Large construction sites currently populate three of Walt Disney World‘s four theme parks as Disney builds the next generation of its entertainment empire. For as future-focused as the company is, though, it’s always had a soft spot for its history, and that notion continues in a new development.
Two rides coming to Magic Kingdom might preserve part of the attraction they replaced as a nod to history and as part of a continued commitment on Disney’s part. Keep reading to learn the details of this still-ongoing story. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including new rides based on two Disney animated classics and all the roller coasters Disney is currently building worldwide.
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Magic Kingdom Building the Future with the Past
It’s mostly dirt now, but within a few years, a significantly sized construction site at Magic Kingdom in Florida will be transformed into two new areas: Piston Peak National Park, with rides based on Pixar’s Cars, and Villains Land, featuring attractions starring classic Disney antagonists.
To prepare for these new realms, Disney destroyed Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America in 2025. Since the 1970s, these areas featured a body of water that traversed the west side of the park, playgrounds, caves, and a full-scale riverboat that guests could ride.
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The decision to close Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America was somewhat controversial among longtime Disney fans. Anecdotally, we should mention Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America still exist at Disneyland in California.
Above is what this part of Magic Kingdom looked like prior to construction.
Inspired by the natural beauty of American parks, Piston Peak National Park will be comprised of rugged, mountainous terrain and lots and lots of trees. To this end, Disney seems to be preserving some of this site’s history as it builds what’s next.
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In recent construction photos seen here, notice the lone tree in the middle of the construction site that’s otherwise been completely disavowed of its previous forestry.
Also note the collection of six out-of-place trees set in the top left corner of the construction site. These were previously removed from their former spot on the shores of the Rivers of America and placed here specifically.
Only Disney knows for sure what will happen, but it seems as if Disney is preserving a handful of trees that previously lined the shores of the Rivers of America for future use as part of Piston Peak National Park.
To live up to Disney’s description of what Piston Peak National Park will be, construction crews are going to need to install a plethora of trees. It would be very Disney-like to include a number of trees from the now-closed area of the park as part of a new attraction space.
Therefore, we think these last remaining trees seen in the construction photos may be set aside for future reinstallation within Piston Peak National Park.
When creating new rides, Disney Imagineers love placing references to what came before. For example, elsewhere in Magic Kingdom, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh includes a framed portrait of Mr. Toad. This is a nod to Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, the attraction that The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh replaced.
The idea that Piston Peak National Park could not only have a reference to the Rivers of America, but a literal piece of it, and for that relic to represent one of the project’s goals of celebrating nature, is, if I had to guess, too great an opportunity for Imagineers to pass up.
Even if the trees don’t end up in Piston Peak National Park, they clearly are marked for preservation in some form. This aligns with Disney’s ongoing commitment to stewarding the 43 square miles of Florida property on which Walt Disney World resides through eco-friendly initiatives.
Not only that, but Disney has a history of tree relocation going back to Disney World’s very inception. Not far from the construction site of Piston Peak National Park, in Liberty Square, guests can gaze upon the Liberty Tree, a live oak tree bearing 13 lanterns, one for each original colony of the United States. Disney personnel found this tree on the opposite end of the Disney World property and relocated it to the Magic Kingdom site when the park was under construction.
Photo via @bioreconstruct on X
While we’re on the subject of Piston Peak, the photo above shows current progress on the first piece of vertical construction for this project. Since our last update, construction crews have continued to build what seems to be a wall, possibly related to a small stream that will eventually line this side of the terrain.
Also in the photo above, note how close construction is to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. The classic roller coaster has been closed since January 2025 and will finally reopen in May 2026 with a fresh track and new special effects.
All the Details on Magic Kingdom Expansion
Mickey Visit has been covering the Magic Kingdom expansion since it was first announced at 2024’s D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.
Since then, we’ve spoken with Imagineers about their vision for Piston Peak National Park, covered the permanent closure of the historic Tom Sawyer Island, and laid out our case for an opening date prediction for the Cars rides.
The future home of Piston Peak National Park is adjacent to another construction site, for Villains Land, an upcoming area dedicated to the bad guys of Disney animated films. Together, these two under-construction projects take up a huge amount of space in Magic Kingdom and represent the biggest investment in the park in years.
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