Cars Attractions to Replace Magic Kingdom’s Tom Sawyer Island
Frontierland is expanding! During D23’s Experiences Showcase, Josh D’Amaro shared that a new Cars area is coming to Magic Kingdom. It’s an entirely new concept and is not based on California Adventure’s wildly popular Cars Land. I’m down with all of this, but there is a downside. The new attractions are replacing Tom Sawyer Island. More on that later on.
“Don’t get too comfortable in Radiator Springs because it’s time to leave the pit stop and head west into exciting new frontiers. On this adventure, guests will be able to experience not one but two exciting new Cars-themed attractions.”
Disney Parks Blog
The headline attraction will have guests racing through the mountains, “dodging geysers and — Mater’s favorite — splashing through mudholes.” The other ride is for younger guests. Details are scarce for that one.
Goodbye, Tom Sawyer and Liberty Belle
As I mentioned, the new Cars area comes with a cost. Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America will be transformed to accommodate the two new attractions. Unfortunately, that means the Liberty Belle Riverboat will be removed from Magic Kingdom. Many Disney guests are understandably upset about this news.
Disney acknowledged that this change will be difficult for old-school Disney fans to accept. Michael Hundgen, an Imagineering executive said, “Part of pioneering this new story includes tapping into the themes of exploration and adventure that inspire so many of us to keep propelling forward. Anytime we touch Magic Kingdom, we recognize the massive responsibility that exists to get it right and tell stories that connect with our guests.”
Honestly, we rarely rode the Liberty Belle on our Magic Kingdom days, maybe once every five years. We visit Tom Sawyer Island even less. Last April was the first time we explored the island in over a decade. I’d wager that this is the case with most Magic Kingdom visitors. But this change is still difficult. The vibe in Liberty Square will change. Sight lines will be drastically different. But park capacity will go up, which is exactly what Disney needs to focus on.
“Why can’t we create without without destroying?”
Me
We dig Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, but did we have to lose The Great Movie Ride? Do we have to lose Dinosaur to make way for any Indiana Jones attraction? I’m sure Disney Imagineering agonizes over these decisions. In this case, transforming Tom Sawyer Island does make sense. Magic Kingdom is the most popular theme park in the world. Adding more rides and increasing capacity are good things.
However, if Disney razes MuppetVision 3D to make way for the new Monsters, Inc. land, I’ll have a VERY different take on this “creating while destroying” stuff.
Work on the new Cars attractions begins in Magic Kingdom in 2025.
