In the five days since Inside the Magic’s last update, Walt Disney World Resort has significantly lowered the water levels in the Rivers of America at Magic Kingdom Park. Crews have been slowly draining the artificial waterway since the Frontierland area, including Tom Sawyer Island, closed permanently on July 7.
In 2024, Walt Disney World Resort announced that it would replace Tom Sawyer Island, the Rivers of America, and the Liberty Square Riverboat with two Cars (2006) themed attractions. Disney later revealed that this new part of Frontierland will be called Piston Peak National Park, and feature a rally race-style thrill ride and a family-friendly attraction.
Walt Disney World Resort started construction on Piston Peak National Park long before the original Frontierland and Liberty Square attractions closed. Crews bulldozed hundreds, if not thousands, of trees in a backstage area outside Magic Kingdom Park and poured gravel for a trailer lot and an equipment staging area. This location will likely serve as a home base for the Piston Peak National Park construction and the development of a Disney Villains land in the area “beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.”
Construction walls have surrounded the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island since it closed last month. However, given the landscape of the Frontierland and Liberty Square areas, it’s nearly impossible for Disney to shield the demolition from Magic Kingdom Park guests completely.
In the days after the permanent closure, Disney Park guests spotted Imagineers traversing Tom Sawyer Island on foot and by boat, tagging objects for destruction or preservation. Visitors first noticed the water level in the Rivers of America going down in mid-July. This month, the Liberty Square Riverboat was moved to a backstage dock behind Magic Kingdom Park.
On Wednesday, @WDWNT posted a video of the current state of the Rivers of America on X (formerly Twitter). The water level is so low that the Liberty Square Riverboat tracks rise above it:
The Rivers of America is now drained enough for the track to be fully visible above the water.
Walt Disney World Resort hasn’t announced grand opening dates for Piston Peak National Park or the Disney Villains land coming to Magic Kingdom Park.
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