Overview

• Crews have fully drained the Rivers of America, enabling trucks to begin muck removal and track extraction in the former waterway.
• Backstage laydown yards, drainage infrastructure and tree-clearing zones are already installed to support upcoming demolition and grading.
• This site conversion is part of Disney’s multiyear plan to build Piston Peak National Park, a Cars-themed land, followed by a separate Villains area.
• Disney has not announced opening dates for the new lands, though industry estimates anticipate a 2028–2029 debut.
• The closures of Tom Sawyer Island and riverboat operations have drawn mixed guest reactions over impacts to park experience.