The Disney parks are always evolving with updates and new additions, and Magic Kingdom, the world’s most visited theme park, is no exception. A huge construction site in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World will soon be home to new areas themed to Pixar’s Cars and Disney Villains, and Disney shuttered many long-standing experiences to accommodate these plans.
To prepare for expansion, Magic Kingdom closed five attractions, including some that had been open for over 50 years. We have the full list of what closed and what is coming to the park next. There are also closures at Hollywood Studios. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including the permanent closure of a dining location at Disneyland and concerns about live streaming in Disney theme parks.
READ MORE – These 10 Disney Rides Have Changed Dramatically Since Their Opening
1. Tom Sawyer Island
Magic Kingdom’s two construction sites for the upcoming Piston Peak National Park and Villains Land collectively replace a huge area of Frontierland and expand the park’s footprint north into formerly undeveloped land.
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A large portion of this parcel belonged to Tom Sawyer Island. With caves, a fort, and its waterside barrel bridge, Tom Sawyer Island was essentially a huge, highly themed playground set in the world of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain.
Tom Sawyer Island was also known for its out-of-the-way relaxing spots, like a set of shaded rocking chairs overlooking the adjacent waterway.
While the actual island was built with the rest of Magic Kingdom and was in place on opening day in 1971, Tom Sawyer Island as an attraction was not open to guests until 1973.
Tom Sawyer Island permanently closed in July 2025 at Magic Kingdom and has since been destroyed. Disneyland’s version in California is alive and well, with no plans of closing.
READ MORE – These 10 Disney Rides Are Far Better Than The Ones They Replaced
2. Liberty Belle Riverboat
The waterway surrounding Tom Sawyer Island was called the Rivers of America. Traversing these waters was the Liberty Belle Riverboat, also sometimes called the Liberty Square Riverboat.
Though it traveled along a track, the boat was otherwise a real, full-scale paddlewheeler. Guests could enjoy a 20-minute ride on the Liberty Belle, during which they could freely roam throughout its three floors or just relax and soak in the sights.
Liberty Belle Riverboat opened in 1973, when it was known as the Richard F. Irvine Riverboat, named after a Walt Disney Imagineering executive. It was renamed in 1996.
Along with Tom Sawyer Island, the Liberty Belle Riverboat closed in July 2025.
Though the Rivers of America no longer exist, the Liberty Belle Riverboat is intact and still onsite at Disney World, seen backstage as recently as March 2026. We’re curious what plans Disney has for this large piece of theme park history.
Interestingly, it seems the queue and load station where guests boarded and disembarked the Liberty Belle will survive the ongoing construction project. The building hasn’t been destroyed, and it is clearly visible in concept art for the upcoming Piston Peak National Park.
Disney is also seemingly preserving part of the Liberty Belle Riverboat’s history to be repurposed in the future.
The Mark Twain Riverboat, Disneyland’s counterpart to the Liberty Belle on the other coast, is still open, with no plans to close.
3. Rafts Across Rivers of America
The journey was a quick one, lasting less than two minutes, but to visit Tom Sawyer Island, guests had to take a raft ride across the Rivers of America. Subsequently, another ride was required for the return trip to mainland Frontierland.
The “rafts” resembled makeshift wooden vessels like the kind Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn may have roped together, but the boats had motors onboard and required no actual rowing from guests or cast members.
Though functionally a transportation method, the rafts also provided atmospheric movement to the overall Rivers of America, a theme park principle known as kinetics. The Liberty Belle Riverboat passing by also contributed to this notion, which generally helps an area feel more alive and vibrant.
4. Aunt Polly’s Dockside Inn
Aunt Polly’s Dockside Inn was a snack window located on Tom Sawyer Island. Its menu included items such as ice cream and pretzels, on the few days it was open. In its later decades, Aunt Polly’s Dockside Inn operated seasonally, open only during very busy times of the year.
Even when its serving windows weren’t dishing out snacks, the nearby gazebo seating afforded calm views of the Rivers of America and the Haunted Mansion.
5. Walt Disney World Railroad Full-Circle Tours
Since Magic Kingdom opened in 1971, the Walt Disney World Railroad steam trains have provided full-circle tours around the park. Guests could stay onboard for the entire trip, or come and go as they pleased at stops on Main Street, U.S.A., and Frontierland, as well as Fantasyland in later years.
To accommodate the construction site of Villains Land, the Walt Disney World Railroad shortened its route in July 2025. It now only traverses back and forth between the Main Street, U.S.A., and Fantasyland stations. New narration for the ride features Stitch taking over the train.
Guests can still stay on the train for as long as they please, but the locomotives only travel along one stretch of track rather than circling the park. For now, the Frontierland station is closed altogether.
We expect the Walt Disney World Railroad to eventually resume its full operations, but it will likely be several years until that happens. We predict the opening of Villains Land here.
The woods that the trains previously traveled through, north of Frontierland, were recently destroyed. In the photo above, the tracks formerly went through the middle of the frame horizontally. I’m curious how the railroad will be integrated within that area. Will it go directly through Villains Land, or will the track be routed around it?
Notably, the Walt Disney World Railroad was recently decommissioned for another Magic Kingdom construction project, TRON Lightcycle / Run. The trains were completely closed from late 2018 through late 2022. When combined with the estimated timeline of Villains Land, when it’s all said and done, the Walt Disney World Railroad will have only operated its full route for 2.5 years out of an entire decade.
Magic Kingdom Changes
In addition to the attractions listed above, a few other recent transitions at Magic Kingdom have already been completed. As it so happens, they all took place in Frontierland.
In 2023, Splash Mountain permanently closed, making way for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which opened in 2024 with characters from The Princess and the Frog. That same year, Country Bear Jamboree became Country Bear Musical Jamboree, replacing its 70s country songs with tunes from Disney movies.
Nearby, Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade closed so that Disney could build a lounge for Disney Vacation Club members in its place.
Looking ahead, Piston Peak National Park will bring a rugged terrain to Frontierland with two new rides themed to Pixar’s Cars. See more about how Imagineering is approaching the creation of Piston Peak here.
North of Frontierland, Disney is hard at work on Villains Land, an entire new land dedicated to antagonists of Walt Disney Animation Studios films. See everything we know about Villains Land, including what looks like a Maleficent roller coaster.
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