Imagineer Tony Baxter on Cars Land
LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW ON IMAGINEER PODCAST www . imagineerpodcast . com
BY MATTHEW KRUL
Cars Land is one of the most impressive and realistic lands of any Disney Park . Its design raised the bar for immersive lands at Disney , setting a new standard for themed environments like Pandora – The World of Avatar , Star Wars : Galaxy ’ s Edge , and Avengers Campus . The Imagineers had quite a challenge in bringing this area to life .
Cars Land is based on an animated Pixar film that takes place in a fictional adaptation of the American Southwest , yet it feels convincingly real when you step onto the streets of Radiator Springs in Anaheim .
ROCKS FIRST , THEN TRACK I spoke with former Disney Imagineer Tony Baxter about making fictional places feel real , and he not only explained the process but also cited Cars Land as a leading example for delivering that “ realness ” factor . “ You can create any kind of a fantasy environment if there ’ s an integrity to what you ’ re doing ,” Tony explained . “ But more importantly … you [ must ] apply the real-world things that happen to surfaces and structures .”
Tony used Big Thunder Mountain Railroad as an example , explaining how his team created the appearance of the mountain before the roller coaster , rather than the other way around . That subtle shift in the creative process helps convince guests that the mountain is absolutely real . “ When we started Big Thunder
… the track had to follow what the rockwork provided for it ,” Tony explained .