Disney World Closes Three Classic Attractions for Piston Peak Land
Updated on
Published on
Frontierland is waving goodbye to some of its oldest residents. Rivers of America, the Liberty Belle riverboat, and Tom Sawyer Island will all take their last voyages on July 6, closing the next morning so bulldozers can roll in. The trio has entertained guests since the early 1970s, but Disney says their retirement is the first step toward a re-imagined western shoreline.
In their place rises Piston Peak National Park, a Cars-inspired wilderness of snow-capped mountains, geysers, and a ranger-station hub that channels classic Parkitecture. Imagineers promise hiking trails, waterfall vistas, and an off-road adventure that lets families race through the Rockies in anthropomorphic vehicles—turning one of Magic Kingdom’s quiet corners into an all-new destination.
The makeover is just one piece of a wider build-out: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopens next year with fresh story beats, Main Street debuts the Disney Starlight drone spectacular on July 20, and a sprawling villains land looms beyond the new park boundary. For Disney devotees, the frontier is getting wilder—and a whole lot busier.
