Disney Parks confirmed today that the new Cars attractions in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom will be replacing Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America, as expected.
Disney released today concept art for the reimagined Frontierland in the Magic Kingdom, showing the new Cars attractions in the space occupied by the Rivers since the Magic Kingdom's opening in 1971. (For aspiring Disney trivia experts, Tom Sawyer Island did not open until 1973.)
The view here is from atop Haunted Mansion, looking west over Frontierland toward Big Thunder Mountain, which you will see in the upper right of the image above, and Tiana's Bayou Adventure, which is the green hill at the upper left. You can see the Frontierland street below Tiana's along the left of the image, with the Diamond Horseshoe at the far left.
But I would like to draw your attention away from the Cars attractions at the center of the image for a moment. Look instead along the bottom and right of the concept art. That is where you will see the real reason for the demise of the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island - to provide guest access to the upcoming Villains Land that Disney is building behind Thunder Mountain.
Disney could have maintained a shorter Rivers and smaller Island as it built this new pedestrian path toward the Magic Kingdom's expansion zone. Disney did just that when it built Star Wars Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland, which necessitated shortening the Rivers and cutting back some of the northern island. But Disney had another important factor in play in Anaheim that helped preserve the Rivers and the Island - that's the stage for its production of Fantasmic!
There was no way that Disneyland was going to give up its most enduring nighttime spectacular. But in Orlando, Fantasmic! plays in a dedicated theater at Disney's Hollywood Studios and not on the Magic Kingdom's Rivers of America. That left Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Belle riverboat by themselves to play a numbers game against two potential new Cars attractions - a hourly-guest-count game that the existing attractions lost, given their traditional performance.
As Theme Park Insider readers might know, Tom Sawyer Island was my first, and main, attraction when I worked operations at the Magic Kingdom. This website grew out of my Tom Sawyer Island Appreciation Page, which I developed way back in 1997. My love for the Rivers and the Island runs deeply.
Last summer, I broke the news that Walt Disney Imagineering was considering filling in the Rivers of America and closing the island for its Magic Kingdom expansion project: Goodbye Tom Sawyer Island? Disney considers major change. So this reveal was not unexpected.
As much as I love the Island, I also understand the rationale for closing it and taking Frontierland in a new creative direction. One hundred years before the Magic Kingdom opened in 1971, the rivers of America - the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Rio Grande, and the Ohio - were America's highways. But 100 years before today brings us into the era of the automobile and, specifically, the pre-Interstate era for which the Cars franchise is so nostalgic.
The frontier in the 19th century was anywhere in the American West beyond the Mississippi. But that's just "home" for many Americans today. When modern Americans think about the "frontier," I suspect that many of them think about the mountains of the West instead - the national parks and remote areas that we do not live and drive through on a regular basis.
That mountain West is the frontier than Imagineers depict in their new vision for Walt Disney World's Frontierland. It's the home of Big Thunder, of Tiana's, and of the Rocky Mountains of this new, as-yet-unnamed Cars land. Disney surely has market research in hand that suggests that this new Frontierland, with its Cars IP, will resonate more deeply with today's visitors than today's Frontierland does.
But I also think it worth noting that the removal of the Rivers of America continues the now-almost-complete removal of all major scenic water elements in the Magic Kingdom. First we lost the submarine lagoon in Fantasyland. Then, Disney filled the old Swan Boat canals around the hub. Now, it's the Rivers of America that are going away.
As much as theme park fans consciously love new attractions based on beloved IP, I also believe that many fans - at least subconsciously - feel affinity for well-designed scenic water elements, too. Lagoons, rivers, and waterfalls evoke a biological connection that we feel with water, connecting our modern theme park experience with our evolutionary conditioning for stories than feature it.
Disney loses that connection with a powerful emotional tool when it removes water elements from its theme parks. But when you are designing for a park as popular as the Magic Kingdom - the world's most-visited - the empty real estate that scenic water elements demand might not be a resource that you have the ability to deploy. People cannot walk on water, after all. So the Rivers go away for a walkway.
* * *
To read more about my time working on Tom Sawyer Island and the Magic Kingdom - and support my work - please pick up a copy of my book, Stories From a Theme Park Insider.
And to keep up with more theme park news and analysis, please sign up for Theme Park Insider's weekly newsletter.
Welp, I’m bummed but not surprised. I agree with Robert in that I see the necessity of creating space, but I had somehow hoped at least a portion of the river (notably some of the water alongside the main Frontierland drag) might be kept for some sort of spring or pond-type feature. I will also lament the loss of the amazing water views of the Thunder Mountain trains. Frontierland has always been my favorite area of the park and I’m glad it’s getting some love, even if it ultimately means cutting off some fingers to get a new arm, but this is still a gut punch from a place making perspective.
Sacrilege
Really well-done piece, Robert.
Sorry for the double post.
So, my feelings for this turn of events is not really anger but sadness for what this once creative company has become. I know I am not the only one here sick of everything at Disney having to be an I.P. Any moron can design an attraction based on an existing property, it’s really not that hard. Look at Tron for example. Not a bad ride but only fleetingly based on its subject matter. It is for intents and purposes an off the shelf coaster with some light theming. Look at the greats like Pirates, Mansion, Space Mountain, Spaceship Earth, The American Adventure to name a few. Truly classics for all time, all coming from open imagination and vision and not from the mindset of “Hey, what’s hot with the kids now?”.
I wash my hands of this company and their half baked ideas. I worked for Disney for 12 years and was on the opening team for two of their theme parks and even taught the Traditions classes. This joke of a company and its lack of creativity disgusts me. Walt would be ashamed, I join Joanna Miller and her disgust.
I think the biggest loss here is the natural cooling effect that the Rivers of America provides to the western side of MK. For a company that touts environmental stewardship and sustainability, it's disappointing for them to fill in a large water feature in exchange for thousands of cubic yards of concrete. Given the impacts of climate change, MK should be thinking about the resiliency of the park and its ability to operate in ever-increasing summer temperatures, yet one of the most lush, naturally shaded areas of the MK is going to make way for the "Frontierland" evolution to be based on the Automobile. If Disney was so desperate to put in a Cars attraction at MK, why not do something with Tomorrowland Speedway or just make it part of the Beyond Big Thunder expansion BEHIND TSI, not right in the middle of a land that celebrates the American Frontier and the beauty of this country.
I actually think this is another effort to distance Disney from problematic themes found in this section of the park. First it was Splash Mountain and it's origins associated with Song of the South, then it was the Frontierland Shooting Gallery and its basis in gun culture, and now it's TSI and some potentially offensive features that promote guns and stereotypes. It's very much a systemic sanitization of a portion of the park that presents themes that could be considered problematic.
Good piece Robert looking at both sides. For myself, I always tended to skip TSI but losing the Rivers is a huge blow as they made the place look so nice and natural. Taking them out means we basically have four E-ticket rides in one spot and way too much noise and adding to stress.
I still wish Disney just did a fifth gate in WDW with a Cars land rather than pave over the Rivers like this. I still miss Seven Seas Lagoon in Fantasyland and as Russell pointed out, some water stuff is needed and adds something better for the park. Many of the new rides look great but this may be a mistake.
IP is what drives the park. When you visit a park like Busch Gardens they would kill for a memorable storyline or a backstory that has a connection to all forms of media (books, movie, videogames, TV, fan fiction). Its the reason BGW has latched on to the Lochness Monster which is a D tier ride in my mind. Everything else they have made regardless of quality is forgettable. They had something with the Big Bad Wolf and hopefully the new coaster evokes that name. Disney himself might say mission accomplished. Everything feeds itself.
As far as Tom Sawyer, Davey Crockett, and the like current generations arent reading so they dont care. Someone mentioned something about Coco and Avatar both being water rides, well theres your reason.
The biggiest sin is this virtual queue. If there isnt a way for me to get wet only once or by paying then that is a crime.
They really should leave the Orland Magic Kingdom alone. It's not for anybody actually seeking fun. It's boring as all get out. by bringing the high thrill rides to the park you are bringing the wrong kind of tourist to that park. I dont want anybody "practicing self reflection and serentiy" to their followers. Keep them out.
Will the haunted mansion show building be hidden still?
It's giving seven dwarves mine train, but more boring. This is such a mess. Everyone on the imagineer instagram is hating this.
As an international, and therefore less frequent, visitor I am really disappointed at this news. Whilst I appreciate the need for space, walking around the Rivers of America was one of my favourite things to do in MK once the sun went down. The feeling of open space and escapism that it created is something that I will certainly miss.
So another problem is mid-afternoon wait times. The Island and the Riverboat were great things to do mid-day when the line got unbearable. You could get a snack, go on the riverboat, the calmly stroll the island, which was one of the more immersive areas of the park. Now they will remove that, and the scenic waterway to add more attractions that will likely be more long lines.
I cannot think this is anything but a mistake. Now had they simply expanded behind Big Thunder to have a new area, that would be fine. If you are really needing to add investment to compete with Universal and show people you intend to invest in the area, then go ahead and build the fifth gate.
In Disney parks people vote with their feet. I do too. Last time I went to Tom Sawyer Island it was empty but Cars Land was full, not just the rides, but the stores, restaurants, and character meet-up. Rivers of America is like a giant version of Storybook Land with static displays. Pretty, but I'm guessing people also think pretty boring. The question I would pose to all the people wringing their hands over the loss of Rivers of America, if Disney proposed it as a new ride today, would you be excited? Would it be high on your list of things to do, like a new coaster or immersive high tech dark ride? I don't think so. Tell me I'm wrong.
I always find a way to defend Disney when they’ve made changes to the parks but removing RoA and for CARS is unforgivable and indefensible for me. You can’t convince me they couldn’t have made a smaller area and preserved at least a portion of the river. What a horrendous mistake.
I will miss the aesthetics of RoA and TSI, but honestly think I will enjoy these Cars rides more than what was there prior.
The biggest benefit with this change will hopefully be that Disney FINALLY gets rid of that horrible bottleneck that plagued Tiana’s/Splash, Thunder Mountain, and the Railroad. That has always been a pain to navigate, especially when the parade was passing by.
Sigh unfortunately the trend now is if it does not make money or boost attendance for us its on the chopping block
As for those who lament the dearth of water rides, well their argument is that is what water parks are for so WDW better open both at the same time when this MK expansion is all said and done!
The New Six flags has been ripping out water rides left and right, cannot believe Disney is taking page of out their playbook!!
I actually really like this change, and that’s coming from a 45+ year frequent visitor. Although it will ultimately depend on the details of the theming and the quality of the ride. A scenic area with an enjoyable attraction wins out over natural scenery with a walk through that, in my opinion, only warranted rare visits. It will be interesting to see how the train fits in between the new Frontierland and Villains and how the area looks at night.
Odd that we're talking on WDW losing water rides whereas DCA will be adding more on.
How long before we consider a combustion engine car to be something we don't want to promote by having an attraction/land build around it?
Future generations won't understand we polluted our planet with it and changed the climate because of it, making the world more and more inhabitable.
The Cars IP is our next Splash Mountain.
Russell: "For a company that touts environmental stewardship and sustainability, it's disappointing for them to fill in a large water feature in exchange for thousands of cubic yards of concrete".
Me: You think that's the "disappointment"? How about six bazillion tons of plastic used to create souvenirs manufactured in China? You don't think that speaks volumes about the sincerity of Disney's environmental stewardship?
I'm okay with the change in Florida because of the water already around Magic Kingdom. It is easy to just take a boat to one of the nearby resorts if a family wants a break from running around the park. Which is what my family has done in the past.
Water is way more important in California where the resort doesn't have any outside of the parks and it is a long trek to the beach.
Wow this seems more like an April fools joke. So does MK just no longer have a Frontierland? I'm pretty sure cartoon anthropomorphic cars doesn't exactly mesh with the theme of 1800s American Frontier lol. Pretty soon Tokyo is going to be the only place to go to visit all the classic attractions!
I have not experienced the Island. Now I find I must hit this before it gets imploded. I wish they could find some way to keep the water be it a stream or something. It would be cool to repurpose those boats into a really cool AND really good restaurant in a pond er lake. At least pay some homage to the past.
I just hope universal doesn’t decide to add one or two more hubs to Epic Universe. Then Disney would be forced to fill in the World Showcase Lagoon for a Wreck it Ralph coaster.
Daniel Galvanm: "I'm pretty sure cartoon anthropomorphic cars doesn't exactly mesh with the theme of 1800s American Frontier lol."
Me: Yeah, the same could be said about cartoonish anthropomorphic bears singing and playing musical instruments.
I did always find it weird that Appalachian bears are in an area themed to the old west, however I chalk that up more to American's ignorance of geography than anything (after all east coast rednecks and the south west are both associated with country music?) They have that how down in Frontierland and one of the songs they sing is Rocky Top Tennessee lol.
That being said I agree with Cars coming in its going to go more from being the "old west" to more just..."west" + random Louisiana ride.
changing the classics is always controversy at Disney, but i have to agree with friend.o.walt...i have lived in Orlando 34 years and am a WDW AP holder. i think i've ridden the riverboat a total of 3 times and been on TSI maybe twice (and no desire to ever return). whereas i agree with the serenity and waterviews the area offers, i'm sure in time we will be loving the excitement of our new cars ride way more.
This article has been archived and is no longer accepting comments.
This feels like a mistake. What is Frontierland without the river?