Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island Closing Forever, MuppetVision is Safe

To put Cars into Frontierland is to destroy the logic of the park. The west sides of the Disney castle parks were designed to be about the past–Frontierland, Westernland, or Adventureland. And if Tom Sawyer Island isn't resonating anymore, then rethink it, but keep it about America's past (Tony Baxter tried, years ago, to retheme the river using western legends, like Paul Bunyon and Pecos Bill, and John Henry. I bet that would have been popular; or, Disneyland was looking at a Geyser ride way back when–put that into the island space, if need be?). Certainly if Disney were to allow the Imagineers to move outside of a handful of IP in designing their attractions, the Imagineers could find a great idea to bring people back to that island space in Frontierland. And, let's be honest, Cars isn't about the frontier past. This is the problem with the Disney parks today in a nutshell. Disney leadership no longer follows, respects, or understands the logic of their own parks, and thus they destroyed EPCOT, and now they are doing the same to the Magic Kingdom. They are making the Disney parks more and more into interchangeable DIsney-IP-themed Universal-style parks. Internal logic and master narratives matter, but not, it seems, to today's Disney executives.

Terrible idea to gut Frontierland just to insert another movie IP. No creativity whatsoever! This is more of the same stupidity I've come to expect from Iger and Co. Thank goodness for Universal's vision!

What a shame , how in the world could you think this is a good idea ? Just trying to stay in Disneys good graces ? More disappointing ,cheap and out of place changes by Disney.

Consider that Rivers was a central orientation point that held the charm and ambiance of the land, so even though you wanted something else there, do you actually agree that the kiddie Cars IP is the best ambiance for the land?

This is such a shame , it is like removing Main Street, the train or the castle … it removes the perfect recipe that creates a magic kingdom. Those “empty green spaces” and water ways, true not necessary, but that is what makes a Disney park unique and allows to bring a little nature and breathing space into the parks and what makes a Disney park different than any other parks out there filled with concrete every where and attractions on top of another … Walt loved trees, nature , water ways to create a world , a natural world where you could escape to , where the trees could grow and be part of the park as much as the attractions. That’s what created the charm. That was what made Walt a poet, giving space for nostalgia and unnecessary things like greenery and water ways to be part of the story. Gardens and nature was very important to him and they were part of the story, and that’s what he loved when he visited Tivoli gardens and what he wanted in his park, that it was like a beautiful relaxing park and that relaxation and nature was part of the experience with park benches to relax and take in the scenery. With all the land they still have at Disney world , what a shame this is :((( I loved the old river boat, just for the atmosphere and the feel of it. what an iconic view when arriving in Frontierland this was. Next they will remove main street because it is too old fashion?? Or the train? This is truly truly sad😞 at least they could keep a small areas of water to park the boat as a restaurant maybe?

Wow. I see Tom drank the koolaid …
never did I think I would be strong enough to disagree with you. I guess I’m stronger than I think.
Nope ..you don’t win with this one. Sorry not sorry.
They are erasing Walt himself. No one realized this yet ??? Wow
Enjoy BOB IGOR WORLD

The Cars land looks really cool and everything, but if you think about it with cars land, and the villains land magic kingdom is going to get way more packed than it usually gets now and especially at night time when they have the firework shows because imagine being all the way in the villains land weigh in the back and watching the fireworks and you’re in a huge crowd of people and then, after the fireworks, you have to walk all the way through that huge crowd of people from the villains land walk all the way through to the front of the park I mean, I’m all for the villains land too but I’m just thinking crowd wise , I think they should’ve just built a 5th park and did a villains land and a Pixar land with all the new cars attractions

I had this idea about Finley in Tom Sawyer’s Island and building Tiana her own new ride over there and also building Tiana’s restaurant right next to it because then we could’ve kept splash Mountain and that way when they have the parade you wouldn’t have that long bottleneck of people and you wouldn’t have to go all the way around to get over there. You just go straight through to where Tom Sawyer Island was, and you’re right at Tiana’s.

Closing is one thing, Filling in with Dirt is a statement. The statement is Up Yours tradionalist fans, we can not imagine not ruining your Disney. So, customers are going to decrease, common stock down, jobs lost. Great work Disney management. It's a Frontierland Demolishion.

I could not agree less with the decision to destroy Rivers of America. It will ruin the panorama and atmosphere of Frontierland and Liberty Square, destroy habitat for wildlife and likely make the park feel hotter. Watching otters and wading birds, herons and egrets, is one of the joys of the area. If they want more people in the area, they could open concession areas on Tom Sawyer Island. A riverside restaurant would have been wonderful if they were willing to put in the infrastructure to supply a kitchen there. If they wanted to cram more IP into the experience, they should have changed the theme of the Liberty Belle to the Princess of the Frog instead of ruin Splash Mountain.

I would say the execs at Disney have lost their minds over this, but I am becoming more and more convinced they must not have had any to begin with. Tom you know this is the last thing Walt would have wanted and is the beginning of the desecration of what makes the Magic Kingdom magical. Ruin the theming and you get just another Six Flags. See how well that compares to Epic Universe.

GOOD ! Disney sucks.

Magic Kingdom needs MORE areas to lessen the crowding – not taking away something relaxing with few lines.

I am disappointed beyond all measure and my day is ruined.

Garcia Eric Miller Timothy Johnson Angela

R.I.P. rivers of america at magic kingdom 1971-2024
also if the cars area has all the same rides as the cars land in disney california adventure, i can't imagine how cool that will be

it makes the atmosphere and that will be destroyed. It's not so much about the "attractions" of the Liberty Belle and Tom Sawyer's island. Neither are really attractions. They add to the character of the area. I will never go back if they go forward with it. It shows how much they do not respect their guests, and it shows they have a serious problem with making good decisions. Put my order to sell my stock when I found hours ago. If it ever goes up one more dollar the order will be filled. I'm not going to renew D23 Gold membership or anything else. They have made the parks inconsistent which ruins the parks' individual themes. I love change and had no problem with reimagining Splash Mountain (second WDW ride that I road when I arrived as a CP).

Can't believe you support closing and paving over the river.
Just because there's on 3,000 miles away on the other coast.

Corporate Disney is destroying park theme and atmosphere one chunk at at time, and you applaud it. Very disappointing.

I dont nesicarrily hate them paving over the river, but cars in the center doesnt make sense. You really want to see cars in the middle of the western frontier or next to colonial america. It doesnt make sense, and besides they built the utilidoors so you wouldnt see the ocasional castmember out of place. Now they are putting a permanent ride that doesnt fit the theme whats the point