New Cars Land Another Gear Closer to 2012 Opening

Disney California Adventure Park will be expanding with the addition of Cars Land opening to guests 2012.  Inspired by the Disney-Pixar feature, Cars the 12-acre Cars Land will take guests back to Radiator Springs, the off the main highway setting for the film, and feature three new attractions.

Among those attractions will be the thrilling Radiator Springs Racers which will speed guests through the landscape of Cars Land that includes Cadillac Mountain Range and Ornament Valley.  A retro Luigi’s Flying Tires and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree featuring tiny tractors pulling junkyard trailers will round out the fun.

Marking one step closer to opening, a Topping Out Ceremony was held recently to celebrate a milestone in the construction project.  A long-standing tradition among construction workers and engineers, the Topping Out Ceremony takes place when the highest piece of steel is installed on the frame of the building under construction. This tradition is said to date back to the days of the Vikings, when upon the completion of construction, an evergreen, thought to bring good luck, was hoisted to the top in celebration.

To commemorate the placement of the highest beam in Ornament Valley, the beam was painted white and signed by all the steel workers, the construction engineer and management team.  Though not the final beam, it is the highest and most prominent point of the range.  Upon final completion this beam will form the tail fin or Pinnacle of a 1959 Cadillac.

Perhaps one of the most elaborate and creative steel structures, the unique Cadillac Mountain Range has very few 90 degree angles, adding to the complexity of the task for the steel workers and architects.  In all 28,000 hours were spent in the design of the range that will top out at 125 feet and will be part of the Radiator Springs Racers attraction.

Featuring over 4,000 tons of steel frame, the mountain range will be the largest rock-work creation in any Disney theme park.  To put this into perspective for Disney theme park fans, Cadillac Mountain will be larger than the Matterhorn Bobsleds, Splash Mountain or even Animal Kingdom’s Expedition Everest.

Artist rendering of the future Cars Land to open at Disney's California Adventure in 2012

Creating Cars Land adds to the fun and hopefully encourage families to plan multi-day visits to Disneyland Resort (map) which is significantly smaller than its East Coast partner, Walt Disney World Resort (map).  Other pieces in the expansion project included the opening  this past summer of the night-time World of Color that has drawn over one million guests to view the water, light and sound spectacular.  and the planned opening of The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure in 2011.

A voyage through the underwater world of the mermaid and her friends will liven up the Paradise Pier area along with new and improved shopping and dining options.  Another Paradise Pier attraction being rethemed and enhanced, Goofy’s Sky School, will add some wacky fun to the classic boardwalk attraction.

Photo Selections: Disneyland Resort News, Paul Hiffmeyer, photographer