Disney Experiences used the opening day of D23 2026 to confirm the complete scale of Piston Peak National Park, the Cars-themed land under construction in the footprint once occupied by Frontierland's Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island.
The reveal, delivered through park models shown to attendees ahead of Saturday's Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase, represents the clearest public accounting yet of a project the company has described as the largest single expansion in Magic Kingdom's operating history.
Project Timeline and Site Preparation
The land occupies a footprint vacated on July 7, 2025, when Disney permanently closed both Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America to allow construction to begin. The Rivers of America dated to Magic Kingdom's original opening on October 1, 1971, and had served as the transit route for the Liberty Belle Riverboat past Haunted Mansion and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Tom Sawyer Island opened roughly 18 months later, on May 20, 1973, and had functioned as one of the park's few unstructured, walkable guest areas.
Both closures generated substantial guest pushback at the time of announcement. Disney released updated concept art in the months following to manage sentiment, though a portion of the fan base has continued to express preference for the previous attractions' low-density, non-IP theming over the franchise-driven direction of the replacement.
Then-Disney Experiences Chairman and current Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro addressed the thematic rationale for the shift during the D23 2024 Horizons showcase: “The American West has always been about keeping your eyes on the horizon … believing in yourself, carving your own path, and striving toward success. That goes for miners in the mountains, bears from the country, a princess from the bayou … or a racecar from the big city.”
Attraction and Land Details
Piston Peak National Park is built around Parkitecture, the National Park Service-derived architectural style intended to integrate structures into the surrounding terrain rather than call attention to them. The land includes a visitor lodge, a Ranger HQ building, forest trail pathing, and mountain and geyser features supporting the rally-terrain theme. A tree line is used as a sightline break separating the land from Liberty Square and the retained portions of Frontierland.
Two attractions make up the expansion's ride inventory, marking the first dedicated Cars-branded land at Walt Disney World:
- A high-speed rally attraction circling the perimeter of Piston Peak, featuring ride vehicles designed with distinct individual personalities. The queue introduces an original character, Ranger J. Autobahn Woodlore, developed as a reference to Ranger J. Audubon Woodlore, a recurring Disney cartoon character from the 1950s.
- A family-oriented attraction centered on Miss Fritter, the demolition derby character and school bus from 2017's Cars 3 (voiced by Lea DeLaria), themed around her role at the Thunder Hollow Speedway. Disney had withheld the character attachment for this ride for months, confirming only that it would target a younger guest demographic.
The second attraction positions Walt Disney World with a rough domestic counterpart to Cars Quatre Roues Rallye, the family dark ride operating at Disney Adventure World (formerly Walt Disney Studios Park) in Disneyland Paris since 2007.
What This Means for Guests
Piston Peak National Park is one component of a two-land expansion that also includes Villains Land, under construction beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Disney has suggested the combined project will deliver around four new attractions across both lands. No opening date has been announced for either land as of this reveal; guests planning future visits should expect continued construction impact in this section of the park until an official opening window is confirmed.
Guests who visited Magic Kingdom for the Rivers of America or Tom Sawyer Island should note both attractions are permanently closed and will not reopen in any form — the entire footprint has been redeveloped for this expansion.
Industry Context
The scale of this investment underscores Disney Experiences' continued reliance on franchise-driven land development as a growth lever for Walt Disney World, following a similar strategic pattern seen elsewhere in the resort's recent expansion slate. Additional park updates were also shown at D23 2026, including new looks at the Encanto attraction planned for Disney's Animal Kingdom and Space Mountain: Earthrise, set to open at Tokyo Disneyland next year.
Further Horizons showcase details, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, are expected Saturday, August 15, with select D23 panels streaming on Disney+ and Hulu for those not attending in person. D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event runs through August 16 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
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