In just a few weeks, Tom Sawyer Island will vanish from Walt Disney World’s Frontierland. The longtime raft-access attraction, known for its rustic charm and roots in Mark Twain lore, is slated for permanent closure in early July. But according to recent parkgoers, the experience is already eroding—one creaking bridge and shuttered windmill at a time.
What was once a quiet escape now feels like a space winding down ahead of schedule.
Originally opened in 1973, Tom Sawyer Island has long offered guests a self-guided journey through caves, treehouses, and wooden forts. Its slower pace and raft-only access set it apart from the high-tech draw of nearby headliners. For decades, that was the point. But as the park prepares to redevelop the area into Piston Peak National Park, themed to Planes: Fire & Rescue, signs of neglect are growing harder to ignore.
Guests Say Tom Sawyer Island Is Already in Disrepair
Recent visitors say the island isn’t just closing—it’s falling apart. “The windmill was closed on Tuesday and all the caves were miserably hot, as if the AC was broken,” wrote one Reddit user. “Also the bathrooms in the fort were also very warm. At this point there’s really no reason to fix those things when it all closes in a couple weeks.”
Another guest added that the “windmill and crooked little bridge have been closed for a while.” Others noted that fewer cast members seemed present on the island, and that entire pathways had become off-limits in recent weeks.
Tom Sawyer Island isn’t in the best shape today…
byu/kingkoopa0819 inWaltDisneyWorld
“I speak from the experience of having seen many an attraction go the way of the dodo,” one user commented. “The nearer they get to their closing date, more special effects get turned off, [certain] areas become unavailable to public, other areas start to fall into disrepair…. it’s pretty much standard practice at this point.”
A Quiet Exit for a Quiet Space
Disney has not publicly addressed the condition of the island or confirmed which elements are now permanently closed. But the decision to let the attraction wind down quietly has frustrated many longtime fans, particularly those who view the space as one of the last remnants of Magic Kingdom’s less commercialized past.
While Piston Peak National Park is roughly estimated by fans to open in 2028 or 2029, Disney has not shared a specific construction timeline. Concept art shows cascading waterfalls, sweeping vistas, and what appears to be a major water ride. Still, for fans of the existing space, the sudden shift in tone—from a literary hideaway to a branded IP land—has been difficult to accept.
More than its closure, it’s the current condition of Tom Sawyer Island that stings. In its final weeks, the land feels less like a farewell and more like a slow fadeout—one without ceremony, maintenance, or much attention at all. For a space that once invited guests to explore and imagine, that may be the biggest loss of all.
How do you feel about the upcoming closure of Tom Sawyer Island?
Does it really matter, Disney execs don’t give a damn what the fans want or the vision of Walt. it is all about the money and nothing else. Disney execs do not listen to the public, just stock holders.