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Credit: DisneyFor Disney fans who haven’t followed, a second D23 Expo is happening this weekend. The ultimate Disney fan event kicked off on November 8 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and much like its American counterpart, Disney has offered fans some significant updates on projects announced earlier this year.
At Disney’s American D23 Event, the company announced that a new Villains Land and Cars Land would be coming to the Magic Kingdom. The company finally released details on the project known as “Beyond Big Thunder Moutain.”
However, after the event, Disney fans started to realize the new projects meant that fans would have to give something up. The Monday after the American D23 Event, Disney announced that Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island would be closing to make way for the new lands.
Rivers of America was an opening day attraction at the Magic Kingdom but did not include the Liberty Square Riverboat. Tom Sawyer Island opened in 1973, two years after the Magic Kingdom opened.
Tom Sawyer Island is a self-guided tour around the world of the famed Mark Twain characters. Guests take a river raft across the Rivers of America to get to the island.
Despite being one of the park’s oldest attractions, Tom Sawyer Island is frequently closed to the public. Disney World usually shuts the ride down during the slower months and closes earlier than the park does when it is open.
Brazil D23 Announcements
Disney announced today that construction will begin on the new Cars Land at the Magic Kingdom in 2025. That means fans heading to Disney World in the next few months will have to get their final ride on the Liberty Square Riverboat. While construction will begin at the Magic Kingdom, Disney also announced that they will begin work on Monsters, Inc. Land at Hollywood Studios in 2025.
The second big announcement about the Magic Kingdom was the list of Disney Villains featured in the new land. The list includes nearly every Disney Villain from the feature films, including Maleficent, Ursula, The Evil Queen, Captain Hook, Gaston, Hades, Mother Gothel, and more.
Disney hopes its new Villains Land will help counter Epic Universe’s Dark Universe when it opens next year. While Disney gave a construction update, the company did not update when it expects these projects to be completed.
E não vai faltar espaço pros vilões! Teremos uma nova área no Magic Kingdom dedicada à galerinha do mal!! Olha só a line-up de personagens 🤩 pic.twitter.com/g8n408YZy1
— omelete (@omelete) November 9, 2024
Disney has already broken ground at Animal Kingdom with its replacement for DinoLand U.S.A. Animal Kingdom will soon have a new Encanto-theme South/Central American Land, and a new Indiana Jones ride will replace DINOSAUR.
This latest update is exciting news for Disney fans who have longed for concrete project updates. Now, with a timeline for shovels in the ground, the anticipation of the new lands will only grow.
We will continue to update this story as more news becomes available.