Disney Files Patent for Ride System That Could Fit Piston Peak

Disney has filed a new patent that could describe the headliner attraction planned for Piston Peak National Park at Magic Kingdom. Patent US 2026/0072453 A1, filed yesterday by Disney Enterprises, Inc., lists Derek Lee Howard and Edward Allen Nemeth as the inventors.

The patent’s abstract outlines a ride system where vehicles traverse uneven terrain along multiple paths. Riders will have a degree of control over their vehicles as they move through the course. According to the filing, “user control may be configured to select the chosen path and adjust a speed and a direction of the ride vehicle along the chosen path.”

Of course, that freedom won’t be unlimited. With multiple vehicles sharing the course, a fleet controller can override guest inputs when necessary to keep everything operating safely.

A different kind of Cars ride

The concept aligns nicely with what Pete Docter, Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer, shared during last year’s The Future of World-Building at Disney panel at SXSW.

“This isn’t Lightning McQueen on a Piston Cup speedway. It’s more like Midnight Run with Smokey through the wilderness of Cars 3. Imagineers had to figure out a way to put our characters in a space they’ve never experienced before on screen, racing over rocky terrain, ascending mountain peaks, dodging geysers.”

In other words, this ride will be very different from Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Adventure. As excellent as that attraction is, riders there don’t determine their path or speed.

Multiple paths through the wilderness

Radiator Springs Racers is certainly reridable thanks to its beautiful scenery and high-speed finale. But Magic Kingdom’s upcoming attraction could offer a different kind of repeatability. With guests determining their path, each ride could play out a little differently.

The patent even outlines what riders could encounter on this different paths, including “hills, valleys, undulations, berms, bumps, rocks, stumps, puddles, potholes, shrubbery, trees, debris, or the like.”

A diagram included in the filing illustrates that variability:

The ride vehicles (104) are seen on course, navigating multiple paths (220) and uneven terrain (218). Guests can opt for the easier route (224) or a more difficult path (218).

The filing also notes that the ride system is designed to “simulate a real-world environment (e.g., a desert terrain, a forest terrain, a mountain terrain, a grassland terrain, a back road terrain, a highway terrain, etc.).”

Disney is clearly casting a wide net here. Not all of those environments would fit inside Piston Peak National Park. But if the system proves successful, and based on this patent, it sounds promising, it could easily be adapted for other parks around the world.

Guide wires and limited control

So how can Disney give guests some control without letting them drive completely off course? According to the patent, the answer is guide wires. These wires could run down the center of the path or along its edges, positioned beneath the surface, embedded in the track, or even mounted above it. Sensors in the ride vehicles would detect those lines, preventing guests from straying too far off the intended route.

That approach doesn’t entirely line up with what Imagineer Mark White said during an episode of We Call It Imagineering last year.

“The vehicle is going to steer itself through a track system.”

The clip also shows a ride vehicle model attached to what appeared to be a traditional track, complete with obstacles. Yesterday’s patent filing, however, describes a system that seems less dependent on a fixed track and allows for some guest control.

So what does that ultimately mean for Piston Peak’s rally race? I’m honestly not sure yet. But if even part of this concept makes it to Magic Kingdom, Imagineers are building something special. Allowing guests to choose their path through the wilderness could make this one of the most reridable attractions Disney has ever built.

Read more: Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin Returns April 8 with New Ride Photo