Have you ever been to the Studio Tram Tour at Disneyland Paris or Disney World’s Hollywood Studios? This used to be a classic attraction at the theme parks, where you boarded a tram, visited some studio sets, and there was an iconic scene of an oil tanker exploding with thousands of gallons of water coming your way. It was also very similar to Disaster at Universal Studios: just a very chill tram ride that taught you about the history of cinema with some practical effects thrown in.
Cars Road Trip is a lite version of the old Studio Tram Tour at Walt Disney Studios Park. Instead of the classic Catastrophe Canyon scene, you get a CARStastrophe scene with props and vehicles themed to Cars. Most vehicles now have faces on them, and everything is a little more colorful and cute to look at. Does it make the ride better, though? Let’s check it out.
What we like about Cars ROAD TRIP
What is Cars Road Trip, you might ask? You board a tram and slowly drive around what should be Route 66, with some Cars props thrown in. It’s a good ride to sit down and rest your legs if you are looking for a place to relax, as the entire ride takes about eight minutes. It is set outdoors, so no air conditioning for you, but you can still enjoy a nice breeze and watch a small screen where some Cars characters talk about what is happening around you.
The best part? The truck scene from the Studios Tram Tour is still present! This might be one of the most classic sections in theme park history, where a truck is on fire and water comes down in your direction. It is still here, basically untouched in the pivotal moments. Some guests report that the fire doesn’t always work and only smoke comes out, but it is still fun to see gallons and gallons of water coming your way, and children in particular are still rather impressed by it all. It does look very imposing.
Wait times are also rather short, and you won’t need to wait more than 10 minutes to hop on a train. Hurray!
What we don’t like about Cars ROAD TRIP
The main problem I have with this ride is that the theming just doesn’t work. It does look a lot like a repaint of an older attraction, with the Cars theme thrown in. The canyon scene is still there, and you get to see a truck with eyes painted on it. It still explodes and water still comes at you, but… why? There is no narrative behind it and no reason for it to be themed after Cars other than the fact that it is an IP kids and parents know about.
The animatronics are also a bit disappointing, since they are static and only occasionally blink at you. It is safe to say that theming is not the strongest part of this ride, and we could have visited so many cool locations from the Cars movies instead of getting another rehash of the Catastrophe Canyon scene.
The canyon scene is also worse than the original, since in the original there was a video showing how the practical effect actually worked and what was going on to produce that amount of water. You don’t get that here anymore. The final scene is also rather disappointing, as you are taken to see what the ride calls the “I-Fuel” tower. It is a replica of the Eiffel Tower made of scrap, and it looks rather bland.
Bland is a good word to describe this ride. It doesn’t do enough to justify the Cars retheme. We’ve seen the truck scene countless times before, and the animatronics are very, very dated. It would have been cool if this ride visited locations from the Cars movies or if the animatronics moved to tell an original story.
Conclusion
Cars Road Trip is a disappointing ride. The truck scene is pretty cool, but I expected more from a ride that received a new coat of paint and was completely rethemed. Right now, it is mostly a way to rest your legs for ten minutes and then move on with your day.
