Just one day after Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Square Riverboat welcomed Magic Kingdom Park guests for the last time, construction crews appeared in the Frontierland area to begin demolition. Despite angry e-mails and social media protests from passionate Disney Parks fans, Walt Disney World Resort appears to be moving full steam ahead with the Piston Peak National Park area in the Magic Kingdom.
Sunday, July 6, was the final day of operations for Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America, including the Liberty Square Riverboat, at Magic Kingdom Park. The original Frontierland attractions officially closed on Monday, July 7, and construction walls appeared to block the area overnight.
Additionally, the entire Rivers of America disappeared from the Magic Kingdom Park map on the My Disney Experience app, covered with thick green foliage. This is standard practice for ongoing construction at Walt Disney World Resort; the same foliage appeared on maps of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios after Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama and Muppet*Vision 3D closed.
After partially blocking guests’ view of the Rivers of America, construction crews quickly began work on Tom Sawyer Island. On Monday, Redditor u/TharinWhite shared this video of workers exploring on and around the island. Some of the crew rode around the area on a small boat.
Demolition begins on Tom Sawyer Island
Demolition begins on Tom Sawyer Island
byu/TharinWhite inDisneyWorld
Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America are closing to make way for Piston Peak National Park, a subsection of Frontierland featuring two Cars (2006) attractions. The area is inspired by the natural beauty of America’s natural parks, and Walt Disney World Resort has promised to preserve much of the existing landscape (including parts of the Rivers of America and some barrel bridges).
In addition to water features and themed landscaping, Piston Peak National Park will feature a family-friendly Cars attraction and a thrilling rally race ride. Concept art for the area suggests that it will eventually connect to the Disney Villains land, which Walt Disney Imagineers are currently building in the space “beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.”
Walt Disney World Resort has not announced a grand opening date for Piston Peak National Park at the Magic Kingdom. Stay tuned for updates on this and other developments at EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park!
Do you agree with Walt Disney World Resort’s decision to replace Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Square Riverboat? Share your opinion with Inside the Magic in the comments!
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