Off Road & Other Ride Paths Could be Used for Piston Peak, Gives Riders More Control

In a newly published patent application, we have a few clues about how the upcoming Cars attraction at Magic Kingdom may look, including various ride maps.

Ride Path

We first learned of the off-road track system for the Cars ride in March 2025, but this new patent application indicates there may be more variety for guests to enjoy. Since the ride is designed to be like off-roading, it appears guests may be able to choose from various terrains and ride elements to vary the experience. — Patent Application

We first learned of the off-road track system for the Cars ride in March 2025, but this new patent application (published yesterday, March 12, 2026) indicates there may be more variety for guests to enjoy.

Since the ride is designed to be like off-roading, it appears guests may be able to choose from various terrains and ride elements to vary the experience.

According to the patent application, filed on September 11, 2024 by Derek Lee Howard and Edward Allen Nemeth, guests will be able to adjust several elements of their ride experience. This includes being able to control things like speed, direction, and acceleration, as well as avoiding or engaging obstacles. That could mean navigating the car around rocks or riding over bumps to make the experience more exhilarating.

Given the attraction’s location in Piston Peak National Park, it makes sense that there would be natural obstacles and varying terrain. Per the patent, the ride vehicles will be able to navigate terrain through a track guide wire, and guests will be able to control some elements within a set of parameters. This keeps guests safe, even while guiding the vehicle’s choices.

We saw a test of the off-road track shared by Disney Parks last year as well:

@disneyparks
Real-world engineering meets Disney magic.

According to Walt Disney Imagineer Michael Hundgen at the time, “We’re using a customized production vehicle. It has sensors all over it, and we’re taking it for test drives on our dirt track to gather data on how the vehicle responds to different terrain. This is where we turn that feeling we want into real-world engineering.”

The ongoing Piston Peak expansion is taking over the footprint of Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island, as part of a 14-acre expansion of Magic Kingdom that also includes an area behind Big Thunder Mountain Railroad themed to Disney Villains.

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