Disney Files Construction Permit for Imagineer Trailer Park Near Cars Land at Magic Kingdom
Approximately two months after getting the green light to demolish Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island, Walt Disney World has filed a flurry of permits pertaining to an Imagineering field offices in the Cars and Villains Land project site in Magic Kingdom. This details the latest in this multi-month saga, what this could mean for closing dates and construction, and why we (still) believe this is a mistake.
By way of recap, this follows the previous permit issued by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) in mid-February 2025, giving Imagineering until February 17, 2030 to redevelop the area and modify utilities, make updates to the drainage system, facility renovations, stormwater management enhancements, and more. The underlying SFWMD permit is massive in scale and scope, encompassing over 300 acres around Magic Kingdom and beyond the park.
The project site itself is about 14-plus acres, and will begin with the removal of the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island. In place of these areas, Walt Disney World announced two all-new Cars attractions in a reimagined area of Frontierland at Magic Kingdom and Villains Land expansion at Magic Kingdom, essentially behind Cars Land, and between/behind Big Thunder and Haunted Mansion.
Shortly after all of that was announced at last summer’s D23 Expo, Walt Disney Imagineering got to work filing permits for the expansive project. That involved back and forth between Walt Disney World, Imagineering, Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (on behalf of Walt Disney World), and the SFWMD for a stretch between August and December.
This was finally resolved, as noted above, in Disney’s favor with the issuance of the project approval almost exactly two months ago. As we noted when that was approved, it was not the final permit for the Villains and Cars Lands projects as a whole (not by a long shot), but it was the one that posed the greatest degree of challenge and scrutiny from the state. The rest should mostly be rubber-stamped–including the 6 permits that were just filed. That SFWMD permit was the hurdle that mattered–the only material impediment to the Cars and Villains Land projects.
Which brings us to mid-April 2025, with Disney now filing much more pedestrian permits that lay the groundwork for the substantive work on the project to begin. Walt Disney Imagineering filed new construction permits to “install trailers” with an address corresponding to a backstage area behind Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in Magic Kingdom.
The most significant of these permits is assigned to McGrath RentCorp, a company with a ‘Mobile Modular’ segment that rents and sells modular buildings designed for use as temporary offices adjacent to existing facilities, construction field offices, and various other purposes. The other 5 permits all relate to this–offering fire suppression, HVAC, plumbing, and other unexciting stuff to these trailers.
If all of this sounds familiar, it’s because there were very similar permits for a trailer park and staging area behind Kali River Rapids in support of the Tropical Americas project last spring. I’m sure Walt Disney World would prefer this called a “construction project compound” or “field offices” or maybe something flowery like “Magical Mobile Modules of Magic.” But this is, in essence, a trailer park. A trailer park through which a billion-plus dollar project will flow, but a trailer park, nevertheless.
This trailer park joins the aforementioned one in Tropical Americas, as well as a recent expansion at the STOL Port field office and repurposing of the former Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser behind Disney’s Hollywood Studios into field offices for the Monstropolis expansion there.
All of these are expansions to Imagineering’s presence at Walt Disney World in the last year, above and beyond longstanding field offices in Florida. This follows the cancellation of the Lake Nona Creative Campus, which would’ve relocated Imagineering’s headquarters to Florida (or at least made Lake Nona their largest location).
Despite that, Imagineering currently has its largest presence ever at Walt Disney World. This is significant–and very important, in our opinion–as it means these projects are being helmed by Floridians with decisions being made on the ground in Florida instead of from the comfort of Burbank. I don’t say this to disparage Californians, but as a guest who has often been perplexed by dubious design decisions at Walt Disney World that made me wonder: “was the choice to not have shade or shelter from rain made by a Californian?!”
This is just one of many, many reasons why it’s great to hear that Imagineering has been staffing up in Central Florida. And it’s a process that should be happening fairly organically, especially with development on Universal’s Epic Universe being done and freeing up those creative resources (talent bounces back and forth between Universal Creative and Imagineering on a project-by-project basis). Much better than Chapek’s forced relocation plan. But I digress.
In terms of what’s next, establishment of the trailer park, obviously. That should be a fairly quick and painless process, especially as compared with Animal Kingdom. It probably can be finished in short order, allowing for substantive work to start this summer.
That will begin with drainage, demolition, and lots of dirt moving–not necessarily in that order. There are low-lying areas to the northwest of the Rivers of America, requiring additional work to establish the aforementioned gravel laydown yards. These are a necessary prerequisite to demolishing and filling in the Rivers of America.
There will be three gravel laydown yards in total around the northwestern perimeter of Magic Kingdom. Two will be located beyond the berm, meaning outside of Magic Kingdom guest areas, with the third laydown yard that should be visible from within Magic Kingdom along the northwestern banks of the Rivers of America. These gravel laydown yards will be used for construction equipment, heavy machinery, materials staging, earth-moving, etc.
In addition to the laydown yards, Disney needs somewhere for the displaced stormwater capacity lost from infilling the Rivers of America. Such is the nature of construction in the swamps. This involves creating a new retention pond for water management that’s roughly three-quarters of a mile to the northwest of Magic Kingdom. It’s likely that the ground removed when digging the new pond will be used for filling the Rivers of America. Circle of life and all that.
Once filled in, the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island will form the foundation of Cars Land and a portion of Villains Land. The laydown yards will then themselves eventually be used for future development, including a portion of Villains Land. The water management permits are the first step ahead of beginning substantive construction due to waterways being rerouted and displaced.
As discussed in our latest edition of Walt Disney World’s 5-Year Construction Plan, the site prepwork alone for Cars Land and Villains Land will be a herculean undertaking that will take many months–if not more than a year. Fans will bemoan the lengthy timeline, but Cars Land debuting in 2029 actually seems fairly aggressive given the scale and scope of work. I’d be surprised if we see anything go vertical until late 2026 at the earliest.
As you’re likely aware, Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America have no closing date at present. Walt Disney World did indicate that “guests will have plenty of time to experience the charm and nostalgia of Frontierland as it is today” before construction kicks into high gear. But that statement was last August, and plenty of time has already passed since then.
As for when construction could start, any time after Easter would not surprise me. This is what we’ve been saying for months (since the first permits were filed last August). Now that Easter is almost here, I still think this is more or less accurate.
As we’ve also been saying since then, Magic Kingdom might try to get through Summer 2025 before closing Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America. Disney Starlight Parade is going to be hugely popular upon debut and will need ample viewing space during its opening summer along the promenade in Frontierland. Construction walls up on one side of the walkway would reduce viewing capacity.
Starting the guest-facing portion of the project shortly after Labor Day 2025 is thus what strikes me as most plausible. That gives Walt Disney World all summer with the Rivers of America operating as normal, which might be necessary at a time when a lot will be down in Magic Kingdom. Park leadership may want to push off the project as long as possible given that.
As suggested above, there’s a lot of backstage prep and site work that could be undertaken to establish the laydown yards and new retention ponds. All of this could take months, meaning a long runway before the Rivers of America is drained or Tom Sawyer Island is demolished.
Disney could even install a cofferdam to preserve access to Tom Sawyer Island and the view of the Rivers of America for the entirety of 2025. They’ve done this with cofferdams before–and it could prolong the amount of time fans have to say goodbye to these areas while also reducing visual blight until it’s absolutely necessary. (See photo above of the last time a coffer dam was used during a refurbishment a few years ago.)
In such a scenario, the Liberty Square Riverboat would be first to close, and that would probably happen by Fall 2025. At the very least, Walt Disney World will want to get moving on the back half of the Rivers of America while Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is closed for refurbishment until 2026. But it could mean that the front half of the Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island, and the pretty vista is preserved through the holiday season and into early 2026. I wouldn’t bet on that, but I wouldn’t bet against it, either.
On a different note, this sends yet another signal that Walt Disney World is not pumping the brakes on the Cars Land project. There has been a lot of speculation, wishful thinking, and “rumors” (heavy air quotes) that this project is being reconsidered due to fan backlash.
I have yet to hear anything credible to corroborate this. Everything I have heard suggests the exact opposite. The final plans might differ slightly from the concept art at the top of the post, but this project is happening. I’m not trying to be a debbie downer or whatever to fans still holding out hope that their campaigns to save the Rivers of America will prove fruitful. Just a realist.
The only time I’ve had any pessimism about this project moving forward came when Bob Iger Warned of Tariffs’ Impact on Disney’s $60 Billion Expansion Plans. But as I noted there, it was (and is!) a “be careful what you wish for” scenario. The much more likely outcome is that Disney would proceed with its planned investments, but cut corners due to rising costs or stretch the projects into even more fiscal years. Meaning that the most likely outcome in such a scenario is the worst of all and a repeat of something we just endured at Walt Disney World’s second gate–the creation of a Giant Magic Kingdom Dirt Pit for the next ~5 years.
I’ll wrap this all up by once again reiterating that removing the Rivers of America is a mistake. This is despite the reality that very few guests go to Tom Sawyer Island or ride the Liberty Square Riverboat. Old school attractions are not the irreplaceable value being lost here. It’s not about the admittedly low hourly capacity being lost–it’s the serenity, charming, and distinct sense of atmosphere.
This is something we covered previously in Truly Terrible Decisions Made by Walt Disney World and at length in the commentary to our original post about Cars Land Replacing Rivers of America. If you’re struggling to understand why fans are upset about this, consider reading one of those. I’m not going to fixate or belabor the point here since it’s already been made repeatedly, but this waterway is part of the heart of Magic Kingdom and not just for the guests who actively utilize these attractions.
I will miss this peaceful promenade and still think it’s a mistake that Disney isn’t retaining the waterfront while redeveloping the back half of Tom Sawyer Island and the area that’s actually beyond Big Thunder. But with the green light to proceed with the project and it being clear that Disney intends to do so as planned, I’m nevertheless hoping for the best with Cars Land. It’s going to be a tough needle to thread, but Imagineering can create a National Parks-inspired Cars area with mountains, water, and more that fit in Frontierland. Here’s hoping they can pull it off.
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Your Thoughts
Thoughts on yet another Imagineering trailer park being built at Walt Disney World? Happy that WDI already has its largest-ever presence in Florida and what that means for future project decisions? Disappointed that the Cars Land is still replacing Rivers of America? Given that this is going to happen regardless at this point, do you hope it’s full steam ahead so we don’t have to endure a repeat of the Giant EPCOT Dirt Pit fiasco? Excited or underwhelmed by the plan to replace Rivers of America with Cars land? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? 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 would love to have a California Adventure caliber Cars Land at the Magic Kingdom or elsewhere at Disney World, but not at the expense of the Rivers of America.
Not every Disney World guest has the ability or desire to also visit Disneyland so having a similar Cars Land at Disney World is not an issue to me.
I love the water, lush landscaping, and peaceful, parklike atmosphere of the Magic Kingdom’s Rivers of America and would hate to see it destroyed and replaced.
I’ve always wished that Fantasyland and Tomorrowland had something similar to the Rivers of America as they both have large areas that are ugly, poorly designed, unpleasant, sparsely landscaped concrete and metal jungles.
Disney seems bent on removing as many references to history and traditional Americana from their parks as possible.
It’s stupid to destroy the scenic and gorgeous Rivers of America when there is plenty of space to build Cars Land elsewhere.
If Cars Land must replace any existing attractions, it should replace the lackluster Storybook Circus or equally terrible Tomorrowland Speedway.
I like Tom Sawyer’s Island, but I can tolerate the removal of it as an attraction as long as the island itself remains beautiful, tranquil, and befitting of the area.
The Rivers of America itself should remain. It’s my favorite location at the Magic Kingdom in terms of ambiance.
Destroying Magic Kingdom’s Rivers of America will be the dumbest, worst, most inexplicable blunder in Disney parks history.
Losing Rivers of America is even worse than removing great attractions like Horizons, the original Journey into Imagination, or World of Motion as this doesn’t just eliminate or ruin one ride, but ruins the ambiance of a significant portion of what is the flagship park of both Walt Disney World and the Walt Disney Company as a whole.
The Walt Disney Company seems to regard Disneyland as its flagship park, but the Magic Kingdom is the flagship park in terms of revenue created and attendance.
Well said!
Plus, the opportunity to make it bigger and better than the original Cars Land stuff…
I just hope Disney moves forward quickly and puts these things out of their misery. I recently said my goodbyes to the island and Riverboat and it’s clear Disney has not maintained either for quite some time. Tom Sawyer Island’s buildings and props have deteriorated noticeably in the last decade that a full rebuild would be needed soon anyway. My 9-year-old son, who did have a lot of fun on the island, said that he would like it even more if “everything wasn’t broken.” Even the sad Coke machines at Aunt Polly’s were nonfunctional.
The same with the Riverboat. My mother, who really doesn’t notice these things (or keeps them to herself), and who has 50 years of nostalgia for the ROA and Riverboat, was near tears when she saw the peeling paint, unpolished hardwood floors, and overall grime that has accumulated on the boat and in the River itself.
For all of the gnashing of teeth the likely truth is that the vast majority of day to day guests at Magic Kingdom simply do not utilize Tom Sawyer Island or the riverboat. An attraction from a popular IP, even if it does not currently meld with current offerings in that area of the park, will help reduce crowds elsewhere in the park. The big hope I have however is if the presence of this ride might mean that Tomorrowland Speedway is on its last legs with the maybe/eventual Tomorrowland reimagining.
Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Square Riverboat both have low utilization rates, you are correct about that. I was also recently told both also get low guest satisfaction scores. Not sure how confident I am in the veracity of that, but interesting, nevertheless.
I don’t want this to happen because I think it’s a bad creative decision if we’re treating theme parks as art. But the fans claiming it’s a poor commercial decision are incorrect. Which is another reason why Disney is moving forward despite the backlash.
Death of the Speedway will be yet another EL SUCKO thing.
Anything that puts an end to godawful Speedway is a good thing.
Sorry Andy but once again, you apparently just don’t get it. While I have personally outgrown the need to do the Speedway on every trip, children are thrilled at the opportunity to drive their own race car. It’s so much better than lame rehashes and ruinations like the Ruins of Maelstrom and Splash.
I truly appreciate the lovely photos of beautiful vistas that will soon be gone. Bravo Tom!
Thanks for the kind words. I’ve been spending a ton of time on Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America over the last ~6 months. Hopefully will be able to put together a great photo tribute later this year!
I’ll second the comments on your excellent photos Tom. I’m trying to set up a quick trip extension to a potential upcoming work trip to FL so I can do it one more time at least. maybe even just one MK day and that’s it.
I still can’t believe this is happening! This is the worst and saddest decsion that Disney has ever made. I keep hoping I’ll wake up from this nightmare but it continues.
Tom, you write that “the fans claiming it’s a poor commercial decision are incorrect.” It seems awfully premature to make that claim, doesn’t it? I suspect it’ll be a colosally bad commercial decision. Cinderella Castle and Main Street, U.S.A. offer the closest thing to the charm and beauty of the Rivers of America and all that those waters border. Between them, the castle and street offer essentially no attractions — certainly not popular ones — and hence could be similarly viewed as “underutilized space.” But presumably you wouldn’t grant that replacing them with a couple of crowd-drawing thrill rides would be a good commercial decision. As you have observed elsewhere, people often don’t even realize what specific details or design elements make them love the Disney parks. Without Rivers of America — without Frontierland (which will survive only in name) — many, many people will find that they just don’t love the Magic Kingdom as much — and that will be a commercial disaster for Disney.
I dunno, The Emporium is by itself a crowd draw…
Jeff, Cinderella Castle/Main Street are both crowded spaces, particularly for the fireworks, parades and castle stage shows. They are hardly “underutilized” – quite the opposite! And the entertainment I’ve quoted above undoubtedly enjoy higher guest satisfaction scores than Tom Sawyer Island. There are definitely comparisons to be made about “placemaking” but not utilization. The castle/Main St blow the island out of the water, several times over. It might’ve been different had they placed Fantasmic in the Rivers like at Anaheim.
No, the current version of the Hub is a monstrosity and is too much. They ruined its character when they took out the four large planters that used to be there. Without those trees and the shade they provided, it’s a massive heat sink now. You’re right about it soaking up crowds for the fifteen minutes for showtimes but that’s all it’s good for. As for TSI, you cannot dumb it down to simple utilization numbers. Some things take up more space and that’s just simple reality. It’s sad and pathetic that kids (and I guess most adults now) no longer read or have any imagination.
I understand why you and others hate to see Rivers of America go. But, I am personally happy for it. What’s planned is an upgrade in the grand scheme of things. Does nostalgia win in the original Disneyland. Yes! But, not in the Magic Kingdom stepchild.
No, Stephen, you are incorrect. It’s another poorly thought out, needless change that benefits no one and ruins more theming.
I hate to see Rivers of America go. It’s a beautiful area and one of the attractions that Walt Disney himself wanted. Why nor build the cars attraction in another place? I thought Walt Disney world has lots of land. I’m glad we recently went and enjoyed the riverboat ride. No everything has to be geared to teen rides!! Might as well turn it into just another amusement park! I’m just sad and I know I’m not the only one. Walt Disney is turning in his grave.
MrNico – benefits no one is clearly incorrect; obviously Cars fans will benefit, as well as non-fans who might enjoy the rides.
Connie – the Cars franchise is not aimed at teens. They will be family rides for younger kids. Teens are probably the underserved segment at MK, given that most of the few “thrill” rides they have are not going to be exciting compared to what Universal offers.
No, not at all. Just like the idiotic ruining of Splash, this is a poorly thought out mistake. The ‘reasons’ are absurd and nonsense, much like the absurd BS about Tron construction being the reason for the WDWRR being down for so long. And yes, I am a professional engineer with a lot of construction experience including cranes and in Florida so I do know a lot more about it than the average country bear or apparently any C-level doink at the WDC.
I don’t disagree about Cars being added to WDW, much the opposite. This is just dumb, however. Cars should be at the Studios where it belongs. As far as teens, this Cars ride won’t be exciting for them nearly as much as it will small children.
Jay, no, not at all. Just like the idiotic ruining of Splash, this is a poorly thought out mistake. The ‘reasons’ are absurd and nonsense, much like the absurd BS about Tron construction being the reason for the WDWRR being down for so long. And yes, I am a professional engineer with a lot of construction experience including cranes and in Florida so I do know a lot more about it than the average country bear or apparently any C-level doink at the WDC.
I don’t disagree about Cars being added to WDW, much the opposite. This is just dumb, however. Cars should be at the Studios where it belongs. As far as teens, this Cars ride won’t be exciting for them nearly as much as it will small children.
I am a life long fan, first visit in 1974, and a stockholder.
The ignorant, stubborn Bob Iger is/has single handly destroyed this once iconic company.
The fact that they cant understand what the rivers of America means to the park (beyond just rider capacity, new ride, etc) is telling.
Please give me one example of any guest that requested a Cars ride be put in the middle of MK. However I can assure you many guests have requested the Cars Land from California be put in DHS where it belongs. And which BTW has plenty of room.
Iger no longer listens to guests and is serving his own ego. When everything blows up, of course, he will blame everything else but himself.
My Magic has been destroyed and i take that personally. I detest what is happening.
Funny. I think Bob Iger has been the company’s best chairman second only to Walt himself. Since the pandemic, Disney has hit a rough patch but overall…Igar has done the most to advance Disney.
On my last visit to Disney World, I took the Magic Kingdom backstage tour. The guide had a lot to say about subtle design elements Imagineering built into the original opening day, that guests (even frequent fliers like me) hardly if ever notice, but which have a cumulative effect on their impression of the park. One of them was the fact that Haunted Mansion was very deliberately located exactly on the border of Liberty Square and Fantasyland, since it had elements of both real Colonial-era design (the building) and fantasy (ghosts).
By contrast, when today’s Imagineering wanted to place Guardians of the Galaxy in Epcot, all we got for thematic integrity was a postcard saying Peter Quill visited there as a child. (It’s a great ride but still…)
My hope is that we’ll get 1971’s Haunted Mansion level of thoughtfulness in how they design a transition from the Old West to a fantasy version of 1960s Route 66. It could likely be done: they share a geographic location and both are the subject of modern mythologies central to the American identity. But they are entirely different mythologies of deeply different historical and cultural importance, so it would require thought, deliberation and most of all belief that it matters.
My hope is that today’s Imagineering will rise to that challenge. But my expectation is that they’ll just give us a postcard showing Lightning McQueen once met a Country Bear.
Agree with your comment–both on the potential and likely outcome.
On the one hand, there’s so much they could do with ‘Parkitecture’ from the U.S. National Parks of the American West.
On the other hand, if they cared that much about weaving these stories together, they probably would’ve chosen a different cars attraction. This one just sounds like it’s going to be loud and intrusive–like a modernized, big budget version of Tomorrowland Speedway.
Would love to be wrong about this. Unlike most fans, I do think the concept has potential…if well executed. I’m just skeptical about that last part.
Man , been dreading this, and even your update which is before something official. Praying they keep it open through 2025 for our October trip to say goodbye. This destroys fronteirland, and opens door to clearly likely going after the Americana in MK. I’m done, after the October trip and only wish I could have made it sooner if they do close before. Epic universe will be my destination as the magic of Walt is gone. After that Forbes article I had hoped the backlash had reached a point where they might back off and at least wait to see through Epic opening to resort and rethink. What a terrible terrible decision.
This makes me so sad every time I hear about what they’re doing to one of the most lovely scenes and experiences in the MK. Our granddaughter had a ball exploring Tom Sawyer Island. It was a great place for kids to burn off energy.
The riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island have been an iconic part of MK since the beginning and is so classic as to be forever appreciated by all guests.
There’s nothing memorable or nostalgic about “Cars Land”.
Demolishing the Shooting Arcade for DVC lounge? Turning Splash Mountain into boring Tiana’s Bayou? Now Tom Sawyer Island will be gone forever as will Frontier Land. Can’t wait to see how they’ll ruin BTMRR.
They’ve lost sight of what the Disney parks were created for and I think they want to appeal to the next generation and those that have no idea of what our country’s history and traditions are all about.
IMO Cars Land would have been a better fit for Hollywood Studios but it seems Disney (Iger and his millennial minions) wants to rid the parks of everything Americana.
Just look at the architecture of the Polynesian DVC, The Riviera, Swan Reserve and my goodness the boxy cabins in FW, yikes! Where’s the Disney theming? They just want to appeal to those with big bucks but even those with the money for these hotels will get disenchanted if they all look like a Hilton or Sheraton..
If Disney really wants to save itself they need to get rid of Iger and everyone else that thinks up these insane ideas and hire whoever is working at Universal for Epic Universe.
Unbelievable what they’ve built over there in just a few years. That’s our next trip.
While I take your point, I’m not sure I’d hold Universal Orlando up as the shining example if you’re looking for Americana or highly-themed resorts. The legacy hotels are good, but pretty much everything they’ve built in the last decade mirrors what Walt Disney World has done during that same timeframe. That includes Helios Grand, the in-park hotel at Epic Universe that’s a slightly fancier take on Gran Destino Tower.
Whenever people decide for everyone else what is American culture and tradition, their comment can safely be put in the trash.
I agree completely on this. Folks like Andy, though, apparently just don’t get it. They are the ones who just casually go to a Disney park like any old carnival or amusement park, not appreciating what makes Disney parks actual theme parks, where nobody else has built anything like it. Universal parks are fun but not close to being on the same level of immersion. Even the Harry Potter stuff which is really well done still doesn’t have the same pull to return again and again.
@mrnico – No need to speak for me as you don’t know me at all. If I was a big Universal fan I would probably not waste my time on Disneytouristblog. Much like this particular conversation, actually.
Disney deserves to go bankrupt. Iger is killing the magic. No one wants this. Just like no one wanted the Splash Mountain re-theme. I’d rather Iger get fired and Disney cleans house than Rivers of America being taken away.
In this case, much like others, ‘Reimagined’ = ‘RUINED’.
Such a sad, sad day for us all. So dumb.
The question I keep asking myself — and I’m curious what your answer to this question is, Tom — is WHY Disney isn’t listening to fan backlash on this. And it’s not just the backlash heard but the backlash anticipated, as they announced this pretty much on the sly, knowing how unpopular it would be.
The costs of developing fully beyond the Rivers of America would be prohibitively expensive. That seems to be it, first and foremost–that they cannot build everything they want for $17 billion without going this route. It’s also of medium to long-term strategic importance.
From what I’ve been able to gather, there are also other considerations, including not wanting to expand the footprint of the park too much in order to keep it easily navigable (“too much walking” is an incredibly common complaint about WDW) and also avoid recurring maintenance/upkeep expenses.
I would hazard a guess that there are other considerations at play, too, but those are the ones I’ve heard.
Thanks for the thorough answer, Tom. I think the real price they’ll pay for this, in lost charm and lost appeal, will be a lot more than $17 billion. I think it’s the worst unforced error Disney has ever made at any of its parks.
I was just at WDW for the springtime surprise and the day I spent in MK, I made sure I took the time to take a couple of laps on the liberty bell and run (walk actually) around ton sawyer island for a long time . Those two attractions represented some of the best times I had at MK as a kid in the 80’s. My grandmother would bring some knitting and sit on a bench while my brothers and I would run around the island.
On my second lap on the belle, I spoke to one of the CMs and they were genuinely disappointed that rivers of America was being closed. I agreed with their sentiment and then we talked about the steam engines for a while. A nice nostalgic time. Oh well, maybe cars land will be worth it.