Some changes have been made to an iconic Magic Kingdom ride.
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The Walt Disney World Resort has updated the operating hours of the Liberty Square Riverboat at Magic Kingdom, giving guests an extra hour to enjoy the attraction before it closes in July. As shown on the official Disney World website, the Liberty Belle is now operating from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Previously, the riverboat began operating at 11 a.m.
The Liberty Belle will have its final day of operation on July 6, 2025.
Disney World is closing the Liberty Square Riverboat, along with Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America, to make way for an ambitious new area for Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland. Named Piston Peak, this new location is inspired by Pixar’s Cars franchise.
Piston Peak will feature several attractions and areas to explore. The headlining attraction will be an outdoor thrill ride similar to Disneyland’s Radiator Springs Racers. It’s unclear what exactly these changes will do to the overall landscape and footprint of the Magic Kingdom, though many hardcore fans have their reservations.
Disney’s original announcement regarding the closure of Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America was met with skepticism, confusion, and anger. A section of park fans took it upon themselves to create a petition demanding Disney “save” these pieces of the Magic Kingdom.
It’s unknown when Disney will complete its Piston Peak project, though visitors should expect to see areas of Magic Kingdom covered in construction walls for the foreseeable future.
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The same can be said for Muppets Courtyard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The decades-old area of the park shut down earlier in June and has since been covered with walls. This closure extended to everything within the themed area, including Muppet*Vision 3D and PizzeRizzo.
Muppets Courtyard will be replaced with a new land called Monstropolis, the fictional city seen in Pixar’s classic Monsters Inc. film. Monstropolis will feature several new locations and a suspended roller coaster.
Changes are also happening at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, specifically the park’s DinoLand U.S.A. Half of the prehistoric-themed land closed in January 2025, and the rest will close sometime in 2026. Eventually, the land will give way to a new area inspired by South America.
The new land will feature attractions based on Encanto and Indiana Jones, propelling Animal Kingdom into an exciting, uncharted new era.
What changes are you most excited to see at Walt Disney World?
The post Disney Updates Operations, Extends Life of Liberty Square Riverboat in Magic Kingdom appeared first on Inside the Magic.
