Disney has confirmed that Autopia, the opening day attraction that fulfills the wish of small children to drive cars, will be electrified at some point in 2027. This post shares details, closing and likely reopening timeline, former Imagineer Bob Gurr’s take on overhauling the ride, and what should be done with this ride at Disneyland and Tomorrowland Speedway at Magic Kingdom.
The latest development in this years-long saga comes via the Orange County Register, which reports that Disneyland Resort has signaled the start for its replacement of Autopia’s gas guzzlers. The new report confirms that Disneyland is finally moving forward with plans to replace the gas-powered cars at Autopia with a fleet of fully electric ride vehicles.
The OCR indicates that Disneyland has reached an agreement with the California Air Resources Board to retire the attraction’s current gas-powered engines in early 2027, and replace them with fully electric vehicles. The Autopia change is being pitched as part of the Walt Disney Company’s broader environmental initiatives. Specifically, net-zero for greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 at Disneyland Resort, with company-wide efforts focused on cleaner energy usage and reducing its overall carbon footprint.
This move will mark arguably the biggest changes in the history of the iconic attraction, which debuted alongside Disneyland in 1955. Autopia has undergone multiple refreshes over the years, the attraction’s gas cars have remained a constant that has anchored the ride to its Walt-era roots.
Walt Disney Imagineering is currently developing, engineering, and testing a prototype for a fully electric Autopia vehicle according to Disneyland Resort officials. Frankly, I’m not sure just how much development, engineering, and testing of prototypes is necessary. They’ve been at this (allegedly) for over 2 years, so the wait until early 2027 seems more about Disneyland running out the clock on the current incarnation of the attraction–and perhaps more importantly, it’s sponsorship deal.
Not only that, but Imagineering has already done this at Hong Kong Disneyland, which had (past tense) a version of Autopia that used electric vehicles! So it’s not as if Disney would really need to reinvent the wheel on this one…just do what they already did back in 2006.
Disneyland has not yet announced specifics about the closure date, refurbishment or reimagining timeline, and reopening date. It’s possible there won’t be a closure at all; that this will truly be a phased project that happens while the attraction is operational. That’s what it sounds like based on OCR’s reporting.
Personally, I would strongly bet against that. It seems likely that Autopia will need infrastructure updates and that Disneyland and Imagineering will take this opportunity for a lengthy refurbishment, and changes to give the attraction a marketable refresh with those (presumed) sponsorship dollars. A veritable “new car smell” if you will.
We also wouldn’t be surprised if it’s taken offline for an extended period of time for some operational cost-savings as an offset, of sorts, against the upgrade costs. Disneyland and even Walt Disney World have gotten away from this approach, but it’s still within the realm of possibility, and what almost happened with Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue over at DCA earlier this year.
My guess is that the gas guzzler version of Autopia closes in early 2027, as opposed to the new version debuting then.
The agreement between Disney and the California Air Resources Board would revolve around the phasing out the gas-powered vehicles, not introducing the electric ones. The state doesn’t care whether Autopia is electric or closed for refurbishment; that side of the equation would make no difference to the California Air Resources Board.
I’d further guess that this ends up being a multi-month closure, starting after the holiday crowds subside in early January 2027 and debuting around the start of Summer 2027. For reference, the last big closure started January 11th and ran through April 28, 2016. Purely speculative, but I’d look at that as the minimum timeframe for a project of this nature, and wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if it takes much longer than that.
If this news sounds familiar, it’s because the original announcement came via a long-winded piece from the climate columnist for the Los Angeles Times back in April 2024. At the time, the author mentioned “several weeks of my prodding the company for answers on the future of Autopia” before publication. Finally, he received the following statement from Disney:
“Since opening with Disneyland park in 1955, Autopia has remained a guest-favorite most popular with young kids experiencing driving for the first time,” spokesperson Jessica Good said in an email. “As the industry moves toward alternative fuel sources, we have developed a roadmap to electrify this attraction and are evaluating technology that will enable us to convert from gas engines in the next few years.”
Back then, Disney provided no timeline or other details–only a vague statement that they’ve developed a roadmap, are evaluating technology, and it will enable them to convert from gas engines in the next few years. To me, it read less like a concrete plan by Disney and more a way to assuage the author’s concerns while still being fairly non-committal to anything.
Disney Legend Bob Gurr is the original designer of the Autopia cars, and perhaps the most prolific living former Imagineer. (Gurr is basically a rockstar, and you should make every effort to hear him speak about…anything…if you have the opportunity.) Gurr was blunt about what Disney should do with Autopia: “Get rid of those God-awful gasoline fumes.”
In speaking with the LA Times, Gurr also expressed a grander vision for Tomorrowland as a hub for stories about renewable energy, public transit and other sustainable technologies that will help us create a better tomorrow. He says it’s time for an Autopia where guests “don’t smell the fumes, don’t hear that racket of the little motor going putt-putt-putt.”
Gurr contends that guests would enjoy a Tomorrowland with brighter colors and more kinetic energy, where they could “hear these whirring sounds like little tiny jets and turbines all over the place.” Gurr added that he’d “love to have really sexy-sounding electric cars.” None of this is the least bit surprising if you’ve ever talked to Gurr or even heard him speak. Even today, he’s very forward-thinking with eyes on the future rather than the past.
Turning to commentary, I’m fully on board with converting to EVs in Autopia and Tomorrowland Speedway and have been since first riding the far superior attraction at Hong Kong Disneyland over a decade ago. Even then, it seemed so obvious that the versions of the ride at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom were stuck in the past. Not necessarily from an environmentalist perspective, but in terms of the guest experience. Autopia at HKDL was actually enjoyable!
We’ve often “joked” that Tomorrowland Speedway is a great way to enjoy loud noise, vehicle exhaust stench, and incur some mild brain damage. I suppose that’s all part of the fun–everyone knows cognitive abilities are overrated. (This blog is proof positive of that!) We barely even ride either version of the attraction anymore, save for the holiday overlay.
Given that, we’re not exactly in a rush to get Megatron on the attraction. Thanks to the tucked away location of Autopia at Disneyland, we’ve managed to steer her clear of it despite weekly visits to Disneyland (somewhat against all odds given regular visits to the adjacent Tomorrowland lounge). The only Autopia she’s been on thus far is the one at Disneyland Paris, the central location of which makes it completely unavoidable.
Back when it was announced that Tomorrowland Speedway would be closing ahead of TRON Lightcycle Run construction in 2018-2019, our hope was that Imagineering would take the opportunity to convert the attraction to electric and use the HKDL Autopia fleet and other props that had been salvaged from that extinct attraction. Obviously, that did not occur.
Autopia is one of many attractions that’s better at Disneyland, thanks to its more engaging track, lush environment and interconnectedness of Tomorrowland. It also received new life back in 2016, with the addition of ASIMO and Bird–two characters who now appear in show scenes thanks to the Honda sponsorship. Even then, I remember rumors/wishful thinking that Autopia would be converted to EVs.
Back when the LAT report was published in Spring 2024, I guessed that Autopia would be due for another update around 2026-2027, which is likely also when the current Honda deal ends. That either they’d reup and commit to funding an EV overhaul, or Disney would find a different sponsor for the attraction. The most likely outcome is Honda returning as sponsor–the company has a long partnership with Disneyland and is probably one of the resort’s biggest corporate alliance deals.
It seems like this take has aged like fine fossil fuel, as over 2 years later, the timeline is finally starting to form, and it turns out it’s going to come to fruition in 2027. All of the above is also our basis for expecting that this is not an overnight switch. Since Autopia is still on the sponsorship model, Disney will extract a bit more than just electric vehicles from the agreement, and the automaker sponsoring the attraction will want more in terms of advertising for its investment.
What I’d instead like to see instead is Disneyland partner with an upstart EV maker. For the longest time, Tesla was the target among fans; it was all wishful thinking, no actual rumors. And that made sense, as the brand was the darling of Southern Californians and there was a sea of Teslas in Burbank and Glendale lots. It’s safe to assume there’s no longer any chance of that happening given Elon Musk’s past remarks (etc.) about Disney.
Personally, I’d love to see a partnership with Rivian, the newer EV maker with an eye-catching design. It’s an acquired taste that isn’t for everyone, but it would translate really well to Autopia cars that you aren’t going to buy and drive daily.
This company is based in nearby Irvine and has a strong presence in Laguna Beach, where their flagship showroom is located. Rivian is actively involved in Southern California communities, too. Disney has started to tout working with local businesses more frequently, making this a good match.
Beyond that, what I like to see happen is Autopia shortened. The ride takes up a ton of valuable real estate at Disneyland, and at least some of that could be put to better use when the old Innoventions building is inevitably demolished.
I don’t know to what extent Autopia could be condensed since the monorail winds above it (and I wouldn’t want to lose any of that), but I’d imagine its entrance could be moved to accommodate a larger plot for expansion.
When it comes to Walt Disney World, my dream is for Tomorrowland Speedway to bite the dust entirely. I know this is a controversial opinion or hot take that’s often criticized by parents as overlooking how important the ride is as a rite of passage for kids.
Now that I’m a parent, I feel like I have more latitude to say: yes, it’s a rite of passage, and also a massive waste of space. And at Walt Disney World, it’s also going to be a bit redundant when Piston Peak Cars Land opens. It’s been my assumption since that was announced that it was the precursor to replacing Tomorrowland Speedway and unlocking that parcel of land for Fantasyland and/or Tomorrowland redevelopment and expansion.
Just look at what Tokyo Disneyland did, replacing its Grand Circuit Raceway with Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast and the Happy Ride with Baymax. In fairness, those attractions occupy more than just the former speedway plot, but there’s also more to that expansion than just those two rides.
The point is that it’s a massive amount of real estate in Magic Kingdom that could not only become a couple of attractions, but also offer a better transition from Tomorrowland to Fantasyland and open up more pathways to TRON Lightcycle Run so it doesn’t feel isolated from the rest of the park.
Finally, I’d love a modernization of both Tomorrowlands. For me, this simply looks like rolling the look back to the mid-century Space Age design of old. Bring in Googie architecture, and add flourishes of biomimicry and the end result is a design that’s retro-futuristic and timeless.
Disneyland announced the above new entrance back in 2019, and almost 7 years later, all that’s been accomplished is construction walls. This type of modernization would work well on both coasts, and address the perpetual Tomorrowland problem. This has been on my wishlist for the last few D23 Expos…we’ll see if 2026 is the year it finally gets announced. Or rather, if it gets announced and actually happens this time.
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Your Thoughts
What do you think of Disney ditching the Autopia gas guzzlers for electrified vehicles? Hope that it’s just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to Tomorrowland changes? Would you like to see Autopia or Tomorrowland Speedway replaced entirely, condensed, or remain untouched? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
