In the minority on Cars Land: Disappointed

[EC82]

I think a lot of people here feel they have to grade CL and/or any its rides A's or F's. There is nothing wrong with just giving CL a "C."

I'd give Cars Land a solid C+ and Buena Vista Street a B, and I'd still give Wizarding World of Harry Potter an A-, with Universal IoA a surprising (still to me, genuinely surprising) B+.

You may say it's not fair to compare them, but it's better to compare those than try to compare DCA to Disneyland -- DCA still comes up way, way short, and the only thing that makes it into a "full day" park with the addition of Cars Land, in my view, is that the lines at Cars Land take forever.

I'm actually not a big Harry Potter fan. I LIKE Harry Potter -- I read all the books, and I saw all but one of the movies, once each. I'm a much, much bigger fan of Disney. So, while I'd rank Cars as "less than" my interest in Harry Potter, neither one is particularly strong.

I was enchanted by the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I thought the central ride was extraordinary, albeit too intense for many people I know (which makes it less successful, in my view) -- the queue area itself is just fantastic. There's something to see and look at everywhere you go, and one of the big "hits" for them is that even if you don't want to ride the ride, the castle itself is a major attraction and you can tour it on your own (and the tour is even slightly different than the queue line).

Each of the shops has a different theme, taken from the book and movies. But the wand shop sells wands. The magic shop sells tricks and gags. The candy shop sells candy. The Owl Post store sells little owls. It's not all the same "Universal Orlando" shirts everywhere you go. That's one of the BIGGEST misses throughout Disneyland at the moment ... but I digress. The stores at Cars Land are just, well, stores, and nothing made me want to go in them once I saw one. I wandered through the restaurant areas and looked at everything ... and then the feeling I had was, "What do I want to do next?" I didn't care about staying. I actually did want to stay and sip my butterbeer and take pictures of Hogwarts and even look at the cast members, who are so perfectly themed themselves.

I want to state again, I didn't DISLIKE Cars Land. I thought it was just fine. But I remember when Toontown opened in the early 1990s, there was a feeling like you wanted to explore everything, that it was really immersive and totally unlike anything you had seen. I didn't feel that at all about Cars Land, and when you get right down to it, with the exception of the ride-through portion, Radiator Springs is pretty much like a really, really smooth version of Big Thunder.

I know, there are a lot of people that will think I'm way off base, and that will think I'm being way too critical, that it's not fair to compare, etc. But now that I've been to Cars Land, when I think about going back to Disneyland and DCA, to be honest, other than Radiator Springs Racers, I don't really think there was much that left a major impression on me.

Plus, sadly, I think that in about 20 years, "Cars" is going to be seen as one of the more minor Pixar films, and I think it will fit alongside "The Sword in the Stone," "Meet the Robinsons" or "Make Mine Music" as one of the lesser of all Disney movies.

[MANEATINGWREATH]

Although it may not be the strongest of the Pixar films/franchises, Cars already has a third film approved and has sold billions of dollars worth of merchandise in comparison to Meet the Robinsons or The Sword in the Stone. Initially the thought is that Cars Land was simply intended to rake in the big bucks from merchandise and all that garbage but you know what...I honestly believe that Cars Land was a labor of love. Nearly every bit of detail from the films are there in addition to new ones created especially by the Imagineers. I never recall seeing the original Radiator Springs in either film nor Taillight Caverns nor so many tributes and references to Stanley. There are so many little details in the land that you'd probably have to spend an entire day there just to see them all. This is what DCA needed since day one. Too bad it took them almost twelve years to do it, lol.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter definitely seems like a true tribute to the Harry Potter saga (both the books and the movies)...but there's no love around it. Now don't get me wrong, I could tell the designers had a fantastic time designing it and I'm sure they're very proud of their work, but I just don't get the same feeling of classic happiness coming from it. Cars Land on the other hand gives off an aura of nostalgia and a general love that really tells you that Imagineers put a lot of care and respect into this in addition to having a great time working on it. It's perfect and cheerful every way. I can't wait to experience it for myself and I can't wait to experience "Potter Land" when it comes to California in a few years. Both lands are special in their own right and will more than likely rival each other for a very long time.

[ALIASd]

Although it may not be the strongest of the Pixar films/franchises, Cars already has a third film approved and has sold billions of dollars worth of merchandise in comparison to Meet the Robinsons or The Sword in the Stone.

Neither Meet The Robinsons nor The Sword in the Stone were Pixar films/franchises. So maybe Cars (and Cars 2) has sold billions of dollars more in merchandising than say, Up or Monsters, Inc....

[2ndStar2theRight]

I've visited WWOHP in 2011 and was blown away. I am a huge Harry Potter fan and I wasn't disappointed with the thematic design of the environment. (Although I do have a small gripe with seeing a huge concrete slab of the show building from the queue).

Now, Cars Land, in my opinion is equally impressive. Let me set this in perspective, I had very low expectations for CL before I visited. Because firstly I am not a Cars fan, at all. I didn't connect with the story and only watched the 2nd Cars film because I thought Mater was adorable. When they announced they were going to build an entire area dedicated to the Cars franchise my initial reaction was 'are they crazy??!?" . But after visiting I felt horrible for all the things I said about it. I am actually more fond of the movies and feel a stronger connection to the characters in the films after going to CL.

But I will admit I felt both WWOHP and CL were lacking things to see and do. I wish both areas had more attractions, but for now I'm quite satisfied with what each has to offer.

---------- Post added 07-08-2012 at 02:19 PM ----------

Luigi's Flying Tires was a big bust for us, a carnival ride (KCC Entertainment Design: World Class Indoor Family Entertainment Center, FUNTURA, opens its doors in Donetsk, Ukraine) that felt half-thought-out. The beach balls were an irritating distraction, all I kept thinking was, "How many kids have punched these with slobbery, germ-filled hands?" Without the beach balls, would the ride have been cute? I kind of doubt it ... it would have seemed like not much at all.

I know it may be hard to stomach but those same kids with "slobbery, germ-filled hands" have also hugged mickey, touched the same lap bars and seat belts as you, door handles, railings, got their hands stamped at the exit with the same stamp etc...

[milo]

Cars Land is built in a much larger scale than the rest of the park, partly to obscure the real world outside. Fair enough, but I'm not quite sure the redundancy of driving through the town in the ride AND walking through it afterward is really needed. Half the town seems to be food, and the other half is shops.

I agree with the previous poster in regards to Toontown being full of little interactions that aren't really present in Cars Land. It mostly seems to be an enormous vanity project for John Lasseter, and I'm not quite sure the novelty will last.

[CASurfer65]

I think comparing the pictures makes it hard to tell as they are two totally different environments. First the Harry Potter land is taken at night. It looks more magically whimsical, because it's supposed to be that way, I think. You compare some of those quaint European looking towns with a dusty route called 66 that travels through small towns in the western, desolated areas of the USA, and they are just going to look different. I do think that Cars Land takes on a new life at night though when all the lights are on. But then again, so does Las Vegas, Nevada. I just think we're comparing apples and oranges when comparing Cars Land to Harry Potter. I think Cars Land was a great effort and there is some nice detail. I would have been more generic in naming the "land" rather than naming it after a movie, but that's me. You could have still had the attractions named after characters and the movie if you must, but I think a more generic term would have been cuter. I haven't ridden the tires or the junkyard ride and don't have any real interest in doing so. The race car attraction was kind of neat with its combination of dark ride and a little bit of thrill. And I'd do it again. But only when the line dies WAY down....to say 30 minutes or less. Which will never happen. So I guess, fastpass would be the way I would do it again. I wouldn't wait in a long line for it like I would some attractions at the parks. Overall, though, I think it's an okay area.

[TTFN92]

I don't think you can compare a small town in AZ on RT 66 to an English village. They made it look just the way they should have because that's what it is. Streets are not curvy and quaint or cozy on RT 66. They are plain. It looks just like the movie. And there is a very large following for the movie. If you have sons you would know what I meant, just like the huge princess following for little girls. But I have to agree that they should have done more with what is in it. I think they put lots of detail into Mater and Luigi's but the rides were not something I care to go back to. Luigi's was boring and Mater was a little rough. My sister got slammed into the side, kinda squished between her husband and the side, and it hurt her shoulder. I also think that the shops looked great. I only went in a couple but one was all Cars merchandise and one was pins. I thought the Cozy Cones were fun and had different things for us to try. Yes, the road dead ended but it wasn't that far from the thru road. Interesting how you were saying how you think it will be miserable in the winter, I was thinking it was miserable in the summer and thought it would be great in the winter. I'm not a fan of standing in the heat and would much rather stand there in the cold. CA doesn't get that cold and it doesn't get that much rain. So many rides have lines outside, I can't see that as any different from the rest of the park. But I do wish they had thought out the 2 rides a little better and made something a little better. I also wish they didn't have the beach balls in Luigi's. I would have liked to have just concentrated on moving but the balls were a big distraction.

[MAH4546]

When the biggest complaint one has comparing CL to WWoHP is that Cars Land doesn't deviate enough from the movie version, you are really trying desperately to hard to find flaws.

I've been to both - they are both similar concepts: very elaborate and intricately themed lands centered around one amazing E Ticket and two off-the-shelf amusement park attractions, I prefer Cars Land, but then again I also prefer Cars to Harry Potter

[EC82]

When the biggest complaint one has comparing CL to WWoHP is that Cars Land doesn't deviate enough from the movie version, you are really trying desperately to hard to find flaws.

I've been to both - they are both similar concepts: very elaborate and intricately themed lands centered around one amazing E Ticket and two off-the-shelf amusement park attractions, I prefer Cars Land, but then again I also prefer Cars to Harry Potter

That's not my "complaint" at all, personally -- I don't have a complaint, per se, except that I was disappointed, which is very different than disliking. It's just that, to me, Cars Land is ... OK. It's fine. No problems. I just wanted to be blown away like I was with the Wizarding World. Then again, I was pretty impressed generally speaking with Universal IoA.

One poster said Wizarding World felt like it wasn't made with love -- I have NO idea what that means, except that I can say the whole thing felt very ... joyful. People were running back and forth, exploring what they wanted to see, taking time to go in every nook and cranny, and this is after being opened for a couple of years. Maybe the same will happen with Cars Land, but it seemed for the most part that people went straight to Radiator Springs Racers, then decided whether to go to the other two rides, then ... and I saw this happening WAY more than once ... heading back out and going to to Disneyland. I don't think that's what they had in mind when they spent a billion dollars on the redo.

I'm super critical of Disney, I know that. I DO hold them to a higher standard. This time, they exceeded what other companies do -- with one exception. And they more or less came up to the bar they themselves used to set for themselves. (Was that grammatically correct?)

I thought Cars Land was fine.

It should have been more than fine.

[MactheMan]

When the biggest complaint one has comparing CL to WWoHP is that Cars Land doesn't deviate enough from the movie version, you are really trying desperately to hard to find flaws.

I've been to both - they are both similar concepts: very elaborate and intricately themed lands centered around one amazing E Ticket and two off-the-shelf amusement park attractions, I prefer Cars Land, but then again I also prefer Cars to Harry Potter

Theme park attractions should NEVER follow the movie. Look at Nemo. It's more interesting to have differences in the theme parks.

[ohmyjustin]

Theme park attractions should NEVER follow the movie. Look at Nemo. It's more interesting to have differences in the theme parks.

Does it follow that all the dark rides in Fantasyland are bad?

[RegionsBeyond]

No, because they aren't strict retellings. Toad is entirely different apart from base characters, Snow White largely focuses on the horror aspect, Peter Pan is all about flying/light on character relations, etc. They are very selective and don't just retell the movie. A attraction has to choose what to focus on and make a 'new' adventure else it is just stale. That is why the Nemo subs are so dull for so many people: exact same beats and jokes recycled.

[MactheMan]

No. Snow White, Peter Pan, Toad, and Alice all deviate from their respective movies to some degree. Pinocchio follows the closest of the five, and it is just boring, not bad. I never said anything made something "bad."

[flynnibus]

the thing about the shops is a huge difference due to the subject matter itself.

The shops in Hogsmeade sell things specifically from the story told in the books. They sell things that allow guests to make themselves part of the story too (ropes, wands, gadgets, etc). They sell both 'immersion' items as well as 'fan' items. The shops themselves inside are just as much show or more.. than the outside is.

Compare this with Cars. The amount of Cars 'immersion' stuff is far far less. There isn't much you can take from the story and 'buy yourself' and make yourself a part of the story as there is with HP. The interiors of the shops in Carsland do not seem to be as immersive as the Hogsmeade ones are. Yes, there is lots of theming, but not necessarily immersion.

I think the lack of 'immersion' merchandise and the intrinsic difference of Cars vs a human tale in HP contribute significantly to the guest reaction to the shops.

Carsland's shops serve their purpose in setting the stage of RS's main drag.. but once inside they are just shops. Where as in WWOHP... the show really didn't stop at the door.. and you go into the shops because you are drawn into what the merchandise really is. It's far more intriguing and desirable for fans.. vs simple toys and 'fan' wear..

[BlAcKoUt510]

I can't even compare the two.


For one, WWOHP only installed 1 new ride. They were lucky to have rides already in the land to retheme. It's unfair to compare the lands for rides, as Carsland had to install every ride from scratch.

Both lands are totally different and going for a different audience as well.

Love that they went out with both lands.