Hot Wheels Ultimate Drive-Thru Experience Debuts in December

Source: Mattel/The Toy Book

The Hot Wheels Monster Trucks fleet and the iconic rides from the Garage of Legends are roaring back into action.

Raycom-Legacy Content Co., in partnership with Mattel Inc., will open the gates to the first-ever Hot Wheels Ultimate Drive-Thru event, debuting at Toyota Arena in Ontario, California on Dec.3. Families will experience a special showcase of more than 50 life-sized Hot Wheels vehicles and Monster Trucks on a course that runs more than a mile in length.

“The Hot Wheels Ultimate Drive-Thru was a natural fit for us,” says Ken Hudgens, president and CEO of Raycom-Legacy Content Co. “We are always trying to think of how to best engage Hot Wheels fans, and because we can’t tour the Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live show right now, we wanted to create something new. This Drive-Thru will be a safe way to do something new, unexpected, creative, and fun. This attraction will capture the challenger spirit of Hot Wheels — both in theme with Hot Wheels Monster Trucks and legendary Hot Wheels cars — and the way the whole experience is presented.”

The kid-focused experience will immerse families into the Hot Wheels world as they drive through the course while listening to an educational audio experience.

Source: Mattel

Vehicles from the Garage of Legends will include Bone Shaker, Twin Mill, Deora II, Rip Rod, Loop Coupe, and more. Tiger Shark, Demo Derby, V8 Bomber, and more trucks from the Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live Tour will be joined by the original monster truck Bigfoot and other trucks from the legendary Bigfoot fleet.

“With our new Hot Wheels Ultimate Drive-Thru, we were committed to finding a completely new way for fans to experience our vehicles from the Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live arena show, from the safety of their cars,” says Julie Freeland, senior director of Mattel global location-based entertainment.

In creating the event, Mattel and Raycom-Legacy Content Co. worked to craft enhanced safety measures. Families will be required to follow national and local safety protocols, including staying in their own vehicles and social distancing.

Tickets for the event include a digital photo op and a three-pack of Hot Wheels vehicles with the option to purchase additional Hot Wheels and Bigfoot Toy Packs for an additional fee. The event is open daily for four weeks from Dec. 3 to Jan. 2.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.