Yes, there was a Cars-based attraction in Hollywood Studios
Are you surprised by that? You are not alone. A lot of guests don’t even know that this little show exists, since there was barely any market for it. It’s also slightly hidden behind Rock N’ Roller Coaster in an area that is hardly ever visited. Soon enough it is going to become a myth. “Hey, did you hear about the tale of a Cars attraction in Hollywood Studios?” “It’s true. All of it. Rumors say that it even has an amazing animatronic”.
So, what exactly was Racing Academy? Well, this was a show that featured giant screens and a very, very well made animatronic of Lightning McQueen in the middle of the stage. If there's one thing to praise Disney for, it's their incredible work on McQueen. He looks remarkably realistic, with visual projections creating expressive eyes and lips on his animatronic. I absolutely love it.
The story featured McQueen facing off against his rival Chick Ricks in a virtual race, with supporting characters like Tow Mater and Cruz Ramirez making an appearance. McQueen, however, is the only animatronic in the whole stage, with everyone else being displayed on the big screens. On the screens, we saw the race taking place in a first person view, with McQueen zipping past opponents and trying to beat Ricks.
I would say that this show lacked a bit of excitement. The problem here is that… not much happens. We are in a completely normal theater, without any sort of tricks happening like in It’s Tough to be a Bug, or any 3D effects, or anything else that can make you say “wow”. Sure, the McQueen animatronic is impressive, but can it really carry the entire show? I don’t think so and apparently neither did the Imagineers. Racing Academy was more about checking the action on the big screen as you sit down for ten minutes and enjoy the AC.
Can you imagine an attraction like this as a motion simulator? Something that replicates a high speed chase could be fun, even something that used VR, or AR, like in Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge in Universal Hollywood. I do understand that an attraction like this would be massively expensive, and it seems that Racing Academy wasn’t something that broke the bank, even if the animatronic is top notch.
Editor's Note: Since we wrote this in early 2024, the below prediction came true!
If I'm being completely honest, I don't believe this ride will remain in Hollywood Studios for much longer. Queue times are extremely low, and you can usually just walk in when a show is about to start. Almost nobody talks about dear old McQueen anymore. Who knows, maybe Racing Academy will indeed become a myth in a few years.
What's happening now in this space?
Disney has announced an all-new Villains show will take over this spot in 2025. Our prediction is that the Villains show will eventually be moved to the Villains land at Magic Kingdom by 2028 and Muppets 3D will move here in its place.
