Joe McConnell
On Saturday night, during the Disney Experiences Showcase during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney Experiences President Josh D’Amaro introduced dozens of new lands, attractions and experiences coming to Disney parks around the world.
“Today, we unveiled a wealth of new experiences that only Disney can deliver,” D’Amaro said during the presentation. “Work is in full swing on all of the new projects we’ve announced, and fans will begin to see them come to life in the near future.”
Once the cheers died down after D’Amaro announced these announcements, fans quickly began speculating about where these new lands and attractions might be located.
Among them is a “Cars”-themed land coming to Frontierland in the Magic Kingdom at Disney World. The land will be set in the wilderness beyond Radiator Springs, the immersive land you can visit at Disney California Adventure Park at Disneyland.
There will be two exhilarating attractions inspired by the “Cars” films and the franchise’s most beloved characters, such as Lightning McQueen, Tow Mater and all their friends. One is described as a thrilling rally race, and the other as an attraction that even the youngest drivers will love.
Along with the announcement, Disney said construction on the project is scheduled to begin in 2025.
While Walt Disney World Resort is large—more than 40 square miles, to be precise—it’s not infinite. Projects of this magnitude have to go somewhere, and that place is often in place of older attractions. For example, when Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway opened in early 2020, it replaced a beloved attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios called The Great Movie Ride.
Fans didn’t have to wait long to learn that Disney World will close two classic attractions to make way for a “Cars” themed area. On Monday, Disney shared in a blog post that the Rivers of America area, home to the Liberty Square Riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island, will be “transformed into vast, rugged terrain for a rally race featuring some of the world’s most iconic drivers.”
It may be a bitter pill for some fans to swallow, but Disney has recognized how difficult it is to lose attractions that have created happy memories for so many guests.
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“We are thrilled to create this original Cars adventure and put our guests in the driver’s seat as we literally explore a new frontier in Frontierland,” said Michael Hundgen, executive producer of the Walt Disney World portfolio at Walt Disney Imagineering, in the blog post. “Part of pioneering this new story includes tapping into the themes of exploration and adventure that inspire so many of us to keep moving forward. Every time we touch down at Magic Kingdom, we recognize the tremendous responsibility that exists to get it right and tell stories that connect with our guests.”
Disney also understands that guests need a chance to say goodbye to attractions they love. That’s why the company also said that before accelerating construction next year, “guests will have plenty of time to experience the charm and nostalgia of Frontierland as it exists today.”
If you want to take one last ride on the Rivers of America aboard the Liberty Belle or explore the caves and bridges of Tom Sawyer Island one last time, we recommend doing so on your next trip to Disney World before they close for good.
Unfortunately for longtime Disney fans, these aren’t the only attractions on the chopping block at Disney World. D’Amaro also announced at the Disney Experiences Showcase that a Villains-themed area is coming to the Magic Kingdom. A “Monsters, Inc.” area is also coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom is getting a Tropical Americas area with “Encanto” and “Indiana Jones”-themed attractions.
Concept art and announcements from Disney suggest that the Dinosaur attraction and all of DinoLand USA will soon be as extinct as the giant reptiles that inspired them. In a blog post specifically about this new land, Disney said, “Construction on the land is expected to begin this fall and open in 2027, but don’t worry, you’ll still have plenty of time to experience Dinosaur again (and catch that dino).”
We also know that the Disney Villains land is being planned for an undeveloped area behind Big Thunder Mountain at the Magic Kingdom. That means there probably won’t be any need to demolish any attractions to make way for the devious fun to come.
As for the new “Monsters, Inc.” area, Disney is keeping its exact location a secret, so we don’t yet know what additional attractions we’ll be saying goodbye to. If Monday’s announcement and Disney’s treatment of past attraction closures are any indication, they’ll be giving guests fair warning before closing the attractions they’re replacing.
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A new Pixar Animation Studios-themed “Monsters, Inc.” land is coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY
We’ll be sure to keep you updated as soon as we know exactly when and where these rides will be built, so you can plan accordingly if you want to give them one last ride.
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