March 2016 – present
LOCATION
Cars Land – Luigi and his cousins hosts parties behind his tire shop. To join in the fun, head to the end of Cars Land, and you’ll see the entrance on the left, just before City Hall.
BACKGROUND
The Rollickin’ Roadsters were not part of Cars Land upon its opening in 2012. Instead, Luigi had an attraction called the Flying Tires, a nod to one of Disneyland’s 50s attractions, called the Flying Saucers. But the Flying Tires were limited in movement and frustratingly difficult to control. So by 2015, the Tires left Cars Land.
When it was time to come up with a new attraction, Disney looked to the future instead of the past. They decided to design an attraction that made use of a trackless system, so it would appear that the cars were really driving themselves on the road. Thus came the Rollickin’ Roadsters, which opened in Cars Land roughly one year later.
EXPERIENCE
Details:
- Single Rider Line – no
- Fast Pass – no
- Height Requirement – 32”
- Duration – 1:30
No two cars on this attraction move the same way, so each time you ride your experience will vary a bit. But the overall premise is the same: Luigi and his cousins from Carsoli dance, sing, and play benath the Cars Land mountains. For about ninety seconds, the Rollickin’ Roadsters whirl around the floor, before ending the celebration and sending riders back into Radiator Springs.
MY RATING: ★★★★★
This ride doesn’t look like much when you watch from a distance, but it’s unexpectedly fun when you actually ride. The whole ride is silly; the cars basically do synchronized swimming routines to over the top music. But it’s actually VERY entertaining, and most guests put their arms up in the air and cheer for the final spin. The Rollickin’ Roadsters obviously aren’t thrilling or huge on storytelling, but they’re silly, fun, and have totally won me over.
VISITING TIPS
Luigi has a slow-loading ride, so wait times depend very heavily on crowd levels in the park. If you’re visiting on a light to moderate day, you shouldn’t have much trouble getting on in under 30 minutes. But if you’re visiting on a very crowded day, I’d recommend swinging by as late in the evening as you can. Crowds will gradually die down as the night wears on, and the ambiance around the ride is especially awesome at night!
TRIVIA
The Rollickin’ Roadsters do not move along a track. Instead, each car has a wireless control system that dictates where and how it should move on the platform. Disney parks in Tokyo, Paris, and Hong Kong already use trackless systems for different attractions, but Disneyland is the first of the two American parks to adopt the new ride system.
Luigi himself is not a car on the track. Instead, riders choose from one of his visiting Italian cousins, each with a unique look, license plate, and luggage.
As you stand in line in the garden, pay attention to the topiaries. They’re shaped like cars, tires, and hubcaps!
I legit thought the funniest part of this ride is that everyone puts their hands up at the end spin. No one says to do that. Everyone just does it. So funny.
Totally agree! When I took my friends on this ride for their first time, I said that would happen. They both went “ok yeah right” and then burst out laughing when every round before ours did it.