NEW MILEAGE FOR DISNEY’S CARS

Disney/Pixar’s Cars 2, was widely regarded as a disappointment, both critically and financially, when it was released last year. But it now appears that Disney is going to get additional mileage out of the franchise that could turn it into a big moneymaker yet — thanks to its revamped California Adventure theme park adjoining Disneyland in Anaheim. On Friday, opening day for the park’s new Cars Land expansion, 43,000 visitors showed up, rising to a record 45,000 on Sunday, according to the Disney blog Miceage.com. However, the Los Angeles Times reported that one of the most popular rides, Radiator Springs Racers, broke down — twice — on Friday — and that some visitors had to wait as long as 5 1/2 hours to ride it. Suzi Brown, a Disney spokeswoman, told the newspaper, “During the initial opening period for a new attraction, it is not uncommon to experience more down times than with other attractions while we are testing and adjusting.”