Here's the Latest Look at Piston Peak Construction Inside Magic Kingdom

14 days ago in "Cars Land Magic Kingdom"

Gallery / 6 Photos
Piston Peak Construction from Big Thunder Mountain Queue - July 2026

Posted: Wednesday July 8, 2026 12:53pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Construction on Piston Peak at Magic Kingdom continues to move forward, with foundation walls and active excavation work very much visible from inside the park. These latest photos give a ground-level look at how much the site has changed.

Piston Peak Construction from Big Thunder Mountain Queue - July 2026

These photos, shot from the queue area, show the scale of foundation work now underway at the site. Large concrete retaining walls are visible, along with excavation equipment working across the cleared land.

Piston Peak Construction from Big Thunder Mountain Queue - July 2026

There is nothing dramatically new to report here - foundation and earthwork has been progressing steadily. Here is a view of the site from the lift hill of Big Thunder Mountain.

Piston Peak Construction from Big Thunder Mountain Queue - July 2026

Piston Peak is one of two new lands under construction at Magic Kingdom. Disney has not announced an opening date for the project.

Piston Peak Construction from Big Thunder Mountain Queue - July 2026

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Incomudro26 minutes ago

There's got to be a limit to what can be cut at this point though. The river and waterfall have got to be the river and waterfall at this point. I can see them leaving out a structure, maybe dropping an animatronic car...

TrainsOfDisney1 hour ago

cars could have loaded on the other side of a re-routed river and traveled over to the island.

Disstevefan11 hour ago

I am not sticking to anything, I am just saying, we never know, and we wont know until its open. Scope cuts could come at any time, maybe not now, but later. I WANT something GREAT here since they destroyed RoA, TSI. If the replacements are better than what they destroyed, then great! Yes, I know many did not like RoA, TSI, so no matter what is there, it will be better. I sincerely think, Disney thinks, no matter what is there, it will be better.

eddie1041 hour ago

So it’s not a downgrade if the theming is great which is in my opinion the most important aspect at a theme park.

neo9999552 hours ago

I mean, sure, but a lot of work is happening and there's no reason to assume massive cuts right now, so why stick to this? Definitely looking forward to the better scale at D23. Massive props to @Clyde Birdbrain for that amazing overlay (please do more!) cause that really helped visualize this better. I can't tell the scope of the river, but I am grateful there is water. I know people will rightfully lament the loss of RoA, but I am still nevertheless really looking forward to this and I hope it be both stunning and kinetic. I have a lot of faith and I'm mostly interested to see how they manage the mix of Cars and natural beauty. Hoping they nail it!

Incomudro2 hours ago

It's an upgrade from what I first thought it would be.

Stupido3 hours ago

Looks like Westward Ho is completely behind walls, and the Popcorn and Churro carts have been relocated to new designated areas in Frontierland. Demolition should begin soon, followed by whatever they're demoing these stands for. BlogMickey photocredit.

MisterPenguin3 hours ago

Was anyone thinking there would be the same amount of water volume or surface area of RoA in the new PP?

Smoky3 hours ago

But from all of the concept art we've seen, along with the actual physical construction going on, the new "water feature" appears to be nothing more than a long narrow ditch. Even if the theming is great it's still a downgrade in every feasible way. Maybe more info will be released at D23 and we'll get a better idea of the actual scale.

Stupido4 hours ago

I think the second attraction would be going in front of the smaller green building in @Clyde Birdbrain 's mockup, in the circle where the dirt looks darker. There's the small fenced in area in the fun map that would contain whatever the ride would be. They certainly have the space for it, and it could be more impressive than I originally thought it would be. We'll find out in a month :)

Fox&Hound4 hours ago

According to the fun map, which I know is not accurate, where do we see the 2nd ride going for Piston Peak? If anywhere at all? I hope a second ride is still coming.

Disstevefan16 hours ago

Its fun to estimate, but we have no idea what we will end up with if scope cuts happen.

JD806 hours ago

I think you still underestimate it (I did!). Standing in the queue at BTM and looking across to HM you really get a sense of it's scope and I hadn't done this until about 2 weeks ago. Bird's eye pictures like this don't do it justice. I just did not appreciate how much real estate the riverboat and Tom Sawye's island really took up. If they use up that space with mountains and waterfalls it's going to be a huge addition to the parks. And that's not even mentioning Villains Land.

Clyde Birdbrain6 hours ago

The concept art shows the round building with Lightning McQueen and Mater. From there, you go around the corner, pass the bleachers, and enter the unload building. There is a small tower to the right of the bridge that may have another camera car.