In just a month my daughter will be starting preschool – I can’t believe it! I’m so excited for her, but also this transition feels bittersweet. While we wills till have our Mondays and Fridays free without school, I will miss having everyday free with her, so to make the most of our last month before this little girl starts school for the first time, we have been having special Disneyland dates. Our most recent one? A day in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure! Cars Land is hands down one of her favorite parts of Disneyland Resort, since it has two of her favorite rides (Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree and Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters), as well as meet-and-greets with Lightning McQueen and Mater.

Rather than just stopping by Cars Land for a little bit, we spent the whole afternoon in Cars Land doing all that Cars Land has to offer for a toddler! First stop, Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree – this ride looks pretty tame but is actually quite thrilling! Amelia always loves going on it (she’s a bit of a thrill seeker). The line tends to be around 20 minutes most days, and has some super cute photo ops in the queue:



Sporting her Souvenir Mater hat
After Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree, we headed to the cones – where you can meet Mater and Lightning (they rotate every half hour) as well have some snacks (including churros, ice cream, pop corn, and elote). You can also pop into some of the shops, which are designed to look like Route 66 pit stops – you can find souvenirs for adults, as well as plenty of Pixar Cars toys for the little ones. Also in Radiator Springs you can find Flo’s V8 Cafe, which is Cars Land’s quick service restaurant with a 1950’s design and food (including some delicious milkshakes).


Just past Flo’s V8 Cafe is Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters, a trackless ride where you are in Italian cars that “dance” – another great ride for kids and adults! The line typically is 20-30 minutes long even on a busy day, so it’s pretty doable with a toddler. There is a third ride in Cars Land, also the largest, called Radiator Springs Racers. It has a height requirement of 40 inches so my daughter hasn’t ridden it yet, but I know she will love it when she can! Until then, the backdrop of Radiator Springs Racers makes for an epic photo opportunity! At dusk, little ones can dance to DJ (a DJ car, of course) as he plays some amazing tunes – the Flo’s waitresses join in the fun as well.

in line for Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters

The photo op of Radiator Springs Racers!
It was such a great time spending the afternoon with my little one in the immersive Cars Land, where you instantly feel like a kid again – it will definitely be a pre preschool day I’ll treasure!

