Cars Rides Replacing Rivers of America & Tom Sawyer Island at Magic Kingdom
Walt Disney World has announced that the Cars attractions coming to Magic Kingdom will replace the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island, fully eliminating the waterway. This post shares details, concept art, and everything we know about the plan–plus commentary about why this is happening and the good, bad and ugly of this news.
To bring you up to speed, this past weekend at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro revealed exciting new details about what’s coming to Walt Disney World. Two of the highlights were exciting news about Monstropolis and the Monsters Inc. Doors Coaster as well as Villains Land in Magic Kingdom.
Alongside that, one of the biggest announcements involved a Cars reimagining of Frontierland. According to Walt Disney World, 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.
As part of a new update, Walt Disney World has now revealed that in order 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.
In case you didn’t quite grasp it the first time, this means that the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island will close. The Cars expansion is not going Beyond Big Thunder–at least, not in a material way–it’s filling in the Rivers of America and replacing the land that’s currently Tom Sawyer Island.
Here’s new concept art showing the new Cars section of Frontierland:
“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.”
The new area will bring you along for the ride (pun intended) 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.
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.
And cruising just around the bend, 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. Walt Disney Imagineering is pushing creative boundaries to dark and mysterious levels to bring this new, first-of-its-kind land to life.
Together, these new additions to Magic Kingdom will represent the largest expansion in park history.
Turning to commentary, the Parks Panel at D23 felt a little too good to be true. That there were a few important details purposefully withheld, like the location of Monstropolis at Disney’s Hollywood Studios or how Cars and Villains would fit into Magic Kingdom, that would’ve sapped some of the energy from the room.
When it came to the Cars and Villains Land announcements, I had already assumed that, in order to accommodate both expansions, some of the Rivers of America will be lost in the process. That was also true with prior concepts that had been floated for Beyond Big Thunder. It was never entirely a beyond the berm expansion.
As I wrote in the Cars commentary, my guess was that a lot of the Rivers of America would be consumed by the expansion based on the potential size and scale of these two areas, along with Josh D’Amaro and Imagineers using the word “reimagining” in addition to “expansion” to describe the project. That also explains why Imagineering has yet to file the permit, despite indicating it would happen soon back in April. Because once the cat is out of the bag, as it is now, sentiment is going to sour on this project to at least some degree.
It wouldn’t have bothered me at all if Tom Sawyer Island is becoming Tom Sawyer Peninsula and the Rivers of America is shortened. Eliminating the dead ends at Haunted Mansion and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad would be hugely beneficial from a crowd flow perspective, especially with all the people these two new lands are going to draw.
However, that’s not what this is. There will be no more Rivers of America or Tom Sawyer Island. They’re goners.
It’s not exactly paving over paradise to put up a parking lot, but it’s kinda close. This will replace tranquil waters and a lush area that offered a lovely escape from the crowds and chaos of Magic Kingdom for almost the exact opposite of that. Loud cars racing around and attractions that will undoubtedly draw those huge crowds.
Disney is undoubtedly making this decision from a guest utilization perspective. These two Cars rides will be hugely popular, and effectively expand the capacity of Magic Kingdom in the same amount of space.
It’s no secret that the Liberty Square Riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island don’t have the hourly throughput numbers as most attractions in Magic Kingdom. Eliminating them reduces operational and maintenance expenses on attractions and areas that are underutilized and don’t offer as much operational ‘bang for buck’ to the company, so to speak.
Because of this, some fans will likely be entirely okay with this decision to eliminate the Rivers of America–as is their right. Even many longtime guests have probably never even been over to Tom Sawyer Island or done a lap on the Liberty Square Riverboat. Others probably have done so infrequently over the years, and will do these new Cars attractions more. This is necessarily true–hence the ‘underutilized capacity’ term.
From my perspective, this also at least partially misses the point. Theme parks are not just the sum of their ride rosters, to be raced around and checked off one by one. They are as much defined by the spaces in between; by the absence of attractions, too.
The Rivers of America, Liberty Square Riverboat, and Tom Sawyer Island are incredible assets to Magic Kingdom not just for the guests who actively utilize these attractions. They offer serenity and delightful atmosphere even to guests who simply walk along the waterfront promenade, stopping for a moment to catch their breath and take in the view.
It’s impossible to quantify this. That’s precisely what worries me. Sometimes Disney’s decision-makers view the parks as figures on a spreadsheet, and from that perspective, it’s easy to overlook “underutilized” things that are incredibly important to the Disney theme park experience from a holistic perspective.
It’s the little moments we treasure just as much as a ride on Big Thunder, and it’s the little details or quiet moments that become indelible parts of our memories from visits to the parks over the years. These little things might seem superfluous on paper, especially when the alternative is expanding the park and growing capacity by thousands guests.
By viewing the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island as underutilized real estate that’s expendable, Disney is missing the forest for the trees. Spaces like these are what help define our days in the parks, giving us little moments to pause and absorb the big attractions and experiences we’ve enjoyed. These things and places are what keep us coming back.
There’s a long term price to be paid for viewing the parks from the perspective that every square foot must be put to its most efficient use and have its capacity maximized. That’s too myopic of a view, and ignores the practical reality that guests form impressions based on the totality of their visit, with those little things or counterprogramming adding as much as the E-Tickets.
If everything is go-go-go, the guest experience as a whole can suffer. And that’s true even if the individual attractions replacing the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island end up having higher guest satisfaction scores.
There are some things that are impossible to quantify–that guests just absorb, even without realizing it. If this sentiment sounds familiar, it’s exactly how we describe the value of atmospheric entertainment–the energy can be felt subliminally even if not consciously. It brightens the mood, even if unknowingly.
It’s the exact same idea with the Rivers of America.
There’s no guest satisfaction “metric” for how many guests per day walk along that waterfront promenade, pause for a deep breath, smile and take a photo. I mean, technically there is a metric–the ones wearing smart watches probably see their heart rate drop a little, but Disney’s survey team isn’t seeing that data. (Hopefully.)
It could be an indelible moment burned into their memory, or, more likely, a fleeting bit of happiness. But it still mattered. It was important to their day as a whole. Most critically, it was a much-needed reprieve from the often stressful nature of the world’s most popular theme park. This has long been my perspective on the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island–that they are invaluable assets that serve as counterprogramming to give guests an expand from the paved pathways and hustle and bustle of Magic Kingdom.
I speak from experience. This waterfront promenade is one of my favorite places in all of Magic Kingdom, and we have so many memories of this waterfront walk late at night with a cool breeze coming off the Rivers of America, or early in the mornings as the sun flitters through the trees. It is one of those places in the park that allows us to slow down, take a deep breath, and soak up our surroundings. Maybe that makes me biased, and overly sensitive to losing the Rivers of America when the average guest reaction will be: “Who cares? Bring on Cars!”
I don’t think that will be the prevailing sentiment among Walt Disney World diehards. And I’d also like to think I’m a realist.
That’s precisely why I would’ve been okay with shortening the Rivers of America and potentially making it Tom Sawyer Peninsula, even if that meant major modifications or a permanent docking of the Liberty Belle. Because doing so also would’ve met guests where they were, removing a ‘barrier of entry’ for Tom Sawyer Island (so many guests never visit simply because the rafts over are a hassle) and allowing more kids to burn off some steam in that play area.
Meanwhile, the waterfront promenade and the ambiance it added still would’ve been there for guests to enjoy while walking past the main drag of Frontierland. It still would’ve accomplished the same goals from a guest decompression perspective. If anything, the Tom Sawyer area would’ve been appreciated by more people since it would’ve been easier to access. All while offering up space for expansion. A win-win compromise for all.
Obviously, that’s not what Walt Disney World has elected to do. So I cannot say I’m fully on board with this idea right now.
To be clear, I’m not suggesting I’ll dislike the Cars area or I’m suddenly anti-Villains Land at Magic Kingdom because of this. My feelings about the Cars attraction remain mixed (more on that in a future post since my 4:30 am commentary didn’t properly articulate it) and unequivocally positive about Villains Land in a vacuum. But I also think: not like this. They should’ve tried to thread the needle better, not sacrificing a serene section of the park that’s more of an asset than they likely realize.
I’m also not foreclosing the idea that I’ll change my mind. It’s impossible to ascertain atmosphere from concept art. Maybe the promenade that I love so much will be present in some form, or will have a spiritual successor. There do appear to be waterfalls and waterways, so perhaps those will provide a sense of serenity, natural beauty, and kinetic energy.
This Cars area all could be great in a totally different or even similar way. There are flashes of the Cars concept art that give me National Park vibes, and I like that (even if other flashes of it remind me of extreme sports). I’m willing to ‘wait and see’ and withhold full judgment. (What other option do I even have? It’s not like I can single-handedly stop this!)
For now, though, I’m a bit shell-shocked by the decision to fully eliminate the Rivers of America, and worried about how that could irreparably damage the feel of Magic Kingdom. I really hope Disney is not making this decision lightly, is focused on more than just increasing capacity, and is giving Imagineers the resources to do this right.
If we’re losing this area of the park, it had better be worth it. The marquee Cars attraction needs to be as good as Radiator Springs Racers, the themed design of the area must be superlative and in keeping of the rugged spirit of Frontierland, and the new area must have great kinetic energy and atmosphere.
They cannot deliver two overly-short attractions, a sea of concrete and some trees, along with a concept that feels at-odds with Frontierland. This has gotta be strong. They have to make the skeptics (like me) concede we were wrong about ever questioning the wisdom of replacing the Rivers of America. And I absolutely will do that if they’re able to deliver. I would love nothing more than to eat crow. I’ve gotten used to the taste over the years.
Finally, instead of being singularly fixated on increasing capacity, I wish Walt Disney World would endeavor to eliminate stress. When it comes to this, there are the usual suspects–screen time, lines, ride breakdowns, etc. But another one is offering up lovely places to decompress that bring smiles to the faces of guests.
Some of those decision-makers should go inside one of the massive Magic Kingdom quick-service restaurants during the middle of the day and count all of the people not eating anything. Just sitting there with their heads on the tables or attempting to ‘rest and recharge’ in about the most chaotic environment possible. (Nothing says ‘recharging’ quite like the midday rush at Pinocchio Village Haus!)
I’m not kidding. One important goal should be getting these people out of the loud and unpleasant restaurants and into actual serene spaces that offer nice ambiance and actually will allow them to mentally refuel for a brief bit. Walt Disney World needs to understand that Magic Kingdom is a world-class theme park, and those two words have meanings beyond just the fanciest and most modern rides. There should be a concerted effort to not just keeping it a “park” but enhancing that angle. It may not be captured on guest satisfaction surveys, but it’s as big a part of what separates Disney from an average amusement park as the envelope-pushing attractions.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What is your reaction to this announcement that Walt Disney World is replacing the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island with Cars rides? Do you think the two all-new Cars rides coming to Magic Kingdom are “worth it”? Do you agree or disagree with our sentiment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I could forgive losing the boat and the island, though both are sad. But losing the water – and the sense of calm, cool and space that it brings to the busy MK is such a mistake. And to replace it with a literal and deliberate dustbowl???
To be a Disney fan is to commit to your heart being broken somewhat regularly. That promenade is probably my favorite walking area in any of the domestic parks. I’m pretty dang sad.
And here I thought Journey of Water was kicking off a new era of walkthroughs. Just a fluke, I guess. I worry we’re entering an era where the only attractions that will exist are the ones that will justify their existence through LL monetization.
Just a quick programming note: I’ve been doing D23 stuff nonstop since last Wednesday and *just* got home. I still have a lot of catching up to do on substantive content, which will be my focus for the next couple of days.
I’m also incredibly underslept–pulled my first all-nighter on Saturday in a long time–so please excuse typos, incomplete/poorly considered thoughts, or just flat-out poor writing (more so than normal) for the next couple days.
From a practical perspective, this means minimal responses to comments for the next couple of days. So if you have a question or are expecting a response from me, you might save it for later this week. Obviously, if you just want to add to the discourse or engage with other readers, please keep commenting away!
Thank you for all your work!
I’ll be here for the content whenever you get to it… and willing to overlook any “interesting” grammar or wording…
Thank you for all you do and get some rest!
I am so heartbroken! We visit the island almost every time we visit the parks.
Such a wonderful way to escape and watch the parade.
I hope they reconsider and leave a piece of the island and some water.
Not surprised about the all-nighter and totally understand the “just getting home.”
When I saw all the articles you wrote AND more importantly the depth of thought in each one, I knew what you must be going through to accomplish such a Herculean task. My God, the massive amount of words, I haven’t even had time to read everything.
Your fans are appreciative and love you for it but unless they’ve done something similar, they can’t know what it takes to accomplish what you are doing. What you’ve done is insane. There are so many blogs and vlogs out there but without question yours is THE best. You humble me. And I know what I’m talking about.
PS when you get a chance check your emails.
Reimagining Splash to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure left so much potential to reimagine that entire area to New Orleans Square. Disney could have added jazz music and a character dining experience to the Riverboat and reimagined Tom Sawyer Island to include other attractions/shopping/dining/character meet and greets that are New Orleans/Tiana-themed to utilize the island and riverboat to their fullest potential. I’ve only been to the island once, but I LOVE strolling along Rivers of America on every single visit to MK and watching the fireworks from that area, as well. It’s so serene and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of Main St. Please don’t take away the tranquil waterway!! Why not reimagine Tomorrowland Speedway to a Cars theme? Cars just seems so out of place in what is now Frontierland. It would be directly across from Tiana’s Bayou. No cohesion whatsoever. I’d prefer to have themed lands instead of a mish-mash of unrelated attractions thrown together in the same area. C’mon, Disney, you can do better than this! Reimagine Frontierland to New Orleans Square and the bayou, then once you stroll past TBA, step into Villians land. Or better yet, reimagine Big Thunder to Cars and that whole area beyond as Cars land for a seamless transition from the bayou, and give Villians land its own park/5th gate, because there is so much public interest and potential in this land, it WILL need room for future expansion! Just my thoughts. I could go on and on!
I agree with Tom on this also. We never went out to the island much but we did walk the waterfront often and is a great break from all the noise and traffic everywhere else. This is a huge loss for those of us that have been going for many years. Anyone want to venture a guess on how much a ticket to Magic Kingdom will be after all of this? We don’t go nearly as much as we used to because of the cost, and with inflation likely to be with us for the next few years, it will be interesting to see how all of this turns out. The parks just reported less than stellar numbers so the solution is to spend more money and tear things down. OK.. I think the solution for us in the future will be to just be to bypass MK all together and spend more time in EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.
I do agree, one of my most magical memories of DLP is getting lost in the caves, and it would be so easy to justify removing them.
That said if it allows them to add the rides a few years sooner and get capacity up quicker then I can appreciate the trade-off.
Totally agree with the whole “negative space” destressing thing, and like you I think they could have found a way to add attractions without entirely destroying the character of the area. But who knows, maybe it will end up checking all the possible boxes. I think for me, the alarm over this is about my general sense in recent years that not enough of the people making decisions about designs/improvements/changes at WDW are people who actually understand and enjoy WDW. As you alluded: this seems driven more by spreadsheets than by wanting to expand the Magic Kingdom in a thematic, coherent, sensible way.
… of course, MK is my least favorite park and will certainly solidify its hold on that title during the construction phase of this. TBD what completed Villians and Cars areas do to the rankings.
also, the parenthetical is hilariously terrifying here, Tom: “I mean, technically there is a metric–the ones wearing smart watches probably see their heart rate drop a little, but Disney’s survey team isn’t seeing that data. (Hopefully.)”
Walt Disney World keeps ripping out their playgrounds! It must not be important to them. As a kid I loved the rides and shows just like anyone, but I also spent a TON of time at the playground/interactive attractions.
– Tom Sawyer Island
– The Original ImageWorks
– The Wonders of Life
– Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playset
2 of those are shuttered. 1 is completely gone and 1 is leaving soon. Yes, the new ImageWorks is something at least but it’s a shell of its former self. Journey of Water is new and great, which is a surprise to me how that ever got off the drawing board. I’m was a little too old for The Boneyard, but guess what thats going soon too! My kids love exploring Tom Sawyer Island, and I do too! Yah maybe in my teens I didn’t care, but as a kid and now in my 30’s, it’s so amazing. The disconnect right now between WDI and myself is very concerning.
I couldn’t agree more with this. Losing the river and the island is a sacred part of the park, one that goes back to its origins and beyond just straight-up IP. Haunted Mansion and Pirates were that at one point, too.
What a mess. Especially to be replaced by the gaudy Cars IP. Depressing.
I can see by looking at the comments that I am not the only one appalled by this.
The only word I can come up with for this is disrespectful. I know the parks are not museums and will always be changing but bulldozing the beautiful rivers of America and filling it in with dirt for Cars? Cars? Really?
I have tried to not rush to judgment when they changed country bears but this is a bridge too far.
This is also, in my opinion, the difference between how the company treats WDW vs. DLR. They would NEVER bulldoze the rivers of America at DLR. I know it’s used for fantasmic and so they can’t touch it, but even if that were not the case, they would never fill in the river that was part of the original design for the park. To shoehorn in Cars, for goodness sake. But at WDW, it seems that nothing is untouchable.
It’s amazing to me how WDW with the supposed “blessing of size” always seems to be getting rid of things to add new attractions, and DLR, wedged between a few city blocks, manages to add without taking away (runaway railway, galaxy’s edge). I don’t know what the rationale is.
My only glimmer of hope is that the outcry against this is HUGE. I wonder if Disney will listen and revise the plans. I don’t think Josh D’Amaro wants bulldozing through the Magic Kingdom to be his legacy.
I find this actively very disappointing, and agree with Tom pretty much entirely. I consider the river one of the most important parks of the park, both from an aesthetic and atmospheric perspective. And replacing it with *Cars* of all things? Feels like Disney is trying to be Universal Studios, which is a mistake. They’ll never Universal better than Universal.
HORRIFIC IDEA! I don’t ever reading or watching anything about racing cars in the old frontier. As suggested elsewhere cutting down the rivers of America space & a peninsula to Tom Sawyer Island, maybe. Remember the mistakes made in the past when the numbers were considered more important than the people
Perhaps this is hyperbole, but this honestly feels one step below bulldozing Cinderella’s Castle and replacing it with some family spinning rides to increase capacity. Something iconic, something wholely unique to Disney Parks, something you just don’t see at any other theme park, and something that defines a land is being removed by number-crunchers for a quick buck. Villains Land is one of the best announcements Disney has made in years, maybe even decades, but this announcement is the worst. It makes me question if I should ever even return to the parks.
Agreed. If they do this, Universal is looking better!
Your point about removing stress from the parks can’t be understated. You need the breath of negative space to allow the energy of other spaces to exist in contrast. And couldn’t agree more that much of the magic exists in vibe and mood, both of which Rivers had it spades. Some of my favorite Disney pics are truly insane sunsets we experienced at Rivers.
Here’s to hoping the imagineering teams learn from what I feel are pretty gnarly design mistakes in the Walt the Dreamer area of Epcot. I adore the statue itself and all it represents, but the walkway and fountain area that descends down from it ended up being a mishmash of competing design aesthetics and horrible flow. It feels like such a missed opportunity, as it could have been a stunning breath of mood and magic at an incredible location in the park.
As always, fingers crossed!
Tom
Is that plan final ? I mean, can they change their mind and go a different route or is it too late ?
The artist rendering looks uninspired and frankly ugly.
I find extremely ironic they should get rid of one of the original areas and build a « legacy » Walt Disney animatronic.
Wow. This is really really bad.
Looks like Disney’s stupid and destructive contract with Pixar to shove its mediocre IPs all over the parks strikes again. They really ought to buy that thing out or something.
Disney wholly owns Pixar, the same as Marvel and LucasFilm. There is no “contract” to buy out.
I am heartbroken, literally have been in tears over this. I have never been on the riverboat or on Tom Sawyer island but removing the River is going to ruin the ambiance of the park. Do you think there is anything that can be done? Would a petition help? Is it too late? I can’t stand this. I have canceled both trips I had planned and likely won’t ever return if they go through with this. I am all for adding new things I am as excited about the new rides as anyone else but the entire reason Walt scouted all that land is so this kind of thing wouldn’t have to happen. There is enough space to keep the river and add the new attractions and then some.
I agree with Mike. although a lot of people talk about it, I find almost no one actually on the Riverboat or actively doing Tom Sawyer Island. I understand & enjoy tranquil & beautiful areas of the park but both those places are just things to walk past in my (unpopular) opinion. I have done both of them once years ago & never felt the need to go again. I’m fine with putting something fun in there instead. But I do agree that a nice tranquil, relaxing, shaded & pretty spot (with LOTS of seating) would be welcome & I think Tomorrowland Speedway would be perfect for it. Add trees, shade, a fountain or 2, LOTS of seating, and let people decompress between Fantasy Land & the hub bub of Tron & Tomorrow Land.
I agree that this is a terrible idea. We always use a trip to Tom Sawyer Island and ride the Liberty Belle as a mid-day opportunity to refresh from the hustle and bustle of the rest of Magic Kingdom, and the riverfront area is always one of the best places to relax.
At the very least, if they go through with this, I would suggest they salvage what they can of Tom Sawyer Island and relocate it to the Fort Wilderness campground, where it would fit in thematically and help compensate for the loss or River County many years ago.
The thing that makes Tom Sawyer’s Island special is that sense of emergent adventure and exploration that it evokes so uniquely. It doesn’t feel like a guided experience, it feels like a discovery you’re making all on your own. As a kid I found this magical, and even today it’s one of my favorite experiences in the whole resort. It’s unshowiness is part of what makes it special. It’s particularly sad that today’s generally over-chaperoned kids won’t be able to have that same experience and sense of freedom. Really gutted to learn this – especially when this so obviously should have replaced the Speedway instead.
“Not like this” Tom you nailed my sentiment exactly. Take a stroll between Mine Train and the Little Mermaid. Then walk the board walk from Liberty square to Tiannas. Its a night and day difference in ambiance I’d expand that Disney would actually benefit from more locations like Tom Sawyer’s Island. Visiting WDW with children is a completely different experience then visiting as a Disney Adult. The kids end up spending so much time in lines and in crowds, it gets overwhelming quickly. Tome Sawyer’s island is the only area of the park were Children can escape the crowds, run around and explore. TSI affords kids an area where their imagines can take control, vs simply experiencing what the attractions wants them to feel. The tactile, open world nature of exploring TSI is a massive part of its success. Exploring the caves was easily a top 3 highlight from our families first trip to WDW 3 yrs ago (kids were 7 and 5). We will forever cherish the picture of the four of us in the illuminated skull rock deep underground below Tom Sawyer’s Island. To all those who skip TSI, I understand why, but you are missing a big part of what makes the Magic Kingdom so special.