How Much Do You Need to Know?

Update: I’ve since seen all three Cars movies.

I have a confession to make. I have never seen the movie Cars, or any of its sequels. It’s not that I have anything against Lightning McQueen, it’s just that I have never gotten around to seeing it. I’m already compiling a list of movies that I plan to finally watch once Disney+ is available, and Cars is near the top, when I find time.

Whew, it felt good to get that off of my chest. Believe it or not, there is a reason why I mention this. Even though I only know bits and pieces of what Cars is all about, I still love the Cars offerings at Walt Disney World and also at Disneyland. Cars Land at Disney California Adventure is brilliant, it truly makes me feel like I’m visiting Radiator Springs. Here in Florida, I really enjoy Lighting McQueen’s Racing Academy. I don’t need to be overly familiar with the movies in order to get lost in the story on the screen in front of me. Don’t get me started on the Cars section of Disney’s Art of Animation! I love walking through there, the theming is close to perfect.

My point is this. I’ve heard a lot of people say things along the lines of “I don’t like Indiana Jones so I’m not going to bother with the show” or “I haven’t seen Avatar so I’m not going to visit that land”. If you skip these or other movie-related activities you will end up missing out on some of the best parts of Walt Disney World.

You know what? I haven’t seen Avatar either, but I love Pandora. The theme of the land really does transport me. One of my favorite things to do at Walt Disney World is to visit Pandora at night and just enjoy the surroundings. I don’t need to have seen the movie, I can create my own scenario in my mind.

Don’t dismiss something because you aren’t familiar with the story behind it. You don’t need to have seen hours of Mickey Mouse shorts in order to enjoy a hug from the big guy himself, you don’t have to know who C-3PO is to let him be your pilot, and you don’t have to be able to name all seven dwarfs to see them working in their mine. Don’t skip something because you don’t know what it’s about. You might miss something that could become a favorite.