A quiet corner of the Magic Kingdom once filled with trees and waterways is now a hub of construction, and Disney’s plans for expansion are reshaping the land far “beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.” Visitors walking past the Frontierland area may not realize it, but some of the park’s most familiar features are already gone—and the changes will keep coming.
The first signs of the upcoming Disney Villains land have arrived outside Magic Kingdom Park. Crews have been busy removing thousands of trees “beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad,” not just for the land itself but also for temporary trailer offices and equipment staging areas. The transformation isn’t subtle. Where greenery once created a natural boundary, the landscape now looks dramatically different.
Disney’s ambitions for Magic Kingdom Park don’t stop with its Villains. Over in Frontierland, the company is working on another major project: Piston Peak National Park. This new area, inspired by Cars (2006) and modeled after America’s national parks, is replacing the Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island, and the Liberty Square Riverboat. All three attractions closed in July.
Because the Disney Villains land and Piston Peak sit practically side by side, construction has become a massive, intertwined effort. After draining the Rivers of America, crews seemingly cleared silt from the riverbed and deposited it into the patch of land reserved for Disney Villains. From aerial views, the scope of this work is unmistakable: acres of cleared land, earthmovers in constant motion, and staging areas spreading westward from the heart of the park.
Much of what’s happening is best seen from above. X (formerly known as Twitter) user and aerial photographer @bioreconstruct has documented the dramatic changes through a series of photos. One set shows the riverbed silt shifted into the footprint of the Villains expansion:
Aerial photos of what seems to be silt removal from the former Rivers of America. This section to become Villains land.
Aerial photos of what seems to be silt removal from the former Rivers of America. This section to become Villains land. pic.twitter.com/MNa6sFz905
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) September 21, 2025
Another shot reveals how close the new Villains land will sit to Frontierland:
Land clearing next to Magic Kingdom. Rivers of America area at top of this aerial photo to be Villains land.
Land clearing next to Magic Kingdom.
Rivers of America area at top of this aerial photo to be Villains land. pic.twitter.com/0VfHIj8tZT— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) September 21, 2025
And finally, a wide overview highlights just how much of the Magic Kingdom’s perimeter has been repurposed:
Aerial overview of construction staging areas being added West of Magic Kingdom.
Aerial overview of construction staging areas being added West of Magic Kingdom. pic.twitter.com/MKLqEzKUkc
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) September 21, 2025
Walt Disney World Resort has not confirmed when guests can expect the grand openings of the Disney Villains land or Piston Peak National Park at the Magic Kingdom.
What Disney Villains should be spotlighted in the new land at Magic Kingdom Park? Share your ideas with Disney Dining in the comments!
