food IS a theme park
The countdown is on.
Rivers of America
In 2024, Disney shocked the theme park world when they announced that a new Cars-based expansion was coming to the Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland, replacing the entirety of the Rivers of America, including Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Square Riverboat AKA the Liberty Belle with construction beginning in 2025. Despite the ire of many fans and Disney traditionalists, Disney has now formally announced a closure date for the Rivers and its two attractions.
We just recently got LOADS of new details about the big Cars expansion coming to Frontierland in Magic Kingdom, and honestly, we’re STILL wrapping our heads around everything (when Disney does an information dump, they literally DROWN you in details).
Lightning McQueen in Disney California Adventure
Okay, so we know that this new area will be called Piston Peak and that it will have two NEW rides, some water features, and will seamlessly meld with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, thanks to some updates to that ride. But what about characters? If you’ve been to Cars Land in Disney California Adventure in Disneyland, you’ve probably seen Lightning McQueen, Tow Mater, Doc Hudson, and more. So, where will these characters be in Piston Peak in Disney World?
A brand-new Cars area is coming to Magic Kingdom, but one question that is often asked is: How does Cars fit into Magic Kingdom?
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
The new Cars area, Piston Peak National Park, will replace Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America and will be located in Frontierland, next to Liberty Square. Many Disney fans have commented on the disconnect between the themes, and there have also been worries about seeing off-road rally cars revving their way around a track while in line for Haunted Mansion. So, how does Piston Peak National Park fit into Magic Kingdom? Let’s dive into it!
Hold up — Disney just dropped some MAJOR sneak peeks, and we are not okay.
Coming to Frontierland at Magic Kingdom, a new area themed to Pixar Animation Studios’ “Cars” will leave Radiator Springs and head to the wilderness with two new attractions including an off-road race.
We’re talking brand new lands, upgraded rides, and a nighttime parade that has our inner 10-year-old screaming. Concept art has been flying out of Disney like pixie dust lately, and we’ve been analyzing every detail (so you don’t have to). Here’s a quick breakdown of the four biggest reveals Disney just shared about what’s coming soon to the parks — and trust us, you’re gonna want to see this.
Back in 2024, Disney shared that a new area inspired by the Pixar Animation Studios movie Cars would be coming to Frontierland in Magic Kingdom, and we FINALLY got more details on this new space.
©Disney
Disney shared that this NEW part of Frontierland will be known as Piston Peak, and is inspired by National Parks — specifically, Rocky Mountain National Park. We’ve been diving into all the details, and we happened to notice that it looks like some of the concept art for this new land has changed.
Well, we just got some HUGE Magic Kingdom news. Now, we were already aware that Disney had plans to close Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island to make room for its new Cars expansion in Frontierland. However, we just got a lot of HUGE news about the new expansion and how it will relate to the rest of the park.
Piston Peak ©Disney
Piston Peak (yep, that’s its name!) will take up space in front of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and bring an entirely new area to the park, as well as two new rides. However, Disney also made some other big reveals about this area that you might have missed, so let’s talk about it.
A Cars-themed area is coming to Magic Kingdom at Disney World, and fans have some thoughts. The biggest being: how does Cars fit into Frontierland?
Piston Peak ©Disney
The new area, called Piston Peak, will take over Tom Sawyer Island, the Liberty Square Riverboat, and the Rivers of America. Piston Peak will be nestled right by Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. That doesn’t really scream Cars, does it?
Disney World is getting a Cars-themed land called Piston Peak, and a brand new map was dropped for it.
Coming to Frontierland at Magic Kingdom, a new area themed to Pixar Animation Studios’ “Cars” will leave Radiator Springs and head to the wilderness with two new attractions including an off-road race.
We’ve been obsessing over all the hidden details on the map, and we’re sharing our favorites with you.
Disney World is about to undergo some SERIOUS change. Okay, technically, it has been undergoing change for quite some time already.
But, over in Magic Kingdom, those changes might be coming sooner than we originally thought. On July 7th, Tom Sawyer Island, the Liberty Belle Riverboat, and the Rivers of America will be closing forever to make way for a new Cars-themed area. To make that happen, the Walt Disney World Railroad will also have to undergo some changes.
What if there were secret MAPS to help you escape Disney World crowds?!
Magic Kingdom
The parks can get seriously crowded, especially during holidays, school breaks, or the summertime. And during those days, we often find ourselves looking for shortcuts to avoid those packed main walkways. Today, we’re sharing some helpful maps that will guide you to the best secret pathways to avoid crowds!
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