Cars Land at Night

Welcome back to Disney California Adventure! The sun's down, the neon's lit and the music's playing as we take a nine photo stroll through nighttime Cars Land.

Fillmore's Place, home of black light, folk art, bootleg fuel and fresh fruit.

Outside Mater's Junkyard, looking down Route 66.

Happy Birthday, Cars Land! Our Radiator Springs Top Ten

One year ago today, Cars Land opened to the public, rocketing Disneyland Resort into one of the most exciting and successful seasons in theme park history. Overnight, the once-ridiculed DCA became an outstanding full-day park and the entire resort began firing on all cylinders like never before.

In honor of the land that saved an entire park, Mouse Troop happily presents the top ten reasons we find it tough to leave DCA's amazing automotive universe.

1) THE ROCK WORK

Pictures and videos don't do justice to this enormous, amazing fantasy landscape. Although it's all part of Radiator Springs Racers, the rock work of Cars Land is also an attraction in itself--one that can be enjoyed at leisure by all guests. It's certainly the main reason we find it hard to tear ourselves away from the place.

2) RADIATOR SPRINGS RACERS

Currently our favorite ride on the planet, this masterpiece of humor, heart, thrills and joy isn't just a great ride--it completely succeeds at pulling you into the story and making you the main character in a quest to take part in Race Day at Radiator Springs. Absolutely amazing. The Single Rider queue provides a great way to avoid the often two-plus hour waits.

Mater Takes a Break

Mater exits the Cozy Cone and heads out to look for groundhogs...or maybe he's just rumbling backstage to take a break.

Without a doubt, the frequent comings and goings of Mater and Lightning add a huge amount of extra atmosphere and fun to Cars Land. Red the Fire Engine and DJ the boombox car are currently the only other full-size vehicles who drive along the streets (both of 'em) of Radiator Springs.

I hope future plans for Cars Land include having more of the citizens show up to greet the crowds. Seeing Sheriff, Doc, Sally, Filmore, Sarge, Ramone, Flo, Luigi, or Lizzie show up randomly would be fantastic. Of course, it would make it even more difficult for fans to tear themselves away from Radiator Springs to see the rest of DCA!

Cars Land Winter Traffic Cone Cups

My great nephew (thanks, Rick!) braved the New Year's crowds at Disneyland Resort and returned with the best seasonal souvenir yet: the Cars Land Winter Traffic Cone Cup (Snow Cone). This whimsical alternate take on the mega-popular orange Traffic Cone Cups is the perfect way to enjoy a cool drink on a warm winter afternoon in Radiator Springs.

The best feature of this jolly mug is the revelation of what snowflakes look like in the Cars universe:

Mater Waffles at Flo's

Mickey pancakes will always be a classic, but the Mater Waffles at Flo's V8 Cafe in Cars Land are my new favorite smiling breakfast food.

They're listed as a kid's menu item, but one glance around at breakfast reveals just as many adults enjoying these crazy little specials-of-the-house, and no wonder; for $5.99 you get waffles, bacon, fruit and a beverage. It's just the right amount of food to get you energized for a day in the parks.

My other favorite breakfasts in Cars Land are Flo's Brioche French Toast (which tastes a lot like banana bread with hot caramel sauce) for $6.99 and the Bacon Scramble bread cone at the Cozy Cone Motel for $5.49. These give you more food for your dollar, but don't include a beverage.

And, of course, neither of those items make you laugh the moment they're set down in front of you. Mater waffles win!

Lightning Greets Fans at the Cozy Cone

Lightning McQueen welcomes his fans outside Sally's office at the Cozy Cone Motel in Cars Land. The combination of fun food, chatty automobiles, the town's music and terrific Cast Members make this one of the best character meet n' greet set-ups at the resort.

Fish Heads & Crumbs #5: Cozy Con

It's Monday, and the crew's in Cars Land. What could possibly go wrong?

Click to enlarge

Cozy Cone's Consistent Kookiness

The best thing about Cars Land's Cozy Cone Motel (besides the food) is just how crazily far the sight gag is taken. If the food stands themselves had been the only cone-shaped elements, the place would have been merely cute. But the theme keeps going...and going...through the entire courtyard and beyond.

It's fun to take family and friends into this life-size hidden-picture puzzle for the first time (everyone seems to want to try the Chili Cone Queso) and watch their reaction as they focus on the unfolding layers of cone detail. They tend to say things like, "I...don't...believe...this..." Usually it's accompanied by a big smile. It helps if they like the color orange.

Considering the huge popularity of the Cone Drinking Cups, I wouldn't be surprised if Disney eventually adds a (cone-shaped) souvenir stand to the grounds, offering more (cone-shaped) wares. Personally, I'd love to buy one of those planters near the windows.

Lightning McQueen on the Move

Watching the citizens of Radiator Springs drive through town is one of the most simple, straightforward charms of Cars Land. Human guests politely make way for the residents, and there's always an honor guard pit crew present to gently make sure the path is clear. These frequent character appearances seem amazingly casual, and happen often enough to feel like a normal part of a typical, easy-going day in Radiator Springs.

Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater both talk to the guests as they pass, and make comments about the various shops and attractions along the way to and from their meet-and-greet appearances at the Cozy Cone Motel. Combined with the engine noise, these frequent trips along Route 66 and Cross Street add even more energy and character to the bustling little town.

Cozy Cone Souvenir Cups

They're crazy, they're wacky, they're very, very, orange and they keep selling out in Cars Land -- They're the Cozy Cone Souvenir Drink Cups!

We finally caught them in stock on a recent visit, and here they are in all their conical glory! They're available in two sizes; these are the large versions.

There's only one crack in this stupendous sipper's pavement: you cannot get them filled with one of the amazing "specialty" Cozy Cone drinks. You must choose a "standard" drink. Yes, when you get to the window, you must decide what's most important -- a delicious Doc's Grape Tonic in a normal cup or a Coke in Cone. Well, you can see which drink won out for this round, but I am not missing out on a Grape Tonic or Apple Freeze on my next trip!

The Best Drink at the Cozy Cone Motel

Every drink at the Cozy Cone Motel is colorful and delicious, from Ramone's "Pear"-of-Dice Soda to Filmore's Pomegranate Limeade. If pressed to pick favorites, our top two contenders would be Red's Apple Freeze and Doc's Wild Grape Tonic -- two of the most refreshing hot-day remedies we've ever enjoyed!

As much as we love the icy goodness of the Apple Freeze, however, our pick for Best Drink at the Cozy Cone goes to Doc's Wild Grape Tonic. We don't know if it's the cool color or the fun little kick the wild berry foam topping gives it, but if the Grape Tonic came in gallon buckets, we'd buy two of 'em; it's the perfect summer drink!

The Cozy Cone Fountain

The Cozy Cone Motel is the most playfully crazy place in Cars Land. As guests head over there to eat Chili Cone Queso or to meet Lightning and Mater in front of Sally's office, sooner or later they laugh as they realize how insanely, wonderfully far the concept's been taken. There are, literally, cones everywhere. The more you look, the more you see.

This charming fountain features a fully functioning cone water wheel, set in a cone-shaped pool. Cone ground lights encircle the little lawn as cones on lamp posts tower overhead.

Impertinently breaking the theme are a few clumps of tail light flowers. Those things grow like weeds in Radiator Springs!

Chili "Cone" Queso at the Cozy Cone Motel!

In Cars Land, halfway along Route 66 through Radiator Springs, the Cozy Cone Motel serves up unusual and terrific food, all served in cones of one sort or another.

This is one of our favorites, the Chili "Cone" Queso. Yes, it's chili in a bread cone topped with Fritos and cheese. It's spicy, brilliant and delicious. No, you can't have it, this one's mine.

There are no burgers, fries or hot dogs in Cars Land. Everything about the place engages the imagination and pulls the rug out from under the commonplace, and that includes the dining. Now, what drink should we get to go along with this? How about Pear Soda? Apple Freeze? Wild Grape Tonic?

Strange but true; some of the best take-out food in California is being cooked up inside giant orange traffic cones. Long live Cars Land!