Disneyland Confirms Luigi's Flying Tires' Demise

February 6, 2015, 9:20 AM · The Disneyland Resort today announced that its Cars Land attraction Luigi's Flying Tires will close on Feb. 16 for replacement.

The new Luigi's attraction will ditch the Flying Tires in favor of dancing cars, according to the new concept art Disney has released. The revamped attraction, with a new, as-yet-unannounced name, will open in early 2016.

New Luigi's ride
Concept art courtesy Disney

Luigi's Flying Tires attempted to recreate the appeal of Disneyland's original Flying Saucer attraction from the 1950s. But, as Disney Legend and Imagineer Tony Baxter told us, "there isn't a single person on the planet who wants to fly on a rubber tire." That lack of conceptual appeal, plus a ride system that confused many visitors (despite our best efforts) ultimately left Luigi's as the least popular attraction in the otherwise wildly successful Cars Land.

If you'd like a rough idea of what the new ride might be like, consider a "dry-land" version of the Aquatopia ride at Tokyo DisneySea.

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Replies (21)

February 6, 2015 at 10:27 AM · it was a fun ride when you could throw the beach balls at people. But once they got rid of them the fun was over.
February 6, 2015 at 10:58 AM · So many other things that need to be addressed at this park... Like all of Hollywoodland and all of "a bugs land." Priorities are just all over the place. Perhaps after the "Airfield" and Lugis are completed the park can start addressing the major problems still plaguing the park.
February 6, 2015 at 11:06 AM · I'm with you Robert, this is pretty disappointing news. However, I was the only one out of my family who liked the tires. If a ride has an approval rating of 25% (based of personal experience), then its future does not bode well. The fact that they are replacing it with a ride that's more or less the same as the neighboring Junkyard Jamboree is also a major letdown.
February 6, 2015 at 11:30 AM · The new attraction looks like either standard bumper cars or Cedar Fair's Joe Cool Driving School. Not impressed...
February 6, 2015 at 11:54 AM · My (only half not-serious) idea:

February 6, 2015 at 2:49 PM · No real loss here. Luigi's Flying Tires was fun when you could ride without a wait, but otherwise it was a waste of time. As for the replacement, if it is indeed a trackless ride system like Aquatopia then it will probably be a pretty neat ride. If it is more like a normal bumper car ride or another spinner, however, what's the point?
February 6, 2015 at 3:38 PM · The whole thrill of Aquatopia is water, that shoots at you from all directions and not knowing when and where you'll get wet. A dry version takes away the thrill factor and the trackless system becomes irrelevant. I think this ride will only appeal to the very young and fits bugs land better than cars land.
February 6, 2015 at 4:05 PM · I have a hard time believing any replacement for this attraction could be as lame as what exists today. Truly an underwhelming experience in an otherwise stellar expansion. I love that Disney is correcting this mistake so soon. Makes me wonder why things like A Bug's Land and Goofy's Sky School are still in operation.
February 6, 2015 at 5:05 PM · I'm a little surprised to hear of all the dislike for A Bug's Land. Every time I walk through that area, and granted...I walk through as I have no children, there always seem to be a lot of kids and families having a blast. As much as we all want Disney to be bigger/better/more innovative, kids still love flat spinney rides.
February 6, 2015 at 9:43 PM · I rode Aquatopia last month and it was a totally dry ride except for the track. I'm guessing they turn off the "soak" feature during the very cold winter months?
February 7, 2015 at 1:29 PM · The problem with "a bugs land" isn't the smaller rides, it's the general mediocre theming and the fact it doesn't blend or mesh well with the rest of DCA. The clash from Tower of Terror and the entrance to "a bugs land" is the biggest offender.
February 8, 2015 at 11:06 AM · You know, while we remove A Bug's Land, I think we should get rid of Dumbo & The Tea Cups. The theming is so sub-par, and they are just spinning rides. Sooo lame...

Seriously, I don't get the hate for A Bug's Land. It's very well themed... you feel shrunken down. It's hidden amid other areas, tucked away, ahem, like insects. Carnival-type rides for an bug circus troupe actually makes sense. It may even work better than being shrunken to Toy Story size because we interact with toys on a human scale all the time, as being a bug is even more foreign. And definitely has more theme than Dinoland. The lush greenery gives standard rides a pleasant place to be. Could it be better? Sure. (Why are there bumper cars?) Is it terrible? No.

As per transitions, I don't have a problem transitioning from the hub to Adventureland at Disneyland, even when I can see two sides of a roofline--one traditional, one thatched--on what's clearly the same building. The arch between Tower/Bugs works well, and the large tower looming over the land helps to make you feel small, too.

Goofy's Sky School on the other hand, needs to go. Worst part: it's simply boring, without any thrill, which is all you really want from a wild mouse. And I would love to see a finished Hollywood Land.

February 8, 2015 at 3:17 PM · I gotta be honest Joseph... I am perfectly okay with them getting rid of all the more common midway experiences. Dumbo and the Tea Cups may have been iconic rides 60 years ago, but now they are just par for the course. We pay big bucks to visit Disney (and Universal) parks and expect more than just pretty theming hiding common, midway attractions (lipstick on a pig).
February 8, 2015 at 8:01 PM · I'm OK with a theme park having A tickets and E tickets. And believe me, I'm no fan of the "off-the-shelf" late 90s/early 2000s Disney additions, including the out-of-place, cartoony carpets in WDW's Adventureland.

I just don't believe A Bug's Land is in need of a massive re-do. I'd rather see investment in a Star Wars area, and a Hollywood Land that's a fully-immersive experience.

February 8, 2015 at 10:07 PM · Why is it an either or situation? Disney has enough cash pouring in on a regular basis to do it all. They only thing stopping Disney from taking the next leap in immersive themed entertainment is Disney.
February 9, 2015 at 9:49 AM · A Bug's Land isn't hurting anyone. There's enough to do in California Adventure that they don't need the space for another E-ticket ride. There's another empty lot next to Luigi's Flying Tires area that could be themed around a new E-Ticket ride. The weakest Pixar property isn't Bug's, but Monsters. I prefer they dump all references to Monsters. No one would notice. They should raze the entire northern Hollywood Pictures backlot area and install a new E-Ticket attraction plus a decent fast casual dining area. California Adventure is still suffering from a poor layout decisions made in the past.
February 9, 2015 at 4:30 PM · Here's the beef with Bug Land: the rides are horrible. The bumper cars there move slower than any bumper cars on earth. Far too slow to be any fun, for anyone, of any age. Likewise, the teacup rip-off ride doesn't move anywhere near as fast as the teacups, and YOU CAN'T SPIN. The chew train is fine for the little ones, and the flying basket ride is okay, but that's it.

Why would you have a teacup ride that sucks as compared to the teacups??

February 9, 2015 at 5:48 PM · Hmmmm... I liked the Monster's Inc. ride at DCA. Thought it was creative and a lot of fun. Rode it several times. Would love for them to flesh out that entire area with more Pixar stuff - just not Bugs Land style midway kiddie rides.
February 9, 2015 at 5:50 PM · An Incredibles attraction of some sort would be super high on my list for a Pixar expansion!
February 9, 2015 at 9:23 PM · "Why would you have a teacup ride that sucks as compared to the teacups??"

Why complain about a ride that is not the teacups when the teacups is right next door?

The Bugs Land rides are quite enjoyable and unique. They also serve the demographic that wasn't served when the park opened... young kids.

Most interesting the anger wasn't directed towards Monsters. At least it replaced a turkey so it looks much better.

February 12, 2015 at 8:07 PM · I see nothing wrong with the rides in A Bug's Land. I agree with Anon Mouse, the are unique and serve their purpose, rides for young children. That is the main reason why they were added in the first place. The theme is also very well done.

I also enjoy the Monsters Inc ride. It has is more successful than Superstar Lino, and that it all that matters.

Goofy's Sky School is also a much better themed version of what came before it. It's a simple ride for kids and families.

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