If you're unfamiliar with the project, here's what California Adventure will look like in two years:
Note the Disney's Hollywood Studios-style front gate, as well as the new Pixar-themed Cars Land standing between Tower of Terror and Paradise Pier, in the space that used to be a parking lot.
Here's a picture of what that area looks like now, looking from the south north toward the park. (You can see Grizzly Peak and the Grand Californian Hotel in the background.) If you look to the left in the photo, you can see the steel skeleton of a show building, while just above the palm trees you can see what sure looked to me like a banked track, already taking shape.
Radiator Springs Racers, a high-speed "Cars"-themed track ride, debuts in 2012.
In 2011, California Adventure will debut a new family dark ride, The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Adventure. Construction's just begun on the show building, which you can see emerging behind the construction wall.
The "Palace of Fine Arts" entryway to the old Golden Dreams show remains, and will be part of The Little Mermaid building's facade, as seen in this concept art:
Here's more concept art, of the Paradise Garden Grill and Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta restaurants that will debut later this year. (I don't know about the "Spring" date mentioned in the caption.)
The concept art shows that the Jumping Jellyfish and Golden Zephyr rides will survive the park's makeover. But I have yet to see the Maliboomer on any concept art, seemingly confirming the widespread rumors that the space shot ride's days are numbered. (FWIW, Mulholland Madness will be rethemed as Goofy's Sky School.)
Finally, I leave you with this shot of the soon-to-open Mickey's Silly Symphony Swings, which I caught at night. The sky seemed appropriately turbulent for this tornado-themed waveswinger ride....
Now, that isn't to say that the Tomorrowland Speedway couldn't get a "Cars" overlay, since the Indy sponsorship deal is long gone. But to run the same ride system, I think Disney would have to run it over or under the railroad tracks, to get into the land behind the current speedway and north of Space Mountain. I don't think it would fit in the Speedway's footprint.
Looks good, but I miss that great Golden Dreams show! I felt it had great potental!
As for Tomorrowland Speedway, they could just bulldoze it over and put in grass and picnic tables and I would be satisfied...
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