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Credit: Allen Castillo, FlickrWalt Disney Imagineering has provided new details on the Cars (2006) rides coming to Frontierland at Magic Kingdom Park.
At D23 2024, The Walt Disney Company announced plans to bulldoze Tom Sawyer Island and fill in the Rivers of America at Magic Kingdom Park. In their place, Frontierland will be home to two all-new Cars attractions–not copies of the rides in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure Park.
The news was controversial among Disney Parks fans. Although Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Square Riverboat (which runs on the Rivers of America) experience far less foot traffic now than they did decades ago, both were opening-day Magic Kingdom Park attractions. Some Disney Parks fans welcome progress, but others question the removal of historic parts of Walt Disney World Resort.
Tom Sawyer Island is not only a less popular part of Magic Kingdom Park, but it’s also controversial. Mark Twain’s novels, including “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” have been scrutinized in recent years for their rampant use of racial slurs and stereotypes. Some have debated whether they should be removed from public school criticism.
Cars is undoubtedly a family-friendly replacement for the non-Disney intellectual property (IP) that currently occupies the island in Frontierland. And in the latest episode of its We Call It Imagineering series, “Let’s Ride,” Disney has revealed more information about the new Pixar attractions coming to Magic Kingdom Park.
In the third full-length episode of this YouTube series, Disney Imagineers shared a sneak peek at one of two all-new Cars attractions coming to Frontierland. In one clip, Imagineers showed a digital rendering of Radiator Springs Racers in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure Park next to a paper diorama of the proposed layout for a Cars-themed off-road rally race attraction.
The above screenshot shows a diagram of how vehicles move through Radiator Springs Racers at Magic Kingdom Park. Imagineers also confirmed that the new Cars off-road rally race attraction in Magic Kingdom will use a track system, not a trackless one, as seen in some recent Disney Park attractions. This suggests that the new attraction may see similarities to Radiator Springs Racers, which also operates on a track.
The “vehicle will steer itself through a track system,” one Imagineer said.
The above model appears to represent a change in elevation on the off-road rally race attraction planned for Magic Kingdom Park. Bumps in the track will simulate the experience of driving through a rocky desert terrain.
Walt Disney World Resort hasn’t announced a closing date for Tom Sawyer Island or the Rivers of America at Magic Kingdom Park. However, Walt Disney Imagineering has filed permits for demolition and early construction work in the area.
Nearby Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is currently undergoing a year-long refurbishment, suggesting that Magic Kingdom Park is preparing for more traffic at the attraction as crews build the new Cars rides and the upcoming Disney Villains Land.
Are two Cars rides a worthy replacement for Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America? Share your opinion with Inside the Magic in the comments.