Disney Reportedly Gives up on Beloved Ride, Leaves It in Dire Condition

Disneyland Resort is being accused of knowingly ignoring maintenance issues on Radiator Springs Racers, an attraction in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure Park.

Radiator Springs Racers is modeled after Chevrolet Test Track, a ride in EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort. The attraction takes guests on a whirlwind race through the thrilling world of Pixar’s Cars (2006).

The lengthy attraction features countless special effects and animatronics, some of which cause issues for Walt Disney Imagineering. Though all Disneyland Resort rides undergo regular maintenance, Disney Park guests accuse Imagineers of ignoring ongoing issues with Radiator Springs Racers.

Redditor u/mslaurasaurus returned from a Disneyland Resort visit last week with concerns about Radiator Springs Racers. The Disney Park guest said they’d “never seen” the ride “like this”:

“We were stuck on Radiator Springs Racers for almost an hour today. It wasn’t just that it kept stopping, it’s that when it got back moving, all the elements were glitching. We didn’t get pulled over. There was a lot of moments of us just staring at cars that were supposed to talk to us and them just blinking back at us. Our car didn’t lift for the wheel change and the curtain never opened for the mirror to reveal the white wheels. We didn’t race anyone (not even an empty car). Went back later with a lightning lane because it was such a weird experience, and had to leave again because it shut down again. They had to open the trunk of the car in front of us. I’ve never seen it like this.”

Radiator Springs Racers most recently underwent maintenance in early 2024, but other Disney Parks fans reported similar experiences in the months since.

“I was there [Wednesday] and it seemed to be having issues all day too,” u/918_Atom commented.

“I was there the day it reopened after being down for [a] maintenance period and it kept going down again,” u/Several-Tear-8297 replied. “We waited in line almost 2-1/2 hours I think while it went down at least 7-8 times until they finally told everyone that it would be taken offline for the rest of the day. So disappointing.”

“We were there yesterday and got to ride it in the morning first thing,” u/SJ4786 wrote. “My kids wanted to go again later in the day and we planned to do lightning lanes for the second time, but it was down late afternoon for at least 3 hours and the cast members said it wouldn’t be down anytime soon. On the app it showed it opened around 9pm but we had already left.”

In 2022, Radiator Springs Racers shut down indefinitely after a fire on the attraction. Disneyland Resort repaired the ride, but guests continued reporting issues.

“This ride is 12 years old and it’s in a dire need of a major refurb to get it back like new,” said u/Historical_Court1299.

As the premiere attraction in Cars Land, Radiator Springs Racers regularly boasts 60-to-90-minute standby wait times. Guests can save on wait times by purchasing a Lightning Lane Single Pass or separating their parties and utilizing the single-rider line.

Have you noticed maintenance issues on any Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure Park attractions? Share your story with us in the comments. 

Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on a personal Disney Parks guest experience. No two guest experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with our personal views on Disney Park operations.