Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters
| Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters | |
|---|---|
| Park | Disney California Adventure |
| Land / area | Cars Land |
| Type | Trackless dancing cars ride |
| Opened | March 7, 2016 |
| Designer | Walt Disney Imagineering |
| Height req. | 32 in (81 cm) |
| Status | Operating |
Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters is a trackless dancing cars ride in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure in the Disneyland Resort, California. Opened on March 7, 2016, it places riders in small roadsters representing Luigi's cousins from Italy, which move in choreographed patterns across the yard behind Luigi's Casa Della Tires. It was the first attraction at the Disneyland Resort, and the first in a Disney park in the United States, to use a trackless ride system.
History
The site originally held Luigi's Flying Tires, one of Cars Land's three opening-day attractions in 2012. That ride revived the principle of Disneyland's Flying Saucers of the early 1960s: riders floated on a cushion of air and steered by leaning. It proved difficult for many riders to control, was slow to load, and suffered persistent operational problems. It closed on February 17, 2015, after less than three years.
Rather than abandon the site, Imagineering replaced the ride system entirely while keeping the setting and the host character. The new attraction was built on broadly the same footprint and opened a little over a year later, on March 7, 2016.
Experience
In the story, Luigi has invited his cousins from Carsoli, Italy, to Radiator Springs for a race day celebration, and the cars celebrate by dancing. Riders board one of 20 two- or three-person roadsters, each painted in its own colour scheme and wearing its own expression. Luigi introduces the dance, and the cars set off across the floor in coordinated patterns, gliding, turning and spinning in time with the music, passing close to one another without ever following a visible track.
Each cycle uses one of several Italian-styled songs, so the choreography differs between rides. Seasonal versions have included Halloween songs for Cars Land's Haul-O-Ween celebration and Christmas numbers during the holiday season, with the cars' dance patterns adjusted to match. The ride is gentle, with no drops or high speeds; its low 32-inch (81 cm) height requirement makes it accessible to most young children.
Design
Trackless vehicles navigate by following guidance embedded in the floor and a central control system that keeps the fleet's paths coordinated, technology Disney had previously used overseas, notably at Tokyo DisneySea. Removing rider control from the system addressed the central weakness of the Flying Tires: the experience no longer depended on guests learning to steer, and dispatch became more predictable.