Do you have a Cars fan in your life? A trip to Disneyland’s California Adventure is definitely a must-do for you! My 19-year-old has been a fan of all things Cars since the first movie was released in 2006 and has been wanting to visit Cars Land since it was first built. I am so glad we finally had the chance to experience this as a family so we could watch my son enter Cars Land for the first time! Memories like these are what I love… the first glimpse of things they love or are in awe of are memories you won’t soon forget!
When you first walk into Cars Land, it really does look like Radiator Springs has come to life in Southern California. From Flo’s V8 Cafe to Cozy Cone Motel and everything else in the land, the Imagineers did an amazing job capturing the film and bringing it to life! My Cars fan especially loved the Sarges Surplus Hut; we visited a variety of times to look at the miniatures they had set up in the shop!
For your Cars fans, make sure to start your engines on Radiator Springs Racers. Here you race through Radiator Springs with another car next to you. Each time you ride can be different since there are different scenes to go through depending on which side of the track you are on. Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree are great attractions for the youngest members of your family.
You need to make sure to visit this area twice during your day at California Adventure. Daytime brings out the residents of Radiator Springs for you to take your picture with, but visiting in the evening is the best time as it will feel like an entirely different experience. At dusk, the lights will turn on for the evening, bringing the area to life with music and flickering lights – just like in the movie! We went back even later for the full effect when it was dark and the whole area was lit up!
While you may think the movie Cars is for kids, all ages will love stepping back in time to visit Radiator Springs in Cars Land!
Kelly Van Eerden- Jenison, MI
Lead Travel Advisor
Hi! I’m Kelly Van Eerden, a Lead Travel Advisor with Living With The Magic Vacations. I currently live in Jenison, Michigan with my husband, daughter, and son.
We love traveling as a family because it gives us time to spend time together without all the activities that life with older children brings. Walt Disney World will always have a special place in our hearts as one of our first family vacations, but we also love exploring new destinations! Some of our favorite places to visit have actually been new to us in the last few years. We took our first Disney cruise in early 2020 and my kids fell in love with cruising. We have also visited Universal (both Hollywood and Orlando) and Disneyland recently, and we all found something to enjoy. We love the thrills that the Universal parks offer as well as the Marvel and Cars Land at Disneyland.
