Disney California Adventure's Cars Land built in 'absolute accuracy and authenticity'

ANAHEIM, Calif. (KABC) -- Director John Lasseter spent years making the animated movie "Cars," and its sequel, "Cars 2."

Now he's thrilled that the movies he loves so much have been transformed into a new 12-acre theme park attraction at Disney California Adventure, opening June 15.

"Cars Land at Disney California Adventure is one of the greatest things you've ever seen. I've worked on that for five years," Lasseter said. "We have brought back Radiator Springs from the movie 'Cars' in absolute accuracy and authenticity in everything you see."

Lasseter said he made sure all of Disney's imagineers traveled down Route 66 to get the feel of it.

Lasseter hopes the fictional town come to life, Radiator Springs, really is a happy place to visit. Besides the food, there's fun. Mater's Junkyard Jamboree is just one of the new attractions hoping to make magic with visitors.

Bob Iger, Disney's chairman and CEO, described seeing the movie's town come to life as very exciting.

"This is right next to Disneyland, which is the first park that we ever opened in 1955. We wanted a park that was its next door neighbor to be just as great as that, and that took a lot of investment and a lot of imagination and just a lot of creativity," Iger said during a visit to Cars Land on Wednesday.

The child in Lasseter is already enjoying the ride.

"You've never seen a land at Disneyland like this, where it celebrates just one movie as authentic as this," he said. "You truly are transformed when you walked down the Route 66 main street of Cars Land. You're transformed."

Disney is the parent company of ABC7.

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