HarshLight from San Jose, CA, USA

Cars land is probably one of the most themed area lands in the world. (The most themed land being Mysterious Island in Tokyo DisneySea)

There’s a really interesting discussion of this land in the Kahn Academy’s Imagineering in a Box course, and if you haven’t done that, I do recommend it. They talk about the sizing of the land, and the theming around it being about a celebration of an upcoming race. The story here draws you down the street, where it culminates in Radiator Springs Racers.

Imagineering Highlights!

  • Visit at Night – Make sure to visit this at night. The lighting of this area in particular is breathtaking, it helps to drive home that feeling of a party.
  • Cozy-Cone Hotel is one of those few times where the food is themed this much to match the land. Anything in a Cone! Even if you get nothing, the menu is usually worth a looking at, even just for a laugh. Take a look inside the office as well! The attention to detail here is high.
  • Cadillac Range – Take a look at the mountains in the back of the Radiator Springs Racers? look familiar? They are the back of cars!
  • Flo’s Cafe is designed to look like a v8 engine. Take a look at the building, it looks like an air filter, if you look outside where the gas station is, you’ll see pistons holding up the roof!
  • Racer 5 is available at Flos. Less an imagineering highlight than a great beer highlight, but its kinda themed?