Among the stash of worldwide Disney announcements made at the recent D23 conference in California was the news that two “Cars” rides were being added to Magic Kingdom’s very popular Frontierland area.
Disney has confirmed that the new rides will be built on Tom Sawyer Island replacing the longstanding fort and caves. The area also will lose the Liberty Belle Steamboat, which currently travels the Rivers of America that surround that very island. Both these attractions have operated at Magic Kingdom since the early 1970s so are a nostalgic favorite for many visitors.
There are currently no rides on Tom Sawyer Island – just a rustic playground area for kids. Its theme is based on Mark Twain characters, and visitors only access it via log rafts. Liberty Belle, a triple-decker paddle boat, loops around the island for views of Frontierland attractions and the nearby Haunted Mansion.
Disney has not really revealed specific timelines for any new projects, including the “Cars” attractions. Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro has though indicated that visitors would be able to see the island in its current form for the rest of 2024.
The Disney expansion announcements also included a land based on its animated-film villains in Magic Kingdom, which is also getting a nighttime parade; a “Monsters, Inc.” land to be built at Disney’s Hollywood Studios; and attractions at Disney’s Animal Kingdom based on “Zootopia” and “Encanto,” Disney films released in 2016 and 2021, respectively.