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Disney Permanently Closes Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island for Largest Magic Kingdom Expansion

Removing classic waterways this week paves the way for construction to begin on Cars-themed Piston Peak National Park.

Overview

  • On July 7, Disney decommissioned Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Belle Riverboat, erasing them from park maps and the My Disney Experience app.
  • Construction crews initiated overnight clearing of the former Frontierland waterways to build Piston Peak National Park, marking Magic Kingdom’s biggest land overhaul to date.
  • Piston Peak will feature two Cars-inspired attractions—a high-speed off-road rally and a family-focused ride—set against towering trees, waterfalls, rivers and geysers.
  • Annual Passholders were blocked out over the Independence Day weekend, fueling emotional farewells, social-media petitions and mixed guest reactions.
  • This project inaugurates a broader shift to franchise-driven lands at Disney World, with upcoming Villains Land, Indiana Jones, Encanto and Monsters, Inc. areas planned in later phases.