With land clearing underway near the Rivers of America and the Walt Disney World Railroad operating with a shortened, modified route, Disney has begun removing a portion of the railroad track. Friend of the site Bioreconstruct recently flew over Magic Kingdom, snapping some photos of the northwest corner of the world’s busiest theme park. The photos confirm some of our earlier reporting such as the location of the Liberty Belle riverboat and land clearing near the Rivers of America, but it also revealed a new project.
Walt Disney World Railroad Track Removal
As you can see in the aerial photos below, Walt Disney World has removed portions of the railroad track near the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad attraction and other sections of the closed portion of the “grand circle tour”.
In early permits, Disney called for the track to remain in place during land-clearing events. It seems like that plan has changed, and the track will be removed. Walt Disney World has not indicated what the future of the railroad may entail at the Magic Kingdom, but we hope that it continues to circle the park for decades to come.
While we hope the long-term plans still include the “grand circle tour” around Magic Kingdom, the short-to-medium term plans certainly don’t. The area seen in the photo below will be a massive construction zone for years to come. Disney will soon begin draining the Rivers of America, followed by the demolition of Tom Sawyer Island. Once that is compete, they will grade the entire area and prepare for the construction of a Cars-themed area called Piston Peak National Park, and a Villains Land.
The Walt Disney World Railroad is unlikely to return to its full route until the majority of the work in the area is complete. That could mean 2028, 2029, 2030, or beyond. Again, Walt Disney World has not announced what its long-term plans for the railroad are, but current messaging from the theme park giant indicates that the current operation is temporary.
Here’s a statement from Disney about the modified route:
To make way for the largest expansion in history at Magic Kingdom, the Walt Disney World Railroad is operating under a modified route that excludes Frontierland. The attraction will operate as a shuttle between Main Street station and Fantasyland station only.
For more on the modified route for the Walt Disney World Railroad, check out our earlier article or watch the video below!
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!
