Change is inevitable at Disney World, but that doesn’t mean it’s always for the best.
Well, folks, it finally happened. In July, Magic Kingdom’s Rivers of America closed permanently to give way to Piston Peak — a new Cars-themed area in Frontierland. The closure means we’ve had to say goodbye to this famous water landmark, as well as the Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Square Riverboat attractions. Now, the river is being drained, and the reality that this once iconic Magic Kingdom offering is gone forever is truly setting in.
So what now? You can be upset, optimistic, or apathetic — there is no right and wrong way to feel about this change. Here at AllEars, we like to be cautiously optimistic, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have our concerns.
It could be argued that the Rivers of America brought something more to Magic Kingdom than attractions and ride experiences. Sure, you could journey down the waterway and visit a fun island, but neither of these was an E-ticket draw.
Instead, the Rivers of America offered an aesthetic that will be sorely missed.
The water helped bring the park to life. It created a natural feel that further immersed you in the adjacent lands. It’s not something you really think about until it’s gone, and we’ve been thinking about it a lot.
Watching an old riverboat sail nearby while a far-off island created a sense of adventure is nothing but a nostalgic memory now — at least at Disney’s Floridian theme park resort. When you compare the aesthetic to the still-safe Rivers of America at Disneyland, you realize just how important water is in theming.
With the river gone, Disney World has a tough task ahead of it.
Disney has teased it to be an “awe-inspiring wilderness filled with towering trees, snowcapped mountains, breathtaking waterfalls, roaring rivers, and impressive geysers”, all while featuring two major attractions: a thrilling off-road rally race and a family-friendly ride.
Let’s ignore the bit about the rides for a second and focus on another tidbit from the statement and concept art: the promise of “breathtaking waterfalls, roaring rivers, and impressive geysers.”
Disney seemingly intends to keep the water and nature themes the Rivers of America previously offered, and this, in our opinion, is not only the best movie, but the ONLY logical move.
The area is supposed to embrace national parks and nature, and you can’t do that without some H2O. It livens up your surroundings and helps maintain the suspension of disbelief. You’re not in a concrete theme park…you’re in Piston Peak surrounded by the frontier and friends that happen to be cars.
If Magic Kingdom nails this aspect, they’ll provide at least a semblance of what the Rivers of America did. If not…well…I’m sure they’ll hear about it.
In the meantime, it’s impossible to predict what the final product of Piston Peak will look like orG offer. We’re along for the ride, just like you. With that said, we visit Disney World every day, so stick with us right here at AllEars for all the latest updates!
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How do you feel about the removal of the Rivers of America? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Do you really wanna know what it’s gonna be? Look at the Artist drawing of new fantasyland 2012 and compare it to what was built. You will be shocked on how completely accurate it is all the way down to pathways trees, bridges, and everything else.
This is exactly what’s going to be built in place of the main island of Tom Sawyer’s Island. It’s going to be exactly like the picture. T the rest of the rivers of America is going to be villains land, which is going to be gigantic, and we don’t have any artist concept drawings (yet D23 in 2 days will say a lot)
No need to guess on what it’s going to be like. We have a picture of it.
I concur that it’s difficult to say goodbye to Rivers of America…not only for its aesthetic beauty, but also for its slower pace. It was such a nice balance to the go-go-go nature of the rest of the Magic Kingdom. Everyone needs a breather now and then; and I don’t know where to find it now that we’ve lost the heart of Frontierland.