Inside Mr. Toad's Wild Ride

It's time for Mouse Troop's first Toad-related post of 2013, and today we're actually climbing aboard one of those awesome motorcars; get ready for a trip through Mr. Toad's Wild Ride!

The entry hall tapestry pays tribute to the mural on the 1955 version's exterior. It details your upcoming trip from beginning to end.

The short interior queue gives us a glimpse of Toad's lifestyle. He certainly loves chandeliers...and carvings of himself.

 He looks so innocent...

We watch a few cars begin their journey by entering the library, knocking poor MacBadger off a ladder...

...and crashing out through the fireplace, sending sizzling embers across the floor.

As we climb aboard our motorcar, I must apologize for the upcoming murky, grainy on-ride photos. Between my slow reflexes, my iPhone's limitations and the ride's many abrupt turns, the results of this photo safari leave a lot to be desired. On the plus side, I think the shots manage to convey the look and black-light atmosphere of the ride...in a murky sort of way...

And...we're off! We encounter MacBadger, crash through the fireplace, escape a falling suit of armor and (as the black-light effects take over), rush down down a weasel-infested hall, disrupt Mole's dinner, and crash out of the mansion through a glass wall...

The local bobbies are not pleased to see us crashing through the countryside. We avoid a near head-on collision with another car (our own reflection) and pass Ratty's riverside home.

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!

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.

A look at Red From Radiator Springs Racers

It's a calm, relaxing Sunday evening here at Mouse Troop, so we're taking this moment to pay tribute to brave, gentle old Red the fire engine. Amongst the wild, careening craziness, tractor-tipping and fleeing from rampaging harvesters inside the dark ride portion of Radiator Springs Racers, Red provides a moment of serenity as he waters the tail light flowers. The special effect of the water spraying out is terrific.