No Mickey Mouse Operation: Disney’s Autopia Goes Electric With Honda

When Disneyland opened in 1955 in Anaheim, California, the theme park’s Autopia ride was a popular attraction. Imagine the thrill of a small child driving a real (albeit miniature) car, working the gas pedal and steering wheel just like an adult. Autopia still exists but is getting a major makeover.

For decades, oil companies like Richfield and Chevron have sponsored the ride. Now, Honda has taken over sponsorship, and bowing to pressure from environmental groups and others, Disney has decided to ditch the gasoline-powered tiny cars and replace them with electric vehicles (EV). Aside from minimizing exposure to noise, fumes, and pollution, Disney’s switch to EVs matches the auto industry’s move to electrification. 

Disneyland’s Autopia ride in 2005. Image used courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Adding Electric Vehicles to Disneyland

The Disneyland Resort planned to reduce its emissions by replacing 121 gasoline engines with hybrid gasoline/electric systems, according to South Coast Air Quality Management District records dated May 2009. The move would showcase the industry’s interest in electrically powered drivetrains. Unfortunately, the plan never happened, and for the past 15 years, guests and Disney workers have continued to get their daily dose of gasoline exhaust fumes while the vehicles added carbon dioxide to the planet’s greenhouse gas inventory. 

The ride got a makeover in 2016 when Honda came on board. It would have been a good opportunity then to move to electrification, but gasoline power remained in place. Disney has said it plans to be net-zero on carbon emissions at the Disneyland Resort by 2030. Although the timeline for Autopia electrification isn’t clear, the company has indicated the EVs will be in operation within two to three years.

Electrifying Americana

It’s hard to imagine a ride saying more about the U.S. than Autopia. The attraction’s scenic roadway winds along a special track with an undercarriage rail to keep the vehicles on course. Drivers can view park attractions such as the Matterhorn, and Honda’s humanoid robot makes a cameo appearance along the route. 

Autopia through the years. Video used courtesy of Disneyland Resort

Throughout the years, the ride has operated, the vehicles have been updated to reflect the auto industry’s latest models and the roadway has been modified, but Autopia remains an homage to Americans’ fascination with the automobile. When Autopia becomes electrified, it will introduce a new generation of children (and potentially adults) to the next generation of automotive propulsion.