Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters

By
Betsy Malloy
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Betsy Malloy
Betsy has been writing about California for nearly more than two decades as TripSavvy's expert on the state.
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Updated on 07/19/19

What happens when a bunch of 1950s-era cars of Italian descent get into a traffic jam? When those vehicles are 20 cousins of the "Cars" film's Luigi on vacation in Radiator Springs, dancing breaks out.

The ride uses a trackless system where the path is set, but it doesn't feel like it. And the ride is engineered to make the experience a little different every time you go on it. The ride feels chaotic at first, but near the end, all of the roadsters get organized into a synchronized dance routine that ends with a flourish.

01 of 03

What You Need to Know About Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters

Ride Vehicle for Luigi’s Rockin’ Roadsters at Disney California Adventure
Paul Hiffmeyer/Disneyland Resort
  • Location: Cars Land
  • Rating: ★★★
  • Restrictions: 32 inches (81 cm) and children under age seven must be accompanied by someone age 14 years or older
  • Ride Time: 90 seconds
  • Recommended for: Everyone who's tall enough
  • Fun Factor: Some riders say it looks cuter from the outside than when you're on it.
  • Wait Factor: When the ride was new, lines were longer, but wait times have settled to 30 minutes or less on the average.
  • Fear Factor: Low
  • Herky-Jerky Factor: Low
  • Nausea Factor: Disney doesn't give any warnings about the motion, but the cars move in slow circles, and sensitive individuals could find it dizzy-making (but hopefully not puke-provoking).
  • Seating: Ride vehicles look like cute little two-seater cars. Each one has one row with a seat much like an old-fashioned car's bench seat. It can accommodate two adults. 
  • Accessibility: This ride is wheelchair and ECV accessible, but you'll have to transfer to the ride vehicle by yourself or with help from your companions. More about visiting Disneyland in a wheelchair or ECV
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02 of 03

How to Have More Fun

Riding Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters
Paul Hiffmeyer/Disneyland Resort
  • Luigi is a Rider Switch attraction, which allows multiple adults who are visiting with a child who can't (or doesn't want to) ride to experience it without having to wait in line twice. One adult waits at the boarding area while the other rides, then they swap places. Tell the Cast Member at the boarding area if you want to "swap off."
  • If you're lucky, you may be in a car that gets pulled into the middle of the pack for a solo moment with all the other cars spinning around you, but there's no way to predict which car will be the lucky one.
  • For a little extra fun, join other riders who will likely be waving their arms in the air and cheering in the final spin.
  • Part of the fun of this ride is something you can't get while you're on it. Take a moment to stand at the rail fence outside and watch those little cars dance.

You can see all the California Adventure rides at a glance on the California Adventure ride sheet.

While you're thinking about rides, you should also download the essential Disneyland apps (they're all free!) and get some proven tips to minimize your Disneyland wait time.

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03 of 03

Fun Facts

Ride Vehicle for Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters
Paul Hiffmeyer/Disneyland Resort

This ride has a trackless ride system that uses wireless location technology instead of fixed metal tracks. That allows the vehicles to move in more complex and exciting ways, while not crashing into each other.

Disneyland was the first American Disney park to use that technology, although it had already been implemented in Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Paris.

The ride has five songs and eighteen paths, creating multiple combinations of movement that will each be different. LA Times theme park writer Brady MacDonald said this about his test rides: "Every car weaved, spun and jerked along a predetermined path that felt as random as a bowl full of spaghetti." He thought the cars were so cute that he wanted to drive one home.

Luigi is based on a Fiat 500, but the cars in the ride are manufactured by the fictional Frizzante car company, inspired by vehicles like the Fiat Jolly or Autobianchi Bianchina. Each one sports a unique paint job. Half are done up as girls and half as mustached guys.

In case you're wondering what "rollickin'" means, it means exuberantly lively and amusing or to behave in a carefree way.

The ride first opened as Luigi's Flying Tires, which featured oversized tires that were supposed to fly. The problem was that many visitors never got them to do that. In 2016, today's version with the cute little dancing cars replaced it.