Sh-boom, Aaliyah!
I'm so glad you raced over to planDisney today! As a fellow mom of a Cars-obsessed son, I can totally appreciate wanting to cruise through
Disney's Art of Animation Resort on your upcoming visit. In fact, we made a pit stop there during a mother-and-son weekend getaway earlier this year, and it's safe to say my newly minted 16-year-old still loved stepping into Radiator Springs just as much as he did on all our past visits. Let's speed through some logistics together, shall we? Ready, set, go!
While you can travel low and slow along Route 66 at
Cars Land in Disney California Adventure Park, your visit to Art of Animation will be more of a photo stop than an East Coast attraction experience. The Cars area of this amazing Value Resort features 3 guest room buildings surrounding the Cozy Cone Pool, with plenty of familiar characters parked along the freshly paved roads.
As you enter the cutest little town in Carburetor County, you'll be greeted by billboards advertising Radiator Springs as the Gateway of Ornament Valley, with life-sized Sheriff and Doc Hudson waiting photo-ready nearby. Travel through the desert foliage and past road signs to find Flo and Ramone before steering left to visit Luigi and Guido at Luigi's Casa Della Tires. Continue your road trip behind the Cozy Cone Cabanas (made from larger-than-life traffic cones) to pose with Fillmore (peace sign optional) before arriving at the Wheel Well Motel to see Sally and Lightning McQueen himself. Snap a photo at the fuel pump before saluting Sarge and making your way to Tow Mater's Towing and Salvage.
We spent about 20 minutes snapping photos with all the Cars before driving on to our next destination, but feel free to take your time and explore at your own pace. It's the perfect place to shift gears and stretch your legs- just mind the traffic patterns, keep an eye out for pedestrians, and don't even think about scratching Ramone's freshly painted flames.
We were staying at Disney's BoardWalk Villas during our visit, so we traveled to Art of Animation via the
Disney Skyliner. After making a quick transfer at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, we glided into the station and took a short walk past the Finding Nemo Family Suites. You can access the resort the same way or utilize
complimentary bus service from any of the theme parks. If you're arriving by bus, head through Animation Hall- the main lobby area housing the Ink & Paint Shop and
Landscape of Flavors food court- then proceed right past the Drop Off Pool Bar. "Life will be a dream" as Radiator Springs comes into view just down the road.
Can you believe this year marks the 20th anniversary of Disney/Pixar's
Cars, and it's still capturing the hearts of racing fans around the globe? I love that your son is a fan of the franchise and hope you have an amazing time together seeing it brought to life this month. I'm still waiting for the official opening date of
Piston Peak National Park, a new Cars-themed area coming to Magic Kingdom Park sometime on the horizon, so stay tuned for more details. Keep your travel log and maps ready, and hoping we can both visit soon!
Aaliyah, please wave a checkered flag if you need any additional guidance. We're always here to help.
Ka-Chow!
Amy