Disney World closing 2 classic attractions to make way for ‘Cars’ addition to Magic Kingdom

On Saturday evening at the Disney Experiences Showcase during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro revealed dozens of new lands, attractions and experiences coming to Disney parks across the globe.

“Today, we unveiled an extensive slate of new experiences that only Disney can deliver,” D’Amaro said during the presentation. “Work is well underway on all of the new projects we announced, and fans will start to see them come to life in the near future.”

Once the cheers died down after D’Amaro revealed these announcements, fans immediately began speculating on where these new lands and attractions could be built.

Among those is a “Cars”-themed area coming to Frontierland in the Magic Kingdom at Disney World. The area will be set in the wilderness beyond Radiator Springs, the immersive land you can visit at Disney California Adventure Park at Disneyland.

It will have two rollicking attractions inspired by the “Cars” films and the franchise’s popular characters, such as Lightning McQueen, Tow Mater and all their friends. One is being described as a thrilling rally race, and the other as an attraction even the youngest racers will love.

Along with the announcement, Disney shared that construction is scheduled to begin on the project in 2025.

While Walt Disney World Resort is large — more than 40 square miles, to be exact — it isn’t infinite. Projects of this scale have to go somewhere, and that somewhere is often in the place of older attractions. For instance, when Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway opened in early 2020, it replaced a beloved attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios called The Great Movie Ride.

Fans didn’t have to wait long to learn that Disney World is closing two classic attractions to make way for the “Cars”-themed area. On Monday, Disney shared in a blog post that the Rivers of America area, home to the Liberty Square Riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island, will be “transformed into vast and rugged terrains for a rally race with some of the world’s most iconic racers.”

For some fans, it may be a bitter pill to swallow, but Disney did acknowledge how difficult it is to lose attractions that have created happy memories for so many guests.

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“We are thrilled to create this original Cars adventure and put our guests in the driver’s seat as we—quite literally—explore a new frontier in Frontierland,” Michael Hundgen, Walt Disney World portfolio executive producer at Walt Disney Imagineering, said in the blog post. “Part of pioneering this new story includes tapping into the themes of exploration and adventure that inspire so many of us to keep propelling forward. Anytime we touch Magic Kingdom, we recognize the massive responsibility that exists to get it right and tell stories that connect with our guests.”

Disney also understands that guests need an opportunity to say goodbye to the attractions they hold near and dear. That is why the company also shared that before it puts the pedal to the metal on construction next year, “guests will have plenty of time to experience the charm and nostalgia of Frontierland as it is today.”

If you want to sneak in one more ride around the Rivers of America on the Liberty Belle or explore the caves and bridges on Tom Sawyer Island one last time, you’ll want to do so on your next trip to Disney World before they close for good.

Unfortunately for longtime Disney fans, these aren’t the only attractions on the chopping block at Disney World. D’Amaro also announced at the Disney Experiences Showcase that a villians-themed land is coming to the Magic Kingdom, too. A “Monsters, Inc.” land is coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios as well, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom will receive a Tropical Americas land with attractions inspired by “Encanto” and “Indiana Jones.”

Concept art shows and Disney’s own announcements indicate that the Dinosaur attraction and all of DinoLand U.S.A. will soon be as extinct as the giant reptiles that inspired them. In a blog post dedicated specifically to this new land, Disney stated that “Construction on the land is set to begin this fall and will open in 2027 — but don’t worry, you’ll still have plenty of time to experience Dinosaur again (and get that dino).”

We also know that the Disney villains-themed land is being planned for an undeveloped area behind Big Thunder Mountain at the Magic Kingdom. This likely means no attractions will need to be demolished to make way for the devious fun to come.

As for the new “Monsters, Inc.” land, Disney is keeping its exact location under lock and key, so we don’t yet know which additional attractions we will bid farewell to. If Monday’s announcement and Disney’s treatment of past attraction closures is any indicator, they’ll give guests fair warning before shuttering any attractions that are being replaced.

We will be sure to update you when we know exactly when and where these attractions are being built so you can plan accordingly if you want to properly say goodbye with one final ride.

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