Anytime Disney closes or transforms a land in one of its theme parks something is lost. Each area, no matter how popular it may or may not be, mattered. It mattered to the Imagineers who built it, the cast members who worked there, and to the countless guests who made memories in them. And no matter how much you might not have cared for a particular spot or attraction, it was someone’s favorite. That was certainly true of the recently shuttered Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island in Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland. Not everyone is thrilled they’re gone. Some will always miss them and not without reason.
The question since the Liberty Belle Riverboat made its last voyage is the same one that matters every time Disney swaps something old for something new: is the replacement worth what was lost? And after this year’s D23 provided our best look yet at the Cars-themed Piston Peak the answer is a very obvious and definitive “yes.”
The Imagineering Booth at 2026’s D23 in Anaheim featured a massive replica model of the upcoming Piston Peak expansion currently under construction at Walt Disney World. The new land is not going to be a recreation of Disney California Adventure’s fantastic Cars Land. At the moment, Magic Kingdom’s original take is not much of anything. It’s still mostly just a big roundish hole with a concrete wall holding dirt and construction vehicles nestled between Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain, and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The elevated queue from the recently reopened Big Thunder offers a clear view into the spot. And in person it looks small.
That’s certainly how I felt when I saw it in May. Just about everyone I’ve spoken with who has been on Big Thunder feels the same way. But the model at D23 made clear that in this case looks are deceiving.
Piston Peak is going to be much grander in scope than the space suggests. Seeing how the land will actually fit inside that portion of Magic Kingdom was akin to going inside a new home that hasn’t been furnished, looking at an empty room and thinking, “This isn’t that big.” Only after furniture is added do you realize it’s massive. I shared that analogy with an Imagineer at D23 and he told me a colleague had recently shared the exact same thought.
My issue with trying to picture how Piston Peak will fit into Frontierland was not just a problem of imagination. (Or, you know, a lack of an engineering degree.) Previously released concept art provided very little sense of space. (Early looks at the Monstroplis expansion coming to Hollywood Studios did not have that problem.) Piston Peak’s initial art felt more like a promo for another film in the franchise. A follow-up promotional poster somehow made things worse.
The model solved those issues in ways that exceeded what I’d hoped to see from Piston Peak. Not only is the land going to be wide, it’s also going to be tall thanks to its mountain. That will align it with Frontierland’s two current signature attractions. Imagineers also designed it to fit in with the many different surrounding areas it touches, so that it each portion also feels like an extension of them. That will inherently make it feel bigger. Most importantly, though, is that Piston Peak is going to feel big because of what it adds to Magic Kingdom. It will bring an all-new energy to what had been, at best, the least quietest part of Magic Kingdom. At worst, Rivers of America was the most boring.
I’m not here to rip the former Rivers of America, really. I understand why some fans are mad it’s gone and what it means for the park. I can’t say I had much use for Tom Sawyer Island, but I did enjoy watching the Liberty Bell sail around Frontierland. And I certainly loved the serene beauty the area offered at night. After a long day in a hot theme park, it was always nice to see the lights reflecting off the river. It was a small and peaceful respite that felt like a beautiful reward for overcoming the day’s heat, humidity, and mass of humans. It was nice in the truest sense, in a way theme parks usually aren’t.
The problem is, you can’t sacrifice prime real estate in the world’s most popular theme park for a little beauty only found during the final few hours of the day. And clearly guests weren’t utilizing the space enough to keep it. Earlier this year I attended a panel with Disney executives who talked about how much data they have on park usage. That influences their decisions on when to make a wholesale change and when to simply renovate.
You didn’t need internal data to see Magic Kingdom’s Rivers of America wasn’t that popular. It was also obvious that it didn’t fit in as naturally as Disneyland’s version. It makes way more sense in Anaheim’s park. I always found Walt Disney World’s own to be the park’s most frustrating aspect specifically because of where it was placed. It made Big Thunder Mountain a dead end. Once you reached that ride, you had to turn around.
That might not sound like a big deal, but just think about anytime you’ve reached a dead end anywhere, let alone a theme park. You didn’t like it, right? Of course not. No one wants to hit a wall and retreat. Theme parks especially should flow and promote forward movement. Now Piston Peak, even before Villains Land launches behind it, will open up the park. You’ll be able to walk around the Magic Kingdom rather than walk to its end.
That bonus is nothing compared to what Piston Peak will actually contain. In addition to the dining options and merch stores you’d expect to find in any land, the area will also feature running water so Rivers of America’s best element remains. And it will also feature two rides, one that will bring a kinetic energy Frontierland desperately needs.
It’s hard to overstate how excited I am for the newly announced Cars Ridge Run Rally. Obviously a Cars-themed land was always going to include a racing ride. It was obviously also going to be good considering what Disney pulled off with DCA’s fantastic Radiator Springs Racers. And yet, somehow the formal announcement of what we’re actually getting exceeded anything I could have imagined.
It’s not a slightly different version Disneyland’s ride. (Walt Disney World already has an attraction that uses the same type of cars and track with EPCOT’s Test Track.) Cars Ridge Run Rally is wildly different thanks to a first-of-its-kind ride technology. It will take guests on an off-road romp—called by Lightning McQueen and Mater—through snow-covered mountains, down a muddy national park, and into a geyser field of sprouting water. Only, the attraction’s cars won’t just simulate an off-road racer. They’re literally off-road racers, which means you they will navigate the actual terrain of the ride. You’ll feel bumps because they are really there and driving over them, not because Imagineers simulated the sensaton. And, among the most exciting developments announced at D23, those off-road cars will still operate in the rain. Lightning is the only weather that will close the attraction.
Anyone who has ever found themselves in a sudden Orlando rainstorm is smiling right now. I’m more excited to ride Cars Ridge Run Rally in the pouring rain than I am a perfect weather day. And at night, rain or shine, this ride is going to absolutely pop.
The model also showed the single-track ride will traverse all of Piston Peak. Whether you’re near the Haunted Mansion, perusing the shops in Frontierland, or by Tiana’s and Big Thunder, you’re going to see and hear guests flying by. At the end, those racers and shooting geysers of water are going to feel alive in a way Rivers of America never could. It’s the complete opposite of what that portion of the park used to offer. Instead of underused and under-appreciated serenity, it will add the best of what any theme park does: controlled chaos full of energy and fun. Piston Peak’s main attraction alone is going to make the land one of the most popular parts of the park. That will not only be great unto itself, it will also lighten wait times everywhere at Magic Kingdom.
Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Belle Riverboat were…..they were not doing that.
The other ride will also contribute to WDW’s renewed focus on guests with young kids. The family-friendly Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along (seen in the carousel above) will feature the Cars 3 character as a giant school-bus-sized animatronic. She’s hosting what Disney calls her “wildest demolition derby yet.”
I asked a lead Imagineer on the project if the attraction was similar to either DCA’s Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters or Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree. He told me no. Instead it’s more akin to Cars Quatre Roues Rallye: Vroooom! found at Disneyland Paris.
I’m not just paying lip service when I say I’m sorry for those who loved Magic Kingdom’s Rivers of America, its riverboat, or Tom Sawyer Island. All of them were someone’s favorite. All of them were home to some very special memories. I’ll forever mourn the loss of The Great Movie Ride, my family’s favorite we’d ride again and again, even though I like Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. But for everything that was lost when Disney closed those attractions, it’s clear Piston Peak will be worth it.