Magic Kingdom guests are watching Disney build the park’s future on top of a piece of its past.
The Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island are gone, clearing the way for Piston Peak National Park and the upcoming Villains Land expansion.
For decades, the river created one of Magic Kingdom’s most recognizable landscapes. Guests could explore Tom Sawyer Island, watch the Liberty Belle Riverboat travel around the water, or simply enjoy a section of the park that moved at a much slower pace.
That chapter has ended permanently.
And new aerial footage shows just how quickly Disney is moving forward.
Cranes Rise Where Magic Kingdom Classics Once Stood
Bioreconstruct recently shared an aerial video on X showing construction underway for both Piston Peak National Park and Villains Land.
According to the update, Disney has added a tower crane to assist with construction of Cars Ridge Run Rally, with some portions of the upcoming attraction expected to be underground.
Farther into the expansion area, crews have also created numerous excavations for infrastructure associated with Villains Land.
Aerial video of construction in Magic Kingdom for Piston Peak National Park and Villains Land.
A tower crane was recently added to build Cars Ridge Run Rally. Some of the attraction will be underground.
Many excavations in Villains Land for infrastructure. pic.twitter.com/yMSRBnqi8Z— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) September 20, 2026
For longtime Disney World guests, it’s almost difficult to connect the current construction site with what previously occupied the area.
The water, island, and much of the greenery that created the former Frontierland landscape have given way to dirt, construction equipment, excavations, and cranes.
Eventually, those construction zones will become entirely new themed environments.
Disney Is Trading Nostalgia for Major New Attractions
Piston Peak National Park will introduce Cars (2006) characters and attractions to this section of Magic Kingdom.
Disney is designing the land around the concept of a national park rather than recreating Radiator Springs. Cars Ridge Run Rally will become one of the area’s major attractions.
Then there’s Villains Land.
Disney is developing the enormous expansion beyond the existing areas of Magic Kingdom, bringing several classic animated villains together in a dedicated land.
Taken together, the projects represent a massive investment in Magic Kingdom’s future.
But they’re also another sign of how the park itself is changing.
A Different Kind of Magic Kingdom Is Coming
Disney characters have always belonged at Magic Kingdom, but the park historically mixed franchise-based experiences with attractions and environments that stood on their own.
The Rivers of America helped provide that balance.
There was no blockbuster movie guests needed to recognize. The river simply helped Frontierland feel like another place and another time.
Piston Peak and Villains Land represent a different approach. Both areas will rely heavily on recognizable Disney intellectual property.
That isn’t necessarily bad or good. Guests will ultimately decide how they feel once these projects open.
What is undeniable is the scale of the change.
Some Disney fans will remember the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island with tremendous nostalgia. Others will see their removal as a necessary sacrifice for major new attractions.
Soon, an entirely new generation may know Magic Kingdom without ever remembering what used to be there.
Disney has demolished pieces of the park’s history.
Now, it’s building what comes next.
