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- Autopia
Autopia
En route vers le futur!
You're the proud owner of a futuristic new Astrocoupé 9000, a vision of the future from the 1950s, so why not take it for a spin?
Speed around the pleasant, tree-lined highways of tomorrow, past towering cityscapes and teasing billboards for the latest must-have innovations.
- Minimum height to drive: 1.32 m (4' 4")
- Physical restrictions
Drive real petrol-powered vehicles around a futuristic autoroute as imagined in the 1950s.
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Opening Date
12th April 1992
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Attraction Type
Driving circuit
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Duration
4 minutes
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Capacity
2 Test drivers per Astrocoupé car, 60 cars
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Category
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Wait Time
-
Suitablility
- Children 3-7
- Children 8-12
- Young Adults
- Adults
- Seniors
Trivia
- In designing the Autopia cars for Disneyland Paris, the Imagineers needed a concept which would certainly look futuristic yet not become outdated too soon. And so, as with the whole of Discoveryland, they looked to the past — specifically to Walt Disney's Magic Highways animated short of the 1950s, which was in turn inspired by science fiction dreams of the 1930s. The cars and their surroundings of miniaturised skyscrapers and towering billboards are all designed in a strong Art Deco style.
- The attraction was originally sponsored by toy manufacturer Mattel until the contract expired in 2002 and fuel company Esso took over, despite already sponsoring Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril in Adventureland. In 2008, the contract changed hands again as motor company Ford took over in a much more active sponsorship role, which saw new signage on the attraction's marquee tower and a brand new photo location behind the Autopia test car, featuring a colourful futuristic cityscape.
- Autopia was one of the original Disneyland attractions in 1955 and can be found at all five magic kingdom parks worldwide, though at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida is goes by the name Tomorrowland Speedway and at the newest version at Hong Kong Disneyland, the cars are finally electrically-powered!
- Disneyland in California had at one time no less than three different Autopia attractions! Alongside the classic Tomorrowland Autopia (1955), the smaller Junior Autopia opened in Fantasyland in 1956 and was followed immediately by the surprisingly-named Midget Autopia in 1957, a self-driven track ride for — you guessed it — smaller children. Midget Autopia closed in 1966 to make way for the arrival of "it's a small world", whilst the Tomorrowland Autopia and renamed Fantasyland Autopia remained open until 1999 when they were combined to form a single, definitive Autopia in 2000.
Interchangable airfoils, wheel covers and bumpers mean that each of the 60 Astrocoupés is unique!
Tips
- Test-drive your Autopia racer earlier in the day for a shorter wait, since other guests will head to more popular attractions and the petrol-powered cars will be less prone to failures.
- A "grandstand" of comfy stools are provided in the main circular entrance of the attraction, overlooking the highway below.
Advice
- Minimum height to drive: 1.32 m (4' 4")
- Minimum height to ride: 0.81 m (2' 8")
- For safety, you should be in good health and free from back or neck problems, or other conditions which could be aggravated by this adventure, which can see vehicles gently bumping into each other.
- Expectant mothers and those wearing an orthopaedic device or surgical collar should not ride.
- Transfer required. Must be accompanied in order to assist in transfer to the ride vehicles, which are low to the ground and have limited room for manoeuvre.
