Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy was a show attraction based on the Cars franchise in Sunset Boulevard at Disney's Hollywood Studios, which opened on March 31, 2019, as part of the park's 30th anniversary celebration.[1] The show took place after the events of Cars 3.
The show was housed in Sunset Showcase Theater near Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith. On September 3, 2024, it was announced that the final performance of the show will be permanently closed on October 7, 2024, to make way for an all-new Disney Villains-themed stage show, Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After, which will be open in Summer 2025 at Disney's Hollywood Studios.[2][3][4]
During the 10-minute show, guests took on the role of "rookie racer" as they entered the theater and watched a Lightning McQueen animatronic on stage. The audience was enveloped by a giant, wrap-around screen that was nearly two stories tall and stretched more than 200 feet from end to end.
Lightning was anxious to show what he's learned over the years, but his main rival Chick Hicks hacked into the simulator system to humiliate him. Mater, Cruz Ramirez and Lightning's friends from Radiator Springs chimed in with their support, as Lightning geared up for a challenge to settle the score with Chick Hicks in a virtual simulator race.
