Disney has announced that a “Cars” Land called Piston Peak National Park is coming to Disney’s Magic Kingdom with 2 exciting Cars-themed attractions. This is part of the biggest expansion project the park has ever seen and it will be done in multiple phases.
And now after the latest D23 announcements, we have a much better idea of what this new area is actually going to include. Disney has officially revealed the names and details for both attractions: Cars Ridge Run Rally and Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along.
In this post, we are going to discuss everything that was announced about the all-new land themed to Pixar’s Cars in the Magic Kingdom, including what Piston Peak is, the 2 attractions, the ride system and vehicles for Cars Ridge Run Rally, how it compares to Cars Land in California, what it is replacing, when it may open, and my thoughts on the whole project.
While all this looks great, getting Cars Land at the Magic Kingdom does not come without a heavy cost. Piston Peak is replacing Tom Sawyer Island, the Rivers of America, and the Liberty Square Riverboat, which means Magic Kingdom is losing one of its classic quiet areas. So this is another one of those Disney projects where I can be excited about what is coming, while still not loving what Disney had to remove to build it.
Before we share all the details, don’t forget to sign up for our FREE Weekly E-Mail Newsletter. There we bring you the latest updates on the new Animal Kingdom expansion as well as our best Disney vacation planning tips. You can sign up here: Join our E-Mail Newsletter!
Latest Piston Peak Updates
The biggest new update is that the D23 Expo, Disney has now revealed much more information about the two attractions coming to Piston Peak National Park.
The new area will include:
- Cars Ridge Run Rally
- Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along
Cars Ridge Run Rally is the main E-ticket-style attraction and the one most guests are going to be talking about. This is the rugged off-road rally ride through Piston Peak, and it now has an official name, story, course details, and more information about its ride vehicle.
Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along is the second attraction. This is the smaller family ride, and it will be themed around Miss Fritter from Cars 3, complete with a huge school-bus-sized animatronic.
Disney also showed a much more detailed look at the design, scale, and atmosphere of Piston Peak National Park. The area is inspired by the Rocky Mountains and America’s National Parks, with waterfalls, rivers, geysers, snowcapped peaks, trails, a visitor lodge, Ranger HQ, and buildings using “Parkitecture.”
That is important because one of the biggest questions from fans has been how Disney could possibly make Cars fit in Frontierland. However, more we see from this project, the more it seems like Disney is trying to make this feel less like Radiator Springs dropped into the Magic Kingdom and more like a rugged National Park expansion with Cars characters and attractions built into it.
What Is Piston Peak National Park?
Many have been waiting to find out just exactly how Disney plans on working the new Cars land thematically into the overall storytelling of the Magic Kingdom. It appears we now have that answer.
Disney has announced that the new Cars area is going to be called Piston Peak National Park, and it will continue the storytelling tradition of Liberty Square and Frontierland.
Piston Peak is described this way:
“Imagine an awe-inspiring wilderness filled with towering trees, snowcapped mountains, breathtaking waterfalls, roaring rivers and impressive geysers. While fictional, Piston Peak is inspired by the Rocky Mountain area and the history and iconic sights of the American Frontier and its national parks.
Inside Piston Peak, guests will be able to see and explore the visitor lodge, Ranger HQ, trails and more all set within the Disney and Pixar “Cars” universe. To make sure these buildings fit naturally within the surrounding majestic landscapes, Imagineers are using a style of architecture called “Parkitecture,” which was developed by the National Park Service to create structures that harmonize with the natural environment.
From the outside, trees will provide a natural barrier between the off-road rally and other parts of Frontierland and Liberty Square. Rugged mountains with dramatic peaks will be nestled along a calming waterway across from Grizzly Hall and soaring geysers from the famed Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will stretch into the trails of our off-road rally.“
Overall I think this was a good move by Disney and it makes sense in the overall theme of the Magic Kingdom. I know people are upset about the Rivers of America being eliminated for this new land, but if the E-Ticket attraction here is half as good as Radiator Springs Racers is, people are going not going to care nearly as much as they do right now.
I’m happy they were at least able to come up with a feasible story to tell, and I think the terrain they are creating for that side of the park fits right in with Frontierland and its westward journey.
Disney is framing Piston Peak as the next step in the journey from Liberty Square into Frontierland. Guests move from colonial America, to the North Woods around Grizzly Hall, to New Orleans with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, to the Arizona bluffs of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and now into a Rocky Mountain-inspired National Park.
That also goes back to Disney’s original pitch for the land during the D23 Expo at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Josh D’Amaro explained the Frontierland connection by saying, “The American West has always been about keeping your eyes on the horizon … believing in yourself, carving your own path, and striving toward success. That goes for miners in the mountains, bears from the country, a princess from the bayou … or a racecar from the big city.”
Disney also made it clear from the beginning that this would not just be Radiator Springs dropped into the Magic Kingdom. The idea was to take Cars out west into a new frontier. As Disney put it, “Don’t get too comfortable in Radiator Springs because it’s time to leave the pit stop and head west into exciting new frontiers. On this adventure, guests will be able to experience not one but two exciting new ‘Cars’-themed attractions.”
Imagineer Michael Hundgen also said, “We are thrilled to create this original Cars adventure and put our guests in the driver’s seat as we—quite literally—explore a new frontier in Frontierland.”
He continued, “Part of pioneering this new story includes tapping into the themes of exploration and adventure that inspire so many of us to keep propelling forward. Anytime we touch Magic Kingdom, we recognize the massive responsibility that exists to get it right and tell stories that connect with our guests.”
That is honestly a much better pitch than “Cars Land is coming to Frontierland.” The National Park angle gives the project a better chance of fitting the Magic Kingdom, and it makes this feel like something different from Cars Land in Disney California Adventure.
To be clear, this is NOT a clone of Radiator Springs in Disney California Adventure. This land will be completely different, much more rugged and untamed than its West Coast counterpart. It’s also going to be smaller than Radiator Springs so that probably means fewer dining and shopping options.
Attractions Coming to Piston Peak
So what is going to be included in this land? Right now we know that 2 brand-new attractions are going to be featured in Piston Peak.
The first attraction, and the much more interesting one to most guests, is Cars Ridge Run Rally. This is the off-road rally ride through the mountains and the headline attraction of the land.
The second is Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along, a smaller family-friendly attraction themed around the demolition derby school bus from Cars 3.
Both rides should technically be family-friendly, since this is the Magic Kingdom after all, but Cars Ridge Run Rally is clearly the main draw here.
Cars Ridge Run Rally
Radiator Springs Racers is one of my favorite Disney attractions of all-time, so to hear there is a brand-new Cars ride coming to Walt Disney World is music to my ears. First of all, I love the fact that it is a new attraction and not just a clone of the same attraction from DCA.
The official name of this new ride is Cars Ridge Run Rally, and Disney describes it as a quest to find “the wildest racer in the wheelderness” as guests compete for the “fastest lap in the west.”
The course will take racers through the rugged beauty of America’s national parks, including a climb up Piston Peak itself, where an icy, snow-covered mountaintop awaits.
After reaching the top, racers will plummet down for a camelback descent, then race through an exhilarating geyser field. The ride ends by circling the Old Tankfull geyser before a sprint to the finish line where Lightning McQueen and Mater are covering the race live on Racing Sports Network.
That all sounds pretty awesome.
Here is Disney’s original description of the ride: “One attraction will invite you on a thrilling rally race through the mountains. Take on wild terrain as you race across the landscape climbing mountain trails, dodging geysers and — Mater’s favorite — splashing through mudholes.”
Looking at the concept art and everything Disney has shown so far, this looks like it has the potential to be just as amazing as Radiator Springs Racers is, and potentially better. Just look at all the wild turns, elevation changes, geysers, mountain trails, and tunnels to ride through. On top of that, the ride system sounds incredible!
Ride Vehicle, Track Layout, and Ride System
On a recent episode of “We Call It Imagineering,” Disney Imagineers shared new details about the development of the new Cars attraction coming to the Magic Kingdom including a behind-the-scenes look at the track layout and ride vehicles.
The first thing you will notice is this is not a clone of the Radiator Springs Racers attraction out in Disney California Adventure. Yes we already knew this before the latest update, but it has now been confirmed just how different it will be, including an entirely new ride system.
During the “The Future of World-Building at Disney” panel at SXSW, Pixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter and Imagineer Michael Hundgen teased that guests will need to strap in because they’re in the process of creating a new type of ride vehicle for this experience.
“Our primary goal is creating an emotional experience for our guests,” Hundgen told the crowd. “For this Cars attraction, we need to invent a new type of ride vehicle. No one builds these in a factory because it has to do so much more than just carrying you from one place to another. We have to create a car that conveys a feeling when you ride in it.”
Remember, this will not be a smooth track-based ride like Radiator Springs Racers or Test Track. Cars Ridge Run Rally is supposed to simulate the rugged terrain you would expect to find out in the American West, with uneven surfaces, rocky paths, hills, drops, and bumps all part of the ride.
“Speed is always something that we love to do,” said Imagineer Michael Hundgen. “It’s fun to go fast, but it’s also really fun to go over terrain, over hills, bumps, and rocky parts of the path.”
The team took a trip out to the Arizona desert to jump in a real off-road vehicle to see what it felt like driving over rocky terrain. Disney is also working with a motocross company to build a real dirt track to race around on, then taking that data back to help create how the ride vehicles will eventually move and race.
“We’re using a customized production vehicle,” Hundgen continued. “It has sensors all over it, and we’re taking it for test drives on our dirt track to gather data on how the vehicle responds to different terrain. This is where we turn that feeling we want into real-world engineering.”
Disney has now said Cars Ridge Run Rally will debut a completely new ride vehicle designed not just to simulate an off-road car, but to basically be one. Guests are supposed to “feel every bump, drop, and rock” because the vehicle’s tires and suspension are truly driving over and reacting to the terrain.
That is the part that has me really interested. It sounds like Disney is trying to create something that feels more physical and rugged than a normal ride vehicle moving over a smooth surface.
Now, we need to be careful here because earlier concept art had a lot of people wondering if this would be a fully trackless all-terrain ride system. At this point, it does not sound like that is the case. Disney has said the car will “steer itself through a track system,” and newer reporting from D23 indicates this is not trackless.
That doesn’t necessarily make it less exciting. It just means this is probably some kind of guided ride system that still physically reacts to the terrain. If Disney can make guests feel the bumps, rocks, drops, hills, and mudholes in a convincing way, that could be every bit as impressive as a trackless ride.
We also got to see concept art of what the ride vehicles will look like for the attraction. Pete Docter said they’re creating “new race car personalities for this attraction. Each vehicle in the ride will have its own name and number, just like a real race.”
Lastly, during the video, it looked like we got a first look at a model of the ride track layout. This was a very basic model, but it was clear there will be some severe elevation changes during the ride, as well as winding paths and tunnels.
One interesting thing from the newer model and concept art is that the ride now appears to have one track, not two side-by-side racing tracks like Radiator Springs Racers. Earlier artwork made it look like there might be two vehicles racing next to each other, but the more recent model seems to show a single ride path.
That’s not automatically a bad thing, but it does make me wonder about capacity. One of the reasons Radiator Springs Racers can move a decent number of guests is that the ride has two tracks racing each other at the end. If Cars Ridge Run Rally only has one track, it will be interesting to see how Disney handles throughput and whether the ride vehicles, loading system, or dispatch timing can make up for that.
The ride vehicles also appear to have multiple seats per row, possibly similar to Test Track or Radiator Springs Racers, so hopefully Disney is designing this with capacity in mind. A ride like this is going to be very popular, and the Magic Kingdom does not need another headliner with brutal wait times.
Either way, the ride system and track layout are going to be one of the biggest things to watch with this project. If Disney gets this right, Cars Ridge Run Rally could be one of the most unique rides at Walt Disney World.
To get a behind the scenes look at the attraction, check out the latest episode of “We Call It Imagineering” here:
Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along
The second attraction coming to Piston Peak is Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along.
This is the smaller family ride in the land, and it is inspired by Miss Fritter, the “Diva of Demolition” from Cars 3. In the movie, Miss Fritter is a huge school bus who competes in the Thunder Hollow Crazy Eight demolition derby.
Disney says the ride will feature Miss Fritter as a huge school-bus-sized animatronic hosting a stampeding bash at her “wildest demolition derby yet.”
We don’t have a ton of details about the ride system yet, but from the concept art and model, this looks like a spinning flat ride, possibly similar in idea to the Cars rides at Disneyland Paris. That is not necessarily a bad thing. Magic Kingdom needs attractions for all ages, and a smaller family ride makes sense here.
That said, I do think Miss Fritter is a slightly strange choice for a National Park-themed land. Disney has spent a lot of time explaining how Piston Peak fits the peaceful wilderness / Rocky Mountain / Frontierland story, and then the second ride is a demolition derby hosted by a giant school bus.
It’s not a dealbreaker, but it is a little odd.
Still, if the attraction has a big animatronic, fun movement, and enough kinetic energy, it could be a good supporting ride. Not every attraction needs to be an E-ticket, and the Magic Kingdom especially needs smaller attractions that families with young kids can enjoy together.
Depending on how big this is, I could also see this eventually allowing Disney to replace the Tomorrowland Speedway at some point down the line and use that space as part of the eventual Tomorrowland overhaul.
Dining, Shopping, and Other Land Details
Disney has not revealed a full dining and shopping lineup for Piston Peak yet, at least not like they have for Monstropolis in Hollywood Studios.
What we do know is that Piston Peak will include a visitor lodge, Ranger HQ, trails, waterways, geysers, and other National Park-style locations set within the Cars universe.
The buildings will use Parkitecture, which is the style of architecture developed by the National Park Service to create structures that fit naturally within the landscape. That means we should see lodges, ranger buildings, stone, timber, and other design elements that feel like they belong in a National Park rather than a normal theme park land.
I would be shocked if there is not some kind of merchandise location here, and Disney will definitely have plenty of Cars merchandise ready to go. We also may see some snack stands or a quick-service dining location, but Disney has not announced the specific names yet.
Since this is the Magic Kingdom, I’m hoping Disney adds enough food, shade, seating, and quiet corners to make the land feel like a place you can actually spend time in, not just a pathway between two attractions.
That is especially important because this area is replacing one of the calmest and most atmospheric parts of the park, so it would be nice to have it as somewhat of a refuge the way Tom Sawyer Island was.
Scale, Atmosphere, and Land Design
One of the things that has made me more optimistic about Piston Peak is the way Disney is now presenting the design and atmosphere of the land.
When this project was first announced, it was easy to picture a bunch of Cars characters and racing vehicles shoved into Frontierland, and that was not exactly reassuring. But the newer artwork and model make this feel much more like a National Park environment with Cars attractions built into it.
That is a much better direction and gives me a good deal of confidence moving forward.
Piston Peak is supposed to have towering trees, snowcapped mountains, waterfalls, rivers, geysers, and a calming waterway across from Grizzly Hall. There will also be a mountain meant to help block views of the racing attraction from Liberty Square, plus natural barriers and landscaping to separate the louder off-road rally from other parts of the park.
That is exactly the kind of thing Disney needs to get right here. The biggest concern with replacing Rivers of America is not just losing a boat ride or an island. It’s losing water, atmosphere, quiet views, and the feeling that Magic Kingdom has places where you can slow down for a minute.
If Piston Peak is just concrete, cars, and a couple of rides, it will feel like a huge loss. But if Disney really builds out the rockwork, water features, mature trees, waterfalls, trails, and National Park atmosphere shown in the model, then this could be a much more impressive replacement than many of us originally expected.
The water features are especially important. No, they are not going to replace the Rivers of America. But if there is a real waterway, waterfalls, geysers, and places to stand and enjoy the view, it may at least preserve some of the atmosphere guests are worried about losing.
The same goes for sight-lines and sound. If cars are zooming around and you can hear them from Liberty Square or Haunted Mansion, that would be a problem. Disney seems aware of that concern, and the design appears to use mountains, trees, landscaping, and the layout of the ride to keep the louder parts contained.
We’ll have to see how it works in real life, because a model and concept art are not the same as walking through the land. But the overall design is much more reassuring than I expected.
How Is Piston Peak Different from Cars Land in California?
The obvious comparison everyone is going to make is between Piston Peak and Cars Land in Disney California Adventure, and for good reason.
Cars Land in California is one of the best lands Disney has ever built in any theme park, period. Radiator Springs Racers is one of my favorite Disney attractions of all-time, the rockwork is spectacular, and the whole land does an incredible job making you feel like you stepped into Radiator Springs.
So naturally, the question is: Will Piston Peak live up to Cars Land in California?
The answer is that it is probably not fair to compare them directly because Disney is not trying to build Radiator Springs again.
Piston Peak looks completely different. Cars Land in DCA is a desert town from Route 66. Piston Peak is a Rocky Mountain-inspired National Park. In some ways, this looks closer to Grizzly Peak than Radiator Springs, just with Cars characters and attractions layered into it.
That may actually be the smart move. If Disney built a clone of Cars Land, it would always be compared directly to the California version. By making this an original National Park-style Cars area, Walt Disney World gets something unique.
That doesn’t mean expectations are lower. If anything, expectations are extremely high because Cars Land has such a great reputation. If you are going to bring Cars to the Magic Kingdom and replace Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island to do it, the new land has to be exceptional.
The big question is whether Cars Ridge Run Rally can come close to the quality of Radiator Springs Racers. It doesn’t need to be the same kind of ride, but it needs to feel just as special in its own way.
If the off-road ride system works, the terrain feels convincing, the scenery is gorgeous, and the ride has enough length and capacity, then I think Piston Peak could win a lot of people over, the way it already has to me.
What is Piston Peak Replacing?
While all this looks great, getting Cars Land at the Magic Kingdom does not come without a heavy cost. Disney has announced that this new land will be built on the current location of Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America. In fact, both of these iconic Magic Kingdom locations will cease to exist once construction is complete.
The Liberty Square Riverboat is also gone as part of the project.
This was rumored after the original announcement, and confirmed by Disney:
“It’s time to leave Radiator Springs and head west into exciting new locations. To make way for this completely new frontier, the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island will be transformed into vast and rugged terrains for a rally race with some of the world’s most iconic racers.”
As you can imagine, the decision to eliminate two classic opening day attractions has come under great scrutiny from the Disney fan base and has soured many on the otherwise promising expansion. Many (including myself) feel kind of deceived since we were led to believe that the Magic Kingdom expansion would take place “Beyond Thunder Mountain” as was announced at the previous D23 Expo.
From what we can tell on the permits and from the way the project has played out, neither the Cars Land nor Villains Land will really be “behind” Thunder Mountain in the way many fans originally imagined. Cars is replacing Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island, and Villains Land will be beyond that.
Adding this news on top of MuppetVision 3D being replaced by the Monsters Inc. Land in Hollywood Studios has taken the wind out of the sails of many fans from the D23 announcements, even though most of the projects in a box sound really incredible.
Before the announcement, I thought there was a good chance that at least “part” of Tom Sawyer Island would have to go away, like in Disneyland for the Galaxy’s Edge expansion. I just was hoping that they would at least leave us something to remind us of the original layout and natural features.
While I definitely will miss Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America for the nostalgic factor, I can’t pretend like I visit them every time I go to Magic Kingdom. And I usually don’t see a huge mass of guests flooding the lines to take the rafts over to the island either.
I completely understand from Disney’s perspective that they are sitting on very valuable real estate that most people don’t even visit and it could be better utilized with some new and highly engaging attractions instead.
While I definitely will miss Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America for the nostalgic factor, I can’t pretend like I visit them every time I go to Magic Kingdom. And I usually don’t see a huge mass of guests flooding the lines to take the rafts over to the island either.
I completely understand from Disney’s perspective that they are sitting on very valuable real estate that most people don’t even visit and it could be better utilized with some new and highly engaging attractions instead.
On the positive side, the crowd flow in the Magic Kingdom will greatly improve after this expansion is complete. This was a priority from management’s side and now there won’t be those long dead ends in the park and it will be much easier to travel from Fantasyland to Frontierland.
At the same time, I don’t think the value of Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island can be measured only by wait times or how many people rode the riverboat each day.
Those areas gave Magic Kingdom something it desperately needs: quiet atmosphere. They gave guests a place to slow down, look out over the water, take a breath, and get away from the chaos for a few minutes. That matters, even if it doesn’t show up on a spreadsheet the same way a new E-ticket does.
Since Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America were both very calm and peaceful areas of the park, the biggest concern from fans is that the Magic Kingdom will be even more chaotic, with guests constantly on the move and with no spots to just observe nature and chill. I’m not sure that is really 100% true, but Disney has to prove it.
Supposedly, there were many challenges to the river and drainage system currently in place, and to retain any of it would have been difficult or impossible, as well as the fact that the islands could not be built upon with the river still in place. All of this, on top of the dead ends in the back of the park, created a logistical nightmare for management, and the end result was that Disney decided it would be better to build over the whole thing and start new.
Taking a better look at the concept art and newer land design, there are some places in the new land that really give me Grizzly Peak vibes from DCA. There will still be water included for guests to see and interact with, including ponds, streams, waterfalls, geysers, and a new waterway.
Again, it won’t be the Rivers of America. But if Disney does this right, Piston Peak could still have a lot of natural beauty and atmosphere in its own way.
In the end, though I hate to see the classics go, I get it. Things need to change. If I survived losing The Great Movie Ride, I’ll certainly survive this too. But the pressure is now on Disney Imagineering to deliver. If we are going to lose Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America, what is replacing it better be exceptional.
I don’t want to see them give a half-hearted effort on Cars Land like the way they did with Toy Story Land in HS. This better be awesome. If it is, I can guarantee that after a couple of years, you won’t hear anyone complaining anymore about what was replaced. But they need to knock it out of the park.
When Will Piston Peak Open?
So just how long do we have to wait for Piston Peak to open?
At this time, we really have no idea. Disney has not announced an opening date for Piston Peak National Park, Cars Ridge Run Rally, or Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along.
However, construction is now underway. Tom Sawyer Island, Rivers of America, and the Liberty Square Riverboat have already closed, and the area is being prepared for the new expansion.
This is not going to be a quick build. Before Disney can open Piston Peak, they have to completely transform the former Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island area, build the infrastructure, construct the new rides, create the mountains, water features, landscaping, pathways, buildings, and all the detailed scenery around it.
This is going to be a huge project with two attractions, not to mention all the detailed landscape that needs to be built around it.
Originally, I thought a 2028 opening was reasonable, and I still think that is possible, though I’m starting to doubt that estimation. Disney will need something big to promote after Tropical Americas / Pueblo Esperanza opens in Animal Kingdom and after parts of Monstropolis start opening in Hollywood Studios.
Piston Peak would make a lot of sense as Disney World’s big 2028 project.
That said, after seeing the size and scope of this land, I also wouldn’t be shocked if it slips into 2029. There is a lot going on here, and if Disney really builds the mountains, water features, landscaping, and ride systems the way they are showing, that is not something they are going to finish overnight.
So for now, I would say 2028 is the optimistic guess, but 2029 is definitely possible if the project takes longer than expected. Villains Land will likely be after that, possibly around 2030 or later.
Once Disney gives an official opening year or season, we’ll have a much better idea.
My Thoughts
Overall, I’m much more optimistic about Piston Peak than I was when Disney first announced that Cars was replacing the Rivers of America.
When I first heard “Cars in Frontierland,” I was not exactly thrilled. I love Cars Land in California, but I didn’t want Magic Kingdom to lose one of its most atmospheric areas just to get a bunch of cars racing around where the river used to be.
Now that we have seen more of the land design, the National Park setting, the rockwork, water features, geysers, and the details for Cars Ridge Run Rally, I feel much better about it.
Don’t get me wrong, I still hate losing Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island. Those areas mattered because they gave Magic Kingdom breathing room. Theme parks are not just about the ride count. They are also about the spaces in between, the water views, the shade, the quiet corners, and the little moments that make the park feel special.
But I also understand why Disney is doing this. Tom Sawyer Island and the riverboat were not popular enough, and Magic Kingdom needs more capacity. Piston Peak will almost certainly draw more guests, improve crowd flow, and give the park two new attractions.
The key is that Disney has to make the replacement worth it.
Cars Ridge Run Rally sounds very promising. I love the idea of an off-road ride that actually reacts to terrain, and if it can capture even some of the magic of Radiator Springs Racers while still feeling like its own original attraction, it could be a huge win.
I am a little less sold on Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along. It will probably be a fun family ride, and the animatronic sounds cool, but a demolition derby hosted by Miss Fritter feels like a strange choice for a National Park land. I’m sure kids will like it, but thematically it’s the one part of the project that still feels a bit odd to me.
The comparison to Cars Land in California is unavoidable, but I actually like that Piston Peak is not just a clone. If Disney tried to recreate Radiator Springs, it would always be the “second version.” By making this a National Park / Frontierland version of Cars, Disney is at least giving Walt Disney World something original.
I just hope they don’t cheap out.
If Disney builds this like the model and concept art suggest, with great rockwork, water features, mature trees, strong sight-lines, a real sense of atmosphere, and an awesome E-ticket attraction, then I think Piston Peak could win over a lot of skeptics.
If they give us two short rides, a bunch of concrete, some baby trees, and a noisy area that ruins the feel of Liberty Square and Frontierland, then this will be a huge missed opportunity.
So in the end, I’m still sad about what we lost, but I’m cautiously optimistic about what is coming. Piston Peak has a lot of potential, and the more Disney shows, the more it looks like Imagineering is actually taking the responsibility seriously.
This better be awesome. If it is, I can guarantee that after a couple of years, you won’t hear anyone complaining anymore about what was replaced. But they need to knock it out of the park.
That wraps up our look at the new Cars Land coming to Disney’s Magic Kingdom. We’ll be finding out more info in the coming months so stay tuned for more!
Also, don’t forget to sign up for our FREE Weekly E-Mail Newsletter. There we bring you the latest updates on Walt Disney World as well as vacation planning tips. You can sign up here: Join our E-Mail Newsletter
If you are going to Disney World soon, make sure to read our Disney World Planning Guide for all the tips and info you will need to cover everything! Also, check out our Disney World Crowd Calendar so you know when the best time to visit is!
Your Thoughts
I want to know what you think about the proposed Cars land…
- Are you happy to see a land themed to Cars coming to the Magic Kingdom?
- How do you feel about it replacing Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America?
Let us know in the comments section below!
If you enjoyed this article, as always I appreciate it if you’d share it with others via social media. I work hard at making this website into a useful resource for you and your family to plan your visit to the Disney Parks and I hope it can help you! Thanks 🙂
My name is Ziggy and I love Disney, everything Disney! I grew up on Disney and it has and continues to be a huge part of my life. I started young when my parents took me to Disney World when I was 18 months old. Little did they know that would be the first of an uncountable number of trips we would take. I have so many amazing memories going to Disney with my family and friends and it has been interwoven into my DNA.
LmMqtzme
Saturday 3rd of January 2026
1
Mike Nelson
Sunday 8th of June 2025
Great to see new lands and attractions for families HOWEVER with 27k acres to build no need to get rid of anything.I am sure Walt would agree. The reason we return is to ride our favorites.And Ziggy we agree Great movie ride Stitch and other family rides are missed badly
Walt
Friday 21st of March 2025
I was not happy to see the The Great Movie Ride gone or the Muppets. I agre with you, Toy Story Land in HS is half-hearted. Losing TSI and the River Boat is disappointing. I did not go to the Island every trip, but I did ride the river boat. I have been going to WDW since 1992, between losing fast pass & increased pricing, this may be my last trip.
Sallie Denny
Saturday 15th of March 2025
Has a ball park completion date for the new cars area been announced?
Brian Duchscherer
Saturday 14th of December 2024
Not happy about it replacing Tom Sawyer Island and The Rivers of America at all. We have always visited this area on every WDW trip, every one of the grandchildren ends up spending hours there and generally asks us to promise to return again. One year when it was being refurbished, we had to avoid the area because our grandson started to cry when he found it was closed. We are well aware that Walt purchased 25,000 acres of land and they should have put Cars some place else.