June 3, 2025, 11:00 AM ·
Walt Disney World visitors have just one more month to enjoy Frontierland as it stands now in the Magic Kingdom. The Walt Disney World Resort has set a closing date for Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America. The final date of operation for these Magic Kingdom attractions will be July 6. Disney is replacing the attractions with a new Cars-themed area, decorated to look like a national park in America’s Rocky Mountains. Disney today also is sharing a themed map for this new Piston Peak National Park area.
Image courtesy Walt Disney ImagineeringSpeaking on background earlier this week, Walt Disney Imagineers said that the reimagined area will represent an extension of the Cars story universe rather than an east coast installation of the Radiator Springs-themed Cars Land at Disney California Adventure. To that end, Imagineers are introducing a new character in Florida – Ranger J. Autobahn Woodlore.You can see that character in the circle at the bottom right of the map image, above. The character is inspired by Ranger J. Audubon Woodlore, the foil of Humphrey the Bear in multiple Disney animated shorts in the 1950s.
J. Audubon Woodlore. Image courtesy D23The Cars version (Autobahn v. Audubon – get it?) will appear as an Audio Animatronic in the preshow for the Cars-themed off-road rally racing ride that Disney announced at last year’s D23 event in Anaheim.
Concept art courtesy DisneyDisney has not yet confirmed the names of that new ride nor of the “family friendly attraction” that will comprise the area.Imagineers say that the new Cars attractions will advance the concept of the Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland as a place where characters (and visitors) chase their dreams in the American wilderness, writing their own folktales. The addition of a Rocky Mountain area fills in a thematic gap on the park’s American-themed west side, which includes attractions and street scenes themed to upstate New York (Haunted Mansion), the east coast of colonial America (Liberty Square), St. Louis and the gateway to the west (Diamond Horseshoe), the Sierras and Cascades (Grizzly Hall), the southwest (Pecos Bill), New Orleans (Tiana’s) and the mountains of Utah and Arizona (Big Thunder). Imagineers said that they have been cognizant of some of the commentary following the company’s decision to remove the Rivers of America. They pointed to water elements that will be included in the new Piston Peak National Park area, including multiple waterfalls and geysers, intended to provide activation to the area that the Liberty Square Riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island rafts (and, previously, the Mike Fink Keelboats and Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes) have provided since the early 1970s.Imagineers also said that they are designing the new rock and water features in Piston Peak National Park to provide appropriate sight lines for guests as the approach the area from Liberty Square and elsewhere in Frontierland. For example, geysers and southwestern-looking rock work will appear on the side closest to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, while a more subdued vista will present to the Liberty Square side of the area.Attraction audio also will be directed and muted to help ensure that guests in Liberty Square do not hear the sound of racing cars.Late last year, I offered my tribute to the attractions that will be lost to clear way for these new Cars attractions – and, ultimately, for better guest access to the Villains land that Disney is building behind Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Tom Sawyer Island was my favorite Magic Kingdom attraction as a child and the first attraction that I worked as a Walt Disney World cast member. You can read my tribute here: A former Disney cast member’s tribute to Tom Sawyer Island.Join me for one last TSI raft ride and a walk-around tour of the island:Once the Rivers and island close on July 7, Disney also will close the Frontierland station of the Walt Disney World Railroad. The railroad will remain open but will operate as a shuttle service between the Main Street and Fantasyland stations indefinitely during construction.Planning a Disney visit?For assistance in planning a Walt Disney World vacation, please contact our travel agent for a free, no-obligation vacation quote.To see what is available at the Walt Disney World theme parks, please check out our one-page visitors guides, which include our reader rankings as well as on-ride videos and links to reviews:Remember that whenever you buy tickets or book vacations through our partners, a small portion of that goes to support Theme Park Insider. So you can support independent media while getting a great deal at the same time.Finally, to keep up with more theme park news, please sign up for Theme Park Insider’s weekly newsletter.
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