For the second time in a few weeks, the Liberty Square Riverboat has been relocated to another backstage area at Magic Kingdom Park. This comes less than a month after the 52-year-old Walt Disney World Resort attraction closed permanently.
The Liberty Square Riverboat, Tom Sawyer Island, and the Rivers of America closed permanently on July 7, 2025, to make way for exciting additions to Frontierland. The new Piston Peak National Park, inspired by the natural beauty of American national parks, will feature two Cars (2006)-themed rides: a thrilling rally race and a family-friendly attraction. Some aspects of the Rivers of America will remain, including select water features and a barrel bridge, but much of the historic Disney Park landscape is set to change.
Soon after the closures, construction walls appeared around the Rivers of America. Guests noticed Walt Disney Imagineers surveying Tom Sawyer Island on foot and by boat, tagging set pieces for preservation or destruction. The Rivers of America was drained almost completely by August 4, revealing the tracks previously used by the Liberty Square Riverboat, which had also been temporarily parked behind Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
The changes extend beyond the park itself. Outside the Magic Kingdom, crews have bulldozed hundreds of trees to create space for a new equipment staging area and temporary office trailers. This area will serve as the base for construction on Piston Peak National Park and a new Disney Villains land, located beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
The Liberty Square Riverboat has been parked behind Big Thunder Mountain Railroad for the last month, as Walt Disney World Resort kept quiet about the steamboat’s future. Would it be repurposed or dismantled? Fans speculated on the next step for the Americana-themed Liberty Square attraction.
On August 4, 2025, BlogMickey reported that the Liberty Belle had been moved from its temporary backstage location to a marina behind Magic Kingdom Park. Disney uses this marina for maintenance and repairs on the park’s watercraft transportation system, including boats that serve the Seven Seas Lagoon. Although a dry dock exists for repairs, reports indicate that it is in use, and the Liberty Belle remains afloat at the marina.
The boat was reportedly moved sometime between Sunday, August 3, and Monday, August 4. X (formerly known as Twitter) user @___Gestalt sporred the Liberty Belle in its former spot on August 3:
it’s parked in the channel between the Floridian and MK where the water parade boats are, just saw it from the monorail yesterday.
Walt Disney World Resort has not officially confirmed what will become of the Liberty Square Riverboat or revealed the grand opening dates for Piston Peak National Park and the Disney Villains land at the Magic Kingdom.
Do you agree with Walt Disney World Resort’s decision to close the Liberty Square Riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island? Share your opinion with Disney Dining in the comments!
They are slowly stripping WDW of every shred of Americana. How long before they replace
I totally agree with you
Absolutely agree with you this is a terrible decision & I have no reason to go to mk now. Disney is proving with every decision how unkiND American they ve become
TALKING CARS in Liberty Square and Frontierland? They could’ve revived Tom Sawyer Island with updated technology and a refurbished including restoring Aunt Pollys. What a shame and no steam whistle from Liberty Belle? Wrong! Cars attraction belonged at Studios. Monsters should have gone into former Animation Courtyard and Muppets area expanded with new attractions. They seem to just throw stuff wherever anymore!
Agree! Keep Frontierland Frontierland Keep Epcot. Don’t like trying to make Epcot more like MK. Put the new stuff in HS. Also don’t like that they bulldozed all those trees. I enjoyed glimpses of the deer.
I think it’s a shame that they’ve removed this iconic attraction. The riverboat was a great ride that allowed you to relax for twenty minutes or so while enjoying some beautiful scenery and the beautiful ship itself. Tom Sawyer Island was a kid’s dream come true with the caves and the fort to explore. I remember how my imagination would run wild there when I was kid.
This is a mistake on the level with the removal of 20,000 Leagues. What kid doesn’t want to ride in a submarine?
Disney World thinks it needs to be Universal Studios. It used to be something much more than that.
Oh well!
I can’t believe with all the land they have there at Disney World that they could not have built the new attraction somewhere else. Tom Sawyer Island and Liberty Bell were two of my favorites heartbreaking that they just decided to do away with it. Understand progress and competition with other theme parks attractions besides Disney. But doing away with such a iconic little adventure like Tom Sawyer Island Liberty Bell was a huge mistake very disappointed.
It is sad to see the Liberty Bell docked, it is not just Disney World’s history it is part of the Southern charm of America.
So let me get this straighy the article states the rise and fall of a patriotic attraction and shows donald trump on the hall of presidents. Yet when you read the article it only refer to the tom sawyer island and rivierboat ride??
Us this to try and tie trump to a failing attraction?
They don’t care about what Walt Disney designed.
A place for families to remember the old west and the slower life etc. Its about attracting kids who grew up watching toys talking and TV and video games. Profits is all they care about. They have ruined the whole purpose of Walt Disney World and Disneyland etc. A place for families. No now its a place to take enormous money from people in rides that do not reflect on ANYTHING Walt designed. Tom Sawyer Island and the Riverboat are the old west. Now we have Cars ride and fake
realities put in children’s head. Nothing wrong with fantasyland for that. But now its becoming a huge carnival with Disney’s name all for profits….Pathetic
In my career with Disney starting at Disneyland and then
opening of Walt Disney World. In addition I was fortunate to live
In California, July 17, 1955, opening of Disneyland. Played in
The orange grove where Disneyland is built. My dad laid tracks
on Main Street and had a glass of Orange Juice. He also helped
to build Swiss Family Robinson Tree at Disneyland. I also met
Walt twice. So with that history Iger needs to be fired. He ABC,
not Disney. Destroying Rivers Of America, removing Liberty and c
losing Tom Sawyer Island is crime.
I’ve heard the new Attraction is actually based not on Cars, but the FAILED Cars spin-off Planes…
Disney betting on failure once again. And Magic Kingdom will no longer benefit from the waters having a cooling effect on the surrounding area.
My hope, since this tragedy is a “done deal” is that they gather (if still able) the architects and builders who created Wilderness Lodge (the Lobby is amazing and beyond quality) to create the replacement area when Disney decided to surgically remove Antebellum history. The Cars attraction should have been put in place of Grand Prix Raceway..that would have been an appropriate upgrade. Sidenote-they are destroying Fort Wilderness. My late husband and I visited Disney World in 1975 on our honeymoon (he loved it so) and I have been there 55 times. I don’t know that I can return now…not to be vulgar but “Piston”??? You got that right.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was there when I made my first visit at age 9 in 1973, I loved it and talked about it for months. When I went back again for the first time in 1994, hoping it was still open. But…nope. Did I cry and complain that my childhood memories were ruined? Nope. Next visit wasn’t until mid- September 2011, you read that right – my then 3rd grader and I were on one of the first flights out of BWI when it reopened. Many, many more new things were there, and many had been retired. That’s how it’s supposed to be. Time doesn’t stop, and change isn’t horrible. Now a Disney Adult & DVC member, I go almost annually with my husband, and if we miss the presence of something, we express disappointment and move on. I just don’t understand why people complain so much! Cherish your memories of attractions, rides, restaurants, parades gone-by. Then enjoy all the new experiences.
Change may not be horrible, but it’s not always good. The redesign of Future World in Epcot, the removal of the Orborne Lights at Studios, and the Castle projection lights instead of the stunning Dreamlights at Christmastime at MK to name a few.
As an annual passholfer, DVC member, and Celebration resident, I too am very upset with the removal of the Rivers of America. Disney has enough land to add new attractions without taking away classic attractions inspired by Walt Disney himself. As the saying goes, they can walk and chew gum at the same time!
August 12, 2025 2340 It is mentioned that parts of the RIVERS OF AMERICA will be repurposed for the new CARS area. Does this include the Native American village? This was at the back of the RIVERS OF AMERICA area just before the final turn that led to the dock.