Credit: Michael Gray, FlickrAs Walt Disney World Resort ramps up the construction of Piston Peak National Park and a Disney Villains land at the Magic Kingdom, Central Florida Disney Park guests are noticing some more changes around the Haunted Mansion attraction.
The Liberty Square ride has been undergoing its own exterior refurbishment for several months and is still surrounded by scaffolding and a themed scrim. However, the attraction remains open to Magic Kingdom Park guests.
Haunted Mansion Area Building Extension at Magic Kingdom Park
On June 23, WDWNT reported that the small building across from Memento Mori, which has long served as an extension of the Haunted Mansion queue, appeared to be getting an extension. It was first blocked by construction walls earlier this year, but now, there is a visible steel framework attached to the building. This comes after Walt Disney World Resort filed a construction permit for “general construction” at a structure near the Haunted Mansion attraction.
The steel framework has a slightly sloped roof and an arch-shaped opening on the side, which could be the beginnings of a window frame. There is now a large gap between the building and the Haunted Mansion, after construction crews removed the Mike Fink Keel Boats landing.
It’s unclear whether Walt Disney World Resort plans to keep this building as an extension of the Haunted Mansion queue or use it for a new purpose when Piston Peak National Park opens in Frontierland.
Piston Peak National Park Construction in Frontierland
Frontierland and, by extension, Liberty Square, have been active construction sites since last summer, when the Liberty Square Riverboat, Tom Sawyer Island, and the Rivers of America permanently closed. Walt Disney World Resort has since bulldozed the island and drained the river to make way for a new Cars (2006)-themed area in Frontierland called Piston Peak National Park.
The new area will be inspired by the landscapes of national parks throughout the United States and the worldbuilding of Pixar’s Cars franchise. Walt Disney Imagineering is developing two unique rides for Piston Peak National Park: a family-friendly attraction and a rally race-themed thrill ride.
Walt Disney World Resort is simultaneously developing a Disney Villains land for the area “beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.” However, Disney hasn’t announced a grand opening date for the Disney Villains land or Piston Peak National Park at the Magic Kingdom.
Have you visited the Magic Kingdom since the Piston Peak National Park construction began? Inside the Magic would love to hear from you in the comments!
