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A Disney panel at this year’s SXSW media and arts festival offered a first glimpse at two upcoming attractions planned for the Disney World resort in Florida
Lauren Heath-Jones | Planet Attractions | 10 Mar 2025
The new Cars attraction will see Lightning McQueen and friends take on a new rugged frontier Credit: Disney/Pixar
Disney has revealed details of two upcoming attractions at the Disney World resort in Florida, US.
First announced at the 2024 edition of D23, Disney’s ‘ultimate’ fan event, the new attractions, inspired by the beloved Disney Pixar franchises Cars and Monsters, Inc., will form part of two significant expansions at Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.
Further details of the attractions were revealed during ‘The Future of World-building at Disney’ panel at the South by Southwest (SXSW) media and arts festival in Austin, Texas, US, on March 8, 2025.
The panel, helmed by Disney Experiences chairman Josh D’Amaro and Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman, unveiled new concept artwork for the upcoming Cars-themed attraction.
Forming part of the planned Cars Land development at Magic Kingdom, the attraction will see Lightning McQueen and friends take on a new rugged frontier.
Concept art revealing a first look at the ride vehicles for a new attraction at the upcoming Cars Land in Magic Kingdom CREDIT: DISNEY/PIXAR
It will feature custom ride vehicles, specifically designed to simulate real-world, off-road driving conditions.
Currently in its test phase, Disney Imagineers are working with a motocross company to build a dirt track and test customised vehicles, equipped with sensors to gather real-time data, which will then be used to create the ride experience.
Pixar CCO Pete Docter revealed during the panel talk that the ride vehicles will also feature unique personalities, with concept art showing the vehicles with their own names and numbers, like real race cars.
“Our primary goal is creating an emotional experience for our guests,” said Imagineer Michael Hundgen.
Panellists also unveiled details of the highly-anticipated Monsters, Inc-themed rollercoaster.
The planned Monsters, Inc attraction will be Disney’s first suspended rollercoaster CREDIT: DISNEY/PIXAR
The ride, located in the planned Monstropolis expansion at Hollywood Studios, will be the first suspended rollercoaster to feature in a Disney park.
The attraction will also include a vertical lift, designed to replicate the film’s iconic door vault sequence, something, Hundgen revealed, that Disney Imagineers have been eager to recreate since the film’s release in 2001.
Riders will be transported to the Monsters, Inc factory, where they will board the ride before being whipped into the air and embarking on a thrilling journey through the factory’s door vault.
“I can tell you that everyone at Pixar is excited about how this is coming together. It really is like a dream come true for us,” Docter said.
The rollercoaster will form the cornerstone of the upcoming Monstropolis Land, where it will be joined by Harryhausen’s, a themed restaurant inspired by the upmarket sushi restaurant where Mike takes Celia on a date in the film, and the Monstro Theater, which will feature a new Monsters, Inc. show.
While an opening date has yet to be announced for the land, which will replace Hollywood Studio’s Grand Avenue area, phased closures are scheduled to begin in May 2025.
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