Disney Confirms Closure Date for Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island at Magic Kingdom

30 days ago in "Liberty Square Riverboat"

Posted: Tuesday June 3, 2025 11:07am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Disney has officially announced that the Liberty Square Riverboat, the Rivers of America, and Tom Sawyer Island at Magic Kingdom will permanently close effective July 7, 2025, to make way for the new Cars-themed land.


The closure marks the end of an era for several of Magic Kingdom’s original attractions, many of which have been part of the park since its opening in 1971. The Liberty Square Riverboat has long offered guests a scenic journey around the Rivers of America aboard the Liberty Belle, while Tom Sawyer Island has provided an interactive, walk-through frontier adventure inspired by Mark Twain’s beloved stories.

Disney’s announcement confirms that this space will soon undergo a complete transformation as part of the largest expansion in Magic Kingdom’s history. The new Cars-themed land will replace the existing waterways and island, bringing a high-energy off-road rally experience featuring Lightning McQueen and friends into the heart of Frontierland.

Imagineers have teased that the attraction will introduce a brand-new ride system designed to capture the feeling of navigating rugged terrain, hills, and rocky paths — a major shift from the smooth, water-based attractions currently occupying the space.

Guests still have a few weeks left to experience the nostalgic charm of the Liberty Square Riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island before they close for good at the end of operations on July 6. Construction on the Cars project is scheduled to begin shortly after, with major site work already underway backstage.

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    sedati2 hours ago

    I don't think Walt ever dreamed of his company needing to fully foot the bill for every idea built on that blessing of size. (In fact, I believe most of what comprised Walt's "Disney World" would have been paid for by other companies and temporary renters in his EPCOT. Did Walt forsee the need for heavy reinvestment/refurb/refresh cost compounding every ten-ish years. Or the need to basically overhaul/reconstruct what was already built as his world went on (thankfully) past fifty years. Disney World is marveled at for basically having the size and complexity of a city. But, like a city, that means endless maintenance and infrastructure costs for even building, road, pipe etc.

    flynnibus3 hours ago

    Difference is… john hench actually lectured and published on the topic of design. You’re taking from his principles outlined and taught. Not what is happening in the other poster’s claims. We call this apples and oranges

    TrainsOfDisney4 hours ago

    I mean… John Hench is dead too… but I can be quite certain he wouldn’t have approved of the poly tower the way it looks.

    lazyboy97o4 hours ago

    He wasn’t even big on the idea of a theme park in Florida and had no idea what it would contain.

    Disney Analyst4 hours ago

    I have it on good authority that Walt is actually alive, somewhat. He downloaded himself into a super computer his team secretly invented, just below what would become Epcot. This is actually why the lights can’t function and the panels keep lifting. He’s just far too powerful. All plans have come from him the entire time, he just uses whatever CEO is in place as a meat puppet to enact his bidding.

    BrianLo4 hours ago

    He wanted all the space so he could build a city; WDW jumped the shark completely by 1982. Casting your aspersions on him is a fools errand in 2025.

    WDWhopper4 hours ago

    Yeah, you’re right. That’s what Walt envisioned. He wanted all that space (44 square miles) so that in the future they would remove the Rivers of America, the Mark Twain River Boat and Tom Sawyer Island from the the most iconic theme park in the world. How silly of me. 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂 (Look up the word “sycophants.”)

    vikescaper4 hours ago

    It’s not the best photo in the world, but I took this during the fireworks tonight.

    BrianLo4 hours ago

    Oh yea, just the proposition that they didn’t want to clear land, when they are clearing like ?75 acres, rings hollow. The new retention pond is being driven by this project.

    TrainsOfDisney4 hours ago

    They cleared alot for studios too. Part of that was for the new fireworks launch but nothing else was used.

    flynnibus4 hours ago

    It’s not easier - demolition costs money and fitting in an existing footprint is constraining. They do it because they don’t want to keep paying for that thing being replaced… the thing they’ve determined is no longer wanted.

    flynnibus4 hours ago

    Again - you are adding words - “without having to..” is no where in his statement nor implicitly part of it. Nothing in that film script says they won’t remove things. Just stop with the WWWD - dude never even saw this place and has been dead for over 50 years.

    BrianLo5 hours ago

    They are clearing an inordinate amount of land though… I don’t think that’s remotely the rationale.

    Chi845 hours ago

    That doesn’t make any sense. He was saying they would never remove attractions, only add to them?