For example , “ there ’ s a spiral butte , and the track has to go that way , and we had to fill in a gap with a trestle to make it even possible to do that to get the train from here to here .” Because of that approach , Tony explained , there ’ s never a moment on Big Thunder where you feel like the rocks were built a certain way only to conceal the track or to allow for the ride to safely operate .
If you think about it , Radiator Springs Racers looks like it was built the same way . It ’ s as if the mountain range was there all along , and the Imagineers simply built roads over , around , and through the rockwork . In building upon his Big Thunder Mountain Railroad design philosophy , Tony mentioned that Cars Land is one of the best lands Disney has ever created , as it has “ the most crazy fantasy rockwork with Cadillac tail fins and hubcaps … and yet your brain says every bit of this rock is absolutely real .”
While Tony has much to share about the philosophy of Cars Land , the concept itself was largely thanks to former Imagineers Kevin Rafferty and Tom K . Morris . In The Imagineering Story on Disney +, Kevin shares how he loved cars from the time he was a kid . He always wanted to develop attractions for Disney , and the idea of a ride that celebrated California car culture was one he hoped to deliver . When it came time to pitch ideas for the refurbishment of Disney California Adventure , Kevin presented an idea for an automotive-themed land based on Southern California car culture . As it turns out , the Disney • Pixar film Cars would soon give this idea new life and inspiration .
WHAT POWER LINES ? Another large challenge the Imagineers faced with Cars Land was sightlines . The location of this new space meant that the Cadillac Mountain Range would be placed right up against the back of the park , directly in front of a row of 98-foottall power lines . If the rockwork did not account for these power lines , guests at a certain point within the land would theoretically be able to see the power lines behind the mountain range , which would completely destroy the illusion of forced perspective .
To ensure this didn ’ t happen , the Imagineers created several scale models and considered every possible sightline from every point of Cars Land . You don ’ t realize it when you ’ re in the park , but one small miscalculation could have completely changed the illusion of the mountain range , which the Imagineers carefully designed to look thousands of feet tall .
When it comes to creating fictional lands that feel real , Tony says the job of the Imagineers is to make the brain believe that “ it ’ s a real area that has fantastic things in it , but it ’ s definitely a real area ,” like one grand illusion . Cars Land is a great example of this kind of space . You can hear more from Imagineers Kevin Rafferty , Tom K . Morris , and Tony Baxter in Imagineer Podcast episodes 101 , 102 , and 115 .
BACKGROUND : Radiator Springs Racers takes guests through a convincing mountain range that cleverly hides Anaheim ’ s city infrastructure right behind it . PHOTO BY ASHLEE TAN