Piston Peak, the Cars-inspired land coming to Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, will be home to not one, but two new attractions. Details of the second attraction, previously teased but a mystery, were revealed at D23 this weekend, along with new information about the previously announced racing attraction.
Now officially titled "Cars Ridge Run Rally," the racing attraction will take guests on a quest "to find 'the wildest racer in the wheelderness; as they compete for the 'fastest lap in the west.'"
The race will take riders on a course through "the rugged beauty of America’s national parks, including a climb up Piston Peak itself, where an icy, snow-covered mountaintop awaits."
Now because we all know Disney is especially beautiful at night, Imagineer Jason Grandt teased that he's excited for guests to "experience the frosty summer at night."
Some additional details about the attraction tease:
After reaching the top, racers will plummet down for a camelback descent and later navigate an exhilarating geyser field. The race ends by circling the Old Tankfull geyser before a sprint to the finish line where Lightning McQueen and Mater are covering the race live on Racing Sports Network.
The big point of emphasis with Cars Ridge Run Rally is the functionality of the ride vehicle, which is "designed not to simulate an off-road car, but to be one."
Michael Hundgen, Vice President Creative for Walt Disney World, promised that guests will “feel every bump, drop, and rock because this vehicle’s tires and suspension are truly driving over and reacting to them.”
There will probably be a heigh requirement for this one, given its bumpy nature, but I suppose I'm most concerned for guests with back problems. It doesn't sound like a smooth ride at all.
The second attraction featured at Piston Peak will be a flat ride called "Miss Fritter's Daredevil Spin-Along." The name should sound familiar if you've seen Cars 3. Known as the "Diva of Demolition," Miss Fritter is the undefeated "Crazy Eight" champion and a legendary demolition derby school bus at Thunder Hollow Speedway.
Details are still somewhat vague about this, but models were featured at D23. The attraction seems to be similar to Cars Quatre Roues Rallye (Cars Race Rally) in Disney Adventure World at Disneyland Paris. This is a family-friendly attraction that features cars spinning in circles while switching and sliding between rotating turntables. A comparable attraction Disney World is probably Alien Swirling Saucers at Toy Story Land. Miss Fritter will be featured prominently as a "huge school-bus-sized animatronic" and host to the "wildest demolition derby yet."
This is clearly designed for younger kids, which I’m glad to see because Magic Kingdom needs more high-capacity, kid-friendly rides to help alleviate some of the longer queues elsewhere in the park.
Piston Peak will rest in the Frontierland area of Magic Kingdom, replacing the former Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island, which closed to make way for the new Cars-themed expansion. There were some concerns that Cars wouldn’t necessarily fit with the Frontierland theme, but it seems Imagineers have cleverly found a way to incorporate the franchise while still preserving the land’s rugged, frontier-inspired identity.