Disney Unveils New Frontierland Concept Art, Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island Replaced with Cars-themed Land

Aug 12, 2024 in "Cars Land Magic Kingdom"

Gallery / 3 Photos
Frontierland Concept Art Aerial View

Posted: Monday August 12, 2024 9:08am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Disney has taken the wraps off its massive new Magic Kingdom development and revealed new concept art depicting the new Cars-themed area, and confirmed that Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America will be removed.

Frontierland Concept Art Aerial View

While confirming that Cars will be built directly in place of Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America, no closing date has yet be announced, but Disney says, "Guests will have plenty of time to experience the charm and nostalgia of Frontierland as it is today."

Speaking about the new area, Disney says, "Soon, you'll be able to explore the uncharted territory of the great outdoors with an expansion in Frontierland themed around Pixar Animation Studios' "Cars." It's time to leave Radiator Springs and head west into exciting new locations. To make way for this completely new frontier, the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island will be transformed into vast and rugged terrains for a rally race with some of the world's most iconic racers."

Overhead map showing how the new concept art relates to the current Frontierland. @Coaster Lover

Cars Concept Art

"We are thrilled to create this original Cars adventure and put our guests in the driver's seat as we—quite literally—explore a new frontier in Frontierland," shared Michael Hundgen, Walt Disney World Portfolio Executive Producer at Walt Disney Imagineering. "Part of pioneering this new story includes tapping into the themes of exploration and adventure that inspire so many of us to keep propelling forward. Anytime we touch Magic Kingdom, we recognize the massive responsibility that exists to get it right and tell stories that connect with our guests."

Disney says the new area will bring you along for the ride with a brand-new thrilling rally race through the mountains, climbing trails, and dodging geysers, in addition to a second attraction geared towards fun for the whole family.

Cars Concept Art

Ahead of work revving into high gear next year, guests will have plenty of time to experience the charm and nostalgia of Frontierland as it is today.

Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island

Tom Sawyer Island, inspired by Mark Twain's classic tales, has been a beloved part of Magic Kingdom since its opening in 1973. It offers guests a chance to explore caves, trails, and forts reminiscent of the American frontier. The Liberty Square Riverboat, a nostalgic paddlewheeler that has been operating since 1973, takes guests on a scenic journey around the Rivers of America, offering views of Frontierland, Liberty Square.

Also announced at D23 this past weekend, guests will be able to venture Beyond Big Thunder Mountain into an all-new land dedicated to Disney Villains. Inspired by the wicked characters fans know and loathe, the multi-acre expansion will include two major attractions, plus dining and shopping. Together, these new additions to Magic Kingdom will represent the largest expansion in park history.

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celluloid2 hours ago

Japan's river/TSI is very different and is always busy as well as it's food and beverage. OLC aside, I don't see it changing drastically soon.

Disstevefan13 hours ago

Japan does whatever the heck Japan wants to do. Take Splash mountain for example. If TWDC wants to force OLC to change Splash, TWDC will have to pay OLC bug bucks.

Starship8243 hours ago

It has a dedicated gift shop right next to it. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/shops/magic-kingdom/memento-mori/?CMP=OKC-17901683_GM_wdw_shops_mementomori_NA

Disstevefan13 hours ago

OK then let’s call it the intentional stoppage of maintenance. To me, to stop doing the required maintenance is neglect.

Disstevefan13 hours ago

It’s obvious they were neglecting Dinosaur prior to the announcement of its demise. This is fixing something AFTER they announced its demise when they realize the schedule will slip and they are forced to keep it open longer then they expected. Not the same thing as TSI.

mickEblu11 hours ago

Wow Imminent? Is losing all that atmosphere worth 1 or 2 rides to them? This isn’t an MK situation where they have another expansion pad to connect to is it? See if every castle park went Disneylands route or just lost the back half of the river I could view it as an acceptable evolution of a castle park considering modern day crowds and how much real estate the ROA takes. Losing the front half of the river in any castle park almost feels like replacing Mickey Mouse with Bugs Bunny to me. It’s such an integral part of the theming in that part of the park as well as the castle park experience in general IMO. Not to mention a large part of what sets Disney parks apart from other parks. Another thing to consider, nothing like the ROA will ever be built again in any theme park. That beautiful vista and that much real estate with an island in the middle and multiple boats and attractions moving about. That sort of layered place making and willingness to use that much space in that way will not be happening any time soon. No single cars ride or land could ever top it. Once they re gone, they re gone. At least in our lifetime. Let’s hope it never goes away at Disneyland or Paris. I can’t think of one IP land that does its job better than the ROA does especially at Disneyland. It’s partly due to the stellar design as well as the fact that rivers, trees and boats can be executed organically in a way that a land with living cars, Wizards/ magical creatures or aliens/ spaceships can’t. In Galaxies Edge the ships don’t move. We just hear them taking off on speakers in the bushes. Over on the ROA, Frontierland and NOS the boats move, the trains chug along the tracks and everything is “real.” And you have water, space, kinetic energy etc that can be enjoyed by any passerby. Not just people riding or with the right sightline. That level of immersion (especially with themes/ lands that lend themselves to being executed in ways that feel real and organic) and how they transport you to another time and place makes something feel classic/ timeless. If you get down to it everything at the Disney parks that are timeless have that quality to it/ them in one way or another. This is what used to set Disney apart and they re throwing it away for short sighted goals.

AidenRodriguez73113 hours ago

This new area is now called the "State Parks of America" or "Wilderness of America" boom

peter1143513 hours ago

I guess it’s a good thing those two nearby attractions won’t actually have clear views of the attractions roof. But yeah, you can continue complaining about a problem you’ve made up. Oh and seven dwarfs does have some unthemed roof top. But almost as if it was intentional you can’t see it from in the park or on the ride.

Casper Gutman13 hours ago

Seven Dwarves load is entirely contained in a fully-themed mountain. There is no unthemed roof. It also fits into the theming of the land on all sides of it. It also doesn’t have two elevated, partially outdoors, iconic attractions with clear views of the rides top directly next to it. If Disney was replacing RoA with a top-to-bottom-fully-themed, area appropriate attraction - say Western River Adventure or an American Tall Tale dark ride encased in a mesa that becomes the mountains of upstate New York on the HM side, the decision would still be questionable but there would be a LOT more to defend. The current plan is atrocious across the board.

Disnutz31113 hours ago

Funny that there is no gift shop of any kind for Haunted Mansions and less than 10 related items you can find somewhere else. This was a little shocking when I went in October. It was weird seeing its location but it had more of that Haunted Mansion in the woods vibe that made it work. It also has rundown and broken windows.

Casper Gutman13 hours ago

The Rivers of America isn’t the Mississippi, it’s… the Rivers of America. WDW’s Mansion is set, I believe, in The Hudson River Valley. Along the Hudson River. A River of America. Where there were steamships. Where, in fact, the steamship was largely invented in the early 19th century. Invented at a Hudson River Valley estate. Like the Haunted Mansion. Imagineers used to think about these things.

BrianLo13 hours ago

Definitely and even more so than WDW or DL they have Big Thunder already occupying the island. I think the likeliest ‘doomsday’ scenario for Paris is the riverboat is parked and the back end of the river is filled in. But the front end seems pretty locked to me. I do very much suspect Japan’s River announcement is semi imminent.

Animaniac93-9814 hours ago

I feel like if Paris changes anything about the river it will be very cheap and out of place. Like random Pixar character statues along the river to make it more "Disney" or part of some festival that stick around after

BrianLo14 hours ago

I don’t think anything with happen to Disneyland’s ROA again in our lifetime. Nor maybe Paris, but that’s because nothing happens in Paris. Disneyland’s has already been shrunk and is a legitimate revenue generator thanks to Fantasmic dining packages. Plus for some reason you’d think it was completely different companies operating Disneyland v WDW. It’s amazing how far DLR will go to preserve things when WDW constantly acts like it has run out of space. I think the complaints that WDW cannot seem to figure out how to expand are extremely valid and it’s getting tiresome how often we have to go back to this replacement well. Even if I’ve generally liked most of their replacements, such as MMRR.