Top 10 Reasons to Love Cars Land

10) Cars Land helps to make the rest of the park feel less busy With the crowds still flocking to cars Land, that's certainly helping to ease things elsewhere in Disney California Adventure and even at Disneyland Park. A couple of days after Christmas, we were shocked to see longer lines for California Adventure than Disneyland Park. Surely, without Cars Land, that would have been a sight we'd never have seen.

9) Cars Land has some wonderful merchandise for all the family We were struck by the amazing array of items for sale at the shops in Cars Land, and for once, there was something for everyone. All too often, the clothes are geared at youngsters, and while there's a fair amount of that, there was lots on offer for both men, and women. I was particularly pleased to find women's clothing, with Cars having such a male appeal.

8) The Cozy Cone Motel Having wandered around Art of Animation Resort before our trip to the West Coast, I was immediately transported back there when I first saw the Cozy Cone Motel. A character greeting space, it's also the place to find such great items as "cone-coctions" and "cone-queso." It's a lovely area for spotting the little touches from Disney Imagineering, and something fun to look for here is the hidden Buzz. Yes, you read that right, not hidden Mickey, but hidden Buzz … I'll say no more than that, but check it out next time you're there.

7) Flo's V8 Café There's just something about the sleek Art Deco lines of this lovely building, which has photo ops abounding. I just loved the whole style of the place, although of course it's really there to serve food. While we didn't get a chance to sample their offerings, I have to say they looked very nice, and the Veggietater Bake certainly had me intrigued. So nice to see something a bit more original for those of us who don't eat meat.

6) Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree At first glance, this really doesn’t seem like much of an addition to such an exciting new area of the park, but look again, and you’ll see that it’s got more to it than you first thought. We took a spin on this, and while we enjoyed it, we weren’t about to do it twice in a row, as it certainly does flip you around. It can be vicious at times, but it’s also a whole heap of fun.

5) Sarge’s Surplus Hut There is just something about this shop that I absolutely adore. Perhaps it’s the fact that we were lucky enough to visit at Christmas, and see it all decked out for the festive season, but there’s also something about its interior. It really is just like a supply store, with boxes, drawers, and oil drums all in evidence. Because it’s in a corrugated hut (or it’s certainly themed that way), it’s also quite an airy place to shop, and we spent many a happy time browsing the wide ranging supply of merchandise in here.

4) The theming is unbelievable You’ve probably already gathered that from my comments, but this really is like stepping into Radiator Springs, complete with its own town hall. The second you enter, you’re just absorbed into another world, with motoring references everywhere. I personally loved the traffic signals high above the crowds, that most people would never notice unless they looked up,  and also the references to Route 66, some on the ground, and some on the sides of buildings or inside shops.

Flo's V8 cafe at night
Another beautiful part of Cars Land after dark - Flo's V8 café.

3) Luigi’s Flying Tires For me, this ride was the revelation of Cars Land. I hadn’t heard much about it before our visit, but I found it utterly charming. Italian from start to finish, like the car it’s named after, I adored the theme of the line, first inside, passing by famous name tires like “Fettucine Alfredo” (and yes, you did read that right), before you head outside to see your ride vehicles, perhaps some of the most fun at any Disney park. We were mesmerised to see them flying across the ground, propelled by high pressure air from underneath. It’s one of those rare rides where you get to see exactly what you’re about to experience, and it heightens your anticipation considerably. We were so excited when we got on board, and we had an absolute ball on our tire, leaning from one side to the other to make it move around. We came off with goofy smiles on our faces, and returned time and time again to enjoy this ride. What more of a testament can you get?

2) Radiator Springs Racers Now the same could be said of Radiator Springs Racers, if only we could have returned time and time again to ride it! It really is an E-ticket ride, and as such, it attracts long lines (and I mean long!), both for the ride itself, and the distribution of those all important FASTPASSes first thing in the morning. Think of Test Track, then plus it up, with some amazing scenery to drive through, and the storyline of Cars, and you’ve got a rough idea of what to expect. Sadly, the ride was plagued with issues when we visited, with it frequently going down, contributing to even longer lines. However, for those lucky enough to ride, and we made it a couple of times, it really is a huge amount of fun, and my definition of a thrill ride. Forget your coasters, I love rides like this that don’t turn you upside down, but they go fast, and combine a great story with it. To me, this is traditional Disney, and the sort of ride they do best. Miss it at your peril!

1) It looks amazing at night Ok, so what on earth could top Radiator Springs Racers? Well, if you’ve seen Cars Land at night, you’d know immediately. Beautiful as this place is during the day, it takes on a whole new life after dark. From the sleek lines of Flo’s to the gorgeous glow of the scenery around Radiator Springs Racers, darkness turns this area into a jaw-droppingly beautiful sight that really does have to be seen to be believed. Trust me, I could happily spend an evening just sitting here, and not visit anywhere else in either park, it’s that lovely.

Cars Land really is an absolute must-do for every Disney fan, and if you get the chance to head out to California, it’s worth going. Disneyland has so much more to offer than just Cars Land, but Cars Land is a good enough reason on its own to head out there and see what you’re missing.

About the Author: Cheryl is the author of the e-book, PassPorter's Walt Disney World for British Holidaymakers, and is the co-author of PassPorter's Disney Vacation Club Guide: For Members and Members-To-Be. Cheryl and husband Mark live in England and love to travel, particularly to Disney, and they have travelled around the world, taking in a number of Disney cruises, Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Aulani in Hawai'i, Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disney and Hong Kong Disneyland on the way. Click here to view more of Cheryl's articles!