park at Magic Kingdom, and the land’s second ride finally has an identity too: Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along. Walt Disney Imagineering revealed both titles Saturday at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, along with new concept art, ride details and a large scale model of the land on the show floor.
A Ride Vehicle Built To Actually Go Off Road
The Ridge Run Rally course climbs through national park terrain to an icy, snow covered summit atop Piston Peak itself, plunges into a camelback descent, and weaves through an erupting geyser field before circling a geyser named Old Tankfull on the sprint to the finish line, where Lightning McQueen and Mater call the race live for Racing Sports Network. The attraction debuts a completely new ride vehicle that Imagineers say was designed not to simulate an off road car but to be one, with tires and suspension that genuinely react to the bumps, drops and rocks along the course. Imagineers described the result as unlike typical theme park ride systems. Imagineer Jason Grandt framed the race on stage as a hunt for the wildest racer in the wheelderness, competing for the fastest lap in the west, and the new art shows ridges, rivers, mud flats and tree covered trails along the way.
Old Tankfull is a Cars riff on Old Faithful, and it is not sitting in isolation. Imagineers explained that the geothermal activity established next door at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad carries over into Piston Peak, producing the land’s hot springs and its signature geyser.
The rally also comes with a practical promise that matters in Central Florida: Walt Disney Imagineering confirmed Sunday that Cars Ridge Run Rally is being designed to operate in the rain. For an outdoor ride replacing a stretch of the park that afternoon storms routinely shut down, weatherproofing the marquee attraction is a quiet but significant commitment.
Miss Fritter Hosts Her Wildest Derby Yet
The second attraction belongs to Miss Fritter, the demolition derby champion school bus from Cars 3. Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along is a flat ride where the legendary racer presides over what Disney calls her wildest competition yet, appearing as a huge school bus sized Audio-Animatronics figure. Disney frames it as the closest guests have ever been able to get to one of the most unforgettable racers in the Cars universe.
Frontierland First, Cars Second
The reveals cap a full weekend of Piston Peak material. Friday’s pavilion preview showed the complete land model, and Saturday sessions added geyser field concept art, a look at original ranger character Ranger J. Autobahn Woodlore, who appears as an Audio-Animatronics figure in the rally attraction’s queue, and a creative guidelines slide built around new Frontierland attractions and a new Cars adventure. Imagineers said the land must still feel like Frontierland even with the Cars characters removed, and the buildings use the Parkitecture style developed by the National Park Service so structures blend into the landscape, with a visitor lodge, Ranger HQ and walking trails woven through the land. Construction on the land, which rises on the former Rivers of America, has been visible for months, most recently as crews buried the site’s utility pipes. Disney has not yet attached an opening date to either attraction.
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