ANAHEIM, Calif. (June 13, 2012) – The Happiest Place on Earth got even happier tonight as the Disneyland Resort celebrated a VIP premiere of Cars Land that featured Lightning McQueen and Mater from the Disney●Pixar movie “Cars,” voice actors from the movie that inspired the land and a grand finale with fireworks that lit up the expansive mountain range in Cars Land.

The largest piece of the five-year expansion at Disney California Adventure Park, Cars Land adds 12 acres of immersive excitement to the park and offers freewheeling fun for everyone as it brings the town of Radiator Springs to life, just as guests remember it from the blockbuster movie.

The evening’s festivities opened with red carpet VIP arrivals including Bob Iger, chairman and chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company, Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, John Lasseter, chief creative officer, Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, and voice actors from the “Cars” movie. As celebrities walked the carpet, the Goodyear blimp “Spirit of America” flew overhead, providing aerial coverage of the celebration.

Grand opening ceremonies began with an onscreen remote broadcast of “Cars” stars Lightning McQueen and Mater racing across the highways of America on their way to welcome guests at the premiere. Staggs and Lasseter welcomed voice talent from the movie on the stage leading up to a spectacular grand finale – the arrival of Lightning and Mater in Cars Land, a chorus of roller-skaters and dancing mechanics, the electrifying light-up of the neon signs that line Route 66, and a stunning fireworks display over the mountain range of Ornament Valley.

“The crown jewel of our Disney California Adventure expansion, Cars Land is the extraordinary result of a close collaboration between the gifted filmmakers at Pixar Animation Studios and our talented Imagineers and cast members,” Iger said “It’s also a spectacular example of our ability to take our characters and stories and bring them to life in new and unexpected ways.”

“More than five years ago, we embarked on a journey to realize Bob Iger’s vision of transforming Disney California Adventure with new attractions featuring our most iconic characters, including Mater, Lightning McQueen and the residents of Radiator Springs,” said Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “Cars Land immerses guests in the world of ‘Cars’ like never before and combines the imagination of Pixar with the creativity, innovation and legendary storytelling that are the hallmarks of a Disney Parks experience.”

“While I love all of the movies we’ve made at Pixar, the ‘Cars’ films are particularly close to my heart, so seeing Radiator Springs come to life at Disney California Adventure is a dream come true,” Lasseter said. “The artistry and attention to detail throughout Cars Land is absolutely incredible, and I couldn’t be more proud of the teams at Pixar and Walt Disney Imagineering who worked side-by-side to make this project a reality.”

The thrilling additions of Cars Land, Buena Vista Street and the Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge at Disney California Adventure add to the storytelling magic of the Disneyland Resort, a world-class, family vacation destination in Southern California with two theme parks, three hotels and the Downtown Disney shopping and dining district.

Cars Land invites guests to explore “the cutest little town in Carburetor County,” where they will enjoy three family attractions showcasing places and characters from the movie: Luigi’s Flying Tires, Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree and Radiator Springs Racers, one of the largest and most elaborate attractions created for a Disney theme park.

Themed shops and restaurants also look familiar to fans of the movie, including Flo’s V8 Cafe, Cozy Cone Motel and Ramone’s House of Body Art. The Radiator Springs locals are at home, so Lightning McQueen and Mater make appearances and pose for photos near the Cozy Cone Motel.

“We want guests to think they are on this great road trip and, in a way, almost like they are going home,” said Kathy Mangum, executive producer of Cars Land. “Cars Land will feel very familiar in so many different ways. I can’t tell you how many people have seen it and said ‘I can’t believe I am in Anaheim.”

Each attraction and facility will have its own personality, allowing guests to get to know more about the characters who live in Radiator Springs.

“A lot of the places you will find only inside Cars Land, so we took the theming and storytelling all the way through, in a way that guests will feel as if the town is being operated by  the characters,” Mangum said. “Everywhere you look there is a funny little car nod. After all, it is a land built by cars.”

Many of the automotive winks were inspired by a research trip Imagineers took along Route 66. Others were inspired by working with the animators from Pixar.

The “Cars” gang gathers to prepare visitors for the big race in Radiator Springs Racers, the high-octane, indoor/outdoor adventure that revs through the beautiful mountains of Ornament Valley. Guests board cars, each with their own personality, for a scenic road trip that takes them through Radiator Springs, with a stop at either Luigi’s Casa Della Tires or Ramone’s House of Body Art. After getting some final racing tips from Doc Hudson, the cars zoom over the roadways in a nose-to-nose, high-speed race, never knowing which car may win.

Elsewhere in Cars Land, Luigi invites guests to the test-drive his new shipment of Fettuccini-brand “Cuscino D’Aria” tires – which are just like riding on air (or being on an enormous air hockey table).  At this festival of flying tires, riders lean left and right aboard Luigi’s Flying Tires, floating and bumping along in a 21^st century attraction reminiscent of the classic Disneyland Flying Saucers attraction. Music plays and giant inflatable balls glide along the floor, adding to the fun.

Mater provides his own unique siren song, courtesy of a Junkyard Jukebox that has lured baby tractors into Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree. There, the tractors dance to Mater’s hoedown tune, swinging guests around in trailers they are pulling behind them. It’s a “tow-si-do” square dance to a playlist of seven songs sung by Mater.

The streets of Radiator Springs are humming with entertainment, too. DJ, the ultimate party car – a big road-trippin’ mobile boom box with giant speakers and built-in disc changer – invites his crew to “DJ’s Dance ‘n Drive,” a spontaneous, interactive dance party. And Red the Fire Truck recruits guests of all ages to join “Red to the Rescue!”– helping water the flowers and clean up Radiator Springs. (Prepare to get wet!)

The road leading into Cars Land is dotted with large animated neon signs reminiscent of the ’50s era of cross-country travel along Route 66. As with other aspects of the land, the neon signs are three-dimensional representations of recognizable landmarks from the movie “Cars,” and they come to life each night at sundown when it’s cruisin’ time along the boulevard.

“Cars” fans and other interested shoppers will find a great selection of Cars Land and other Disney and Disney●Pixar gifts and souvenirs at the “local” retail shops in Radiator Springs.  Although the interiors of most of these locales weren’t seen in the movie, they were created for Cars Land by Walt Disney Imagineers with their characteristic attention to detail, drawing on inspiration from vintage stops along historic Route 66.

Sarge’s Surplus Hut offers a broad selection of merchandise – kids clothing, costumes, hats, toys and plush – featuring Lightning McQueen, Mater and other “Cars” characters. Radiator Springs Curios is a country-style mercantile with special appeal for collectors of pins themed to all things “Cars.” The shop also stocks magnets, antenna toppers and license plate frames. Ramone’s House of Body Art features the signature items of the Low & Slow Car Club and Champion Custom Speed Shop collections in t-shirts, work shirts, hats and accessories.

Dining options in Cars Land include Flo’s V8 Cafe, modeled on the quirky roadside eateries along old Route 66. The café serves full meals from a quick-service counter. A windowed “showroom” dining area and adjoining outdoor patio offer a breathtaking view of the Cadillac Mountain Range and the vehicles zooming by in Radiator Springs Racers. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served at Flo’s, and specialties include chicken tamale with scrambled eggs, brioche French toast with salted caramel and bananas, home-style rotisserie classics such as pork loin  or New York strip loin, plus the house-made Pie-O-Rama for dessert.

The distinctive, orange “cone” architecture of Sally’s Cozy Cone Motel offers quick service cone-themed snacks from five different cones, including ice cream cones, chile “cone” queso, pop “cone” and other “cone”-coctions. Fillmore’s Taste-in celebrates the Cars Land “new age” hippie-van-in-residence. His food and beverage kiosk offers the “high-octane” natural health benefits of fresh fruits, bottled water and juices.

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About the Disneyland Resort

The Disneyland Resort features two spectacular theme parks – Disneyland (the original Disney theme park) and Disney California Adventure Park – plus three hotels and the Downtown Disney District, comprised of unique dining, entertainment and shopping experiences.  The Resort’s hotels are the luxurious, 948-room Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, which also features 50 two-bedroom equivalent DVC units; the magical, newly renovated, 969-room Disneyland Hotel – both AAA Four Diamond properties -  and the 481-room Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel with its “day-at-the-beach” fun.

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Tags: Cars Land, Disney California Adventure, Disneyland, Radiator Springs