Land Clearing Preparations Begin Behind Magic Kingdom for Cars-Themed Expansion

21 days ago in "Cars Land Magic Kingdom"

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Construction Equipment and Land Clearing Behind Magic Kingdom for Cars Expansion

Posted: Saturday April 26, 2025 1:!5pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Visible signs of early construction activity are now appearing behind Magic Kingdom, the next major step as Disney gears up for the Cars-themed expansion project.

Construction Equipment and Land Clearing Behind Magic Kingdom for Cars Expansion

Heavy machinery and silt fencing have been spotted in place at a site located backstage, near Floridian Way behind Big Thunder Mountain and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. According to earlier permit applications, this area is expected to serve as laydown yards — temporary construction zones used for storing materials, staging equipment, and supporting ongoing work during the multi-year redevelopment.

Construction Equipment and Land Clearing Behind Magic Kingdom for Cars Expansion

Once cleared, the laydown yards will serve as a critical support base for the major transformation ahead, which includes the complete replacement of Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America with a new off-road rally-themed Cars attraction.

Wide view of the new Frontierland, with two Cars-themed attractions replacing Tom Sawyer Island

Recent permit filings by Walt Disney Imagineering also show preparations for a trailer compound nearby, which will likely house project management offices for the expansion.

Disney has previously announced that construction on the new Cars-themed area is scheduled to begin in 2025, with more visible changes expected in the coming months. A closing date for Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Square River Boat attractions is still to be announced.

Cars Concept Art

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aladdin20072 days ago

Agree, but worried with the path they have been on in projects. My hope is the complaints have not been ignored and better attempts to tie together will be made, they sure didn't try with tiana. So now its a mess on top of a mess. Still concerned how all this is going to look and sound from the Haunted Mansion. I really hope that initial rushed one piece of concept art has been retooled and redesigned or something, its all been hush hush with no updates.

TrainsOfDisney2 days ago

Agreed. I’m hoping this is addressed with the cars attraction and not made worse. I think the artwork we’ve seen was somewhat rushed (with no details on the 2nd attraction that seems likely) - that’s why I still have a sliver of hope for the riverboat. Even without the riverboat I hope they attempt to tie this all together somehow and not just plop some rocks down and say “look more stuff!”

Bocabear2 days ago

Well with Cars area and Big Thunder as the only piece of Frontierland, Tiana makes literally no sense in it's current location either...they have added nothing to support that you are now in Louisiana...considering you just went by some old Western buildings...The Splash red clay rockwork blended a little better with the red rocks of Big Thunder... It is all just becoming a thematic mess...

lazyboy97o2 days ago

But judging having it sit in a puddle would be pathetic.

TrainsOfDisney2 days ago

Nothing is preventing the design to allow for the Liberty Belle to be docked somewhere. If that’s a desire - it can certainly happen. We don’t know what the Tianas facing side will look like - it needs to blend into the New Orleans theme - which would include water.

Agent H2 days ago

I see what you mean.

James Alucobond2 days ago

All you're doing is making physical space for it by axing things. For it to make visual sense, you'd need to fundamentally redesign some elements. In your example, if you blew up the junior attraction, you could certainly put a puddle in its place for the Liberty Belle to sit in, but it'd still be nonsensically hemmed in by the planned landbridge to the north that connects Big Thunder to the Villains pathway.

Agent H2 days ago

Question. Would there be room if they axed the second attraction and the rumored store?

James Alucobond2 days ago

I think we know enough about the space constraints from the existing art to say that it would be very difficult to slot in the Liberty Belle anywhere along the existing inner circle. I don't think the Imagineers can fix that unless they decide to drastically reduce the footprint of Cars. That said, if the laydown yards outside the tracks do eventually get developed, either into an extension of Villains or an additional entrance for a hypothetical adjacent hotel, you could perhaps dock the boat elsewhere in the section of the waterway that will be retained. I'm not sure if they'd hold onto it on the off chance that they'd use it for something so far off, though.

TheMaxRebo2 days ago

I believe I read that part of the scale with Anaheim was that you can't see the castle until in the park and then to draw you down main St And for Florida they wanted it much bigger so you could see it from outside when approaching the park/on the monorail/etc to draw you into the park as a whole.

TheMaxRebo2 days ago

If they can come up with a plan that makes sense /looks good I would be all for it Also could work to have it docked at Port Orleans Riverside and use it for a restaurant or something

TrainsOfDisney2 days ago

We disagree. :) Either trees matter or they don’t. It’s silly to think they don’t - as they were part of the original design and then intentionally changed. I personally think the original design was better (it certainly felt better in the Florida sun!) but I can also see the benefits of being able to pack in crowds for nighttime shows.

eddie1042 days ago

It’s not. Each park was designed a specific way and Anaheim and Paris are two totally different parks. The approach here is a much grander reveal in my opinion because of the forced perspective. It has nothing to with some missing trees.

TrainsOfDisney2 days ago

2 things - the scale of Cinderella castle is way off in my opinion - which is made worse by the tree massacare of the early 2000’s. Anaheim and Paris get the scale and design much better. But back to the riverboat…. I trust that imagineers are talented enough to design something that would work for the riverboats scale. Since the “River” has always been much more narrow than the actual Mississippi- they can make it work if needed. But it will likely get scrapped according to insiders - so best case it goes into private hands.