A good idea never dies at Disney and a recently discovered new addition in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure has many wondering if an idea originally rumored to debut with the land might actually be back on the table. Could a Sci-Fi Drive-In style restaurant still be coming to the Disneyland Resort?

A non-guest-accessible building near Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree has a new sign painted on it reading “Now Playing at Radiator Springs Drive In Theater. Showtimes at dusk – 2 miles” leading many to wonder if Disney has just unofficially teased an announcement that the sit-down restaurant concept that is so popular in Walt Disney World might be making its debut in California.

With the new Halloween decorations coming to Cars Land this year — plus rumors next year of Disney California Adventure getting Mickey’s Halloween Party and a Radiator Springs Racers Halloween layover — could a new restaurant be another way to help drum up new excitement for the land?

Very early renderings and models for the original Cars Land featured the drive-in restaurant location back behind Luigi’s along the walkway that connects to Hollywood Land. You can see the large boxy building on the top left of the image below from Flick user Michael Huey.


Model of Carsland, California Adventure Expansion Concept Art