Disney Gains Extension for Cars-Themed Land Permit Review Until January 2025

Dec 09, 2024 in "Cars Land Magic Kingdom"

Gallery / 5 Photos
Cars Concept Art

Posted: Monday December 9, 2024 9:25am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) has approved Disney's request for an extension to submit additional information regarding the permit application for the new Cars-themed area at Magic Kingdom. The new deadline for Disney to provide the requested revisions and clarifications is January 9, 2025.

Cars Land Permits

This extension comes after the SFWMD returned Disney's initial permit application in September 2024, citing the need for further details about the proposed modifications to the stormwater management system behind Tom Sawyer Island and Big Thunder Mountain. The permit is critical for ensuring proper water flow and environmental protection during the redevelopment of the area into a Cars-themed land.

The SFWMD granted the extension following Disney's request for more time to address questions about wetland impacts, stormwater management, and mitigation measures for local wildlife.

The additional information Disney must submit includes:

Detailed maps of current wetland conditions and impacted areas.
Clarifications on mitigation plans for wetland disturbances.
Plans to minimize environmental effects on listed wildlife species.

Disney is expected to use the additional time to finalize these details and ensure the application aligns with state and local environmental regulations.

Cars Project Background

At Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D'Amaro, with the help of Tow Mater via video call, announced that a new area inspired by the Pixar Animation Studios film "Cars" will be coming to a reimagined section of Frontierland at Magic Kingdom. "The American West has always been about keeping your eyes on the horizon … believing in yourself, carving your own path, and striving toward success. That goes for miners in the mountains, bears from the country, a princess from the bayou … or a racecar from the big city," Josh told the crowd.

Cars Concept Art

In this Cars adventure, guests will be able to experience two new "Cars"-themed attractions. One attraction will invite you on a thrilling rally race through the mountains. Take on wild terrain as you race across the landscape climbing mountain trails, dodging geysers and — Mater's favorite — splashing through mudholes.

Cars Concept Art

The second attraction will be geared towards smaller guests and will be fun for the whole family. Work on this new space in Frontierland will begin in early 2025.

"As we develop the next generation of Disney Experiences, we're always looking for new ways to tell the stories people love," D'Amaro said. "We're thrilling Cars fans by building on this incredibly successful franchise and creating the next chapter in this story."

Discuss on the Forums

Get Walt Disney World News Delivered to Your Inbox

Brer Panther19 hours ago

Especially since Tiana's Bayou Adventure otherwise has basically nothing to do with The Princess and the Frog.

Ayla23 hours ago

Thanks for the correction.

Chef idea Mickey`=23 hours ago

For the Fact that this iconic view with the Riverboat Backdrop Folklore and Splash Mountain was never built or anything to do with Tiana, inspiration, Louisiana, Princess and The Frog is a Gift in itself and now that it fits more than ever they want to remove elements for another IP environment! That is mind boggling to me.

Haymarket200823 hours ago

*1975

Ayla23 hours ago

No, it opened in 1977.

Chef idea Mickey`=23 hours ago

Yeah but let's say Splash Mountain opened with Magic Kingdom in 1971, maybe they'd build Space Mountain more to the side and worked imagineering ways to hide it best they can although then wouldn't the castle count as nothing to do with Splash. Also didn't Space Mountain also not open with the park in 1971?

Charlie The Chatbox Ghost1 day ago

Very good point! Though Space Mountain kinda throws the idea out lol. The view wasn’t intended to fit the ride 100%, it’s just a happy accident that it works so well. Didn’t even think of the river boat being visible from the top.

Charlie The Chatbox Ghost1 day ago

If you care about that sorta thing, sure. But everywhere else in the park you can see the castle and sometimes even Space Mountain, and the castle itself was meant to be seen everywhere as a waypoint for navigating a park with a bizarre layout. Does it make more thematic sense for all of a land to be self contained and no other land visible from outside it? Sure. It’s way more immersive. Does the Magic Kingdom (or any castle park) actually follow that philosophy? No, so let’s not give them credit for that. Especially not when you’d be seeing a mountain shaped like a cartoon car piston with sentient, eyeball-having cartoon cars driving around it, not something that actually makes visual sense for 1920s Louisiana. Let’s not say one unfitting view is better than the other because of an arbitrary land category (both Tiana’s and Cars push the “frontier” definition to its limits as it is). Now if Piston Peak didn’t look like a cartoon mountain and actually looked realistic/fitting the view of Tiana’s, that’d be a different story. But it does and likely will and they absolutely did not plan on making the view from Tiana’s purely Frontierland.

Chef idea Mickey`=1 day ago

That view alone now that it isn't Splash Mountain screams Princess and The Frog even more. The sight of the Riverboat, the river, the castle in the distance as a gleam of hope being Tiana. Disneyland doesn't have a view with the castle like this neither does Tokyo's Splash! Standing there over the bridge with Happily Ever starting with Tiana singing, it's a starry ✨️ evening it's the closest Princess and the Frog true Disney you would get and Cars will DCA style this real quick!

Chef idea Mickey`=1 day ago

Isn't the peak to the right nearest to Country Bear Jamboree, if so what an eyesoar!

Disgruntled Walt1 day ago

Right, because everyone was complaining about the view from the top of Splash Mountain. I was always so annoyed I was seeing a castle and a spaceport while in the Deep South.