Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy Now Open in Disney's Hollywood Studios

Vrroooom! over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios because Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy has officially opened! The show opened on March 31 and we were able to get a first look.

Located in the reimagined Sunset Showcase, this 10-minute show allows guests to play the role of a rookie racer. Here, you will learn the rules of the road from the star of the Cars movie franchise Lightning McQueen himself.

Proceed with caution from this point… because there are loads of spoilers ahead!

Finish Line Photo Op at Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy

Just how will your racing education begin, you ask? Well, with a bit of pre-show trivia of course. This will be followed by a song and the introduction of none other than Lightning McQueen.

We doubt you’ll be shocked to note that Lightning McQueen’s animatronics are outstanding. His facial expressions and movements are very smooth and believable.

During the show, Lightning McQueen shares his skills with the help of his state-of-the-art stimulator and wrap-around screen. This screen really helps us rookie racers feel like we are really racing for ourselves!

Of course, the race does not always go smoothly. In fact, the system gets hacked by Cars bad guy Chick Hicks. This is when Lighting McQueen will have to rely on his friends Tow Mater and Cruz Ramirez, to finish victoriously.

FastPass+ is not currently offered for this experience and it does not seem like it will be, but the theater has a large enough capacity that wait times shouldn’t get too long.

Lighting McQueen’s Racing Academy isn’t the only Cars experience you’ll find here at Hollywood Studios. You can also meet Lightning McQueen’s friend, Cruz Ramirez.

There is also a new experience, DJ’s Ready! Set! Party Time!

DJ leads the new DJ’s Ready! Set! Party Time!

DJ is the “ultimate part on wheels.” He now blasts tunes throughout the day for DJ’s Ready! Set! Party Time! This show will get the crowd pumped with Cars-inspired music and games.