Walt Disney World is making speedy progress on the Automobiles and Villains Lands in Magic Kingdom, with one of many defining options of Piston Peak Nationwide Park showing to take form: a waterway changing the guest-facing aspect of the Rivers of America! After closing and demolishing that and Tom Sawyer Island, new aerial photographs reveal the primary contours of the brand new panorama. Right here’s the newest, plus our commentary about what’s subsequent.
Let’s begin by rapidly bringing you on top of things with what’s modified between summer time and as we speak. The Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island, and Liberty Sq. Riverboat closed again on July seventh. Partitions went up alongside a portion of the waterfront in Liberty Sq. and Frontierland, and crews began by draining the previous Rivers of America.
Following a pair months of that, demolition of Tom Sawyer Island occured in earnest from roughly October by way of December. By the beginning of the Christmas season, the constructions had been all gone, with solely timber and the island itself remaining. With the land cleared, early 2026 has principally been a matter of web site prep and grading. However we’re additionally beginning to see the eventual ‘pure’ contours of Piston Peak Nationwide Park taking form. Let’s have a look!
With views from ground-level now principally blocked, we take to the skies above Magic Kingdom for a glimpse over the development partitions. These overhead photographs & video come courtesy of eye within the sky photographs from friend-of-the-site bioreconstruct, the go-to supply for aerial theme park pictures…
Let’s begin with a high-level establishing shot exhibiting the majority of the undertaking web site. Be aware that not all of this can be constructed on, not less than not within the subsequent ~5 years. Numerous that is for staging after which future developments.
This view is from outdoors Magic Kingdom, behind Haunted Mansion and Large Thunder Mountain Railroad. This exhibits the massive expanses of filth the place Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island as soon as had been, in addition to the ultimate laydown yard that we’ve been watching make progress because it performs catch-up to the opposite ones.
We’ve lined these laydown yards and drainage necessities extensively as a part of the allowing course of for this undertaking over the course of the final year-plus. As a refresher, the allow for all of this was issued by the South Florida Water Administration District (SFWMD) roughly one 12 months in the past, giving Imagineering till February 17, 2030 to redevelop the world.
The underlying SFWMD allow is huge in scale and scope, encompassing over 300 acres round Magic Kingdom and past. Nevertheless, the precise undertaking web site solely being about 14 acres. The laydown yards and whole allow space are a lot larger than the brand new lands, even when this nonetheless is the most important enlargement in Magic Kingdom historical past.
There are a number of subjects we contact on with every Magic Kingdom building replace, and we’ll revisit these once more deeper within the submit. However I wish to change issues up by zeroing in on the brand new developments this time.
For starters, there’s what seems to be a brand new River of America! Even trying on the excessive stage shot, you must see what seems to be just like the unmistakable snaking form of a smaller stream, roughly half the scale (possibly one third?) of the earlier guest-facing Rivers of America waterfront in Liberty Sq. and Frontierland.
As a refresher, right here’s the (exaggerated) Enjoyable Map of Piston Peak Nationwide Park:
One in all my huge hangups with this entire Automobiles undertaking has been shedding the waterfront. Paving paradise to place up a car parking zone. Changing the tranquil waters and a lush space that provided a stunning escape from the crowds and chaos of Magic Kingdom and a stunning, decompressing view…for nearly the precise reverse of that.
As you’ll be able to see from the Enjoyable Map, there’s a speeding river that runs between Frontierland and Piston Peak Nationwide Park, together with quite a lot of water options all through the land. Notably, there’s additionally a waterfront promenade on the prevailing Frontierland aspect of the map.
What’s been unclear is the scale of this water characteristic. Is it a speeding river or a small stream? Enjoyable Maps are notorious for exaggerated options, and it might make sense that Walt Disney World would wish to emphasize the water and that they aren’t, in truth, paving over paradise to place up a car parking zone.
Accordingly, I’ve been anxiously the by no means river or stream mattress to take form to determine the precise dimension of the water characteristic. Development itself doesn’t lie! I’m not 100% positive that’s what we see right here, however in any case, let’s dive into the photographs of what seems to be what I’m dubbing the brand new Creek of Piston Peak (rolls proper off the tongue!):
Although at aligns with the Enjoyable Map and our expectations, what provides me a little bit of pause about this being the long run Creek of Piston Peak is that final photograph. Zoom in a bit and you’ll what seems to be like vertical rebar within the center–and a fabric quantity of it.
There’s no good clarification for vertical rebar in the midst of a river. However we can also surmise that that is not the experience system or attraction path for the Automobiles Rally Racers attraction. It’s below-grade, a bit too sharply snaking and slender, and manner too near the Frontierland promenade.
A extra life like risk is that this could possibly be laying the groundwork footers for the bottom of the mountain construction with experience present constructing lined with rockwork. Principally, this could possibly be what delineates the Creek of Piston Peak water characteristic to the left and the mountain protecting a present constructing to the best.
Truthfully, I don’t know sufficient to make an informed assertion a technique or one other. It very a lot seems to be like a river to me, I do know that a lot. However I additionally know that rivers sometimes don’t have vertical rebar in them. A method or one other, the Creek of Piston Peak is beginning to take form. It’s presumably simply not the outlined waterway that we beforehand anticipated. Time will inform as to what, precisely, is occurring right here.
Work continues on the ultimate space of land behind “it’s a small world” and Haunted Mansion, north of Fantasyland. That is for Villains Land, which has a extra nebulous format and footprint than Piston Peak, which has clearly-defined boundaries (and a format) between Haunted Mansion and Large Thunder.
Formally, we all know much less about Villains Land than Piston Peak. We don’t know the points of interest it’ll characteristic, the place they’ll be constructed, or simply how far the land will lengthen in every route. Based mostly on the land clearing and the truth that there are already giant present buildings right here, we had assumed that one other present constructing can be nestled behind Haunted Mansion and “it’s a small world.” That’s simply the secure guess–and logical format for the land.
Nevertheless, the latest Submitting Revealing Present Constructing Sizes & Places of Automobiles & Villains Lands appears to recommend in any other case. I’m nonetheless not utterly satisfied that exhibits all of the buildings. For the reason that submitting pertains to wastewater and utilities, and the amenities are nearly incidental, it’s potential that the buildings are solely proven to the extent obligatory or related.
Between this and the potential Creek of Piston Peak, it’s as if we’re slowing piecing collectively a thriller. And as with every good one, there are certain to be just a few shock plot twists, turns, and misdirection alongside the best way. In different phrases, don’t view something you see or learn because the gospel. We’re certain to get some (doubtlessly rather a lot) of this incorrect alongside the best way as extra is slowly revealed. (Please, Disney, give us a scale mannequin at D23!)
Above is a contemporary have a look at the Haunted Mansion Thriller Challenge. Or somewhat, tasks, plural.
As we are able to now see from the scrim across the mansion facade, certainly one of these tasks is just routine upkeep to the constructing exterior. However we’re extra fascinated with what’s occurring behind the present queue and constructing entrance.
We beforehand speculated that this could possibly be an prolonged queue (a la Disneyland) or that Disney is shifting the doorway for crowd circulation functions. Oh course, probably the most enjoyable clarification is a brand new eating expertise, a la Haunted Mansion Parlor on DCL. Provided that meals and alcohol gross sales generate income and queues don’t (straight), we’d by no means guess in opposition to a bar.
It’s additionally notable that the aforementioned submitting has this as a construction, which makes a queue appear much less seemingly. Once more, time will inform.
As you’ll be able to see, the undertaking web site(s) encroach on each Large Thunder Mountain Railroad and Haunted Mansion.
Piston Peak will primarily be to the south of those points of interest, the place the principle Tom Sawyer Island advanced as soon as stood, together with the guest-facing half of the Rivers of America. A big walkway between Haunted Mansion and Large Thunder Mountain Railroad will type the northern boundary Piston Peak, offering a path between these two present points of interest and a connection to Villains Land.
With Large Thunder Mountain Railroad slated to reopen in Spring 2026, it’s anticipated that building crews will begin on the groundwork for this pathway quickly. They’ll must put up a second set of partitions inside the present partitions round Large Thunder. In trying on the aerial photographs, you may get a tough concept of the place these might want to go earlier than the experience can reopen.
The walkway undoubtedly won’t be accomplished (and even began) earlier than Large Thunder reopens. It wouldn’t make sense to take action, because it’d block entry to the Automobiles building web site. However prep-work ought to start on the Large Thunder Mountain Railroad aspect because it’ll be simpler to perform that whereas the curler coaster is closed.
In case you look carefully on the photographs above and beneath, the pavement round Large Thunder remains to be torn up, together with the exit path. It’s robust to inform the place the Piston Peak undertaking web site ends and BTMRR begins. That’ll want to alter–and quick. Crews might want to do work on the exit space walkway earlier than BTMRR can reopen. (And naturally, building partitions might want to go up alongside the Piston Peak undertaking web site.)
Though it’s thrilling to see the Creek of Piston Peak, or no matter that’s, beginning to take form, there’s presumably nonetheless a variety of largely invisible work to be performed. There’s nonetheless some clearing on the again half of the positioning, grading, and extra.
Along with that, crews might want to set up infrastructure and utilities, and extra earlier than vertical building can start. Tropical Americas took about 10 months to go from land clearing to the beginnings of vertical building.
Our greatest guess is that Piston Peak remains to be a number of months away from going vertical in a significant manner (just a few ft of rebar doesn’t fairly depend). Truthfully, I’d be stunned and impressed if we see metal rising above the development partitions by Christmas 2026.
I’d like to be incorrect and have this work kick into the next gear, however these tasks are at all times slow-going…till they’re not. The vertical stage is what goes quick. This occurs time and time once more, and but, followers continually query why issues are going so gradual…after which why tasks have ‘sped up.’
I’ve talked about this earlier than, however we proceed to get questions, so I’ll reiterate that this undertaking is fairly unobtrusive to the visitor expertise up to now.
Clearly, the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island are gone, in order that tranquil view and wonderful ambiance are gone together with it. However not less than at this level, that hasn’t been changed with an unpleasant building zone.
You possibly can see the partitions when first coming into Liberty Sq., however the best way that the brown scrim is ready again alongside the shortcut means it doesn’t stand out from the principle thoroughfare of Frontierland.
It helps that there’s a great quantity of foliage between Frontierland and the previous Rivers of America or present undertaking web site.
The outcome once you’re strolling by way of this part of the park, maybe to go to future UNESCO World Heritage Web site, Grizzly Corridor, you don’t actually discover all that a lot. Mix-in brown residing as much as its title.
The development web site is there, but it surely largely fades into the background. This isn’t a big crater that instructions company’ consideration or forces you thru a maze of building partitions. It’s solely outstanding alongside the waterfront promenade, the place blend-in-brown scrims change what was as soon as a stunning view.
In different phrases, that is completely nothing just like the Large EPCOT Dust Pit. Now, progress grinds to a half or if this drags on for ~5 years or the tip result’s one thing akin to the experience model of CommuniCore Corridor, you’ll be able to anticipate my tune to alter.
Lastly, right here’s an aerial video by way of bioreconstruct of the progress on the Automobiles and Villains Land undertaking:
Aerial video of building of Piston Peak Nationwide Park and Villains land in Magic Kingdom.
First concrete varieties added for the experience route of Piston Peak! Winding close to Large Thunder and the Frontierland walkway. pic.twitter.com/XWjc6ebhhF— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) February 14, 2026
In the end, I’ve to confess that seeing the Creek of Piston Peak taking form obtained me excited. It’s no secret that I believe Walt Disney World made a mistake in eradicating the entrance half of the Rivers of America. I used to be superb shedding the again half of Tom Sawyer Island, however felt–and nonetheless really feel–that extra of the undertaking web site ought to really been Past Large Thunder.
However what’s performed is completed. There’s no turning again time, so at this level, I’m actually curious to see how Imagineering pulls this off. If they’ll handle to make Piston Peak Nationwide Park really feel like an extension of Frontierland. If they’ll add breathtaking new visible options and a shocking panorama, a speeding river, and many others.
I nonetheless have my misgivings about this undertaking, to make sure, however at this level, I’m cautiously pessimistic bordering on cautiously optimistic. I actually need to see Imagineering pull this off, making lemonade out of lemons and proving the haters like myself incorrect. Nothing would carry me better pleasure than admitting that; with the ability to say “I instructed you so” is actually the worst potential end result right here.
My different hope is that Walt Disney World continues to allocate as many sources as potential in direction of the Past Large Thunder enlargement. Get these tasks shifting as quick as potential, with cranes on web site to start vertical building by Fall 2026. Reduce the visitor influence and have Piston Peak open ASAP. As distant because it appears as we speak, each Automobiles and Villains land opening earlier than 2030 can be an enormous win. Talking of which, see our up to date 5-12 months Plan for Walt Disney World New Lands & Points of interest, which covers anticipated opening timelines.
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Your Ideas
Ideas on the Creek of Piston Peak? Is that the precise riverbed, or the groundwork for the construction that’ll separate the present constructing and rockwork from the waterway? Ideas on Haunted Mansion Parlor or the rest lined right here? Excited or disillusioned that the Piston Peak Nationwide Park is changing Rivers of America? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we can assist you reply? Listening to your suggestions—even once you disagree with us—is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
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