Dino Park
Template:Infobox Episode Dino Park is the first episode of Cars on the Road. It was released on September 8, 2022, where it aired exclusively on Disney+.
Synopsis
A dino park visit turns into a pulse-pounding, prehistoric nightmare starring Mater and Lightning.
Story
The episode starts with Lightning racing around Willy’s Butte, very similar to how he used to like with Doc. However, he is soon interrupted by Mater, which surprises him and Mater that he is heading out east to his sister's wedding, surprising him. The rest of the Radiator Springs inhabitants are also shocked by the news with some giving input like Fillmore, stating that Mater is a complicated guy. Mater also reveals that he is somewhat reluctant to talk about his sister as he has not seen her in a while and that the two do not get along very well and claims that he is not looking forward for the trip. McQueen soon suggests they make it a road trip via traveling with Mack. However, Mater insists that it be a "real" road trip with them doing it themselves by taking their time, wandering the backroads, and make new friends. McQueen questions what he has gotten himself into with Sally stating that he signed up to travel cross-country with his friend. McQueen replies that he loves Mater but traveling with him is a lot of Mater. Mater is also shown talking about a previous traveling experience he had which makes the townsfolk laugh. Sally also states that should use a break from both McQueen and Mater. Flo also tells McQueen that Ramone can give him a new paintjob for the trip. Sally questions if McQueen is still going to do the trip with McQueen confirming that him and Mater are "hittin' the road".
While traveling, McQueen and Mater are someway through their trip and they discuss between each other about Mater not mentioning his sister to anyone till now, which Mater responds in fear in talking about her and when McQueen questions him and he says he's not afraid of nothing only to be scared out of the blue when they come across a dinocar model from Cartaceous Gardens, a dino exhibit. McQueen is excited to go to it, especially since Mater picked the last three stops, which included the World's Largest Tire Maze, where both McQueen and Mater tried finding each other in, the World's Largest Lugnut and Car Henge, where the duo escaped the falling stone statues, and it is revealed that Mater is the reason why the statues fell as McQueen told him the signs said "don't touch". Mater is not too fond of a learning exhibit as he claims it reminds him of school.
When they enter the Cartaceous Gardens, McQueen enjoys the stop more than Mater as he proceeds to tell him all the knowledge about the dinocars on display. Mater questions him on why he knows so much and McQueen claims that he spent hours of intense scientific research on them as it proceeds to show a flashback of McQueen watching a documentary in his hauler while traveling. Mater asks if they at least have a snack bar much to McQueen's disappointment and McQueen tells him to give it a chance so that he can learn something as they go inside the visitor center. Mater gets distracted by the on-screen animation on TV and claims that it looks "fakey" to him only to watch the smaller dinocar get chomped up by a bigger one and turns away from the TV.
McQueen and Mater both come up to the fossils and models of the dinocars as the tour guide, Laura, begins to talk about Mimi, Mater visibly and verbally shows that he does not care about what is being discussed to which McQueen tells him to shush and replies with a question about the species surviving the asteroid event. Laura replies with that statement being partially true and says that there were other conditions. During this Mater starts to get tired and falls asleep during Laura's lecture. Mater finds himself back in time as a cavecar, along with McQueen. Mater questions what he and McQueen are doing back in time 50 million years ago and McQueen states that everyone knows that dinocars came before the more advanced models and states the scenario is scientifically impossible. McQueen soon spots a Tyranamissiasaurus Rex and goes to get a closer look with Mater warning him to not go ahead. The Tyranamissiasurus soon spots McQueen and proceeds to pick up to devour him only to have Mater come and rescue him with his stone hook and hits the dinocar. The dino soon drops McQueen and focuses on the two cavecars and chases them down. Soon a Spinocrankshaftorex appears and bites down on the Tyranamissiasurus as they both battle it out with McQueen trying to give some information before both he and Mater escape. Both dinocars fall over while McQueen and Mater try to make their escape with the Tyranamissiasurus capturing McQueen again from his wooden spoiler. Mater goes back and tries to save McQueen from the dinocars but soon awakens from his dream, screaming that he'll save McQueen, while the kids laugh at him. Mater explains what happened in his dream to McQueen which causes him to be weirded out but Mater admits that it was fun learning something new, with McQueen being glad he did. McQueen suggests that they should get back on the road after Mater had his nap. As they leave, McQueen asks Mater where they should go next as he jokingly suggests they should go to the Caverns of Mystery, the Giant Muffler of Mystery, or the World's Largest Corn Palace of Mystery. Mater asks in response with which one is the most educational with McQueen questioning him that he would Mater would be scared that he would learn something. Mater tells McQueen that he is not "scared of nothin'" until a model of a dinocar falls down almost chomping him, causing him to frantically drive away with McQueen following along telling him to wait up and shouts out his name.
Characters
- Mater
- Lightning McQueen
- Ramone
- Fillmore
- Flo
- Sally
- Luigi
- Guido
- Mack
- Laura
- Lizzie (cameo)
- Red (cameo)
- Sarge (cameo)
- Sheriff (cameo)
- Mato (indirectly mentioned)
Dinosaurs
- Spinocrankshaftorex
- Brontosaurus
- Tyranamissiasaurus Rex
- Quadratorquosaur
- Westfalanapus
- Ankylosaurus
- Pitstoposaurus
- Mimi
- Mechaturbonatops
Gallery
- For this subject's image gallery click here: Dino Park/Gallery.
Trivia
- The Cartaceous Gardens' dinosaur films (and, by extension, the dinocars in Mater's dream) are animated in a jerky frame-by-frame style, reminiscent of stop-motion dinosaur films by animator Ray Harryhausen.