Disney World Gets Permit Approval to Replace Rivers of America with Villains & Cars Land
South Florida Water Management District has given Walt Disney World the final green light on its permit for the demolition of the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island at Magic Kingdom, laying the groundwork to replace the space with Villains & Cars Lands. This details the multi-month saga culminating in this approval, what this could mean for closing dates and construction, and why we (still) believe this is a mistake.
The permit was issued by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) on February 17, 2025, and expires in 5 years if not otherwise extended. This means Imagineering has until February 17, 2030 to redevelop the area and make modifications to existing utilities, pavement upgrades, updates to the drainage system, facility renovations, stormwater management enhancements, and much more.
The area encompassed by this permit is massive. It’s not just the 14-plus acre project site, but a total of 300.82 acres around Magic Kingdom area and beyond the park, including 61.93 acres of wetland and surface water impacts. As we’ve mentioned repeatedly, the Rivers of America/Beyond Big Thunder project is much more ambitious and impactful to stormwater displacement (SFWMD’s primary concern) than the counterpart Tropical Americas project, which is mostly a reimagining that Disney felt was grandfathered in to existing applications.
In case you’re unfamiliar with these plans to replace the Rivers of America, Walt Disney World announced two all-new Cars attractions in a reimagined area of Frontierland at Magic Kingdom during D23. Along with this, they officially announced Villains Land expansion at Magic Kingdom, essentially behind Cars Land, and between/behind Big Thunder and Haunted Mansion.
Subsequent to D23, Walt Disney World revealed that the Cars area will actually replace the Rivers of America, meaning that Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Square Riverboat will permanently close. This news let a lot of the air out of the tires from Walt Disney World’s otherwise blockbuster night, as fans had previously believed this was bona fide park expansion Beyond Big Thunder.
Within days of the D23 announcement, Walt Disney World filed permits with the SFWMD relating to stormwater displacement modifications and the creation of construction laydown yards. The SFWMD permit encompassing this project is the “407 Basin Stormwater Modifications” project.
After Disney filed its first permit with SFWMD back in August, the district responded with an extensive Request for Additional Information (RAI) that sought changes, clarifications and other answers or modifications to the plan.
After getting an extension on the RAI deadline, Walt Disney World provided an extensive packet of information on December 19, 2024, which included a 23-page letter along with countless more pages of maps, plans, appendices, and updates to previously-filed documents.
If you’re really curious about all of this, head to the SFWMD ePermitting page and enter “407 Basin Stormwater Modifications” as the project name in the search. There’s a bunch of stuff there, including the aforementioned 23-page letter, original proposal and the newly-issued Individual Environmental Resource Permit No. 48-111503-P.
In reading all of the SFWMD correspondence on various projects since ~2017, the larger scale and scope of this proposal is immediately obvious, as is SFWMD’s greater scrutiny of it. Since we’ve been covering Walt Disney World, this is the biggest project we’ve seen. Definitely from a stormwater displacement perspective, but probably period.
The approval and issuance of this permit means Walt Disney World has now sufficiently addressed all of the SFWMD’s concerns, adequately answered questions, and made (minor) changes/clarifications to the proposal. All of this addresses the wetlands and environmental impacts of the demolition as well as the stormwater management and new water drainage systems. The project complies with Florida water quality standards, Clean Water Act, etc.
From a practical perspective, this means that the Rivers of America replacement project has been approved by the SFWMD–demolition and construction can commence immediately. Cars and Villains Lands are no longer in permit purgatory, with Disney in a holding pattern. Imagineering can get to work with shovels in soil, earth moving, etc.
While this is not the final permit in the Villains and Cars Lands projects as a whole (not by a long shot), it was the one that posed the greatest degree of challenge and scrutiny from the state–the rest should mostly be rubber-stamped. This was the hurdle that mattered–the only material impediment to the project. Any hope you might’ve held out that the Rivers of America replacement would be derailed should be gone.
In terms of what’s next, lot and lots of dirt moving. 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.
Presumably, some of this ground removed when digging the new pond will be used for filling the Rivers of America. Circle of life and all that. Between the pond and the gravel laydown yards, this should explain why the area for the 407 Basin Stormwater Modifications project is over 300 acres. Most of that is beyond the berm.
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 2026 at the earliest.
If recent construction bid postings are to be believed, this dirt moving should start very, very soon.
We reported over the weekend that Villains Land Construction is Rumored to Start Soon at Magic Kingdom. According to that, work will start on this project March 1, 2025. The construction bidding platform lists an estimated budget of $25 to $50 million. This would only cover initial site prep work, like clearing the land and infill.
What was most notable about that construction bid was that Disney was getting the ball rolling on this, proactively anticipating approval from SFWMD, rather than passively waiting for it to happen before making its next move. Meaning that this is not going to be one of those projects Disney drags its feet on for months or years–even if it does take a long time from groundbreaking to opening. Even if groundbreaking doesn’t happen on March 1, 2025, this bodes well for Cars and Villains Land moving forward on an aggressive schedule, with construction starting soon.
As you’re likely aware, Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America have no closing date at present. Walt Disney World has only indicated 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.
However, Walt Disney World made that statement back in August and has been silent as to the Rivers of America future since. When offering a sneak peek at 2025 and letting fans know they’d have all year to experience DINOSAUR, Walt Disney World made no such assurances about the Rivers of America. In fact, they didn’t say anything at all. At what point has “plenty of time” passed?
Our guess is Easter 2025 at the earliest. That’s over 8 months for fans to say their goodbyes, which is longer than the average timeframe between booking and traveling. This isn’t to say that Rivers of America will close then…we just wouldn’t expect it any earlier than that. And it really doesn’t come down to giving fans one last visit. It’s more a matter of practicality.
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 project shortly after Labor Day 2025 is also possible. 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 operations may not want even more offline–especially if that includes decreased parade viewing options or cuts into crowd flow (the waterfront promenade is an important parade bypass).
It’s not as if walls are going up around Rivers of America overnight now that the SFWMD has issued the permit.
There’s presumably a decent amount of backstage prep and site work that could be undertaken to establish the laydown yards even before the waterway is drained. It’s also possible that Disney could install a coffer dam to preserve access to Tom Sawyer Island and the view of the Rivers of America for the entirety of 2025. (See photo above of the last time a coffer dam was used during a refurbishment a few years ago.)
They’ve done this type of thing 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. In such a scenario, the Liberty Square Riverboat would be first to close, and that would probably happen before the second half of 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.
Ultimately, it’s difficult to predict what will happen next now that SFWMD has issued the permit for replacing the Rivers of America. Back when this saga started, Disney announced the plans and then immediately filed the permit. If this project really is as full steam ahead as it sounds, maybe Walt Disney World will make an announcement sometime in the coming days or weeks to let fans know how much time they have left to experience the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island.
In all likelihood, the guest-facing areas are probably safe through at least Easter 2025. It’s hard to imagine anything needing to happen before then, and Walt Disney World will want to offer guests time to plan proper farewell visits. Even Muppet*Vision 3D and PizzeRizzo are staying open through June 7, 2025–that announcement was made earlier and for a project that is widely expected to debut much sooner (albeit a less complicated one, too).
I’d take that a step further and predict that you probably have until August 2025 to say goodbye to the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island. There seems like a decent possibility that Disney does as much backstage work as possible first, and this serene scenery and access are preserved for almost the entire year–maybe into early 2026. I wouldn’t bet the farm on that and I’d plan a goodbye trip well before then if seeing the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island were a must-do, but my suspicion is that we have more time to enjoy these areas.
I’ll wrap this all up by 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 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.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
Thoughts on the SFWMD issuing a permit for the 407 Basin project? 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? Or, are you in wait and see mode with this? 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!
The saying is always, “You can’t go home again,” except the Magic Kingdom let you do just that. Everyone is different, and people go to WDW for a myriad of reasons, so I can only speak for myself here. As I replied on someone else’s post here, my first time at WDW was in November of 1980. I was 12. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Because we lived near Tampa, FL at the time, trips to WDW for a day became common, and often. As I grew older, trips involved Junior Grad school trip, trips taking visiting guests, even going on a whole day date with someone I hoped was ‘the one.’
One thing remained constant for me, however: the Magic Kingdom was like nowhere else…not even Disneyland! As more parks opened, one by one, I still always preferred the Magic Kingdom. There was a vibe there, a feel, like I walked into a whole other world the moment I got there. It was America in the late 1800s, an H.G. Wells version of Tomorrow, a land of frontier, one of fantasy…all were so well crafted, so well planned, walking from one to the other was an adventure. Since the first time there, we had developed a routine. We’d walk past Main Street and into Tomorrowland, hit ‘If You Had Wings,’ ‘Mission to Mars,’ ‘Carousel of Progress,’ ‘Space Mountain.’ By the time we were done, it was noon and we’d hop on the Skyway to Fantasyland, then backtrack a little and eat somewhere between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. By mid-afternoon, we’d be in Frontierland. It was hotter by that time of day, depending on time of year. That made the scents of Frontierland unforgettable (not to mention, people smoked back then and it added to the scent of place….). The smell of popcorn, the view of the rivers, the bell clang and lulling horn of Liberty Bell, and in the distance, the occasional howl of the Haunted Mansion wolves, THAT was Frontierland. Then, Splash Mountain was built in 1989. It did not detract from Frontierland, it ADDED to it. It was perfect, as if it had always been there. While I never went on it because I hate getting wet on park rides, it became part of the nostalgia. And the lines were always massive.
Years passed, times changed, trends changed and so did the Magic Kingdom, but never so much as to completely transform it. Mission to mars and its replacement Alien Encounter, gone. If You Had Wings, gone. The Skyway was now gone and it made an impact. We were used to seeing it up there and missed it. The loss of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride and Snow White’s Scary Adventure was definitely felt, but we sorta moved past it. Winnie the Pooh did not quite cut it, but it’d do (and I am a Pooh fan!). Additions like Aladdin’s Carpet Ride felt odd, but still worked. Then came New Fantasyland. OK, that started changing things a bit….but they at least did not remove the old Fantasyland. It was, for all intents and purposed, still the Magic Kingdom.
Regardless of what was going on in the world, one could always count on “going back home” by going to the Magic Kingdom. The vibe and memories: still there. While I understand the saying “there is nothing constant but change” and there is little anyone of us can do about it, at least, speaking for myself, I know I still like SOME kind of constancy in my life, because there is definitely too much change, especially nowadays. But change had finally taken over the MK. The place had by now become stroller and scooter misery. Looking at photos from trips to DW back in the 80’s and 90’s, it was staggering to see how unhealthy and obese people had gotten. Going to the MK now became an obstacle course, and for an introvert like me, my idea of hell.
In 2021, when MK was about to celebrate 50 years, I went one last time. I felt it in my heart: it was goodbye. I knew Splash Mountain was going to be painted over and repurposed (I could digress here, but I am sure you know where I’d go) and, honestly, I did not want to witness the result. I also felt this was the beginning of more to come, and Disney World was going down a road I would not follow. But never in my wildest dreams I ever imagined they’d get rid of the Rivers of America. Even when I heard about it, I thought it had to be fake rumors. Nope….
The Magic Kingdom stood for constancy, for going back home, for resisting the massive changes we all are constantly going through out in the real world. And while I do not have any, I imagine for people with kids, a way to share what they themeless experienced as kids. The Liberty Bell horn and clanging bell, the howling wolves, the red pavement of Frontierland and Black Hills of Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain, the clackety-clack of thunder Mountain railroad, all augmented by the wonderful peacefulness of the Rivers of America, where wildlife had settled since 1971. All of this always awaited for us, if we wanted to ‘go back home.’
Change is inevitable….however, in the past when Disney wanted to expand and modernize, they left the MK alone, they just built other parks. But now, they’re building another park over the MK. Walt was about nostalgia, about memories. Main Street was indeed his childhood memory of a time gone by, as was each land in the MK. Walt was the Castle, the heart of the MK, and the lands are what he gave us all. That is what the Magic Kingdom was…until now. Indeed, I am one of these people who said, “I am not coming back” and have not since September of 2021. And if I had any doubt, or was wavering (especially after a cocktail…), there is no wavering now. It is indeed over. Honestly, why can’t Disney change its name, because it is a company now that has little resemblance to Walt’s vision. Gen Z can cheer, since they seem to hate anything ‘offensive’ resembling ‘Americana,’ and anything made before 1990. But they, too, will get older and when they do, there will be nothing left for them to be nostalgic about.
Now, we definitely can’t go back home….
Beautifully said. You painted my sentiments exactly from the first time I ever walked into the Magic Kingdom. I can’t explain the pull this place has on my heart as I’m sure millions of people would agree. It takes us back to a simpler time, of barbershop quartets, ice cream shops and horse drawn carriages. Of relaxing themed rides based on our favorite stories. In times like this when so many horrible things are happening in this world, this was a place we could go and forget it all, if only for a little while, we could be kids again, smiling and happy without a care in the world. I don’t think the Disney execs view their park as having something no other park has….a way to take adults back to their childhood. In a changing world, it’s become apparent that change isn’t always the best thing. The changed their beloved Splash Mountain ride to Tiana’s Bayou and it has not been met with approval. Their Snow White movie flopped because it’s not the story we all knew and loved. Their idea of paving over the Rivers of America to an open ride in the hot Florida sun, where it rains nearly every day in the summer and into the fall months, is lunacy. It’s become quite apparent that Disney has turned on America. They no longer want Frontier Land because it’s about our history. They took down the shooting gallery to put up a bar. They removed the Frontier Land sign, shut down the Hall of Presidents and now they want to remove our beautiful Liberty Belle, Tom Sawyers Island and the Rives of America. I think this decision is going to be met with the same distain that their recent Snow White movie and Tianas Bayou has. We are not opposed to progress, but we are very opposed to it being built over our memories. Disney is losing their status, not because of Epic Universe, because they no longer care about their customers and their wants and needs. They are letting most areas of that park become trashy, rides breaking down right and left, sewerage spilling into their streets and coming through the ceilings, bathrooms that are disgusting and allowing alcohol to be consumed through the parks, creating problems with intoxication which young children are witnessing now. Isn’t there a law about public drinking? Why is Disney above the law? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to vent in response to your comment, but I do agree with you that they are killing our beautiful world. And it’s in lieu of greed. I’m only thankful I got to go when it first opened and got to see the beautiful magical land it was thanks to Walt and Roy.
There are some things in this world that are Taboo. You don’t mess with them because of their history and importance. How Disney can ignore the unrest this has caused just shows they do not listen to or care about the people spending tons of money to visit their parks. This was Walt’s baby, he designed this. Frontier Land and the River of America were extremely important to him so much so, he oversaw every bit of it to ensure it was perfect. To destroy the Rivers of America, Liberty Belle and Tom Sawyers Island is destroying the history of Disney. An open cars ride in the Florida heat, and an outdoor ride that will need to shut down in inclement weather is ridiculous. Cars is not popular. And if you have to have it, put it in tomorrow land to replace the Speedway cars. Of all the bad decisions Disney has made in the last couple of years, this is by far the worst. You will not bring people in to get on this ride. You will drive them away, because you spit on Walt’s grave with this one. Disney used to be respected as the #1 theme park in the world, but you have already darkened your reputation with redoing Splash Mountain, this will destroy you. Go ahead and thumb your noses at what your public wants, instead of listening to us. Your greed is going to be your end.
Tom Sawyer and rivers are old hat. Give me villains, 4 wheeling, zootopia, and Mater. Just make sure it looks good and blends in.
Contact the South Florida Water Management District!!!! They are the ones who approved this!!!!!
#BoycottCorporateGreed
Their contact info: https://www.sfwmd.gov/contact
Once again, Disney is making a negative change to the parks. In this era of Disney consistently over promising and under delivering, I cannot see a plus side to taking a wrecking ball to a beautiful area of the park and shoehorning Carsland in here. It’s so sad to think of how out of touch current parks leadership is with guests. It makes me care less and less when I see something I love destroyed for stupid reasons. This trajectory will prove unsustainable for the future of the parks.
And this is why I prefer Disneyland instead of Disney World – they have lost sight of the parks image and values. Shame on Disney
That’s a little confusing since the same company is running both parks.
I have fond memories of letting my children explore Tom Sawyer Island, for hours! Even after my kids were grown up, my wife and I use to take trips over there just to sit on the rocking chairs, relax and look back over at the crowds across the River of America and into Frontierland. I believe most guests never experienced what a treasure that is (was)! We have not taken that trip in several of our last trips to Disneyworld because we didn’t feel up to the slow raft ride over to Tom Sawyer Island. With it now closing, I am thinking we need to make one last trip.
We live less than 30 minutes from Disney’s Transportation and Ticket Center. Have been Annual Pass holders for nearly 15 years. The last time we visited Tom Sawyer Island, our now 40 year old daughter was in middle school.
We rode Rivers of America a few years ago shortly after it reopened after shutting down for refurbishment. I’m guessing there were less than 30 passengers onboard.
Obviously Disney has determined the space is too valuable to be used for an under utilized attraction.
While I will miss the view of the river boat as I walk from Big Thunder Mountain to the Haunted Mansion, I am excited to see what Disney does with the space.
Having said all this, Wife and I will probably go to MK this weekend to take one last ride and capture some photos and videos for posterity.
This will be one of those things that everyone forgets about if they get the new stuff right. MK is in dire need of an overhaul. I would have started over in the Dumbo/Circus area that is just beyond awful, but there is nothing there besides Main Street and the castle. After my early morning there for the atmosphere and Haunted Mansion, then maybe 1 other thing, I leave and come back for the fireworks.
Easter 2025? So — two months away. Well there is no way I’m going to book a trip out there before Easter to say goodbye! I guess I’ll just browse thru all my old pictures and let it go at that.
And as for the Rivers as retention pond: You have a certain amount of water the flows in and out. You don’t need a retention pond the size of the current ROA to handle it. You still got the Seven Seas Lagoon, you know. Or are they planning on paving that over, too?
Contact Disney and tell them to cancel this!!!!!
#BoycottCorporateGreed
We will be there at the beginning of June and hope we get to say a proper goodbye to an area that has brought a little piece of respite during each trip. We will be taking many photos for posterity and wish hard that my home DLR does not decide to get rid of the Rivers of America.
I’m more deeply disappointed about this than I was in 2020 when my fast passes and free dining package reservations weee cancelled by Disney in one swoop. Magic Kingdom will never be the same with my favorite area gone. I don’t want to go and see the carnage while they make this ridiculous mistake and I’m not sure I even want to go when it’s finished. I know it’s a done deal but I just can’t believe they would ruin such an integral and classic part of the park. There is plenty of land to add on to MK or another park instead.
The train, what about the train? Seems minor, but it is an attraction that old and young alike enjoy. Would work on the laydown yards require a closing of the RR, or might WDW close it to save $$$ on operating costs and use construction as an excuse? We haven’t been on our annual trips to WDW in over 7 years when we discovered UO and began going there each year for our theme park fix. We had planned to go back to WDW this year, but every day brings news of closures, price increases and chaos that further prevents us from booking.
What I don’t understand is with all the land at WDW there wasn’t enough room for another park ? I admit I am a traditionalist and like the classics and feel the Magic Kingdom would be that nostalgic epic park to keep all traditional memories of Walt’s dream alive.
If I was emperor of WDW, I would have built Villains and Cars lands, spurred in a new rail line with a 4th stop, and added an in-park luxury resort (maybe even as the 5th gate! 4-1/2ish gate?) all beyond the berm with no guests looking, then opened it all at once with a track switch on the railway and a couple new walking paths whenever magic allowed. RIP.
That sounds marvelous!!
I wish I could get excited for this, but just cannot. In a vacuum, I am sure this would be an exciting project, but Rivers of America is literally my favorite part of any Disney park anywhere, and I will miss it SO much. As someone who goes to Disney somewhat frequently, it is always this area where I find myself thinking how lucky I am to get to visit Disney World as often as I have. It’s scenic, peaceful, and full of nostalgia- I’m really going to miss it. <3
I don’t get too hysterical over the many goofy things Disney changes, but this one gets me. That water area is so unique and such a nice change from the multitude of other paved theme parks and now it will be no different. When you come down the little grade by Haunted Mansion it will just be more of the same, cement and more cement.
Agreed. We love looking at the water in line for the Haunted Mansion in particular. The water (and the birds!) does make it different from other parks and adds a serenity to the chaos. I really don’t think this is what Walt meant by his hopes that Disneyland (World in this case) will never be completed and always grow and change. Rivers of America is such an important old school Walt feature. Whoever said they should just build another park and leave Magic Kingdom a little more as a sacred space…agreed.
Ah we fly over in September! Is a few more weeks delay to vain to hope for?