Disney World closes iconic attractions to make way for new land

By Shafiq Najib

Walt Disney World is closing several iconic attractions beginning Monday to make room for a brand-new land.

Frontierland's Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Square Riverboat at Magic Kingdom will shut down on July 7 as Disney prepares to bring a national park-themed area called Piston Peak to life.

Disney

Disneyland will feature a new Piston Peak National Park theme at Frontierland, inspired by the Rocky Mountain area.

Rivers of America has been a staple of Frontierland and Liberty Square in the Magic Kingdom since Disney World opened in 1971.

The Liberty Belle steamboat and Tom Sawyer Island were added in 1973, offering guests a narrated ride through scenes of early American frontier life. Visitors could also take a raft to explore Tom Sawyer Island, inspired by Mark Twain's beloved novel.

Last month, Disney announced that Piston Peak National Park will be the "largest expansion in the history of Magic Kingdom," continuing the storytelling tradition that has flowed through Liberty Square and Frontierland since opening day.

Inspired by the American frontier and the majestic Rocky Mountains -- stretching from British Columbia to New Mexico -- Piston Peak will transport guests into a wilderness filled with towering trees, snowcapped mountains, waterfalls, roaring rivers and dramatic geysers.

Visitors will be able to explore a "visitor lodge, Ranger HQ, trails and more," all inspired by Disney and Pixar's "Cars" universe and its "wheelderness."

Disney's Imagineers are even basing Piston Peak's architecture on that of the real-world "Parkitecture" style, which focuses on blending buildings with the surrounding natural landscape harmoniously.

And Piston Peak isn't the only major project underway.

Gary Hershorn/Getty Images

A statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse stands in a garden in front of Cinderella's Castle at the Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World, April 3, 2025, in Orlando, Fla.

Disney also confirmed that Imagineers are hard at work on the first-ever land inspired by Disney villains.

Located beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the land will feature two major attractions, themed dining, shopping, and a darkly magical aesthetic on an "incredibly twisted grand scale."

Additionally, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom is set to reopen next year with new magic, while later this summer, Disney Starlight will make its grand debut on Main Street on July 20. Meanwhile, The Beak and Barrel will welcome pirates of all ages to join in the adventure.