Knowing the accessibility of Carsland at Disney’s California Adventure is important if you’re visiting with a disability. In this post, I cover the accessibility of the entire land, each attraction, and places to eat.
Get ready to get your kicks on Route 66!
Carsland General Accessibility
Accessing this land is easy. The walkways from the entry of California Adventure to the entrance of Carsland are wide and flat. Currently, there are two ways in and out. The main entrance to this land is off of the walkway between Buena Vista Street and Paradise Gardens Park. The second entrance is located in the Pacific Wharf and leads you through the land from behind Flo’s V8. My hope is that once Avengers Campus opens this summer, the back entry that used to open to Bugsland and provided easy access to Hollywoodland will reopen.
The land itself is also flat with wide “roads”. There are many benches throughout the land to rest or enjoy a snack on. In the “rest area” beside Flo’s V8 there are trees to give you a shaded place to reenergize.
This land is host to not just one, but TWO companion restrooms. They are located before the entrance of the main restrooms which are also accessible with larger ADA stalls.
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Photo Opportunities
Carsland is full of fun photo opportunities!
First up is right at the entrance of the land under the billboard. During Halloween and Christmas the vehicles are dressed according the holiday. Speaking of holidays, Carsland is one of the few lands throughout the entire Disneyland Resort that gets a full makeover for Halloween and Christmas!
The next is on the left-hand side of the street right next to the entrance of Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree. There’s no need to ride the attraction to have your picture taken with one of Mater’s tractors. This is one photo op in the land that doesn’t have a park photographer present.
Head on down the street and stop in front of the Cozy Cone Motel to have a park photographer snap a picture of you and your party with the backdrop of the land as your background.
Before moving on, turn into the Cozy Cone Motel and meet one of the land’s residents. Meet and greet Sally, Mater, Lightning McQueen, Red, or Cruz! The photo op area is wide and has plenty of room for large groups and mobility aids.
More Photo Fun
On your way to Radiator Racer’s queue, be sure to stop and snap a picture of or with the statue of Stanley, the founder of Radiator Springs.
Radiator Racer’s snaps a picture of guests as they reach the finish line during the ride. If using the standard exit, you can get the number of your picture to download if you have Max Pass or purchase if not from the screens after you exit the ride vehicle. For guests using the accessible loading/unloading are there is a screen with your picture and number right before you leave the accessible area.
Exit the land using the path behind Flo’s V8 for one last photo op. There you can get a scenic picture of Radiator Springs and the racers from a park photographer or take it yourself.
Carsland Attraction Accessibility
Guests with a mobility aid such as a wheelchair, ECV, cane, rollator, or service animal will enter the standard and FastPass queues as they are all ADA accessible. Anyone using DAS for cognitive or other disabilities not made visible with a mobility aid should check in with Services for Guests with Disabilities at the Carsland Kiosk located at the main entrance of the land. The cast member will instruct you on where and when to enter the attractions of your choosing.
Mater’s Jamboree
This attraction offers rider-switch or a cage for service animals. The queue is flat and easy to “drive” a mobility aid through. Guests must transfer from their mobility aids to the attraction vehicle. A cast member should ask if you need it brought back to you when the ride ends or if you can walk a few feet to the side where it will be placed by them.
The best way I can describe this attraction is to compare it to the popular fair ride the Scrambler. The ride vehicle is a tractor pulling a trailer. Guests sit in the trailer and are whipped around. Unlike the Scrambler, this attraction runs on a track that at times makes my spine feel like I am riding a jackhammer! For those with chronic pain, note that while this attraction looks sweet and innocent, it can aggravate neck, shoulder, hip, and back pain. It may also cause motion sickness and dizziness.
Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters
Enter via the standard queue. DAS guests will follow the instructions from the cast member at the guest service kiosk located at the entrance of the land. The first half of this queue is air-conditioned, which is fabulous on a hot summer day! The second half is mostly shaded by trees.
Service animals are not permitted on this spinning ride. Guests with a service animal may use the attraction provided cage or rider switch.
Guests using a mobility aid may remain in them until they reach their ride vehicle. Cast members will move your mobility aid to the exit. If needed, they will bring it to your ride vehicle when the ride has stopped. Be sure to inform then when they come to move it.
This is a trackless attraction that provides a smooth ride. With that said, the premise of the ride is that cars are dancing. This involves lots of turns, spins, and turning back and forth. Note that it may cause motion sickness and back spasms.
Radiator Racers
Here is where you will experience the only area of the land that isn’t flat and smooth. All the queues for this attraction are bumpy and have steep hills in areas. Be warned that the gates that are for mobility aids to go through under the bridge are HEAVY! Do NOT stick out your foot or arm thinking it will open easily. I almost broke my leg the first time I went through this queue.
All three queues are ADA accessible. DAS guests will enter where the cast member at the guest service kiosk in front of the land instructs them to. As for mobility aids and guests with service animals, they enter according to how they are riding or if they have a FastPass or not. Single rider, FastPass, and the standard queue all lead to the same area. At that point you will be instructed on how to access the handicap loading/unloading area.
Rider switch or a cage is available for guests with service animals. Guests must transfer from a mobility aid to ride vehicles. Handheld captioning is available for guests with hearing disabilities. Inquire at guest services to utilize this service.
The Loading Area
The handicap boarding area gives disabled guests the ability to take their time to enter/exit the ride vehicle. It does require the disabled guest to step down into the vehicle and up upon exiting. For guests unable to make this step or that require sliding from their wheelchair to the vehicle, there is a second gate that you may request boarding from.
The ride
This ride has two parts. Once boarded, you will take a short outdoor drive giving you outstanding views of California Adventure. I recommend riding during the day and after dark. Both daytime and nighttime views of Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout! After passing a waterfall your vehicle enters the dark and air-conditioned indoor portion. There are a few quick turns and a run from danger, but for the most part the indoor portion is tamer than Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.
Before transitioning to the outdoor portion vehicles are treated to either a paint job from Ramone or new tires from Luigi. From there Doc Hudson gives you and your vehicle a pep talk before you pull up to the race start line.
The second portion of the ride is a fast race. It takes place outdoors on a racetrack that has many hills and turns.
Carsland Accessibility to Food
There are three places to to grab snacks or a meal from. First is Fillmore’s Taste-In where you can grab a healthy snack, then there is the Cozy Cone where you can grab a treat or dine on Mac ‘n’ Cheese or Chili Cone, and last but not least Flo’s V8 Cafe where you can sit down to some of your favorite comfort foods.
While Flo’s and Fillmore’s are easy to reach and access with a mobility aid, the Cozy Cone can be tricky when crowded. There is not a lot of space between the lines and the nearby tables. (Note that there are extra picnic tables to the east of the cones.) Flo’s has tables and chairs indoors and outdoors. The outdoor seating is located in the front and back of the cafe. The back of the cafe provides a quieter dining experience than the front or indoor seating area.
Carsland Gluten-Free, Vegan, and Vegetarian Dining Options
Feel free to comment with your Carsland accessibility questions. It can be frustrating visiting a new place with a disability of any kind. My hope is that the information I provide will help you stress less and enjoy more of the magic during your visit.
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