This past weekend at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro revealed exciting new details about what’s coming to Walt Disney World including the largest expansion of the Magic Kingdom in history. This expansion will take place in Frontierland and “beyond Big Thunder Mountain” with a new Cars Land themed around Pixar Animation Studios’ Cars.
But at what cost?
The new Cars Land area will take over a reimagined section of Frontierland at the Magic Kingdom.
From Disney:
It’s time to leave Radiator Springs and head west into exciting new locations. To make way for this completely new frontier, the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island will be transformed into vast and rugged terrains for a rally race with some of the world’s most iconic racers.
Unfortunately, the reimagined section of Frontierland that this new Cars themed land will be taking over is the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island. While I am not surprised about Tom Sawyer Island at the Magic Kingdom being rethemed, I am completely shocked that the Rivers of America will be removed and replaced with land – more land in Frontierland.
Frontierland or Modernland with a Frontier Theme
First of all, the Cars franchise seems so out of place in Frontierland. While the fictional town of Radiator Springs is in the desert, the town and cars themselves are so much more modern and advanced than what the land of Frontierland is themed to be. Frontierland is themed to have stage coaches and horse drawn wagons – not gas powered vehicles. Gas vehicles are a “Tomorrowland” in the time period of Frontierland.
Disney says that guests will be able to explore new areas of Frontierland in the driver’s seat of a car, but shouldn’t the car be pulled by horses in this time period. Maybe if the area of Liberty Square was the expansion area, it might be a little more believable to have gas powered vehicles present (even though that is even a stretch), but not in Frontierland.
So while I understand Disney wanting to incorporate Cars into the Florida theme parks, I completely do not understand destroying a themed land and a beautiful area to make way for more dry, hot asphalt and rocky terrain. Walt Disney World has so much land and space to expand all of their theme parks without removing one currently established area. When “beyond Big Thunder Mountain” was first introduced to fans in 2022, I did think that a portion of the Rivers of America might be filled in along the river banks of Big Thunder Mountain for a pathway to get to the expansion area – but not the entire river.
I do understand that alligators and snakes have been a huge ongoing and growing issue with the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island, but there are other ways to better control that area without removing the entire river. What’s next? Bay Lake?
Personally, I feel that the Pixar Animation Studios’ Cars franchise would be better suited at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The Studios theme park could be easily expanded beyond (behind) “Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!” Disney’s Hollywood Studios parking lot is almost always 75% empty with most park visitors taking Disney transportation to the theme park – either via Disney Buses or the Disney Skyliner. So, by the park using the Northern part of the parking lot for guests parking a car, the parking lot behind the stunt spectacular show theater could be used for a massive expansion area. This area would be more suited for the Cars franchise including the current vision to give the land a frontier theme.
Largest Expansion in Magic Kingdom History
Ok, now I am going to step off of my soap box and tell you about the new Cars Land coming to the Magic Kingdom. The new area will add two new Cars themed attractions to the expansion of Frontierland.
One attraction will invite guests on a thrilling rally race through the mountains. This sounds like a similar but still different version of “Radiator Springs Racers” that is at Disney California Adventure park. Guests will race through wild terrain, climb mountain trails, dodge geysers and splash through mudholes during their adventure on this all-new attraction.
The second attraction will be geared towards smaller adventurers but will also be fun for all ages. This attraction could be something like “Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree” at Disney California Adventure park.
A Wicked Land is Coming
Cruising just around the bend and beyond Big Thunder Mountain, guest will enter an all-new land dedicated to Disney Villains. Inspired by the wicked characters fans know and loathe, this new multi-acre expansion will include two major attractions, plus dining and shopping. Walt Disney Imagineering states that they are “pushing creative boundaries to dark and mysterious levels to bring this new, first-of-its-kind land to life”.
Ahead of work on the Magic Kingdom expansion revving into high gear next year for the new Cars Land and Disney Villains Land, guests will have plenty of time to experience the charm and nostalgia of Frontierland as it is today.
Disney is currently in the process of filing new permits for the largest expansion of the Magic Kingdom in history. Work on this new project will begin in early 2025 allowing guests only a few more months to travel around the Rivers of America one last time before the riverboat adventure goes away forever in Florida.
