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Disney Recasts Frontierland, Permanently Closes Rivers and Island for Pixar’s Piston Peak

Imagineers shift the land’s purpose away from the Old West toward broad Disney storytelling values.

Overview

  • Disney Imagineers say Frontierland’s guiding vision no longer centers on American frontier history, focusing instead on themes like dreaming and personal folk tales.
  • Tom Sawyer Island, the Rivers of America, and the Liberty Belle Riverboat are permanently closed to clear space for the new Piston Peak area.
  • Piston Peak is described as a Cars/Planes-inspired land with national park-style lodges, a high-energy rally attraction, and Pixar characters.
  • Tiana’s Bayou Adventure now anchors part of the area, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is closed until 2026 for an overhaul, and Country Bear Jamboree has been reimagined as a modern musical experience.
  • Coverage notes mixed fan response, with enthusiasm for new IP-driven attractions and concern over the loss of the land’s Americana identity.