Credit: Ken Lund, FlickrWith no prior notice, Disneyland Resort abruptly closed the Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island on Monday. The iconic Frontierland destination has been part of Disneyland Park since 1956, one year after Walt Disney opened his Southern California theme park.
Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island Closes
On April 27, Disneyland Resort suddenly updated its webpage for the Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island, indicating that the area is now closed for refurbishment. The park’s operational calendar currently lists the attraction as closed through May 7 and reopening on May 8. However, the Southern California Disney destination hasn’t officially announced a reopening date for the Frontierland icon, encouraging guests to “check back” for updates on the project.
The original Tom Sawyer Island became the Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island in 2007, a tie-in to Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007). Although the name might suggest the Pirate’s Lair is just part of Tom Sawyer Island, it now refers to the entire area, so guests cannot visit the island at all or ride its transportation rafts during the closure.
Disneyland Resort is now the only Disney park in the United States with an operating version of Tom Sawyer Island. Walt Disney World Resort closed its version, including the surrounding Rivers of America and the Liberty Square Riverboat, in the summer of 2025 to make way for a new Cars (2006)-themed area in Frontierland called Piston Peak National Park.
Piston Peak National Park will feature two rides distinctly different from those in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure Park: a rally race ride and a family-friendly attraction. Construction is underway at Magic Kingdom Park, but Walt Disney World Resort hasn’t announced an opening date for the area.
Did you have a chance to visit the Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island at Disneyland Park before it closed? Share your favorite memories with Inside the Magic in the comments!
