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!