A Taste of Radiator Springs

Opened in 2007 as part of the Toon Studio expansion that added Crush's Coaster to Walt Disney Studios Park, Cars Quatre Roues Rallye (Cars Race Rally) brings to life favorite elements from the 2006 Disney-Pixar animated film. Although a relatively small attraction, Cars Race Rally packs hundreds of details into this little corner of the park. From the "Welcome" sign, featuring placards for The Knights of Combustion and the Loyal Order of the Lugnuts, to the car part-influenced architecture, the town of Radiator Springs is well represented.

In a window near the entrance are some wildly painted hoods, fine examples of Ramone's handiwork at the House of Body Art, while Flo's V-8 Cafe provides a backdrop for the ride itself, housing the loading area of the queue.

Facades along the outside of the queue building include nods to Tow Mater Towing & Salvage and Luigi's Casa Della Tires. You'll even find Luigi and Guido posing for photos alongside their legendary Tower of Tires!

A peek inside the window at Luigi's reveals he's having a sale on Fettuccini Alfredo brand whitewall tires, available in such styles as Latte or Blanco Maximo. Of course, to truly appreciate the details at Cars Race Rally, you'll need to head inside... and hope for a line so you'll have time to pause and enjoy.

The first stop in the queue is Doc Hudson's place, now the Radiator Springs Doc Hudson Museum. Look for Doc's mechanical degrees from places of higher learning like the Institute of Ignition Studies and Pnorthern Pneumatic Polytechnic. There are also copies of newspaper articles, touting the Hudson Hornet's racing wins back in the '50s, and even one of his Piston Cups on display.

All your favorite Cars characters are represented here in some fashion, from Fillmore and Sarge to Red and Sally, and one entire section of the queue is dedicated to Lizzie's Radiator Springs Curios shop.

Some of the bumper stickers on offer here advertise local businesses, like the Cozy Cone Motel or Sarge's Surplus Hut, while others feature the sort of kitschy expressions you might find on products like this from a typical roadside souvenir stand:

"I'd Rather Be Cruisin'!"

"Got My Kicks"

"Nice Butte... Radiator Springs"

"Life Begins at the Off Ramp"

"Built for Comfort, Not for Speed"

"Honk If Your Horn Works"

"You Tailgate, I Backfire"

The attraction itself, set amid the mesas of Ornament Valley, is a triple turntable ride in which cars spin riders around and around, sliding from one turntable to the next (similar to Francis' Lady Bug Boogie at Disney California Adventure).

Cars Quatre Roues Rallye is lots of madcap, zany fun in very cute, Cars-inspired vehicles. Of course, the vehicles are a bit cozy, but I especially enjoyed the graphic (above) pointing out the fact that the cars are much happier carrying a mix of adults and children, rather than four full-grown passengers.

As the Race Rally gets underway, who's there to cheer us on but Lightning McQueen himself, along with his best friend Mater.

Before taking off for other points along Route 66, look for these fun little details from the movie: drums of Rust-eze Medicated Bumper Ointment and Mater's A-113 license plate (a reference to the animation classroom at Cal Arts where John Lasseter and others learned their craft).