firing on all cylinders

If you haven't been to Disneyland in a while, one of the biggest new features is Cars Land, which opened last June at the Disney California Adventure Park. (I've heard that California Adventure attendance is now outpacing Disneyland Park thanks to the revamp.) The original concept for the area (as "Car Land") was to include cars from many Disney movies, but it eventually morphed into being more tightly themed around only the "Cars" movies, making it the first section in any Disney Park to be themed around a single movie franchise. Second to the Radiator Springs Racers attraction, one of the most impressive features of the area is Flo's V8 Cafe. Its exterior is a faithful recreation of the cafe in the movies, which in turn pulls from car culture and Googie architecture typical of Route 66. I haven't been inside, but apparently I'm missing out. The interior develops Flo's backstory further through several differently themed rooms. And though not similar in appearance, the menu and spirit for Flo's is said to have been inspired by the Midpoint Cafe in Midpoint, Texas, especially the pies. Still, the exterior alone is enough to love, especially the attention to detail. From the Tulsa Tea gas pumps to the neon that fires like spark plugs, its one of my favorite parts of California Adventure.  For some great detail about the process and backstory of how Cars Land developed, check out this post:  Disneyland Gazette: Radiator Springs Reality