Why You’ll Be Waiting YEARS Before Magic Kingdom Opens New ‘Cars’ Land

If you’re planning your next Disney World trip hoping to check out Magic Kingdom’s new Cars-themed land, you might want to hold off on getting too excited. Construction is set to begin this summer, but everything we’re seeing suggests guests won’t be walking through the gates of this new area until 2028—or possibly even later.

That’s a long time to wait, especially for a project that already has fans buzzing.

Major Closures Set the Stage

Starting July 7, Magic Kingdom is going to look very different. On that date, construction walls are expected to go up and stay up for a while. Just the day before, July 6, guests will say goodbye to Tom Sawyer Island, the Liberty Square Riverboat, and the iconic Rivers of America. That entire section of the park is being cleared to make way for something new—something big.

What’s coming is a brand-new land themed around Piston Peak National Park, the fictional setting from Planes: Fire & Rescue (2014). Unlike Radiator Springs Racers over at Disney California Adventure, this won’t be a copy-and-paste situation. The entire thing is an original creation, which means Imagineers are starting from scratch on everything: rides, theming, infrastructure—the whole package.

Here’s What’s Planned

The land will reportedly feature two main attractions. One is expected to be a high-speed rally-style ride, likely appealing to thrill-seekers, while the other will be a slower-paced, family-friendly experience. Both rides are getting their own lodge-style buildings inspired by national park architecture, drawing creative influence from places like Wilderness Lodge and Grizzly Peak.

That sounds amazing, right? It is—but it also takes time.

Don’t Expect a 2026 Opening

There’s been speculation, but let’s be honest: a 2026 debut just isn’t going to happen. Building a brand-new land from the ground up—even at Disney speed—requires more than a year or two. For context, Disney has been working on the Tropical Americas land at Animal Kingdom (which was announced earlier) and that’s not even expected until 2027.

And unlike Animal Kingdom’s expansion, the new Cars-themed area involves demolishing and rerouting a lot of existing infrastructure—like riverboat tracks and walkways. That only adds more time to an already massive undertaking.

Realistic Timeline? All Signs Point to 2028… or Later

If everything goes according to plan (which is rarely the case with large-scale theme park construction), 2028 feels like the earliest possible opening date. Even then, it’s a best-case scenario. Weather delays, construction setbacks, and material shortages can all push timelines back months or even years. Just look at how long it took Disney to open TRON Lightcycle / Run—and that was a clone of an existing ride.

Building something brand-new like Piston Peak is a whole different ballgame.

Disney Is Feeling the Pressure

The motivation to move quickly is definitely there. Universal’s Epic Universe is now open and capturing a ton of attention. With entire lands themed to Nintendo, How to Train Your Dragon, and Dark Universe, it’s raising the bar and drawing big crowds.

Disney knows it can’t afford to fall behind. The Cars-themed land and the upcoming Disney Villains expansion are clearly meant to answer the challenge posed by Universal’s bold new park. But simply announcing projects won’t keep guests coming through the gates—actual progress matters.

That’s why fans hope Disney will fast-track this project as much as possible, just like they did with Pandora – The World of Avatar, which took only three years from groundbreaking to opening.

Construction Zone Ahead

Once July hits, the transformation begins. The back of Frontierland is going behind walls for the foreseeable future, and those scrims and cranes are going to be part of the park’s skyline for a long while.

If you’re visiting this summer, now’s the time to soak in that classic section of the park one last time. Take a final raft ride to Tom Sawyer Island. Snap a few photos by the Liberty Square Riverboat. Because by this time next year, it’ll all be under construction—and it’s staying that way for a while.

So while 2028 might be the optimistic guess, the truth is that Magic Kingdom’s new Cars-themed land could still be years beyond that. Buckle up. The wait is just getting started.