Disney Unveils New Frontierland Concept Art, Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island Replaced with Cars-themed Land

Aug 12, 2024 in "Cars Land Magic Kingdom"

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Frontierland Concept Art Aerial View

Posted: Monday August 12, 2024 9:08am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Disney has taken the wraps off its massive new Magic Kingdom development and revealed new concept art depicting the new Cars-themed area, and confirmed that Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America will be removed.

Frontierland Concept Art Aerial View

While confirming that Cars will be built directly in place of Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America, no closing date has yet be announced, but Disney says, "Guests will have plenty of time to experience the charm and nostalgia of Frontierland as it is today."

Speaking about the new area, Disney says, "Soon, you'll be able to explore the uncharted territory of the great outdoors with an expansion in Frontierland themed around Pixar Animation Studios' "Cars." It's time to leave Radiator Springs and head west into exciting new locations. To make way for this completely new frontier, the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island will be transformed into vast and rugged terrains for a rally race with some of the world's most iconic racers."

Overhead map showing how the new concept art relates to the current Frontierland. @Coaster Lover

Cars Concept Art

"We are thrilled to create this original Cars adventure and put our guests in the driver's seat as we—quite literally—explore a new frontier in Frontierland," shared Michael Hundgen, Walt Disney World Portfolio Executive Producer at Walt Disney Imagineering. "Part of pioneering this new story includes tapping into the themes of exploration and adventure that inspire so many of us to keep propelling forward. Anytime we touch Magic Kingdom, we recognize the massive responsibility that exists to get it right and tell stories that connect with our guests."

Disney says the new area will bring you along for the ride with a brand-new thrilling rally race through the mountains, climbing trails, and dodging geysers, in addition to a second attraction geared towards fun for the whole family.

Cars Concept Art

Ahead of work revving into high gear next year, guests will have plenty of time to experience the charm and nostalgia of Frontierland as it is today.

Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island

Tom Sawyer Island, inspired by Mark Twain's classic tales, has been a beloved part of Magic Kingdom since its opening in 1973. It offers guests a chance to explore caves, trails, and forts reminiscent of the American frontier. The Liberty Square Riverboat, a nostalgic paddlewheeler that has been operating since 1973, takes guests on a scenic journey around the Rivers of America, offering views of Frontierland, Liberty Square.

Also announced at D23 this past weekend, guests will be able to venture Beyond Big Thunder Mountain into an all-new land dedicated to Disney Villains. Inspired by the wicked characters fans know and loathe, the multi-acre expansion will include two major attractions, plus dining and shopping. Together, these new additions to Magic Kingdom will represent the largest expansion in park history.

Disney World's Cars Ride: Is a Trackless All-Terrain Ride System in the Works?

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djlaosc10 hours ago

Looking at the Disneyland/DCA maps, in terms of basic technology (ie, a dark ride is a dark ride, a boat ride is a boat ride), would I be correct in thinking that we are only missing/soon to be missing the following? Disneyland: Casey Jr. Circus Train Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage Main Street Vehicles (we will have some, but will probably be missing others) Mark Twain Riverboat/Sailing Ship Columbia (although you could argue, outside of a park, that the boat from TTC to MK could cover this, but not as nice or as interesting a ride) Matterhorn Bobsleds Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin DCA: Golden Zephyr Jumpin' Jellyfish Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters (we have trackless rides, but nothing like a "dancing" trackless ride - all of ours take you through a ride/story) Pixar-Pal-A-Round Red Car Trolley Silly Symphony Swings In terms of those, I would take anything, as long as they fit the area that they were put into, but the easiest would seem to be: Riverboats = just don't remove the ones we have Bobsleds = Mt. Fuji at Epcot In terms of cloning the technology including the IP: Casey Jr would fit near Dumbo (maybe not in space but in theme) Roger Rabbit to DHS Luigi's could end up being the second Frontierland Cars attraction Red Car Trolley to DHS Can't see where you would be able to fit anything else (maybe Jellyfish to Toy Story Land, but that would end up being a copy of Paris' Parachutes, or canoeing around the Tree of Life) I'll also take their Baymax meet and greet though...

Sneaky11 hours ago

i agree, but then again Cosmic rewind was awesome, and we got to keep TOT. I do get the approach for Indy and cars though: Cars would kinda kill TT Indy is more trouble and money than it’s worth to build the basement for the pit. I won’t lie, I do kinda wish we got radiator springs itself at MK. Idk what else we really need from DL after those two tho. Wish we could get some intl clones.

Incomudro12 hours ago

For sure. I WANT the good attractions that are in other parks in "my" park. The very purpose of WDW was to bring the west coast attractions to the east.

Sneaky15 hours ago

Those would be cool! I think a hunny hunt/ BATB style trackless could be good at wdw. It’s way too late in the game for hunny hunt itself, and they already have the existing Pooh ride. Though i do think a “hundred Acre woods mini area could work.” though maybe BATB could work. Maybe also an Alice version of hunny hunt? Just a matter of where. Id love to see the tech/concept for ride and go seek come to america. I think it would be a smash hit.

UNCgolf15 hours ago

I'd love to see the Tokyo BATB and Tangled rides go into Fantasyland. I'd much rather have those than Zootopia.

DavidDL15 hours ago

The pictured Rivers of America are from Disneyland.. if we are talking about Disneyland's being on the chopping block, I would save those Rivers of America, no question. However, I assume the poster meant this to be a WDW question. Assuming that to be the case, I would save Muppet*Vision 3D.

rle4lunch15 hours ago

Replace 'both' with 'all'. you get the point

Haymarket200815 hours ago

Easily Rivers of America. Bugs was never going to last forever. Dinosaur is a fun time, but is far from a true, untouchable classic. And, while Muppet Vision is absolutely brilliant, we'd be kidding ourselves if we ever thought it would surpass a 40-50+ year run.

Sneaky16 hours ago

Querey I saw on twt I think could be interesting here. What would you choose?

JD8016 hours ago

But cloning is copying, this isn't cloning.

Sneaky17 hours ago

I would kinda be down with some good cloned attractions for international. I used to say that mystic manor and ride and go seek would be the best intl attractions to clone for wdw, but….yknow. What international attractions would be good for wdw at this point? Tbh I feel like a lot of people’s dream clones are kinda cancelled out by recent additions. (Journey to the center of the earth-Cars and test track. Monsters Inc Ride and go seek- Door coaster. Mystic Manor-Encanto ride).I mean zootopia IS probably coming, but what else?

UNCgolf17 hours ago

I don't mind cloned attractions either, as long as they're cloning good ones. I like to travel, but if I'm going to France, China, or Japan, going to a Disney theme park is pretty far down the list of things I want to see/experience while I'm there. I spent a week in Paris and going to DLP never even crossed my mind -- I'd probably have to spend another couple of weeks there before it would enter the picture as something to do, and that's if I wasn't going to leave the Paris area and go anywhere else in France. And I think DLP looks phenomenal! My issue with TRON, e.g., is mostly the placement and not because it exists elsewhere.