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Credit: Inside the MagicPart of the draw of Walt Disney World, the thing that brings people back year after year, decade after decade, is the nostalgia of the parks. Disney built its brand on the feeling people get when they walk through the gates and see their favorite park for the first time.
However, the danger of building a brand based on nostalgia is that guests tend to get angry when the park’s inevitable changes occur. The removal of beloved rides and attractions isn’t just seen as replacing theme park locales; for some guests, it’s seen as a loss of their childhood.
Disney has faced this backlash recently as it has tried to modernize its parks. Disney fans nearly rioted when the company decided to remove Muppet Vision 3D from Hollywood Studios, and now, they are saddened as Muppet Courtyard is slowly demolished before their eyes.
At Magic Kingdom, Disney fans watch in sadness as Rivers of America is drained and Tom Sawyer Island is slowly destroyed. That sadness hit a new level on Sunday thanks to a video posted by @DrewDisneyDude on X (formerly Twitter).
Drew posted a new video showing that Rivers of America is nearly completely drained. Guests can see the tracks that once propelled the Liberty Belle Riverboat as Disney slowly drains the water to make way for the new Cars and Villains Lands.
Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island have been shuttered for nearly a month now, and Disney wasted no time putting up construction walls and beginning demolition. Since then, guests have posted videos and photos showing the destruction of the once beloved lands.
With the drainage of Rivers of America nearly complete, Disney cannot go back now. For fans, their last shred of hope is gone, or, as one commentator wrote, “It’s like watching your childhood home being demolished.”
More stories will continue to emerge as the River and Island are completely wiped away. Disney has not announced when fans can expect the new Cars Land to open, but most experts believe it will be in 2028 or 2029.
Disney better hope that guests can build a new sense of nostalgia in the new lands or it might lose those people who the company built an empire upon.
What will you miss most about Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island? Let us know in the comments.