On Wednesday, guests arrived at Magic Kingdom Park to find that the Liberty Square Riverboat was closed for the day. There was no preannounced refurbishment, disappointing any guests who flocked to Walt Disney World Resort to experience the attraction one more time before it shuts down for good in the coming years.
At D23 Expo 2024, Walt Disney Imagineering confirmed it was moving forward with formerly “blue sky” plans for a Disney Villains land beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Frontierland. This delighted most Disney Parks fans eager for an expanded Magic Kingdom Park footprint without losing any existing attractions.
But the announcements didn’t end there. Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro shocked Disney Parks fans by revealing that two Cars (2006) rides, distinct from those in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure Park, would join Frontierland at Magic Kingdom Park. Crews will fill in much of the Rivers of America to make way for the new attractions, meaning the end of Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Square Riverboat ride that has delighted guests since 1973.
The expansion is controversial among Disney Parks fans as it forever changes the original natural landscape of Frontierland and Liberty Square. Nevertheless, Walt Disney World Resort is pushing forward, and Imagineering has already filed permits for construction at the site.
Disney has yet to announce a closing date for the Liberty Square Riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island, or an opening date for the two Cars attractions coming to Frontierland. On Wednesday, though, Magic Kingdom Park guests got quite the scare when the Liberty Belle entrance area was blocked from guest access. As of the publication of this article, it remains listed as “temporarily closed” on the My Disney Experience app.
According to Disney cast members who spoke with WDWNT, the Liberty Square Riverboat had to remain closed all day on Wednesday due to a boiler issue. They weren’t sure if it would reopen on Thursday, April 24.
This temporary closure isn’t expected to extend into a full shutdown of the Liberty Belle for the upcoming transformation of Frontierland. Walt Disney World Resort almost always gives advanced notice for permanent ride closures and has done so in recent years for shuttered attractions like Splash Mountain and It’s Tough To Be A Bug!.
Has a sudden ride closure impacted your visit to Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park? Share your story with Disney Dining in the comments.
With the destruction of the Rivers
Of America and Tom Sawyer island, I will NEVER give WDW my money.
I wish I could say the same, however my spending any extra at WDW will be much tighter for what they are doing in general.