Magic Kingdom Florida Location to Close, Thousands of Disney Trips Impacted

Thousands of upcoming Walt Disney World Resort vacations will change when Walt Disney Imagineers break ground on the upcoming Frontierland retheme. Disney cast members will fill in the Rivers of America and bulldoze Tom Sawyer Island to make way for two Cars (2006) attractions at Magic Kingdom Park.

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Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro announced the expansion at D23 Expo 2024, and initial construction permits dropped days later. Alongside the Cars rides, D’Amaro revealed that Walt Disney Imagineering plans to build a Villains Land behind Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Crews will soon break ground for the controversial expansion, forever changing Frontierland at Magic Kingdom Park. The Disney Park land has undergone a facelift in recent years, with the transformation of Splash Mountain into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the Country Bear Musical Jamboree revamp, and the closure of the Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade.

As Disney Parks fans prepare for an all-new Frontierland, many wonder if Walt Disney World Resort will take the time to update another neglected section of Magic Kingdom Park: Tomorrowland. Naturally, a future-based theme park land shows its age faster than Liberty Square, Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, and Main Street, U.S.A.

Last week, Disney Parks fans on Reddit discussed potential changes to Tomorrowland. Many theorized that once the Frontierland and Villains Land expansions open, Walt Disney World Resort could send crowds there and shut down Tomorrowland for a near-complete retheme.

Tomorrowland Speedway is already unpopular for its loud and smelly engines but could become obsolete when two Cars rides open. With a promised Monsters, Inc. (2001) land coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin are based on films that have entire lands elsewhere in Central Florida.

“It opens the door to a massive Tomorrowland re-theme,” said Redditor u/demarco27. “We know that they can’t touch Stitch without bringing the entire building up to code (which includes Cosmic Rays), but with guests directed to a new area to bring in revenue/capacity gives them an opportunity to focus efforts on Tomorrowland.”

“I think it’s possible and personally, I think Tomorrowland is going to get a huge retheme with things like the Laugh Floor and Speedway being rethemed entirely,” u/Most-Okay-Novelist agreed.

Most Disney Parks fans said they’d be happy to see old Magic Kingdom Park attractions go, especially the Tomorrowland Speedway.

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“I think a massive overhaul of Tomorrowland will…be next on the docket for Disney after the current round of expansions are done,” u/Thanks5Cinco wrote. “Gotta think the only attractions safe in that area are [Space Mountain], [TRON Lightcycle / Run], and Carousel of Progress(since Walt Disney has stated this was his favorite ride).”

“Honestly, good riddance,” said u/lostinthought15. “It had a place, but now is long past needing to be demoed for something new.”

Does Tomorrowland need updating? In the comments, share your ideas for the Disney Park land with Inside the Magic.