Patently Perfect: Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree

In 2007, Disney announced the major renovation and expansion of Disney California Adventure featuring an entire land devoted to the vastly popular Pixar movie Cars. The renovation and expansion would take place over 5 years and cost $1.1 billion. On June 15, 2012, the Disney California Adventure reopened with Buena Vista Street and the new Cars Land with three attractions – Radiator Springs Racers, Luigi’s Flying Tires, and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree.

Inspired by Mater’s fun with the baby tractors in the movie Cars, Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree is a square dance of baby tractors with Mater as the Master of Ceremonies. Mater calls out moves to seven custom square dance songs to all the tractors as they swing and dance in a figure eight pattern. The baby tractors pull free swinging carts that nearly miss each other during their dance pattern.

Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree is a new twist on the classic whip ride. The original whip ride was patented in 1914, and would whip rider’s cars around two corners. Fast forward to 2010 and Disney Enterprises, Inc receives a patent for a Cable Tow Whip Ride with Inside Curves. Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree swings riders in both directions where other whip rides only swing in a single direction. The ride path also provides a variation on the traditional whip ride. Baby tractors dance in and out of each other’s paths providing exciting near misses.

Disney continues to reinvent classic rides to offer a new experience for young and old alike. By inventing new types of rides and re-imagining classics, Disney continues to entertain guests. Searching through Disney’s patents and applications gives fans a glimpse of what’s to come and look behind the magic of their favorite attractions. What sort of patents would you like to see? Something old or something new?