Walt Disney Imagineers have plans to include Kathy Copter, the helicopter reporter from the Cars films, in Piston Peak National Park at Magic Kingdom. We had chalked up her appearance in concept art to artistic flourish rather than a planned addition to the actual attraction. That said, during D23 Expo 2026, we spotted Kathy again, this time perched on the dimensional model of Piston Peak inside the Imagineering: Horizons pavilion. When we asked Imagineers about her inclusion in the model, they said she is headed to Magic Kingdom. Here’s the latest!
Imagineers Confirm Plans to Include Kathy Copter in Piston Peak
IN THIS ARTICLE:
- Kathy Copter has shown up in both concept art and the D23 Expo model of Piston Peak National Park
- Imagineers told us her presence in the model reflects a real desire to include her in the finished land
- It remains to be seen whether she’ll be visible from outside Cars Ridge Run Rally or only visible from the ride
A Familiar Face in the Concept Art
Kathy Copter is a minor character from the original Cars film, the reporter helicopter for the Racing Sports Network. She has turned up more than once in artwork Disney has released for Piston Peak National Park, the Cars-themed Frontierland expansion under construction at Magic Kingdom. A small red helicopter matching her design circles above the action in wide shots of the Ridge Run Trail area. She also appears in the snowy mountaintop concept art officially released by Disney.
Disney never confirmed Kathy as part of the attraction’s actual character roster, so we thought her appearances were simply background texture for the art. Concept art can include characters who never make it into the finished ride. A helicopter buzzing around the edges of a painting felt like exactly that kind of artistic inclusion that doesn’t make the final cut.
Helicopter Spotted on D23 Model, and What Imagineers Told Us
That assumption got harder to leave alone at the D23 Expo 2026. While combing over the large, dimensional, scale model of Piston Peak inside the Imagineering: Horizons pavilion, we noticed Kathy Copter again. This time she sat near the top of the model’s snow-covered peak, above the ride path where Cars Ridge Run Rally’s snowy mountain section winds through. The placement stood out, since Imagineering’s Florida model shop built this particular model to a level of detail meant to closely resemble the final product. A now-recurring character placed deliberately near the ride’s snowy summit doesn’t seem like an accident at that level of detail.
We asked Imagineers on hand about Kathy’s presence in the model. They told us her placement reflects a real intent from the creative team to include her in the finished land, not just in concept art and models. That’s a substantial shift from how we’d been interpreting her appearances up to now.
Would Guests Even See Her?
Cars Ridge Run Rally’s snowy mountaintop section sits at the highest point of the ride’s route. If Kathy Copter ends up there, the more interesting question is whether anyone outside the ride vehicle ever spots her.
Disney has leaned on tree cover and rockwork throughout Piston Peak to screen the ride from surrounding areas. A character tucked into the mountain’s upper reaches could end up visible only to guests riding through that specific segment. While we didn’t capture a great angle of her positioning relative to views from Frontierland, we’d imagine that Disney will try to keep her out of view as much as possible. That said, cars with eyeballs will be viewable from within Frontierland proper. More on that later.
Keep Reading
- Imagineers pulled back the curtain on the land’s entire design process at D23 Expo 2026, including new details on both Piston Peak attractions and the research trips that shaped the mountain’s look, in our recap of the Imagineering: Horizons panel.
- Curious whether the mountain’s geysers will cause problems on a rainy day? Imagineer Jason Grandt addressed that concern directly, and the answer involves the ride’s own water-heavy final stretch, in our story on Cars Ridge Run Rally’s rain-ready design.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!