Cars area coming to Magic Kingdom

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Is the main ride going to be an E ticket? If it is, this is 1,000,000% the right decision. The amount of capacity this area will add already helps MK. Its main problem is capacity, this, alongside eventual Villains land, should really help.

I’m fully in support of this, and am glad they’re going back to the drawing board for the ride. I think it could fit well, actually.

It is different, though. I understand the complaints but it’s a major positive for the park experience.

 

[rhino4evr]

I’ll admit , I’m bummed to lose TSI. I think it was the last part of the park that felt “relaxing”. We would often go there in the hottest part of the afternoon to cool off and relax. The last time we went , a lot of what had made the island special was gone , or closed . So I realized it was just a matter of time. At least we still have camp Jurassic.

 

[belloq87]

This excellent piece really gets at the heart of my overall issue with this:

Cars Rides Replacing Rivers of America & Tom Sawyer Island at Magic Kingdom - Disney Tourist Blog

Walt Disney World has announced that the Cars attractions coming to Magic Kingdom will replace the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island, fully eliminating the waterway. This post shares details, concept art, and everything we know about the plan–plus commentary about why this is happening and...

www.disneytouristblog.com

Magic Kingdom needs places -- scenic, pretty, atmospheric places -- for guests to slow down and relax.

Is the main ride going to be an E ticket? If it is, this is 1,000,000% the right decision. The amount of capacity this area will add already helps MK. Its main problem is capacity, this, alongside eventual Villains land, should really help.

I’m fully in support of this, and am glad they’re going back to the drawing board for the ride. I think it could fit well, actually.

It is different, though. I understand the complaints but it’s a major positive for the park experience.

That's one way to look at it.

Another way to look at it is that now the park will be cramming thousands of extra people into a space that previously did not really contain guests on that scale. Because of the orientation of the river, it created a certain guest flow. This will certainly be a "more guests per square foot" situation, which I think has every chance of making Frontierland and Liberty Square -- right in the middle of the park -- feel hugely overcrowded.

The benefit of the Beyond Big Thunder concept was that you would be actively forcing crowds to be spread out to a new area of the park at the periphery.

 

[OrlandoGuy]

Doing what they did in Disneyland for Galaxy's Edge.

Which seemed to be the initial intent of the Blue Sky version of "Beyond Big Thunder" back in 2022.

Yeah I'm really surprised that they didn't just shorten the river and make the Liberty Bell a resting place.

I think the difference is the two entry points for Star Wars Land at Disneyland don’t butt up to the back of existing attractions. Haunted Mansion and Big Thunder bookend their respective pathways with no way to route around them without going into the water.

Until they did land studies on the land they thought was buildable (assuming/guessing), but I also remember this Cars concept getting floated like a decade ago, so maybe it was also just low-hanging fruit

Or it could be this lol

 

[OrlLover]

Until they did land studies on the land they thought was buildable (assuming/guessing), but I also remember this Cars concept getting floated like a decade ago, so maybe it was also just low-hanging fruit

Yep on WDWMagic some insider said that building on the land Beyond Big Thunder was actually not feasible and too costly.

Also people forget a lot of land Disney owns in Florida is actually wetlands or swamps which requires huge investment to turn into buildable plots.

This project is gonna be expensive as well but I guess a better option compared to the alternatives.

 

[OrlandoGuy]

Magic Kingdom needs places -- scenic, pretty, atmospheric places -- for guests to slow down and relax.

I’ll also add that atmospheric places and attraction plots aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. The trail that winds under/around Grizzly River Run at CA Adventure, for example, is a really nice spot and evokes the frontier better than anything at the Magic Kingdom currently does.

I’m with you man, I think the ambience in that whole area really sets the park apart in a good way…but I’m at least a little hopeful that what’s replacing it isn’t going to be without its own merit.

 

[Jerroddragon]

Its insane they are taking the Rivers

I know many say it won;t happen at Disneyland...I think this opens it up to happening maybe one day....I doubt it but to me this shows they are willing to do it


Anyway, I'm more said to hear parts of Liberty Square going away since thats unique only to MK.

I will say, while fans wont be happy this land will bring lots of kids joy....the Carsland here at DCA is still loved 15 years later

 

[HandsomePete]

The orientation of the water at MK relative to everything surrounding is it substantially different than at DL. There was always space all the way around RoA in California, and the river was shortened by about 10% just to create a little more space at the back of the park.

Unlike DL, MK has rides (BTM) or queues (HM) directly adjacent to the water, which makes it basically impossible to shorten the river by anything less than 50-60%. At that point, leaving the southern island of MK TSI just so there can still be a river is kinda pointless. Sending people around the west side of BTM gets really messy really quickly.

I can understand that some people are really disappointed that that half of the park is going to look and feel completely different, but keeping everything (this + Villains) within the existing train track honestly makes the most sense.

 

[belloq87]

I’ll also add that atmospheric places and attraction plots aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. The trail that winds under/around Grizzly River Run at CA Adventure, for example, is a really nice spot and evokes the frontier better than anything at the Magic Kingdom currently does.

I’m with you man, I think the ambience in that whole area really sets the park apart in a good way…but I’m at least a little hopeful that what’s replacing it isn’t going to be without its own merit.

I just think it will be so crowded with people that there will never be any kind of tranquil moment anywhere around it, even if, aesthetically, it looks very nice, which I think it will in isolation.

My issue is not the design concept at all. It's entirely the placement.

Anyway, I'm more said to hear parts of Liberty Square going away since thats unique only to MK.

I think (as of now) that was mis-informed speculation based on interpreting the concept art incorrectly.

Liberty Square is almost entirely out of the "frame" of that art.

At that point, leaving the southern island of MK TSI just so there can still be a river is kinda pointless.

It's not pointless if you value certain kinds of scenic views.

 

[Nick]

Surprised no one has mentioned that the 2nd attraction might be a replacement for the Tomorrowland Speedway... opening up a massive plot of land for Fantasyland/Tomorrowland expansions.

It seems like Disney is holding back on the concept of Tomorrowland to tackle it together between WDW/DL. Wouldn't surprise me to see this project "fast-tracked" so they can get to work on a complete overhaul of MK afterwards.

I noticed that it looked a bit like a speedway. If we get rid of the tomorrowland speedway, that opens up the opportunity to add a new ride to Tomorrowland, but also a new one to Fantasyland. Imagine they continue with an Alice sub-section and we get an Alice dark ride while simultaneously getting something like, let’s say Incredibles on the Tomorrowland side.

 

[MikePat]

Permit Reveals First Look at Construction Related to Frontierland Expansion & Villains Land at Magic Kingdom - from Blog Mickey

Permits for water management and construction laydown yards were just filed.

 

[saint.piss]

 

[themeparkpalooza]

Is the main ride going to be an E ticket? If it is, this is 1,000,000% the right decision. The amount of capacity this area will add already helps MK. Its main problem is capacity, this, alongside eventual Villains land, should really help.

I’m fully in support of this, and am glad they’re going back to the drawing board for the ride. I think it could fit well, actually.

It is different, though. I understand the complaints but it’s a major positive for the park experience.

Yeah it's unclear if the main ride will be a D or an E. Both Villains Land rides seem like they'll be Es in different ways (the coaster for thrills and atmosphere, the dark ride for innovation, scope and storytelling).

It also seems unlikely 3 of 4 new rides on the left side of MK end up as Es, especially if the Moana ride ends up happening some day for Adventureland. Then again maybe I'm wrong on this one.

 

[themeparkpalooza]

I noticed that it looked a bit like a speedway. If we get rid of the tomorrowland speedway, that opens up the opportunity to add a new ride to Tomorrowland, but also a new one to Fantasyland. Imagine they continue with an Alice sub-section and we get an Alice dark ride while simultaneously getting something like, let’s say Wreck it Ralph on the Tomorrowland side.

These additions and adding Moana to Adventureland would facilitate MK having bandwidth to handle Speedway being demoed and Space Mountain getting a 18 to 24 months refurb/upgrade, as the left side of the park could offset Space Mountain and the Speedway. A Tomorrowland expansion and update would make sense for the big addition in the 2030s.

 

[Nick]

So I finally got a good chance to look at the concept at. I am honestly totally fine with TSI going away. Can't remember the last time I went there, it closes early, and not many of the total in the park make the trek over. The Liberty Belle going away is bitter sweet. I enjoy going on it when I do, but I probably go on it once or twice per year. The ROA going away in it's entirety is a bit of a shock, but I was certainly expecting part if not half of it to go away anyway.

I think the concept art look nice, and i'm honestly perfectly fine with them getting rid of the ROA in theory as the park capacity is going to increase quite a bit with this and this is a land i'll actually visit pretty much every time I go to the park. The only thing I wish is that they were planning on building in small waterways to break up all of the concrete with places to sit along the water. I see no water in the concept art which is a real shame.

 

[mainejeff]

I did not have getting rid of Rivers of America before Tomorrowland Speedway on my Disney bingo card.

I'm looking at this from an aesthetic/atmosphere perspective.....in that regard it stinks. Like someone said previously.....the Liberty Belle on the river is one of the top 3 iconic visuals (the castle and train being the other 2 IMO). It will definitely change the vibe of MK. I really wish that they could have kept a narrow portion of the waterway and dry docked the Liberty Belle...maybe converted it to restaurant/gift shop?

Universal must be so thankful to not be burdened by history....both controversial and beloved.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Another way to look at it is that now the park will be cramming thousands of extra people into a space that previously did not really contain guests on that scale. Because of the orientation of the river, it created a certain guest flow. This will certainly be a "more guests per square foot" situation, which I think has every chance of making Frontierland and Liberty Square -- right in the middle of the park -- feel hugely overcrowded.

The benefit of the Beyond Big Thunder concept was that you would be actively forcing crowds to be spread out to a new area of the park at the periphery.

If anything, I actually think it will alleviate congestion a bit since Big Thunder is a dead end and the Haunted Mansion area has tight paths. I'd imagine the HM queue will be reconfigured a bit, so the extended queue is no longer spilling out into the walkways.

I noticed that it looked a bit like a speedway. If we get rid of the tomorrowland speedway, that opens up the opportunity to add a new ride to Tomorrowland, but also a new one to Fantasyland. Imagine they continue with an Alice sub-section and we get an Alice dark ride while simultaneously getting something like, let’s say Incredibles on the Tomorrowland side.

Upon closer look, it seems to be some sort of dry/cars version of the Aquatopia from Tokyo Disney Sea. It kind of looks like Mater's from DCA... but doubt we get a clone of that with Swirling Saucers already here.

I don't think keeping the Rivers of America is a nostalgia/historic thing... it's more of an aesthetic concern.

 

[GA-MBIT]

Definitely rough to lose the entire river and boat. Hoping they can find somewhere else to dock the Water Pageant. That's my baby.

The bridges on the main Frontierland path are still there in the concept art, I wonder if that blue underneath it is gonna be a tiny stream or something.

That's a pretty big walking path on the right side. I imagine that's our Villain's entrance path eventually.

This will substantially change the aesthetics of the entire area, if not park. It's a good thing that the rockwork and foliage looks...really pretty honestly. It's unfortunate to lose the water, but I'm willing to give this the benefit of the doubt for the moment. I've been wanting big, bold redevelopments from WDW for awhile, and this is it.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Definitely rough to lose the entire river and boat. Hoping they can find somewhere else to dock the Water Pageant. That's my baby.

The bridges on the main Frontierland path are still there in the concept art, I wonder if that blue underneath it is gonna be a tiny stream or something.

That's a pretty big walking path on the right side. I imagine that's our Villain's entrance path eventually.

This will substantially change the aesthetics of the entire area, if not park. It's a good thing that the rockwork and foliage looks...really pretty honestly. It's unfortunate to lose the water, but I'm willing to give this the benefit of the doubt for the moment. I've been wanting big, bold redevelopments from WDW for awhile, and this is it.

Yeah, was hoping for this type of rabid expansion/change in the parks, but I think pushback towards losing part of the river is justified from an aesthetic POV.

In addition to this work, I hope there's smaller improvements to cleaning up smaller stuff like stroller parking locations to reduce congestion.

 

[Mad Dog]

Between Cars land and Villains Land, there will be a very significant increase in park capacity. The Island was basically dead, and the Riverboat wasn't close to full on non busy days, plus it seemed it was down for refurb about as often as it ran. This will help to distribute the crowds of Fantasy land into this area. There will be so much more to do and explore at MK when these are completed. Like most, I'll miss the waterway ambiance. But if these lands meet the thematic levels we've seen in the various new lands at Disney Tokyo, that might be enough to make up for losing the rivers look. Myself, I'm very pleased with these new lands, plus they're both fun IP's. Sometimes you have to let nostalgia go, especially when it's become stale.