We got new details this week about the new Cars Land coming to Magic Kingdom. In addition to the name, Piston Peak, we got information on the style, look and some new characters for this land. Disney also announced closing dates for some iconic Magic Kingdom attractions. Let’s dive into some details!
Closing Attractions To Make Way For Cars Land In Magic Kingdom
Unfortunately we will be losing the Liberty Bell Riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island to make way for Cars Land in Magic Kingdom. Disney announced that these attractions will be closing forever on July 7th. So, if you need to experience these two icons one more time, make sure you get to Magic Kingdom before then! July 6th will be the last day to enjoy these attractions. I have to say, I am so sad to see these two go. Seeing the riverboat is such a huge part of Magic Kingdom to me. And Tom Sawyer Island just has such a special place in my heart. I mean my kids are named after Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher, I wish I could have that fence panel! The riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island offer some of the best views in Magic Kingdom, they will really be missed. But I digress, let’s keep talking details. We will also see a temporary closure of the Frontierland Train Station for the Magic Kingdom Railroad but it is slated to reopen in 2026.
What We Know About Cars Land In Magic Kingdom
Last August at the D23 Ultimate Fan Event, Josh D’Amaro announced that Lightning McQueen would be making his way to Magic Kingdom in a new Cars Land. It was announced then that there would be two new attractions. One would be a rally race style ride and the other geared more towards the whole family. At this time we didn’t really get any other information past this and the location taking over Rivers of America and Tome Sawyer Island. Josh D’Amaro also stated that this would be the largest expansion in Magic Kingdom history! You can read more about the Disney Parks announcements from D23 here.
Now, we know that construction will begin on the new Cars Land in Magic Kingdom in July. The name of the area will officially be Piston Peak National Park. This area is inspired by the Rocky Mountain area as well as the American Frontier and it’s National Parks. There will be two new rides, dining and shopping in this area. we also got information on some specific areas in the land like Ranger HQ, trails and the Visitor Lodge. All the buildings will have a style of architecture called “Parkitecture” developed by the National Park Service. This style of architecture was created to have the park structures harmonize with their natural environment.
The artwork for this new area looks beautiful. I am happy to see that there will still be a waterway and lots of trees! It looks like the new Cars Land will tie in well with the surrounding Frontierland attractions through geysers and mountain ranges that go with the Big Thunder Mountain and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
Rides In The New Cars Land
As I said, there will be two rides in this new Cars Land. One we don’t have a lot of details on, just that it will be a family friendly ride. We got some fun new details on the main attraction this week! This main attraction will be a rally race through the mountains with wild terrain that takes you through mountains to climb, geysers to dodge and muddles to splash through. This attraction will have an all new type of ride vehicle that was announced at SXSW. Imagineers have been working with with a motocross company to create an actual dirt track to race around in these new ride vehicles. This track will record data to create how the vehicles will move and race. Each vehicle will also have it’s own name, personality and number.
Characters In The New Cars Land
We got to see the one of the new characters in the new Cars Land in Magic Kingdom! Ranger J. Autobahn Woodlore. We will see him in the queue for the rally race ride, welcoming us to Piston Peak National Park. This new character is not so new after all! This is a Cars version of a classic Disney cartoon character you will find mostly in cartoons with Humphrey the Bear. He was the ranger in Brownstone National Park. We will no doubt see Lightning McQueen, Tow Mater and more of the Cars characters we love in addition to other new characters.
Conclusion
I was happy to see the artwork released this week. Since D23 last August I have worried about what this area would look like. The Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island are so scenic and relaxing parts of Magic Kingdom. They are beautiful to look at and nice, slow areas of the park that are hard to find in other areas. It’s nice to know that this area will still have scenic views, although it won’t be slow for sure! Tom Sawyer Island is so special to me, you can read more about the island here.