Red Welcomes Visitors to Radiator Springs

At 7:03 A.M., it's a typically overcast Southern California summer morning. Although blue skies won't show up for a couple of hours, the scene's instantly brightened by Red the Fire Engine as he welcomes the first guests of the day to Radiator Springs.

You can tell from the "awww"s and cries of "Red!!!" that everyone wants to stop, but we're all caught in the quick-walk rush to ride Radiator Springs Racers. Our own meet-and-greet with the town's heroic truck of few words will have to wait a bit.

But, man, Red looks great. I can't think of a more cheerful sight to wake up several thousand groggy, coffee-craving parents staggering toward the ride entry. And he looks so perfectly at home.

There's something truly "magical" about Cars Land. Everything works. The town's completely convincing, and the characters couldn't look more natural in the setting. It feels as if you've literally been dropped into the movie, and the view stretches as far as your eyes can see. It's amazing.